By Deborah Nnamdi
The Edo State House of Assembly has approved Governor Okpebholo’s request to engage a consulting firm to review, reconcile, and recover the amount due to the Edo Government from project Gazelle Afriexim loan and any other crude oil loan arrangements and the deduction at source of 10 percent as professional fees.
This was as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday assumed its role as the minority party in the Edo State House of Assembly.
A letter to the house dated 8th April 2025, nominated Mr Charity Aiguobarueghian for the position of minority leader and Yekini Idiaye as the minority whip.
Airobarueghian is the immediate past Majority Leader who has to vacate his position after four members of the house made up of three from the PDP and one from the Labour Party (LP) defected to the All Progressives Congress. (APC)
The defection now left PDP with 11 members as against APC’s 13.
Also at plenary, the request letter signed by Governor Monday Okpebholo was read to lawmakers during plenary by The Speaker, Rt Hon. Blessing Agbebaku.
According to the Governor, the purpose of the letter was to draw the attention of the house and to request approval to join 35 other states to recover the amount due to it from the project Gazelle Afriexim loan.
Agbebaku noted that there was a “need to support and grant the request of the governor” adding that the funds would aid the socioeconomic development in the states.
The lawmakers, in a voice vote, approved the Governor’s request to engage the consultant to recover the loan.
