By Deborah Nnamdi
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has announced plans to establish a Commission of Inquiry to review the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
Governor Okpebholo announced on Friday during a victory parade held at the Government House in Benin City. The event was attended by party leaders, youth groups, market women, civil servants, professional bodies, and other supporters celebrating the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld his election victory.
Okpebholo and his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa, had just returned from Abuja following the apex court’s decision affirming the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s win in the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
In his address, the governor expressed gratitude to God and the people of Edo State, promising to deliver impactful governance. “In the next two years, Edo people will know they have a governor,” he said.
He also revealed that a preliminary review of the Edo Geographic Information Service (EdoGIS) uncovered that a consultant under the previous administration was paid N6 billion, plus an additional N2 billion, for a software solution.
According to Okpebholo, his administration has since developed its software in-house and terminated the consultant’s contract, calling the previous spending “wasteful.”
He said, “I directed the training of our people who are now handling the job. We have sent the consultant away from the state, saving money to develop Edo State.
“Our civil servants are well-trained. We have the best brains in the state, but Godwin Obaseki used consultants instead of utilising the human resources in the state.
“We are saving money today as a government because we are using the civil servants to do the jobs consultants were formerly doing.
“We are just about eight months in office, but by the time we are two years in office, Edo people will know they have a governor who is ready to work for the interest of the people.”
Okpebholo thanked President Bola Tinubu who stood his ground and ensured the right thing was done.
He said he would ensure that the people of Edo State enjoy the dividends of democracy under his leadership as the president.
Okpebholo assured Edo people that his administration would open the books to check the dealings of the previous administration led by Obaseki.
He added, “I will open the books to check the financial dealings and how Obaseki governed Edo State in the last eight years.
“A university in this state received N47 million under Obaseki’s administration, while he paid a consultant N51 million. This was not good enough. They wanted to continue with this act, but God helped us to push them out.
“Since I came into the office, I have not sacked anybody but rather continued with the civil servants I met in the office.
“The Head of Service during Obaseki’s administration is still working with me. So also with a lot of Permanent Secretaries in the civil service.”
He said his administration would set up a Commission of Inquiry, and the books of the previous administration would be opened, and officials of that administration would be interrogated on how they governed the Edo people in the last eight years.
“Now, we will look into their records. I will take two years out of eight years, and Edo people will see the difference.
“We will set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the books and dealings of the previous administration. We will open an interrogation to check their records.
“They have finished fighting us, and now I am ready to fight back and ensure that all those who cheated Edo people in the last eight years are brought to book,” he said.
