Edo gov’t kicks as group urges ICPC to probe Obaseki

The Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa has called on the Independent Corrupt Practice and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the petition against Governor Godwin Obaseki bordering on alleged corruption.

Addressing journalists in Benin yesterday, the Deputy National Chairman, Comrade Jude Gadimoh, said the petition was filed against the governor by members of his party PDP.

"In the petition, the PDP members detailed how governor Obaseki repeatedly abused the position of his office to award inflated contracts running into billions of naira to his firm, Afrinvest Limited, without due approvals, legislative oversight, and any justification," he said.

The group also called on the governor to publish all his government’s dealings with Afrinvest Limited between 2016 and now, with details of all the contracts it awarded to the firm, including cost, nature, and justification.

Responding, Efe Stewart, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, described the allegations as falsehood and campaign of calumny against the governor.

The "Governor did not divert any money. Instead he is bringing money into the state to see how he can carry the state forward, and which he has done. You can see the dividends of what we called MoUs we have been talking about," he said.

He noted that because APC knows that they have failed already and that the people have resolved to chase them out, they are looking for one way or the other to blackmail and tarnish the governor's image.

"Obaseki is anointed and born to rule. He has never been a ward councillor, local government chairman, state commissioner, House of Assembly, Representatives or Senate but he started as a governor,” he said.