Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the Edo Governorship election, has described as irresponsible and indecorous the actions of Governor Godwin Obaseki to expend state resources on the display of videos involving Governor Umar Ganduje Kano State on a digital billboard placed at Ring Road in Benin City, Edo State Capital.
In a statement released today by Mr. John Mayaki, the Director of Communication and Media of his Campaign Organization, Ize-Iyamu said it is hypocritical for Governor Godwin Obaseki to embark on such a thoughtless act of cheap blackmail when he is yet to account for his Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Osazee Osemwengie Ero, who remains in detention abroad after his arrest last year in France over credible allegations of money laundering.
He said: “It is obvious to everyone in Edo State and beyond now that the outgoing Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his party of tax-collectors have no record or achievements to campaign with.”
“Otherwise, instead of wasting public funds on a lazy, indecorous, and irresponsible attempt to smear the reputation of Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano State, they would have seized the fraudulently obtained opportunity of a digital billboard at the heart of the state’s capital to show the people of Edo State consequential matters like their achievements in office.”
“It is nothing but hypocrisy and a lack of awareness, two traits that contributed to the failure of the Obaseki-administration, for the Governor to sanction such an irresponsible move when his own Commissioner and best friend, Osazee Osemwingie Ero is still languishing in detention abroad since his arrest in France last year over credible allegations of money laundering.”
“Obaseki is yet to tell Edo people the assignment Osazee Osemwingie Ero was carrying out for him in France before he was nabbed by the International Police with a reported sum of two million dollars.”
“He is also yet to explain to the people of Edo State where he got the 15 billion naira he paid the PDP tax-collectors to facilitate his imposition as the party’s emergency-hour candidate.”
“The fact of the matter remains that if Obaseki were to be a resident of Kano State today, he would have been arrested and swiftly prosecuted by Governor Ganduje’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, a state anti-corruption agency established to tackle corruption cases. It is no surprise, given the nature of Obaseki’s administration and sharp practices of both governor and appointees that such an agency is missing in Edo State.”
“If Obaseki has nothing to show or tell Edo people beyond childish retorts and mudslinging, then he can hold his peace until September 19th when he is finally shown the exit door after four years of abject failure in office.”
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