Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on Thursday, alleged that the chairmen of the 18 local government areas of the state have nothing to show for the N83bn received last year from the Federal Government.
The fresh claim by Okpebholo comes two days after he alleged that the chairmen of the 18 LGAs, who have now been suspended, diverted N12bn and gave to the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
On Thursday, the governor said President Bola Tinubu’s administration released over N8bn allocations to the 18 councils in the state in December but there was nothing to show for it.
However, the Chairman of the Edo State PDP Caretaker Committee, Tony Aziegbemi, advised Okpebholo to stop whipping up public sentiment but to take his allegations to the anti-graft agencies if he had facts to back his claims.
“What I will just say is that the governor does not have the capacity to understand these figures. The best he can do is to refer these matters to the anti-corruption agencies.
“It is not his job to wake up every morning and be talking about monies spent. He cannot be accusing men and women of high integrity everyday. It is like an obsession for him now.
“He should get on with the governance of the state and stop disturbing us with figures, raging from N800m, N8bn now N83bn. Is that why he was elected? He should please carry on with his job,” Aziegbemi said.
Okpebholo, quoting from figures released by the Accountant-General’s office during a visit of the acting chairman of Akoko Edo Local Government, Alabi Oshionogue and councillors, said the councils got over N6.5bn monthly as allocations from January to September 2024.
“Between October and December, the 18 local government councils received over N8bn monthly from the federation account. Cumulatively, the councils, in one year, earned over N83bn as monthly allocations,” he said.
Addressing the council management and other leaders during the visit, Okpebholo said the President had done a lot to promote development at the grassroots, but lamented that those elected to provide services squandered the resources.
He noted that before Tinubu’s administration, the 18 LGs were getting N3.5bn monthly, adding that the President increased the allocations first to N6.5bn monthly, and now over N8bn monthly to enable rapid development at the grassroots.
Okpebholo said: “Before Bola Tinubu’s administration, Edo State was receiving N3.5bn monthly as local government allocation, but today, local governments in Edo State are receiving over N8bn monthly. This is not state allocation.
“The 18 local government councils have nothing to show for the N83bn received last year.”
He thanked the visiting council management, stating, “Thank you for coming here to visit as relationship matters to me, and you have come to establish it. Akoko-Edo is dear to me, and you have gotten more appointments than others.”
Lamenting the misconduct of the suspended council chairmen, Okpebholo said: “The chairmen had been in office for one year and they have nothing to show for it, while other states are utilising their resources well for the people.
“These chairmen had the boldness to remove N800m monthly from local government accounts while our schools suffered without good classrooms, teachers and other infrastructure.
“We are here to correct the wrongs as Edo State must move forward and no individual will draw us back.
“My administration is set and ready to cooperate with you, provided you work in line with Mr President’s plan for local government councils by ensuring development gets to the grassroots.
“We will invest so much in agriculture. We will visit you to ensure we collaborate and make things work,” he said.
Oshionogue thanked the governor for his interest in ensuring that those at the grassroots enjoyed the dividends of democracy and good governance.
He said: “We have agreed to work with the Okpebholo administration because governance is now moving to the grassroots. We will work with you to ensure you succeed and the state develops.”
Other leaders from Akoko Edo, including the former speaker of the state assembly, Kabiru Ajoto, and Akoko Edo APC chairman, Monday Ose, thanked Okpebholo for his developmental strides in the state, particularly the ongoing construction works on the Auchi-Ibilo road.
Reacting to the alleged mismanagement of the allocation, the state caretaker chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Aziegbemi, urged the governor to refer cases to anti-corruption agencies and face governance.
“What I will just say is that the governor cannot understand these figures. The best he can do is to refer these matters to the anti-corruption agencies.
“It is not his job to wake up every morning and be talking about money spent. He cannot be accusing men and women of high integrity every day. It is like an obsession for him now.
“He should get on with the governance of the state and stop disturbing us with figures ranging from N800m, N8bn and now N83bn. Is that why he was elected? He should please carry on with his job,” he said.
