Okpebholo’s spokesman raises alarm over the disappearance of almost 500 government vehicles in Edo State, calling for accountability and transparency.
Nearly 500 vehicles owned by the Edo State Government remain unaccounted for, according to Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary for Governor Monday Okpebholo.
A committee established by Edo State to retrieve vehicles and other state-owned assets previously reported that 200 vehicles were unaccounted for.
However, Itua mentioned that the number has increased based on data provided by the committee headed by Kelly Okungbowa.
“As of this morning, from what I found out, the committee established to recover vehicles has so far retrieved about 10 vehicles,” Itua stated on Monday’s episode of Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics.
In my conversation with the committee chairman, he mentioned that the original count of 200 was understated. In fact, nearly 500 vehicles are still unaccounted for. As of yesterday, they had located about 21 of these vehicles at the residence of a high-ranking official from the previous government.
He stated that some of the missing vehicles were also linked to a former official from Godwin Obaseki’s previous administration.
Then, approximately 15 more vehicles were tracked to the residence of another senior appointee in Obaseki’s government. In the coming days, there are plans to legitimately reclaim these vehicles and other state assets currently held privately, which should not have occurred under normal circumstances.
Itua mentioned that certain officials in the Okpebholo administration lack vehicles and also noted that the present government received no inheritance from Obaseki’s tenure.
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This development is the latest in Edo State government’s investigation into Obaseki’s administration, which transferred power a few weeks ago.
Obaseki is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Okpebholo belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the September 21 governorship election, Okpebholo defeated Asue Ighodalo, who was Obaseki’s chosen candidate.
The Edo Government has recently established a committee to investigate Obaseki’s administration, stating that this initiative aligns with the governor’s commitment to maintaining probity, accountability, and transparency in governance.
Following the strained relationship between his successor and predecessor, Obaseki alleged that Okpebholo’s actions served as a smokescreen to conceal the governor’s incompetence and lack of preparation for leadership.
Obaseki’s media aide, Crusoe Osagie, stated that they are aware of the intentions behind the diversionary investigations. He described them as mere distractions designed to conceal the governor-select’s incompetence and lack of readiness for office after gaining power through a questionable mandate.
“We suggest that Okpebholo concentrate on effective governance and enhancing the well-being of Edo residents, instead of using state resources to cover up inefficiencies through unnecessary investigations.”
