The All Progressives Congress (APC) Transition Committee member and former Commissioner in Edo, Kassim Afegbua, on Sunday took a swipe at the outgoing Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, saying the latter had now resorted to lamentations about an ongoing inauguration without extending an invitation to him.
Afegbua, while reacting to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s claim that the inauguration committee of the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is organising an inauguration and that he (Governor Obaseki) is not even invited, said Obaseki and his co-travellers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming governor.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Benin, Afegbua faulted Obaseki, saying, “Suddenly, Godwin Obaseki realises the ephemerality of power and now resorts to lamentations about an ongoing inauguration without extending an invitation to him.
“We find this to be generously laughable and self-indicting. In other climes, an outgoing governor or president organises the inauguration of the incoming, but for the painful loss of the PDP in the election, Governor Obaseki and his co-travellers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming governor.”
He said the outgoing governor Obaseki, rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other climes, is busy planting landmines on the path to a smooth transfer of power.
“From the transition committee to the inauguration committee, despite all the cooperation we have extended to them, what we have received in return is frustration and a deliberate plot to overburden the new administration with all manner of misplaced government decisions.
“We totally frown at these dubious plots, which are clear negations of the standard procedures of power transfer the world over. Our inauguration team met with the Secretary to the State Government, who later handed our team over to another Permanent Secretary. The said Permanent Secretary had nothing on her table. She asked that our team present an inauguration budget, and we declined because we wouldn’t want them to accuse us of spending bogus funds for the inauguration.
“When we reported to the governor-elect, he opted out of such an arrangement and took over the responsibility of funding the inauguration from his own personal resources. He has also cut down on the activities to make the entire ceremony a bit moderate.”
Afegbua added that the governor-elect Okpebholo doesn’t believe in an ostentatious display of resources and insisted that the inauguration shouldn’t be an elaborate event.
On the alleged N5 billion borrowed for the inauguration of the governor-elect by Obaseki, Afegbua said, “We have not borrowed a kobo from anywhere. We are not Governor Obaseki and his profligate self. We are conscious of our responsibilities to make life better for the average Edo person.
“Why should we borrow money because of the inauguration? Do you know, as we speak, that most government vehicles have been carted away by government officials? There is only one functional vehicle in Edo State Government House. Every vehicle has been carted away. Is that a government that is interested in the inauguration?” Afegbua said