Echoes of Obaseki’s perceived failures in Edo

There are emerging echoes of perceived failures of Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Edo State in various sectors of governance by residents of the state. Some disquieting voices in the state listed 50 items they identified as failures of Obaseki in education and other sectors.

The failures, the stakeholders listed, include closure of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, since 2018 and disengaged all staff of the institution; shutting down and demolishing the Center for Community Development Education in Benin City, which was affiliated to the University of Benin for diploma programs.

they said that the governor closed down College of Education, Ekiadalor (Tayo Akpata University of Education) since 2018, while workers are owed over 11 months salaries.

He owed owed Pensioners in Edo State gratuity from 2008 to 2021.

He closed down College of Education, Igueben, closed down Michael Imodu College of Physical Education, Afuze; College of Agricultural Technology, Agenebode.

The governor refused to employ teachers in the past four years of his administration despite the deficit of secondary school classroom teachers in Edo State.

The stakeholders further listed a number of Unfulfilled “Audio” Promises to include developing of Gele-gele seaport; organising Alaghodaro Summit; N100 million compensation promised to market women and victims of Ekiosa market fire incident; developing Azura power plant, building Modular Refinery; signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese, UAE, other countries and private companies with Edo State government;  developing N2.2 billion Sobe farms in Owan West LG, promised social affordable housing scheme for Edo workers and other residents in the State; N200 billion industrial park in Iyanomo community, Benin City, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Anchor Tenant, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.

They further insinuated that Governor Obaseki has reached an agreement to hand over power to his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, in 2024 if he wins re-election yet deceived Edo central of Esan governorship in 2024.

They questioned the N2.2 billion Sobe farm in Owan West LG, yet, Edo residents were thrown into famine barely two weeks of Covid-19 lockdown without a single food from the so-called N2.2 billion “Sobe farm”; the N1 billion for the fight of Covid-19 in about two months of the pandemic, N5 billion CBN loan for Edo farmers to engender food security

2. N2.2 billion for crop production.
3. N2.3 billion for land development (to cut grasses).

iii. N100 million for irrigation.

They stakeholders alleged that Obaseki has received over N500 billion in the last four years from the Federal Allocation Account (FAAC), Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) etc; including the N6.09 billion Paris Club Refunds/federal govt bailout funds, N12.18 billion Paris Club Refunds/federal govt bailout funds, counterpart funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), conditional Grants Scheme of Sustainable Development Goals (CGS-SDG), Education Trust Fund, SEEFOR (Concessionary loans from World Bank and European Development Fund Grants), etc.