The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State on Monday berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) over an irrational attack on Governor Godwin Obaseki in which the party dismissed the governor’s budget estimate for 2022 as unrealistic and a duplicitously embellished budget proposal. The PDP said APC lacks tact, intelligence and plays opposition politics with deceit and lies.
The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare, in a statement enlightened the APC that the budget of the party government “seeks to enhance reforms in government process, stimulate economic prosperity and improve ease of doing business.” He maintained that the PDP government has a good story to tell, noting that under PDP, Edo has recorded tremendous gains.
Nehikhare warned that opposition politics requires intelligence, tact, not childish tantrums, stating that “APC has exhibited crass ignorance, deceit and lies.”
The State PDP Publicity Secretary noted that the only takeaway from the childish tantrums of APC in its December 5 statement by the Assistant Publicity Secretary, who wishes he was the State Publicity Secretary, is that they read the budget.
Osa Nehikhare declared: “as usual, they have exhibited crass ignorance, unforgivable deliberate deceit and told barefaced lies.
“We have told them before and will tell them again, opposition politics is not played by deploying fancy catch phrases and words.”
The SPS emphasized that Edo people do not and cannot trust the APC in the state anymore. “How do they expect Edo people to trust them if they can describe the budget proposal that seeks to enhance reforms in government process, stimulate economic prosperity and improve ease of doing business to continuously attract private capital to engender sustainable development as “completely unrealistic and duplicitously embellished with impractical predications,” the SPS questioned.
Nehikhare said that “it shows that APC is not just “technically non-existent” as described by one of their leaders but confirms our assertion and assessment a few weeks ago that just like the bird called Dodo, APC is not just dead in Edo, it is extinct and defunct.
“When we hear the occasional cry for attention from them, we consider it an opportunity to add another nail to their coffin. We owe that to Edo people!”
The State Publicity Secretary observed that a few months ago, APC garrulous called the N25 billion bond a secretly obtained loan. “Irresponsible as the statement was, we educated them on the process and procedure. Obviously, APC lacks understanding and comprehension and they have once again brought it up. And once again, we will school them,” Nehikhare said.
He disclosed that the N25 billion Bond proceeds is in the custody of trustees, in line with regulations.
Nehikhare highlighted: “In putting the Bond documentation together (for regulatory approval), benefiting projects and related amounts were identified, all adding up to the N25 billion.
“Disbursements are made by Trustees directly to relevant entities implementing each project upon certification by independent consultants appointed by the Trustees. This process is not open to influence or manipulation by any individual/entity (let alone EDSG).
“By the end of (Financial Year) FY2021, N21 billion would have been disbursed (by the Trustees) from the N25 billion, leaving a balance of N4 billion to be disbursed in FY2022.”
The party publicity secretary further emphasised that in a futile attempt to sound knowledgeable, APC also manufactured lies, saying, “The proposal includes water, which is non-existent and which the government has never attempted to provide anywhere in the state, for N1.2 billion”.
He stated that Edo people know and acknowledge that Governor Obaseki in his first term (in conjunction with the EU), embarked on an initiative to make pipe borne water available to residents in Edo Central and Edo North senatorial districts at affordable rates. “This program has so far culminated in the reticulation of all properties in Uromi town. Meters are currently being installed and commissioning is expected to be in the first quarter of 2022.
“Simultaneously, detailed feasibility studies are being carried out at existing and defunct water schemes in Edo Central and North (Ugbalo, Ewohimi, Ojirami, Auchi).
“The studies will entail water consumer enumeration and mapping all Wards to the water schemes to ensure no resident in these two districts are left out.
“The feasibility study will enable appropriate government intervention and private sector participation. The costs of these studies are being paid for by the Bond,” Nehikhare highlighted.
According to the SPS, “it is a shame that APC calls proposals for social and youth development, technology enhancement, effective fiscal and business-friendly regulatory policies as spurious and padded!
“Be advised that we are talking about the next generation, not the next election. “It is crystal clear that Edo and its people are too sophisticated to be put in the hands of a short sighted, self-centered, ignorant, irresponsible and clueless lot that have found themselves in the APC.”
He maintained: “we therefore advise APC to take their time and do some soul searching and also commit resources to studying about the requirements and demands of their new role as the opposition party in Edo State.
“Playing opposition politics requires some tact and intelligence, which APC is clearly lacking, as can be seen in the shallow and infantile reasoning in their statement.
“At this juncture, the public is advised to be wary of APC anti-people rhetoric and once again, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is advised to stop making spurious, irresponsible and unsubstantiated claims.
“Governor Godwin Obaseki and PDP will continue to deliver on good and strategic governance!”
He noted that the Resetting Edo Agenda is causing serious discomfort for APC, declaring that Edo must move forward!