Edo Govt vehicles: Osagie slams Tenebe for false allegations against Ighodalo

Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to Edo State’s immediate past Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has strongly refuted claims made by Jarrett Tenebe, the Acting Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election, is in possession of 21 government vehicles.

In a video released on Wednesday in Benin, which has since gone viral, Osagie dismissed the accusation as not only false but also a product of ignorance regarding the operations of the Obaseki-led government.

Osagie called Tenebe’s allegation that Ighodalo “stole 21 government vehicles” baseless and disconnected from reality.

Osagie explained that under Governor Obaseki’s second term, the Edo State Government had implemented a fleet management system, known as “Move Monkey” or “Edo Connect,” to centralize the management of government vehicles.

This system, Osagie stated, ensured that no public official, aside from the governor, deputy governor, and a select group of high-ranking officials, had personal access to government vehicles.

Instead, officials could only request vehicles for specific assignments, with the vehicles and assigned drivers returned to the fleet once the task was completed.

“There was no condition under which Asue Ighodalo could have been allocated 21 vehicles, as Jarrett Tenebe falsely alleged,” Osagie stated, emphasizing that the fleet management system made such allocations impossible.

Osagie did not hold back in criticizing Tenebe, describing him as a politician known for making “lousy, irresponsible comments.”

He condemned Tenebe’s behavior as unbecoming of someone in a leadership position and called for statements to be guided by facts rather than reckless falsehoods aimed at defamation.

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“Statements should be based on facts, not reckless falsehoods intended to offend and defame,” Osagie said, urging Tenebe to retract his comments and issue a public apology to Ighodalo.

“If that will cut it,” Osagie added, stressing the gravity of the damage caused by such statements and demanding that Tenebe cease making such unfounded claims.

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The video has sparked a wave of support for Ighodalo and Osagie, with many residents of Edo State applauding the detailed rebuttal and calling for greater accountability in political discourse.

The backlash against Tenebe has grown, with legal action already initiated by Banwo & Ighodalo, Ighodalo’s law firm, against Tenebe and others responsible for spreading the false allegations.

The controversy continues to stir public debate about the ethics of political rhetoric in Edo State, with many calling for more responsible political discourse and a commitment to truth.