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Obaseki boxes Oshiomhole into submission
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State is getting tougher on boxing former Governor of Edo State and national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, into submission in the battle for the soul of Edo and APC 2020 governorship ticket.
The incumbent governor taking the political warfare in the state APC to higher pedestal, on Monday appointed a probe panel to investigate the new Five Star Specialist Hospital in Benin City built by the Oshiomhole administration.
Report indicated that Governor Obaseki constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by Hon. Justice J.U. Oyomire (rtd) on Monday to thoroughly investigate the process leading to the conceptualization, design, construction and equipping of the hospital.
The mandate of the commission include determination if there was a breach of the Edo State Procurement Law and other extant laws and procedures.
Other members of the commission were identified to include Prof. Emmanuel E. Obaseiki-Ebor, Mrs. Elizabeth Uwaifo, Enemaku Hilary Igemoh Esq., as well as Anthony Izevbekhale Esq., the commission’s secretary.
Governor Obaseki had in a media interaction explained that he ordered the probe because Edo people need to be aware of what transpired in the building of the hospital.
“We have opened that hospital. We had consultant there working. So much has been said about the hospital. I am beginning to see many things I don’t understand. Oshiomhole did a video that went viral.
“It is only fair for Edo taxpayers to understand what happened and why they decided to build the hospital.
“How much was spent to build the hospital, the state of the hospital today. I cannot be held liable for something I didn’t do. I want to make sure that at the end of my tenure, I can explain everything that has happened,” he declared.
The five-star Benin Specialist hospital was said to be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2016.
The governor was said to be reluctant in opening the hospital until there were mass protest which compelled the opening of the facility in 2019 which operate through a consultancy firm.
Obaseki further drew the battle line with Oshiomhole over Edo APC crisis.
“It is party matter. We have a party chairman who has been suspended in his Ward. He has no legitimate business to act in the capacity. We will not accept any decisions from him.
“This is the party; I have the 18 local government chairmen of the party behind me. The entire party structure in Edo is one. They are solidly behind the President and behind me as a governor,” Obaseki declared.