The All Progressives Congress in Edo state has said the 2022 budget estimates presented by the Governor Godwin Obaseki to the State’s assembly has illustrated that Obaseki has perfected the art of wasting Edo state’s funds on frivolities.
In a statement signed by the Assistant State Publicly Secretary, Victor Ofure Osehobo, the party accused governor Obaseki of reading a budget proposal that is full of deceit and duplication, calculated to inflict more pains on Edo people, by allocating funds to projects he claims to have already completed and commissioned, he forgot to mention the current status of the N25billion bond.
“As expected, the Obaseki 2022 estimates is padded and this can be deduced from such spurious allocations as providing social and youth development, N5billion; technology enhancement, N7.6billion; effective fiscal and business-friendly regulatory policies, N4.5billion.
READ ALSO: Decaying state of education under Godwin Obaseki’s watch
“The proposal includes water, which is non-existent and which the government has never attempted to provide anywhere in the state, for N1.2billion. This is as ridiculous as the provision of N1.5billion for citizen re-orientation and social protection, and N9.2billion for public safety and security, which are suspicious and questionable, and calls for answers.
“The education sector is worse hit as the governor, clearly economical with the truth claims that, “Children in primary schools in Edo State today now learn three times more than they used to learn with the old pedagogue. We have the lowest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria on account of our reforms”.
The party accused Governor Obaseki of deceiving Edo people for too long. “They know that he has not employed teachers and that public school children are sentenced to sitting on bare floor in grouped classes with a school head, teaching all subjects, across schools in several communities in Edo State.
READ ALSO: Gov. Obaseki imposes compulsory health insurance certificate in Edo
“The Obaseki-led PDP Government certainly is trying to use its “bogus” MEGA programme and “phantom” technology cum public and civil service reforms and the creation of an investor friendly environment in the state as cover and conduit to take loans and cancel repayments.
“We have it on good authority that the government’s plan is to postpone repayment of these loans and bonds and leave the future generation of Edo children under the burden of huge debts after its exit.
“While we sympathize with the governor, we would however advise Mr. Obaseki to once again involve well-tested hands in the management of the state. Relying on a disabled legislative branch and a cabinet of inexperienced persons has proved counterproductive.