Former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion, has replied his successor, Adams Oshiomhole on allegations of diverting $31 million meant to build a cement factory in the state during his administration.
Igbinedion was governor of the state from 1999 to 2003.
On Wednesday, the Edo State Government, through the Commissioner for Information, Loius Odion, said an investigation would be launched on the alleged missing funds and has directed the Attorney General to commence legal action.
“I feel joining issues with Oshiomhole would amount to dignifying him and his outbursts and lending credence to his bogus allegations… “On the AVA Cement Company, for that is the true name of the company they are referring to, Oshiomhole claimed that I used Edo State $31 million to execute the project to about 90 percent…As at 2006 when the AVA Cement Company project kicked off, the exchange rate for a dollar was about N100/$1 hence, $31 million then amounted to about N3 billion.
“So, if Edo State Government invested N3 billion for a project that gulped well over N20 billion, the question is; where did the balance of N17 billion come from?”
Meanwhile, Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday in Benin that moves by the state government to recover $31million alleged to have been fraudulently taken from the state’s coffers by the government of former governor Lucky Igbinedion, smacks of political desperation and persecution.
Speaking through the state Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, at a press briefing yesterday, the party said it was shameful and disgraceful that “it took the Oshiomhole administration seven years to wake up from its slumber to begin what is clearly a case of political witch-hunting.”
It pointed out that instead of facing the challenges of the state in form of dilapidated roads, corruption, flood and others, Oshiomhole was plotting how “to perpetuate himself in office by installing his lackey as successor.”
The party drew the attention of Edo people to what it described as parlous state of roads in the state capital, listing some of the roads to include Evbotubu Market Road, Ugbiyoko Road, Upper Sakponba Road, St Saviour Road, Boundary Road, Ihama Road, Nekpenekpen Road, Upper Adesuwa Road, Ibiwe Street and Uwa Street.
According to the PDP, despite the billions of naira expended on the storm water project, flooding was on the increase in the state, adding that Oshiomhole will be leaving behind next year, a huge number of abandoned projects and unfulfilled electoral promises.
It alleged that in order to placate the people, the Oshiomhole administration was planning to use the now familiar tactics of deploying caterpillars and mobilizing some contractors to site as soon as election was approaching.
Igbinedion was governor of the state from 1999 to 2003.
On Wednesday, the Edo State Government, through the Commissioner for Information, Loius Odion, said an investigation would be launched on the alleged missing funds and has directed the Attorney General to commence legal action.
“I feel joining issues with Oshiomhole would amount to dignifying him and his outbursts and lending credence to his bogus allegations… “On the AVA Cement Company, for that is the true name of the company they are referring to, Oshiomhole claimed that I used Edo State $31 million to execute the project to about 90 percent…As at 2006 when the AVA Cement Company project kicked off, the exchange rate for a dollar was about N100/$1 hence, $31 million then amounted to about N3 billion.
“So, if Edo State Government invested N3 billion for a project that gulped well over N20 billion, the question is; where did the balance of N17 billion come from?”
Meanwhile, Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday in Benin that moves by the state government to recover $31million alleged to have been fraudulently taken from the state’s coffers by the government of former governor Lucky Igbinedion, smacks of political desperation and persecution.
Speaking through the state Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, at a press briefing yesterday, the party said it was shameful and disgraceful that “it took the Oshiomhole administration seven years to wake up from its slumber to begin what is clearly a case of political witch-hunting.”
It pointed out that instead of facing the challenges of the state in form of dilapidated roads, corruption, flood and others, Oshiomhole was plotting how “to perpetuate himself in office by installing his lackey as successor.”
The party drew the attention of Edo people to what it described as parlous state of roads in the state capital, listing some of the roads to include Evbotubu Market Road, Ugbiyoko Road, Upper Sakponba Road, St Saviour Road, Boundary Road, Ihama Road, Nekpenekpen Road, Upper Adesuwa Road, Ibiwe Street and Uwa Street.
According to the PDP, despite the billions of naira expended on the storm water project, flooding was on the increase in the state, adding that Oshiomhole will be leaving behind next year, a huge number of abandoned projects and unfulfilled electoral promises.
It alleged that in order to placate the people, the Oshiomhole administration was planning to use the now familiar tactics of deploying caterpillars and mobilizing some contractors to site as soon as election was approaching.
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