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JUNE 11, 2007 VOL. 21, NO. 9

Edo: A Squandering of Riches

**Lucky Igbinedion, former Governor of Edo State**

Former Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State ends his eight-year reign in ignominy, as aggrieved indigenes of the state pelt him with pure water satchets at last week’s handing-over ceremonies
By Walid Ogunseri, Benin City
pparently shocked over the high debt profile and empty treasury allegedly left behind by the former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion as a negative parting gift to his successor in office, the newly sworn-in governor, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, angry indigenes of Edo State and some supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 moved against the former Governor, by initiating his inglorious exit from the State. Apart from being jeered and booed, he narrowly escaped being lynched at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of his last official engagement as Governor of the State, wherein he handed over the mantle of leadership to Osunbor.
Igbinedion was leaving the stadium in a jeep, which was driven along the tartan track when some angry PDP supporters in their bid to get at him booed and pour inventive on him. Even when they realised that his armed security escorts had covered the jeep from possible attack, they resorted to jeering and shouting such derogatory slogans as Adibole, Ole, Adibole, Ole, throwing various missiles, stones, pure water sachets and bottle cans at the jeep which eventually took him to his father’s palatial palace along Gabriel Igbinedion Avenue in the state capital, where he took refuge, thus ending his inglorious exit from the corridors of power.
As it were, before the ugly stadium incident, the standing ovation that greeted the arrival of the official jeep that conveyed the former governor, and the new helmsman of the State into the venue of the inauguration ceremony at 11:00am, may have given Igbinedion a false sense of being missed and a smooth handover ceremony.
But the peaceful atmosphere that pervaded the stadium suddenly changed as ominous signs of trouble started to rear its head at about 11:30am, after the usual introduction formalities and prayers. It began with a mild drama as Igbinedion stepped onto the podium to read his handling over address. The crowd at the stadium were held spell-bound by the persistent booing that intermittently punctured his address with shouts of Adibole Ole, Adibole Ole, liar, Ole, liar, Ole, liar by supporters who surrounded the podium.
In his address, Igbinedion said the catalogue of good things that his administration has done are very visible for all to see, saying it is not possible for a government to have been in office for eight years without any legacy. The former governor who was accompanied by his wife, Eki, enumerated the achievements of his eight-year administration in Edo State and said he was bequeathing to his successor a state that was one of the most peaceful in the country, because he placed high premium on peace as a necessity for development.
While congratulating Osunbor and his deputy, Lucky Imasuen, Igbinedion urged both of them to work as a team, pointing out that the Deputy Governor should be loyal to the Governor as without loyalty, there would be no harmonious partnership in the efficient running of the State.
He said he was happy to have been given the opportunity to serve as governor to the people of Edo State and that as he was leaving he wished the people the very best of luck.
Conversely, absolute peace returned to the entire arena shortly after the swearing-in of the State Deputy Governor, Imasuen, and Osunbor took his oath of office, which was conducted by the Chief Justice of Edo State, Justice Michael Edokpayi. In his remarks, Osunbor assured Edo people of his acceptance of the great challenge and opportunity to serve them as governor under the platform of the PDP, basically to build a new Edo State in which there would be improved development in terms of provision of infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, health and nutrition, education, housing and other social services.
Osunbor further told the people that his tenure in office will restore the State to position of glory and greater heights of excellence, adding that it will also usher in peace, justice, progress, beauty, stability and good governance.
He, however, appealed for patience and urged the people not to be too hasty to condemn as his administration shall diligently change the situation for the better.
The peoples’ anger, according to dependable sources, was hinged on the reported escape of the State’s Accountant-General, Peter Ehigie, who was said to have bolted with his immediate family with the sum of over six billion naira to London, from where he was said to have sent in his retirement notice to the former Secretary to the State Government, Osaze Ize-Iyamu through DHL, a courier service.
Though The Source was told by the Chief Press Secretary to the former governor, Lucky Wasa, that the fleeing Accountant-General may have travelled out of town for his annual leave, his views however contradicted that of the former State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Kingsley Osadolor, who claimed that he could not confirm the Accountant- General’s leave story. He, however said he was not aware of the looting of the State treasury to the tune of six billion naira.
Lending credence to the escape was another story last week – which was circulated around government circles – indicating that the sudden disappearance of one Ehiozuwa, the State Assistant Accountant-General, following in the fashion of his fleeing boss, with the sum of N626million meant for severance allowances for Special Advisers, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Chief of Staff and members of the State House of Assembly.
As at Monday May 28, 2007, the government of former Governor Igbinedion were still unable to issue cheques to the above named government functionaries, following the absence of the Assistant Accountant-General. Meanwhile, the accounts of the State have been froozen by the new governor.
The Source, infact, gathered that the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ize-Iyamu, sensing the danger ahead, had pleaded with the confused individuals whose monies were taken away by the said Ehiozuwa, to make an appeal to the new governor to pay the concerned officers. But as the time of this report, it could not be confirmed if such appeal has been made.
Earlier, on Sunday, May 27, 2007, the people of the State were shocked by an alarm raised by the State Transition Committee over what it described as “the frightening debt profile being left behind for the incoming administration of Professor Osunbor by the former Governor, Igbinedion.”
Besides, the Committee said the Igbinedion administration made available only N67million for its inauguration ceremonies expenses, rationalising that it was a deliberate ploy to frustrate the committee’s efforts. It also stated that there was a huge number of uncompleted projects and that these would be reviewed and prioritised in line with funds that would be available to the new administration.
The chairman of the Committee and former Governor of Rivers State, General Godwin Abbe (rtd), told journalists in Benin that he could not give details until after the inauguration when Governor Osunbor would have had the time to confirm the figures.
Abbe’s disclosure appeared to have contradicted that of Osadolor, who penultimate Monday, May 21, 2007 said that Igbinedion’s administration was handing over a debt-free portfolio to the new administration.
Restating what he said earlier, Osadolor, on Monday, May 28, 2007 said the Igbinedion government is not indebted to any bank. According to him, all debts owed by the former governor to banks have been liquidated, adding that “the government did not at any given time obtain any foreign facility”.
Osadolor noted that always there will be domestic debts, those owed contractors, debts that are owed pensioners, or those who are due for their gratuity. No government, he said, “can wipe any of those debts out at the termination of its administration”.
Essentially, the reason the Igbinedion government had stressed the fact that it is not indebted to any bank, or that it did not obtain any foreign facility, is that oftentimes, facilities so obtained attract high interest rates and it is the compounding of these rates that keeps the borrower in debt trap.
But when asked to state categorically how much the out-going governor was leaving behind for the incoming government, Osadolor’s response was that those details will be found in the handing-over notes, adding that the handing-over notes will be Igbinedion’s special privilege to be handed over to his successor.
Other questions as to how much the Igbinedion government was owing as debts to contractors and pensioners, as well as clarification on the status of the one billion naira loan borrowed from the money market to finance the Iyekogba Housing Estate, Osadolor again said that those are details that could be found in the handing-over notes, adding that what Igbinedion’s administration owe is domestic debts and nothing else.
Indeed, The Source’s investigation further indicates that another reason for the ugly incident at the Stadium may not be unconnected with the looting of government properties from Government House situated at Dennis Osadebe Avenue.
Infact, a source close to the Presidential Lodge which Igbinedion turned into his official residence since 1999 when he became governor of the State confided in The Source that the lodge has been allegedly ripped off of all its contents – beddings, foams, furnitures, spoons, cutleries and kitchen utensils. The Source also learnt that even furnitures in the office of the former First Lady, were also removed and replaced by old furnitures. Besides, over 5,000 motorcycles which were acquired last year by the State Government to be given to civil servants as part of welfare packages to ameliorate their transport needs were reportedly loaded into trucks and taken from the administrative block of Government House to an unknown destination under the directive of the former governor.
The Source further gathered that the people of the state are also very worried that in the past few days, there have been a kind sort of hide-and-seek game regarding how much debt Governor Osunbor is inheriting – a development which both the in-incoming and out-going governors found to disclose to the media and the public.
In considering Igbinedion’s two-term tenure of eight years, the people of the state are, however, complaining that there is nothing on ground to show for the billions of naira he collected from the statutory allocations that accrue to the state.
The governor, during his reign as chief executive of Edo State, became a known globe-trotter. At a time, he was popularly referred to an absentee- governor until the dreaded Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was born. The EFCC helped in forcing the governor to reduce his numerous trips abroad.
While the revenue base of the state increased, the governor continued to make unfulfilled promises regarding the rehabilitation of especially township roads which were in a very serious state of disrepair. Inter-state roads were left unattended to. His critics say that throughout his eight-year governance of Edo State, the former governor cannot lay claim to any road that was either properly rehabilitated or freshly constructed, his critics also allege that the only time the people of the state enjoyed travelling is during the dry season as the rains bring tales of woe to the people of the State due to the poor condition of the roads.
Another area Igbinedion failed woefully, according to his critics, was in the area of industrialisation of the state. For instance, Bendel Brewery which was supposed to be a goldmine was, allegedly ran adrift by the governor and his greedy officials who instead of helping to ensure successful running of the brewery, preferred to fill their pockets with money from the company, thereby throwing it into huge debts.
The situation in Edo Transport Service, operators of Edo Line is no better either. The company has almost grounded to a halt as it has allegedly been milked dry by the governor and his agents. But while existing companies were collapsing, the governor once again, according to his traducers turned to deceive the people of the State by establishing two new companies, the Fruit Juice Company at Ehor and the Cassava Company at Uromi. These two companies never saw the light of the day as they were mere elephant projects. “It is, indeed, sad that in all areas of development, Governor Igbinedion did not do anything to better the living standard of the people of the State. Instead of providing the much-desired basic amenities to the people, Governor Igbinedion spent the huge resources of the State to enrich his father,” Sampson Momoh an Edo indigene lamented.