Obaseki left us a “bleeding” government. – Mayor Kassim Afegbua of Edo State

From its predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, the Edo State administration claimed to have inherited a “bleeding government” on November 12, 2024.

At a press briefing commemorating one year of the governor’s tenure, Prince Kassim Afegbua, the commissioner for information and strategy, made the statement, according to GISTCON.

Thank goodness the governor is enforcing procurement rules and due process in carrying out any executive orders he has, because Edo State was in a state of disarray before we took over.

The state’s infrastructure is in a sorry state, which the current administration inherited. He claimed that Governor Okpebholo is fixing infrastructure gradually through real governance.

Foreign consultants, according to Kassim, were running the state’s government and pocketing vast sums of money at the expense of the public workers who really did the heavy lifting.

He said that the previous administration had deserted its public servants in favour of lavishly paying consultants, and that the Edo public Service would have been a “joke of the century” had it not been for Governor Okpebholo.

He continued by saying that the state’s civil service has been reclaimed from consultants and revitalised by Governor Okpebholo.

The commissioner stated that previous Governor Obaseki left the current administration with a debt of more than N600 billion, out of the N1.6 trillion he collected during his eight years in office.

Claiming that 41 agencies were set up by the previous administration to drain state funds, he made these allegations.

Kassim, who served on the governor’s Asset Verification Committee, elaborated by saying that from 2018 to 2024, the previous administration paid consultants N160 million each month under the EdoBest Education Programme.

The committee was informed, he added, that the funds will go towards the purchase of tablets with an app that instructors can use to jot down notes during class.

In addition, Kassim revealed that out of the $75 million allotted to EdoBest, only $5 million had been recorded as spent, leaving the remaining $70 million missing.

Additionally, he mentioned that the Stella Obasanjo Hospital construction contractor was about N7.3 billion indebted to the Obaseki government.

The consultant that the previous administration had hired to supervise the hospital’s construction was paid N965 million, he added.

When the Obaseki government was about to leave office, the contractor resigned despite having received full payment for his services. We asked him to come over. Nothing was visible to us. Under the auspices of the Asset Verification Committee, our investigation panel never saw him in person.

Even now, we have no idea what he accomplished. The administration has now issued a directive. You will receive those dollars. Payment will still be made, notwithstanding the fact that the contract was excessive. The citizens of Edo will soon enjoy the fruits of that hospital’s labour.

We received N187 billion in paid claims from contractors just for the road project. In other words, we are only footing the bill for the stench left behind by the Obaseki government. Furthermore, we are arguing that he ought to return home and take responsibility for his shortcomings rather than hopping around the globe claiming to be grateful to the Edo people.

So too with the Edo Education Hub in Iyaro. Do you recall that we rebuilt the building after it burned down? From the looks of their structure and the noise they produce, it seems like everything has been finished.

The contractor claims that the government owes N3.3 billion due to the ongoing trend of abandoned projects. When you consider that N3.3 billion will still be due at the end of the project, you have to ask how much the overall cost was. That they were initially not paying contractors is what this says.

“They were simply instructing them to take money, get a bank guarantee, and complete this task; we’ll pay you, all while they were in a hurry to win votes,” he emphasised.

He boasted that the governor would launch a slew of state-wide projects to commemorate his first year in office.

Projects spanning roads, schools, healthcare, and agriculture will be commissioned in the three senatorial districts, according to Afegbua.

He stated that the dates of November 7–9, 2025, would be used for the commissioning of projects.

Dignitaries from both inside and outside the state are invited to attend, he said, adding that the Okpebholo-led administration is practical governance.

We are pleased to report that 60–63 schools throughout the state are currently undergoing first-phase intervention. We will be commissioning portion of these, which is more than half done. Additionally, we have reclaimed a significant number of primary healthcare centres, approximately sixty in number. They have also served us well.

In addition to launching new initiatives, Wednesday will see a colloquium where we will discuss and debate the many viewpoints and problems that have arisen throughout this administration.

“To create the proper tone for beginning the second-year trip, we are inviting speakers—some from within the state and others from outside—to talk to us, question us, and provide insight. Notable dignitaries from around the nation, including governors, ministers, and others, will be in attendance. They are invited to attend the event. According to him, it will also be a chance to remember and reassemble all our efforts in remaking Edo and setting a new route for its reconstruction.