By James Ekhator
As the Transition Committee in Edo state awaits the clarification of the stake owned by Edo state government in some properties, palpable fear has enveloped Government House, Benin City, over the out-going Governor’s silence on Ossiomo Power Plant, Edo Modular Refinery and the Radisson Blu Hotel.
The PDP and APC Committees held a joint session yesterday where facts about the three companies were discussed with the PDP team which promised that the matter will be discussed with Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The APC team, which requested documents on the ownership and stake of Edo state government in the projects, were stunned when the government officials feigned ignorance in such mega projects that cost taxpayers several billions of naira.
A petitioned addressed to the Transition Committee and copied to the EFCC is said to be unsettling Governor Obaseki who will be handing over to Senator Monday Okpebholo in the next two weeks.
The petition, signed by Comrade Samuel Osawaru of the Edo Integrity Group, is believed to be working from the Obaseki team.
The group stated that Quadrant Consolidated Systems Engineering Limited, allegedly owned by Uwagboe Igiehon and Mark Igiehon, was being used for the financial transactions including “receiving of revenues for themselves and on behalf of Ossiomo Power Project” from Edo state government coffers.
The group, which named Chinese Clean Energy and Telecom Company (CCETC) as the technical partners of Ossiomo Power Project, also disclosed that both the CCETC and Ossiomo were holding companies for the owners of the plant.
It added that majority of Edo State Government agencies pay their tariff to the Ossiomo Power Plant through estimated billing but the company have quickly resorted to metering of the government agencies since 21st September 2024, when PDP lost election.
The Edo Integrity Group which stated that it was fighting corruption in Edo state, appealed to the Transition committee and EFCC “to beam search light on the activities of Ossiomo Power Plant as a lot has happened there” in the past few years.
In a related development, an anonymous letter addressed to security agencies have indicted Governor Obaseki over the acquisition of Edo Modular Refinery and Radisson Blu Hotels, which were both funded with tax-payers money but converted to private ownership.
The letter urged the security agencies to investigate the funding of both companies which were from Edo state government “but not included as assets of Edo state in the ongoing handover notes for the in-coming administration.”
The writers of the petition also revealed that they were staff of Edo state government and members of the PDP Transition Committee “but were not allowed to function as all documents and directives were from Governor Obaseki, mostly through telephone calls.”
They called for thorough investigation stating their “resolve to disclose information because of their allegiance to the state and not to any individual.”
The owners of the American-Dutch based Radisson Blu were said to be uncomfortable with their brand being drawn into corruption allegations and have written several letters to the governor indicating willingness to pull out of the partnership and franchise for integrity’s sake.
Radisson Blu hotels are mainly located in major cities across Europe, Middle East and Africa and owned by Choice Hotels, Jinjiang International and Radisson Hotel Group with headquarters in USA and Belgium.
Deputy Governor of Edo state, Philip Shuaibu, had last month inspected the site of the Radisson Blu hotels sending indications that the project was being funded by the Edo state government.
But the new twist emerged as the government did not declare it as property of the state.
The government did not also capture it in the handover notes to the transition committee.
