By METROWATCH
The Campaign for Ethics and Good Governance has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) over the increasing illegal movement of money by the Edo State Government using unorthodox deals three months to his exit from power.
One of the latest is the Benin-Asaba highway project, which Governor Godwin Obaseki allegedly approved and released over N15billion for consultancy.
The beneficiaries of the monies are allegedly his friends named in the highway development consultancy firms, namely Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria and AAA Infrastructure Nigeria.
While N4billion was allegedly first released to the firms a few weeks ago, another tranche in the neighborhood of N13 billion was paid out early last week, with state government officials privy to the payments, raising eye brows over the bundling of such huge monies when the state was in dire need of operational funds.
As a result, the Campaign for Ethics and Good Governance has called on the EFCC, NFIU, Attorney General of the Federation, and others to intensify their watch on the flow of cash out of Edo state while calling on the people of the state to ask questions now that the governor was still in power.
In its July bulletin, the Campaign for Ethics and Good Governance wrote; “Governor Godwin Obaseki should explain how much of Edo state resources have been put into the Benin-Asaba highway project where his Lagos friends were dragged into the arrangement made over a bottle of wine in Dennis Osadebey Government House, Benin city.”
“What value will the reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Highway be adding to the society when there are more deplorable roads across the state?
Why is Delta state not part of the road project concession if the deal was real and not on paper to steal public funds?”
“Why did Governor Obaseki not apply it to the very deplorable Benin-Auchi road that was already in very deplorable condition?”
“The phony Benin-Asaba highway deal was another 419, publicized to give it legitimacy so that the funds can be safely removed through consultancy and concessioning arrangement that looks real.
The governor should explain to Edo citizens who owns the Globus Bank that is strategically situated opposite CBN zonal office in Akpakpava road in Benin city.
“We want the elites in Edo state to raise their voices and ask questions. Obaseki has gone berserk and if care is not taken, the state will suffer for a long time because of the greed of one man,” the group lamented.
“Where did Obaseki get the money he used in building his 22 floors Afrinvest Building in Lagos if not Edo money?
While waiting for his handover date in November 2024, we want to alert the EFCC and other security agencies to hold the governor accountable.”
Punch Newspaper had on 1st February 2024 reported: “The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Wednesday, (February 2024) signed a N228bn agreement with the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria and AAA Infrastructure Nigeria Limited for the reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Expressway.
“The Edo State Government will invest as an equity partner in the 25-year Highway Development Management Initiative Concession to Africa Plus Partners, which will fund the road project.
“According to the governor, “the Benin-Asaba artery is very critical to the economy of Nigeria because it is that route that moves the bulk of goods from the port in Lagos State in the West to the Eastern and South-South parts of Nigeria.“60km of this road is in Edo State and a large portion of this road starts from Ring Road through Abudu and Agbor to Asaba.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Triple-A Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Ike Chioke, said “the agreement with the state government was for the complete reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Expressway under the HDMI Concession to Africa Plus Partners.”
Also, the Managing Director of Triple-A Infrastructure, Niran Ajakaiye, reassured that the project would be world-class, noting that the road construction project would commence from Benin in Edo State to Asaba in Delta State and terminate at the Second Niger Bridge.
