…says Okpebholo’s team digging for dirt where there’s none, laments absence from meetings_*

The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, has said the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki runs one of the most transparent and prudent governments in the country, noting that the members of the transition committee of Senator Monday Okpebholo are only dazed and overwhelmed by the documentation of projects and other achievements of the incumbent government.

Nehikhare, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, decried the absence of Okpebholo’s transition committee for the second consecutive day from the joint transition session with the team of the State Government.

He said the narrative that Okpebholo’s team boycotted the joint sessions over failures of the government’s team to provide necessary documents was false, noting that the government had provided both digital and hardcopy documents to the APC team who are only overwhelmed by the level of documentation of projects and achievements in the last eight years.

Raising and showing some of the hard copy documents that have been made available to the APC transition team, Nehikhare insisted that the team must realize that they are a transition and not an inquisitive committee.

He said, “We are here again for another transition committee meeting, and as we have noticed yet again that it’s only the Edo State Government Transition Team that is present while that of the APC are yet to arrive at the venue of the meeting after over two hours of waiting.

“Before the transition meeting started, we had to basically harass the APC to send us a list of their members and it took them days to respond. The Edo State Government did all that because it’s the civilized thing to do. If a government is leaving power, it hands over power smoothly and orderly to the next government.

“When handing over power, you are not just handing over the instrumentality of power but everything you have done while in Government, to showcase what you have done, the achievement and challenges faced while in power.

During our inaugural meeting, we listed out the timetable of how this committee was going to meet because creating a transition Committee when a government is changing hands is crucial for ensuring a smooth transfer of power. We are only having this problem because our brothers from the other side most likely are not prepared for the kind of projects and achievements they saw in our documentation.”

Displaying the documents, the Commissioner stated, “These are the hard copies of Edo State Government thematic pillars which were put in place in our normal way of working digitally. But our brothers said it’s too complicated for them that they want hardcopy. We have made hard copies of these documents in 24 places but they later informed us that they have increased their membership to 27. We have yet again printed more copies.”

He added: “A transition government like ours, we are very proud of what we have done and achieved and we have asked the incoming government to come and inspect what we have done. We have asked them to look at our projects and what we claim to have done but they have refused to even look at the documents.”

Noting that they were only dazed by Obaseki’s performance in the last eight years, Nehikhare said during the last gubernatorial election, the APC made spurious claims and peddled lies that the government had no projects but they are today “overwhelmed with documentation, pictures, facts, and data of the governor’s projects and achievements.”

He further noted, “Instead of them to face the issue of transition, they have turned themselves into inquisition team. They are asking questions only the Chief Executive can pass to the next Chief Executive. We have answers to all their questions in the document we are presenting to them.

“They have a list of about 24 questions they want us to answer as if they are the ones dictating the transition but I would like to remind them that until after November 12th, 2024, Obaseki and this team are in power and are the team in government.

“The Edo State Government does not take orders or instructions from members brought in for transition issues. We are not worried about financial data or Edo State assets, they are all documented. Edo State Government has developed the Edo State Government Asset Register as all assets owned by the Edo State Government both in the State and outside the State are all listed in the register. This is available for all Edo people to see.”

According to him, “We are the ones transiting and would give them all the information they need. It’s not true and quite embarrassing to say the PDP government can’t provide them with documentary evidence of financial transactions. Sen. Monday Okpebholo will receive a very detailed handover note from Governor Godwin Obaseki.

“Also on the e-gov platform in the office of the governor, all financial transactions, and bank statements, among others are on the governor’s dashboard. The transition committee is not the incoming governor but is sent to verify what we have done.

“We are here every morning at the recommended time to provide them with what we have done in our transition committee’s report. We will not tolerate lies from them as this government has been very transparent in all we have done and have received countless awards.”

He reassured, “We are here to reassure Edo people that the Edo State Government is committed to a smooth handover as we will be here on a daily basis to provide the APC transition team with whatever information they require. The governor will give a detailed handover note to his successor as it’s a standard practice all over the world.

“As a government, we have provided documentation in digital forms but they said they want it in hardcopies and we have done the same. We have nothing to hide as we are ready to help them visit sites and projects undertaken by this administration.”