Jarrett Tenebe, the Chairman of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, has offered a scathing critique of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration, accusing the governor of plunging the state into poverty and bad governance.
Tenebe in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, defended the APC gubernatorial candidate, Monday Okpebholo, highlighting the severe economic downturn in Edo State under Obaseki’s leadership, as the reasoning behind Okpebholo’s campaign strategy. He also pointed out the sharp decline in residents’ ability to afford basic services.
“The statistics we have of people who can actually connect to DSTV or Gotv that you are on, we have about 80,000 who are supposedly able to get DSTV. As I speak, we cannot have up to 300 people that can connect to DSTV because of how Obaseki has impoverished the state and how everyone is now poor in Edo state due to bad governance.”
He argued that this was a direct result of Obaseki’s poor governance, which has left many Edo residents impoverished. The economic hardship, according to Tenebe, has influenced Okpebholo’s decision to prioritise grassroots engagement over television interviews.
“If Okpebholo comes on an interview with you, is he talking to people? He will be talking to only a few people who can afford DSTV in Lagos. Edo State people cannot afford DSTV where he can be heard. Okpebholo is moving from one place to the other, reaching out to people, and his message is resonating with them.”
The APC Chairman also raised serious concerns about the upcoming election, alleging that Governor Obaseki is planning to rig the results. He accused Obaseki of arming a militant group known as the Edo State Network (ESN) to influence the election in favor of his candidate.
“The idea that Obaseki wants to rig the election is true because we could see that in the past few weeks, what has been going on. He has a militant group that he calls the ESN that he wants to use to rig the election. He has armed them, he has bought guns for them and we have been calling on government to proscribe that group so that they will not be used for that election and up till date, nothing has been done.”
On the issue of governance and attracting investors to the state, Tenebe criticised the Obaseki administration’s track record. He stressed that the state has little to offer investors due to a lack of meaningful development.
“To become a governor of a state, there is a process you have to go through. First, you have to sell yourself to your people and not to investors. Secondly, your election comes, and you are elected. Thirdly, you are sworn in and become governor. At that point, you start selling the state. As I speak now, what is on the ground in Edo State is nothing to write home about. All they have done in the past are just MoUs. So, what do we even have to sell to investors?”
He further criticised the handling of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), suggesting that despite the increase in revenue, the funds are not being used to benefit the people.
“Fine, IGR has increased, but what have they done with the IGR that has increased? The people are paying taxes, but they are not seeing what the money is being used for. The corruption here is obvious. If you are collecting money from people, they should see what you are using it for. The increase of IGR has nothing to do with the people right now. Edo State, as I speak, is in disarray, and the people are angry because of the fraud that is obvious. Obaseki has run the state aground.”
Chioma Kalu
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