By Clifford Ndujihe, Omeiza Ajayi & Ozioruva Aliu
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has described the recent increment of workers minimum wage to N70,000 as a Greek gift, incapable of swaying the electorate.
This was as he called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to account for the N5 billion approved by the Federal Government, as palliative to cushion the hardships of Edo civil servants.
According to him, the minimum wage announcement by Obaseki is a deliberate plot to distract Edo people from the real issues.
In a statement by his Media Office, in Abuja, yesterday, Okpebholo said that President Bola Tinubu had last year approved N5 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja to enable them procure food items for distribution to the poor in their respective states and pay civil servants certain amount for six months.
He said: “Governor Obaseki is actually owing Edo civil servants arrears of six months. Like other states, Edo got N5 billion from the Federal Government to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. In FCT, civil servants were paid additional N35,000 for six months.
“Other states did the same thing and distributed palliatives. In Edo State, Governor Obaseki has been mute. No civil servant got any extra money like their counterparts in other states. Let us begin the conversation from there.
“Obaseki should explain to Edo civil servants and Edo people what he did with the N5 billion. Nobody in Edo State has gotten any palliatives or cash transfers from the Edo State Government. What has Obaseki spent the money on?
“We know that the State Government is keeping billions of naira to buy votes and prosecute the governorship election, where he intends to impose his political stooge on Edo people. Unfortunately for him, the people are wiser, especially the civil servants in the state.
“Civil servants deserve a better deal from the State Government and not a Greek gift to blackmail them to vote for a party that has failed the people of Edo State. There are no good schools, hospitals, roads or housing for civil servants. These are the real issues.
Speaking in like manner, Okpebholo’s Spokesperson, Mr. Paul Ohombamu, said that the alleged sins of Governor Obaseki against Edo people would be visited on the Governorship Candidate of the PDP, Dr Asue Ighodalo in the election.“He said “There is punishment for the governor who has not done well and that punishment is like every action goes with repercussions and it must go down to the third and fourth generation, the third generation will be the PDP candidate.”
Claiming that the government had desecrated the citizenry “that they call ordinary,” he said those the government neglected would punish the PDP with their votes.
“The promised N70,000 from May is just a survivalist strategy. We are in politics, election is at hand, that is not enough because if you promise N70,000 to workers who are saying they need N200,000 or N155,000 then you have not started.”
APC, Okpebholo’re can’t comprehend Obaseki’s populist projects
However, the Edo State Government has said that the APC and its candidate cannot appreciate the long-term impact of Governor Obaseki’s projects because they thrive on subversive politics.
In a statement, The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said it was regrettable that the APC would find the commissioning of the new Labour House and the construction of Temboga road as distasteful.
He said: “It is curious to learn that the All Progressives Congress finds the building of a Labour House and the construction of an access road in the Temboga area in bad taste just because they want to play politics.
“But we are not surprised by their lack of understanding because they have always been used to subversive politics that have never placed the people at the centre of development.
In their reasoning, projects should only be constructed for the benefit of a few people, and not for the generality of the people.
“If they had paid close attention, they would know that the Labour House project was ongoing for well over two years and was not hurriedly constructed as they are wont to do when they want to deceive unsuspecting members of the public. The term ‘Greek Gift’ which they bandied about carelessly is their go-to model and we are not sorry that the import of the project is lost on them.”
He mused that the claim that Obaseki’s projects are not intended for long-term impact was laughable. (vanguard)
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