By DADA AYOKHAI
The recent revelations by Governor Nyelson Wike of Rivers state that his administration constructed 12 bridges from the 13 percent derivation funds paid to the governors of all the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) states by the federal government seem to have open the floods of accusation by stakeholders against other benefitting governors who kept mute about the money.
As a result of the revelation the Edo State chairman of the opposition party , the All progressive congress, APC , Col David Imuse called on the state governor Mr Godwin Obaseki to confirm receipt of the fund and similarly disclosed what was used for.
Col Imuse, made the call at a press conference held at the party’s secretariat in Benin city which was tagged, “Our Governor has gone wild Again.
He further disclosed that the party is aware that the governor Obaseki kept the fund aside to be used for votes buying during the state House of Assembly elections which is very dear to him.
The APC state chairman, who lamented the lack of functional house of Assembly noted that the governor holds it a duty to tell the people of the state how much collected and what he used it for.
“Governor Obaseki should tell Edo people the total amount the state government received as 13% derivation funds as arrears dating back to 1999.
” The development projects in the oil and gas producing communities of Edo state which he dedicated the arrears of the 13% derivation funds to, if any. We want a full list, the amounts involved and the contractors who did the jobs.
“He should explain why he has deliberately refused to specify amounts received as 13% derivation fund in his 2023 budgets estimates”, he said.
While pointing out that Governor Obaseki has been busy maligning and accusing the Federal government of printing money to fund statutory allocations and mismanagement of the national economy, added that the governor has been pocketing Edo state monies by mismanaging the derivation funds.
“Since Edo State does not have a functional House of Assembly to checkmate Obaseki, Edo people should publicly demand the whereabouts of the said fund from the governor”,he added.
