Edo State Government has described as false and misleading the claims by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dan Orbih that the projects that the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole commissioned at the Ambrose Alli University were started by the PDP administration in the state.
Speaking to pressmen through the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua in Government House, Benin City, Tuesday, Gov. Oshiomhole said “This Press Briefing is purely to respond to the very false claim by the PDP Chairman, Mr. Dan Orbih to the effect that what the Comrade Governor had invested in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, was just a mere completion of the projects started by previous governments, particularly that of the PDP. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
“The fact is, PDP government is aware except they want to be economical with the truth that in terms of development of Edo State, in terms of achievements, they have nothing to write home about. Mr. Dan Orbih is also aware that they left AAU in its form and state as it were in the 809’s before the Comrade Governor came on stream and if you take a facility tour of the university today, you will see for yourselves,. Physical infrastructure like our mantra, eye-mark. You can see for yourselves what we have been able to do in repositioning that university from very decrepit infrastructure to something that has now become a pride to every student in that institution.
“Outside from the fact that the Comrade Governor had increased their monthly subvention with over 150%, he had also given them what I will call bailout funds, or infrastructural funds which have been applied very judiciously and prudently by the management and Board of AAU to deliver infrastructure development to the overwhelming students of that institution.
“Needless to count that in the last 6 to 7 years, we have been able to build 4 different 500 capacity lecture theatres outside the one that was generously donated by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, that would make it 5. We have also completed a project that was abandoned in 1992, which is the Moot Court in the Faculty of Law. That was completed in 2015, we have built 15 Professorial offices for the Professors and that entails apart from the Professors offices, you have the secretary and other supporting staff offices, we have built 2 laboratories in the basics medical sciences. We have also built the Fine and Applied Art Dept. We have also built the Agric Extension Science Dept, brand new and if you go to Emaudo Campus, you will also see another departmental building there and a 500 capacity lecturer theater.
“So outside from the other programs that we had commenced. The Comrade Governor at the last visit to commission some of those projects also promised the university another 600 million naira grant which is tied to infrastructure because according to him, if they have been able to improved on infrastructure of the institution by utilizing very prudently the grant given them before, then it was now compelling for him to do more and he decided to give 600 million grant to the institution.
“If you go to the university today, e have been able to do the rectification work of the water board in that institution. At least, they can boast of having water supply now.
“So if the opposition want to play real opposition as it is expected of in any democracy,. We expect them to come up with facts and figures in trying to make their impression known if they truly want Edo people to hear their voice. But coming out with falsified information just to confuse or misinform the unsuspecting members of the public is to us a carriage of excess kindness and once kindness is too much, there is much to it than expected or a handshake beyond the elbow.
“We want to tell the PDP to continue to tell Edo people what they did to the collective patrimony of Edio State in terms of management of resources, in terms of infrastructural developments and what have you because the APC in the last 7 years have been able to put on ground what people can see, what people can feel and a commonality of our existence have been further improved by the quality of the infrastructure we have been able to build.
“A lot of small and medium scale enterprise are coming up in Edo State because they have seen that they needed to leverage on the economic infrastructure that we have been able to put in place. So it is to us, an idle talk for half baked intellectuals to be coming up with bogus, misrepresentation in the area of dishing our information to the public particularly knowing very well that election is by the corner.
“We will not tell Edo people lies. We will not patronize them in a manner that will undermine their collective well being. We will also not mislead them. If there is anything we want to do, we are man enough to own up to our responsibility of presiding over the collective patrimony of Edo State in the last 7 years to the best of our abilities and best of our intentions without giving any apology to render to PDP and their cohorts.
“We can beat our chest and say yes, this is what we have done. The PDP if they truly want to play opposition should tell Edo people what they will do if they want to run election or what they did in the 10 years that they crippled the state. this state was rendered prostrate before the Comrade Governor came on stream in 2008 and today, we can sing Hossana songs because we have been able to apply the resources we get judiciously even in the light of dwindling resources from federation account, we are still paying salaries as at when due, we are also carrying out capital projects which is unheard of in most states of the federation.
“So, to some of us, we see the Comrade Governor as a miracle worker because in an era where resources are dwindling and people can’t ,meet up with salary commitment, we still have a lot of gigantic projects going on. Upper Mission Extension is 95% completed, we have fixed that road, the 2nd East Circular road is on, the St Savior road, the Siluko road is almost completed up to Channel 55, the Okpella road is ongoing, the Edo State University at Iyahmo is ongoing. Queen Ede erosion, go there and you will see a difference, the Ekenwan erosion is ongoing and the Auchi erosion is still ongoing.
“So, it will tend to suggest that either the PDP are enemy of progress or they just don’t want this state to leave the state they left it some years ago. Any right thinking Edo person who go to the Central Hospital today will see for himself that what the government is doing there can only be compared to what obtains elsewhere in this world. Because what we are trying to drive at, is to bring home medial tourism such that, the hospital will be equipped with up to date medical equipment to meet with the health needs of Edo people and people outside Edo State.
“In the light of this dwindling resources, when even federal government is complaining almost on a regular basic, that we are still being able to meet up with contractor commitment in completing that particular project goes to show that there could not have been any other way other than the Comrade Governor has applied the resources of the state, very slim as it were, to the development of this state and I think he deserves to be commended.
“Anybody who is not seeing anything good in Edo State is either does not like Edo State, or an enemy of progress or out of deliberate mischief, they are just missing the point.
“You can go to AAU and see for yourselves what we have don there. We are not like PDP who will paint an uncompleted building and they want to commission it. Let me just give you a teaser, a week ago, the Niger Deltas Minister came visiting to ascertain the federal government commitment under the PDP rulership with respect to Niger Delta Projects and he went to an estate around Sakponba road and when they got there, they discovered, that actually there was an estate of about 40 buildings that are still in building state but the inhabitants of that area said, this projects were to be commissioned by the PDP because they completed about 3 or 4 of those buildings and to suggest that the entire project had been completed. They had to protest before the people decided to beat a retreat back to Abuja.
“That was exactly the hallmark of PDP. The same thing goes for Aduwawa road. When we were complaining that the federal government under PDP did not do anything in Edo State, they were shouting hoax. Now today, go to Aduwawa road and see how much vandalisation they have done to that road that was once passable. If rain falls today, we are at the mercy of erosion and flooding in that area, all in the name of wanting to play politics. What about Benin- Abraka road, the same thing, abandoned under Orubebe.
“So, we are not going to play politics with the destiny of Edo people. We are not going to pretend to do what we have not done. We will tell Edo people exactly what we have been doing and what we have done and we will beat our chest and own up responsibility to the fact that we have been able to do A, B and C based on our convictions and resources at our disposal and we are also man enough to tell the people, we could have done more in this area but for A, B and C reasons.
“Everybody is aware that the country is going through a difficult time but difficult time requires good thinking. Thinking through projects, it requires tact, it requires diplomacy and it requires courage and ability to manage your slim resources to deliver on electoral promises. So as ,much as we want to beautify Edo State with projects spread across the 3 senatorial districts, we are hampered by resources but what we are doing and what we have been able to do so far will live as lasting legacy for Edo people and for the Oshiomhole administration.
“So, it is important for us to correct this misconception, this misinformation, this misdirected attack from those who call themselves PDP chieftains. If only they will remember that Dasukigate is still ongoing and that there are quite a lot of free money that was on display during the PDP era. If they had used that resources to develop their own internal challenges, we will not be in a sorry state that we are in today in term of resources.
“I expect the PDP to be ashamed of itself as a party. I expect them to cover themselves in utter shame but for a country like ours and for Nigerians who are very tolerant, such individuals should not even occupy the media space. Going by the record of very abysmal performance that we have seen in terms with the revelations that are coming on a daily basis order than display resources to handle Boko Haram in terms of equipment, they were busy sharing the money and that is to tell you how wicked and how very diabolic they can be. If resources that were meant to procure arms ammunition was diverted to private pockets in the name of election, you can imagine what they did to this state when they presided over the collective patrimony of Edo people”, he said.
