…gifts armoured vehicles, others left by Obaseki-govt to Edo APC chair, Tenebe

In what appears to be a glaring display of fiscal recklessness, the Edo State Governor-select, Monday Okpebholo, has lavished over N5bn from the State’s coffers to acquire a new fleet of ultra-modern armoured SUVs, it has been gathered.

Okpebholo was also said to have gifted the new armoured SUVs which were procured for his government by the immediate past government of Godwin Obaseki, to the Acting Chairman of the State’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, as part of reward for his role in the 2024 governorship poll, which was marred by widespread rigging and manipulation and its outcome firmly contested in court.

A close source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, expressed disappointment over the governor’s extravagant spending amidst the State’s current financial strain, noting, “It’s deeply troubling that at a time government is currently having challenges pooling resources to meet its basic obligations, including paying salaries of workers, the governor is out splurging as much as N5 billion on luxury bulletproof SUVs.

“Workers in Edo State barely received their November salaries; it was by sheer luck. No one even knows where our December salaries would come from. For years under the former governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, salaries were paid promptly before the 25th of each month. But now, even that basic standard is slipping and instead of looking for a way out, the governor chooses to spend billions of naira on luxury SUVs. How can anyone justify this?”

The source added, “This is fiscal recklessness and an ominous start for this government. We wonder what the future holds under this fiscally irresponsible government. This is an insult to every Edo worker and taxpayer.”

A social commentator in the Uselu axis of Benin City, who spoke to our correspondent, said, “If the report is anything to come by, the governor must be held accountable for this reckless waste of public funds.”

He added, “The people of the State are plagued by numerous challenges, with many struggling to afford daily meals. There are critical road projects awaiting government’s attention, and the state desperately needs direction to improve the healthcare and education sectors, among others. Yet, the governor’s first major action is to waste the people’s resources on luxury cars.

"We can’t have a governor who plays monarch with taxpayers’ money. He even gifted the vehicles procured for him by the previous government as payment for debts owed to those who helped him manipulate the will of the people. This is politics at its most cynical and it is utterly condemnable.”