Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has faulted what he described as “a purported multi-billion naira mansion being built by Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in his native Iyamho, concocted by an online publication, The Will, and parroted by Nigerian Compass of Monday, April 16, 2012”.
Tony Iyare his media aide said in a statement today that “Governor Oshiomhole built his country-home at Iyamho more than 20 years ago. Every-one knows the road to the house in question. In fact, all his houses, including the one located in Kaduna and Abuja, were built many years before he ever contemplated contesting the governorship seat in Edo State. The house in Iyamho is currently undergoing some renovation which is aimed at providing for some walkways and an outdoor bar on the existing empty space.So, the so-called N10b mansion is only a phantom existing in the warped imagination of the sponsors of this publication.
He added that since its advent a little over three years ago, the Oshiomhole administration has been guided by the principles of fiscal discipline, transparency, efficient management of resources and a dogged attempt to ensure that the people of Edo State feel the impact of governance. The result,he said , can be seen in massive infrastructural development across the length and breadth of the state in the past forty-two months.
The statement said contrary to the old tradition of fiscal recklessness and mindless rapacity, the Oshiomhole administration has unleashed a regime of reforms to ensure probity and accountability in the use of public funds. The most recent of these reforms is the Edo Public Procurement Act.
Refering specifically to the publication,Iyare said “We are aware that the promoters of this laughable falsehood had gone round many media houses in Lagos with sack-loads of blood money to induce its publication, but were turned down outright on the basis of the amateurish job done, until the cheap bait finally caught these unconscionable hacks in the periphery of yellow journalism.
Read below more excerpts from Oshiomhole’s statement:
Given the timing, it is obvious the intent of the sponsored writers is a smear campaign to cause mischief, disaffection and throw mud at the hard-earned reputation of Governor Oshiomhole, particularly coming when more and more Edo people are clamouring for his return for a second term in appreciation of the unprecedented growth and development witnessed by Edo State in less than forty-two months of his exemplary stewardship.
“Unable to match the Comrade Governor in the area of ideas to grow Edo and improve the human condition, these political desperadoes are resorting to their stock-in-trade: lies and character-assassination.
“We would have simply ignored this base falsehood and the ingenious simulation of pictures on the said mansion deliberately concocted to divert the attention of the Edo people from the fundamental issues thrown up by the forthcoming governorship campaign, but are compelled by the need to always engage our people particularly on the issue of management of public finances in our tradition of openness and accountability.
“Before the arrival of the Oshiomhole government, 80 percent was devoted to recurrent expenditure. Now, it is 60 percent capital and 40 percent recurrent. The reversal of this lopsided budget which had gone on for close to 20 years and the halting of the pillage by the godfathers resulted in the freeing of resources to take care of the welfare needs of the people.
“At the risk of sounding immodest, this sterling show of prudence with public resources is what we believe led multi-national institutions to partner with the Oshiomhole administration. Only last week, the World Bank granted the state a credit support of $225 million which is envisaged to spread over a three year period.
“Apart from putting development vigorously on the table, the government has built more than 500 kilometres of roads covering more than 400 communities. The government has also embarked on the rebuilding of many primary and secondary schools across the three senatorial zones of the state.
“In addition to building a five star complex at Central Hospital, Benin City, a massive intervention never witnessed in the history of the 109-year-old hospital founded by the colonial government, many hospitals across the state have been renovated. The Women and Children Hospital have also been built in Ewohimi, Edo Central and Otuo, Edo North to complement the one in Benin City.
“Rather than those who think governance is to service the lust of the godfathers and their hirelings, the philosophy of the Oshiomhole administration is to ensure the provision of the “greatest good to the greatest number”.
“We urge the media to be more discerning and avoid being used by those whose main objective is to use it to pull chess nuts from the fire. It is important to re-state that the Oshiomhole government will remain focused on delivering to the welfare of the people of Edo state and will not be diverted by a misguided campaign sponsored by the PDP.
