Crusoe Osagie, the media adviser to former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, has taken aim at the state administration, accusing it of creating “a cocktail of lies” to deceive the public, this time via Commissioner for Information Kassim Afegbua.
In a statement released on Friday, December 12, Osagie said he felt compelled to address the Edo State Government’s “cocktail of lies” once more.
Afegbua “seems to have suddenly woken up from his elongated hiatus since his appointment,” he continued.
Osagie contended that the Radisson Hotel Project dispute followed a well-known pattern that, in his opinion, has characterized the current administration’s actions since it took office.
In order to hide what he described as the government’s lack of a development roadmap, he accused the government of purposefully creating conflicts.
“This charade has become a predictable pattern deployed by this government since it took office over a year ago, clearly to deflect the attention of Edo people from the obvious fact that the government has no development plan for the people of the State,” he stated before delving into the specifics.
He recalled a number of initiatives, starting with the N30 billion Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA), which he said had been unfairly targeted.
Osagie claims that the government also targeted the 95MW Ossiomo Power Project, initiated a “onslaught” against the Saro Farms and Ethanol Plant in Ikpoba Okha, destroyed the Edo Printing Center at the Nigerian Observer location on Airport Road, and even made an attempt to attack Presco, which it later withdrew from following the blowback.
He claimed that the Radisson Hotel Project was the most recent in what he called a sequence of manufactured disputes.
Speaking about the project, Osagie emphasized that the Obaseki administration conceptualized the Radisson Hotel venture as a component of a larger plan for the state’s tourist growth.
He claimed that assistance for the National Museum at Ring Road, the projected Benin Royal Museum, and MOWAA were all part of this complete program.
According to Osagie, the former governor’s “deft financial skill” was used to carry out the project.
He said, “Obaseki has explained for the umpteenth time that the project was started by his government as a part of the larger plan for the tourism sector.”
According to Osagie, the government provided the initial funding to make the project appealing to investors before transferring it to a private partner “at a value multiple times the amount the government had invested in it,” as is customary throughout the world.
He claimed that although the state kept 20% of the company’s shares, the new investor assumed “the full assets and liabilities of the project.”
Governor Monday Okpebholo was accused by Osagie of trying to undermine the idea by bringing it up with judiciary and anti-graft agencies.
He declared, “Okpebholo has taken the Radisson Project to the EFCC and has also gone to court in an endless rat chase to undermine the project in search of a reason to destroy this laudable investment initiative.”
He insisted that those attempts had “proven futile” and that government officials had turned to “propaganda as a form of media trial” after failing to accomplish their goal.
“Investments in Edo South, which speaks Benin, are being crippled.”
Osagie cited a recent piece he wrote titled “Okpebholo’s attack on Benin-speaking Edo South leaves economic carcasses on his trail” to support his claim.
He claims that the investments that are being targeted by the current administration are “curiously” all situated in the Edo South Senatorial District, which is home to Benin speakers.
In addition to the wider value chains they were intended to promote, he cautioned that the repercussions were catastrophic, pointing out that the impacted investments were positioned to directly and indirectly employ “not less than 50,000” people.
He claimed that by delaying these initiatives, the government had put an end to prospective economic endeavors that would have begun “one year after the Obaseki administration.”
“I doubt these five-star projects would have come under such vicious and irresponsible attacks from the Okpebholo government if they were located in Auchi, Iyamho, or even Irrua,” Osagie went on.
“They Scare Away Investors”
According to the previous governor’s aide, the current administration’s activities are an attack on the trust of the business sector.
Such behavior, he cautioned, would deter potential investors and perhaps compel current ones to relocate.
He stated, “They must be reminded that their careless and reckless actions constitute a direct assault on the sensibilities and sensitivities of private-sector investors.” Osagie said, “At the very least, it will further discourage investors from coming into the State, and in many cases, could even force those already operating in the State to seek alternative locations for their businesses.”
He emphasized that Obaseki had “neither a direct nor an indirect stake or ownership in the project” and maintained that the Radisson Hotel development was carried out in the best interests of the Edo people.
“We implore them to spare the Edo people this diversion,” he continued. “The Radisson Hotel project was executed in the best interests of the people and was clean.”
“Okpebholo must be held accountable by the Edo people.”
Osagie concluded by advising citizens to concentrate on making sure the governor fulfills his duties rather than being influenced by what he called intentional misinformation.
“We urge the people of Edo to disregard the lies, not be distracted, stay focused, and hold Okpebholo accountable for his responsibilities to Edo people, which include protecting their lives and property and creating opportunities for them to live life to the fullest,” he declared.
He asked that the government be questioned about how “this barrage of attacks on investments in the State translates into jobs and tangible benefits for the teeming youth population of the State, many of whom are seeking opportunities to work, earn a living, and build careers.”
