By Patrick Ahanor
Benin City
Leadership of Edo state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took a swipe at Governor Godwin Obaseki over the 2018 budget estimates, declaring that 10 per cent of the budget was allocated to the governor’s office.
Besides, the party faulted the state Assembly for increasing the budget size from N146.
6illion to N150.9billion, saying it was a clear case of “padding”.
State chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who stated this while briefing journalists on the recent signing of the appropriation bill into law said: “At the time most people are finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet, the APC government led by governor Obaseki is still wasting state funds on frivolous things.
” Displaying a copy of the signed document, Orbih claimed: “He (Obaseki) has allocated N2.5 billion for protocol and entertainment and this is not the kind of governor people voted for.
“The governor also allocated the sum of N1.5billion to his office and voted N4 billion as security vote.
” The PDP chairman further lamented that the state government has also earmarked the sum of N134billion for water fountain while another N10 million was set aside for its maintenance.
While lamenting the alleged N1 million monthly vote on essential drug for the governor, Orbih urged him to tell Edo tax payers his true health status.
According to him, “the question one is forced to ask is, is Obaseki sick? How come every month we use N1 million to buy essential drugs for the governor? We are forced to ask, what exactly is wrong with Obaseki?” Reacting to the allegations, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said that the PDP couldn’t appreciate the plans and initiatives contained in the budget because it was still “stuck in primitive politics and a system that glorifies avarice.
” Osagie said the budget has been hailed by experts in the development circles, academia and civil society for its focus on fortifying grow The enabling sectors of the economy and forthrightness
