Jeffrey Sacks, a well-known American economist, places a lot of emphasis in his work on the promotion of sustainable and economic development. This school of thought believes in growth and development in order to eliminate poverty and raise the standard of living for citizens of the world today.
This is accomplished by relating to the requirements of environmental resources and the future generations of citizens of the world. One of the emphases that Jeffrey Sacks places in his work are the promotion of sustainable and economic development.
While other, more developed states in the Niger Delta, such as Rivers State and others, are celebrating growth and development milestones in terms of infrastructural development, human development index, healthcare, education, Youth empowerment, and good governance, the PDP-led government of Governor Godwin Obaseki has plunged Edo into debt by meeting in secret with members of the Edo State House of Assembly twice at night to approve loans totaling a whopping sum of 48 billion nairas and 25 billion nairas Consecutively and with reckless abandon, the state became the second most externally indebted state in the Niger Delta and the third state in Nigeria, despite having a monumental FAAC allocation and 13% of the revenue derived from oil production as an oil-producing state in the Niger Delta State. This was despite the fact that the state had no reasonable project to show off other than fruitless MOU paperwork.
Since the beginning of the Obaseki administration to the present day, the state government has received approximately N100 billion in the form of 13 percent derivatives due to the fact that it is an oil-producing state. As required by the law, the governor of Edo State has not provided an accounting, made the real amount received public, or used this money for the development of oil-producing areas. Neither of these things has been done.
Compensation of oil communities for the social and environmental pollution and harm resulting from oil exploration and production is the goal of both Section 162, Subsection 2 of the Constitution of 1999 (as modified) on the 13 percent derivation, and the NDDC Act, which was passed in 2000.
Rather than distributing the funds in accordance with the statutory requirements, Governor Obaseki and his cronies have been spending the funds according to their whims in a manner that is analogous to the spending of 800 million Naira in security votes. These security votes are a monthly allowance that is given to the Edo state government for the sole purpose of funding security services within the state. This has resulted in inadequate consideration being given to the growth and development of the communities in the oil-producing local government areas
Regrettably, they are able to get away with this misappropriation of public funds by using the instrumentality of their offices to siphon public funds with inadequate state cabinet, failure to conduct elections of local government chairmen and ward councilors, and while pensioners are being deprived of their benefits that they have worked tirelessly to earn.
In spite of the falsehoods and lies that Obaseki, Governor Nyesom Wike, and Chief Dan Orbih spread against the former governor of Edo State throughout the campaign season for Edo State 2020, he was ultimately vindicated. The current governor of Edo State is Nyesom Wike. According to one of the most well-known phrases attributed to Elvis Presley, “The truth shines like the sun. “You can shut it out for a while, but it ain’t goin’ away” is a phrase that accurately describes the inevitability of its eventual triumph.
Before now, the governor of River State had already sent an unreserved apology to Oshiomhole for the fact that he had first failed to believe him when he told him of Obaseki’s treachery.
According to him: “If you question anybody or examine the DNA of Obaseki, you will learn that he is a serial betrayer and an ungrateful guy. You will find this out.” I want to extend my apologies to Oshiomhole, the one who informed us about Obaseki. You have been exonerated of all charges.
In addition to this, he made use of the occasion of the commissioning of the Rumuepirikom Flyover, which was performed by Oshiomole, to offer a public apology to the All Progressive Congress (APC) Edo North Senatorial candidate, Comrade Oshiomhole, for some political comments that were made against him and the Edo State APC governorship candidate during the most recent election.
In his time as governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole presided over the inauguration of thirty different projects, one of which was an ongoing ten-kilometer road in the Oduna ward. This road was constructed by the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC), While Governor Obaseki collected all of the money in EDSOGPADEC and SUBEB funds annually, he did not use the funds for the purposes to which they were allocated. This included the N16 billion that was released to him as money owed to the Adams Oshiomole administration for the reconstruction of federal govt roads across the state, such as adding two lanes on Dawson road, New Lagos road, and Ugbowo road. Additionally, the projects that EDSOGPADEC executed in the three
We will continue to ask questions as citizens who are interested in the advancement of society; although our inquiries may fall on deaf ears, the general public is paying attention.
By Chris Osa Uhunmwangho
