FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of squandering N3.51 billion on travel in the first half of 2025.
The party expressed concern that the governor took such reckless financial decision at a time when the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Capital Importation Report confirmed that the state failed to attract a single kobo in foreign investment while states like Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kano and Ekiti made the list.
The Publicity Secretary, PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Nehikhare, who said this in a statement on Sunday, described the contrast as embarrassing and telling.
“This reckless expenditure is an insult to the good people of Edo State who continue to endure poor roads, inadequate health facilities, decaying schools, delay in salary payment and epileptic power supply.
“It is unacceptable that while other states are working to attract investment, Edo’s leadership is squandering scarce resources on trips that yield no tangible benefits,” Nehikhare said.
He stated that governance is not a jamboree, but demands prudence, vision and a commitment to prioritise the needs of the people over frivolous indulgences.
The party therefore called on the state government to immediately halt the alleged wasteful spending, publish details of these trips and redirect such funds in the future to address the massive infrastructural deficit across the state.
But in a swift response, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua described PDP’s allegation as AI-generated falsehood, baseless and ill-informed.
He noted that since his assumption of office, Governor Okpebholo had not embarked on any frivolous voyage, adding that every kobo spent on official engagements, local or international, was strategically aimed at forging partnerships and attracting investments.
According to him, “It is ironic, if not downright insulting, that PDP, a party whose years of misrule, monumental corruption and gross incompetence left Edo State in ruins, now attempts to lecture the people on governance, accountability and prudent spending.
“Unlike the PDP era where foreign trips were little more than shopping expeditions and family vacations for political office holders, officials of this government travel with clear objectives, measurable results and an unwavering commitment to the people’s progress.”
He said the Okpebholo administration would not be distracted by the wailings of expired politicians.
