BENIN CITY: The Edo State Government has accused a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP of engaging in what it described as a “troubling pattern of misinformation,” insisting that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration will not allow falsehood to distort its achievements.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, in a statement said comments credited to the factional PDP chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi, represented “a trend of deliberate misrepresentation,” adding that his claims exposed “clear gaps in understanding and basic administrative procedure.”
The statement described Mr. Aziegbemi’s commentary as “unfortunate,” stressing that he had chosen to “peddle inaccuracies about the structure and operations of the present government” rather than engage constructively.
The government said: “His comments on the Tender Board, in particular, reveal a profound ignorance of procurement laws and administrative hierarchy.”
“The Tenders Board is a statutory body with clearly defined roles under Nigerian procurement regulations. It does not operate on the whims of political parties, nor is it subject to the emotional interpretations of party chairmen unfamiliar with governance procedures.”
The government clarified that every ministry in Edo State has its own statutory Tenders Board comprising the Commissioner, Permanent Secretary and Directors, all legally empowered to evaluate and approve contracts within their limits.
It further explained that “the apex Tenders Board of the State is the Executive Council – made up of the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, and all Commissioners – which handles approvals that exceed ministerial thresholds.”
According to the statement, “This is not new, ambiguous, or controversial; it is what is obtainable across the country.”
The Okpebholo administration said the attempt to create controversy around routine administrative processes “mirrors the broader strategy deployed by figures intent on defending the failures of the immediate-past administration, even when the facts are glaring.”
It accused the previous government of “governance gone wrong,” recalling the demolition of the “century-old, centrally located public health facility, the iconic Central Hospital,” which it said served generations before being “willfully replaced with a private entity disguised as a cultural project, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA).”
The statement described the conversion of the public hospital into a private venture as “one of the clearest examples of governance gone wrong, where a public institution was sacrificed for a venture with no direct relevance to the healthcare needs of the people.”
The government also dismissed the former administration’s so-called “legacy achievements,” including claims of an Agricultural Hub, the Tayo Akpata Education Hub, and free WiFi in strategic areas, describing them as “projects heavy on slogans but light on substance.”
According to the statement: “None provided measurable improvements to the lives of Edo people. Internet hotspots – sporadic and poorly maintained – never translated to economic empowerment or food security for the struggling households across the State.”
It added bluntly: “Edo people know better and are fully aware of how propaganda was elevated above genuine development. The former administration perfected the art of public deception, offering glossy press briefings to mask a governance model that had little regard for transparency, accountability, or sustainable impact.”
Contrasting that era with the present, the statement said Governor Okpebholo has ushered in “a new phase marked by sincerity of purpose, fiscal discipline, and people-focused development.” It stressed that “Roads are being fixed. Healthcare infrastructure is being strengthened – not demolished. Education is receiving meaningful investment. Civil servants are respected, not humiliated.”
The government emphasised that its priorities are “real projects, real impact, real accountability,” insisting that “Edo people deserve leadership anchored on substance, not propaganda.”
“No amount of revisionist commentary – whether from party chairmen unfamiliar with administrative processes or from individuals nostalgic for a failed era – can derail the ongoing transformation.”
