Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, accused the suspended 18 local government council chairmen of diverting approximately N12 billion and remitting it to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party over 15 months.
Okpebholo claimed on Tuesday, alleging that the funds, initially earmarked for local government projects, were funneled into party coffers.
In response, the Chairman of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Tony Aziegbemi, vehemently denied the allegations, demanding that the governor provide evidence to substantiate his claims.
Aziegbemi further challenged Okpebholo to report the matter to the relevant anti-corruption authorities rather than making unsubstantiated public statements.
The controversy stems from the suspension of the 18 local government chairmen and their vice-chairmen by the Edo State House of Assembly on December 17, 2024.
The suspensions followed a petition from the governor, who accused the chairmen of refusing to submit financial records of their councils.
The chairmen have since taken legal action, with a Federal High Court ruling to maintain the status quo pending a full hearing.
At a meeting with acting chairmen and councilors at the Government House, Okpebholo detailed the alleged misuse of funds. He cited a suspicious N800 million monthly allocation labeled “Environmental Security Funding,” which the chairmen could not account for.
Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, released a statement on Tuesday titled, “Gov Okpebholo: Over N12bn Remitted to PDP Leaders in 15 Months by Suspended LG Chairmen.”
In the statement, Okpebholo explained, “When I came into office, I had a meeting with the Accountant-General, and he showed me some books. Some of these expenses had no explanation.
“I picked interest in one spending because I saw an item labeled ‘Environmental Security Funding.’ I had never heard of that before, and the amount involved was huge—N800m every month.
“These chairmen were allegedly contributing this money and giving it to leaders of a party.”
The governor further explained that when the chairmen were called to explain these financial discrepancies, they failed to provide satisfactory answers or submit necessary records.
After their continued noncompliance, Okpebholo escalated the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Edo State House of Assembly.
During his remarks to the acting chairmen and councilors, Okpebholo emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability, stressing that local government funds should benefit the grassroots.
He lamented the disparity in the educational sector, noting that while local government funds were misappropriated, schools were severely understaffed, with many primary schools having only a handful of teachers.
He stated, “When you visit primary schools, you find two or three teachers, whereas there should be 10 to 12 teachers.”
Okpebholo also acknowledged the role of local government chairmen in grassroots development and expressed his readiness to collaborate with them.
He concluded, “The local government money does not belong to you; it belongs to the grassroots. So, go and work with the resources.”
In response to the governor’s allegations, Aziegbemi demanded evidence to support the N12 billion claim.
He stated, “No such money was given to PDP leaders, and we challenge the governor to provide evidence to support that claim. He should specify who received what, when, how, and from whom.”
Aziegbemi also criticised the governor’s approach, accusing him of attempting to justify the illegal suspension of the chairmen.
“Even if any money was paid to anyone, we expect the governor to report it to the anti-corruption agency for investigation,” he added.
