Obaseki Under Fire: Okepbholo Labels Him a Portfolio Scam Artist in $10M Dispute

The administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo has declared that it will look into the utilization of $10 million by former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
No amount of spin from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will prevent the administration from looking into the $10 million that was approved late under Obaseki, according to Fred Itua, Okpebholo’s chief press secretary.
Chris Nehikhare, the chairman of the Edo PDP, reportedly said in a statement that it was disheartening that the Okepbholo vowed to investigate Obaseki’s government over the $10 million spent on Observer Press equipment.

Itua stated in a statement on Wednesday that Nehikhare showed a lack of knowledge and failed to grasp the point made by Governor Okpebholo.
He urged the PDP Chairman to support their claim with facts rather than fantasy, emphasizing that the government would look into how the money was used by the previous administration.

It stated: “The Governor was not referring to the refurbished equipment purchased from ‘Ogbete Market’ in Enugu State, but rather to the $10 million that Godwin Obaseki allocated for The Observer Newspaper just prior to the 2024 Edo State governorship elections.

Just a few days before Edo State’s governorship election in late 2024, Obasi, a portfolio scammer who oversaw the looting of Edo’s commonwealth, hastily siphoned $10 million through The Observer Newspaper.

Nehikhare’s frantic attempt to sway the discussion reveals the PDP’s ongoing dishonesty in addition to being deceptive.

Regarding the so-called “sophisticated machines,” Nehikhare deliberately overlooks the true issue, which is that these overused and ineffective machines now cost billions of naira to operate correctly. Even though Obaseki bought them at a roadside market, he left a financial legacy that the current administration now has to clear.

What is more concerning is Nehikhare’s perplexed indignation over the dismissal of Observer employees. How does he anticipate the availability of those who are no longer employed at the location? His reasoning is just as erroneous as the administration’s actions, which he naively supports.

Instead of this ridiculous attempt at diversion, Nehikhare ought to explain why, in his last days, Obaseki felt compelled to spend an astounding $10 million on a state-owned newspaper that is essentially unnoticeable on newspaper stands throughout the State and the nation—during a period when vital industries like healthcare and education were still underfunded.

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“Nehikhare should argue the facts accurately rather than fictionally if he wants to do so. However, the PDP appears to favor fiction as a technique.