From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the N23 billion expenditure on the building of Radisson Hotel by the state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.
The state chairman of the party, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, made the call while addressing journalists in Benin City.
In his text entitled: “How Governor Godwin Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo have underdeveloped Edo with monumental fraud”, Tenebe said that the governor had earlier awarded the contract for the hotel to the same contractor for the sum of N19.6 billion.
“On August 30, 2023, Governor Obaseki announced to the world that he was building Radisson Hotel at a total contract sum of N19.6bn. The contract was awarded on August 23, 2023 to Shapoorji Pallonji Nigeria Limited for N15,397,368,022.49 (Fifteen Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Seven Million, Three Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Twenty Two Naira, Forty Nine Kobo).
“Today, the project has ballooned to N23 billion and with further sub-contracts of N2.1b (for supply of, installation and commission of MEP/HVAC (Mechanical Works) Equipment); N1.6b for supply and installation of Kitchen and Laundry Equipment; and N703m for installation of Aluminium Glazing Works and Alucobond Cladding awarded to All Facave Limited. These additional contracts for the same Radisson Hotel were awarded on the same day, June 1, 2023.
“It is vital to point out that the hotel complex itself, before the taking over by the Edo State Government was already 85 per cent completed, yet, over N28 billion is being filtered away by a government that has failed to build a single hospital in eight years.
“In March 2023, Afrinvest owned by Governor Obaseki, with office address at 27 Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos submitted the ‘Project Financial Summary’ to a company called ‘Idia Development Company Limited’ the company suspected to own Radisson Hotel in Edo State and Afrinvest came on-board as financial adviser to the project.
“We wish to inform Edo people that the Law Firm of Banwo and Ighodalo, the company owned by the PDP governorship candidate was awarded the contract for Legal Advisory Services at N1.5b, in addition to his legal contract drafting, MOU writing in the last eight years at ridiculous and bogus fees.
“Sadly, the ownership of Radisson Blu is shrouded in doubt. The EFCC must unravel this in the interest of Edo people and find out the stake of Idia Development Company Limited and Edo State Government in the Radisson Hotel project”, Tenebe said.
He also called on the EFCC to investigate the ownership of the modular refinery in Ologbo.
“Edo Refinery (ERPC) located in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area in Edo State was drummed up by Governor Obaseki as a state government project and spent over N1 billion on the project take off and through government, the project attracted foreign investment, but on completion, the refinery has been transformed to a private company with 100 per cent ownership by Michael Osime AIPCC Energy.
“ICMG Securities Limited, Micheal Osime, had accompanied Governor Obaseki to China in January 2018 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a 5,500bpd modular refinery between Edo State Government and SINOPEC of China, at SINOPEC headquarters. Osime’s AIPCC Energy was never a partner to the project but financial advisor.
“Like the Radisson Hotel, we call on EFCC to unravel the true owner of Edo Modular Refinery”, Tenebe added.
Besides, he raised the alarm on Obaseki’s paperless governance, alleging that it was a ploy by him (Obaseki) to delete sensitive information that might implicate him from the system.
“The latest plan by Governor Obaseki to make the activities of his administration paperless is a criminal plan that has been designed by one ‘Ugo’ who is in charge of e-governance who has concluded with the governor to destroy all documents relating to fraudulent contracts with the excuse that Edo government has gone paperless. ‘Ugo’ has been instructed to delete the server containing sensitive documents when the PDP loses the election on September 21, 2024.
“We hereby warn Governor Obaseki and the head of e-governance, ‘Ugo’, not delete approvals of contract on governance”, the APC chairman said.
But reacting to the APC’s claims, the Commissioner for Orientation and Communication, Mr Chris Nehikhare, said the state government cannot dignify the party with an answer, urging it to state what it has for the Edo people.
“I just read a statement from the chairman of the APC. It is unfortunate that we still have people heading political party without idea of how government is run and they believe in sensationalism. They cannot offer any policy statement or directions for a government they are trying to form instead they are chasing shadows, making allegations that are spurious and frivolous.
“We are not going to dignify them with our response, but to tell Edo people to ask these APC leadership their plans for Edo State.
“That is all we asked. We need to hear their plans for Edo State, how they plan to offer a better state than we have done here in PDP.
“How they are going to sustain the progress we made or if they have a better plan, let them come out and articulate it”, Nehikhare said.
