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Assets Verification Committee Accuses Obaseki of Inflating Benin – Abraka Road Contact

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From Lateef Taiwo with Correspondent Reports
,

A member of Edo State Assets Verification Committee, Patrick “Igodomigodo” Obahiagbon, set up by Governor Monday Okpebholo has accused immediate past Governor Godwin Obaseki of diverting money from the inflated contract on Benin-Abraka Road to finance the governorship election of Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 polls .

Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however defeated Ighodalo with 291,667 votes PDP= to Ighodalo’s 247,234.

The committee revealed Thursday in Benin how the contract sum for the 17.5-kilometer road project was inflated from N8 billion to N16 billion by Obaseki thrice within a year.

The Sub-committee on Physical Assets and Infrastructure of the Verification Committee discovered the inflation during an inspection of the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka Road Phase 1C.

Obahiagbon, the chairman of the subcommittee and a two time member of the House of Representative said the explanation by the project manager of the company confirmed the content of a petition the committee received from some citizens of the state on the alleged inflation of the contract sum for the road project.

He alleged that money from the inflated must have been done by the immediate past government to use the funds to finance the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

He said: “The reason we have to take pains to particularly visit this site is based on a petition from Edo State citizens that we have just received.

“And the narrations of the construction firm’s project manager seem to justify the reasons and the nitty-gritty of that petition. The content of that petition was to the effect that there were massive reviews of contracts on this project because of the election.

According to him, the contract was colossally inflated because the outgoing governor needed money urgently and desperately to fund the September 21 governorship election.”

“It makes no sense that within one year, a road contract sum would be varied from N8 billion to N12 billion and, in June, some few months to the election – maybe for election purposes – the contract sum again was varied from N12 billion to N16 billion.

“Maybe the petitioners were correct after all. If they were correct, this is an unfair deal to the people of Edo State.”

Obahiagbon, who described the development as sad, added that the committee would urge the main committee to recommend to the state government that further investigation be carried out on the petition and the statement of the company’s project manager.

The controversial contract was awarded to Nsik Engineering Company Limited on May 16, 2023, while work commenced in September 2023.

The project manager of the construction firm, Ifiokebong Ekong, told members of the committee during the inspection that the company was mobilized with the sum of N2.9 billion, representing 25 percent of the contract sum of N8 billion.

Ekong added that after the mobilization, the contract sum was varied, and some amount was added to the initial cost of the project.

He added that the completion period of the job, which was initially three and a half years, was, however, reviewed downward to 18 months (one year and six months).

The project manager said the contract sum was initially N8 billion when it was awarded in September 2023, but it was reviewed upward to N12 billion in 2024 and later to the current sum of N16.4 billion in June 2024.

Another member of the subcommittee, Abass Braimah, who frowned at the development said the increment was 100 percent.

Braimah, also a former Reps member queried: “What has substantially changed for you to have a 100 percent increment from N8 billion to N16 billion?

Meanwhile, the job specification or contents have not changed. It is still the same thing. What type of games are we playing here?”

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Tinubu Assures Investors Nigeria Is Open for Business, Welcomes Coca-Cola’s $1bn Plan

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By Francis Wilfred 

President Bola Tinubu has assured local and international investors that Nigeria remains open for business, saying his administration is implementing reforms aimed at creating a more predictable, competitive and investment-friendly environment.

Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Abuja on Monday, the President said the government is addressing key challenges facing businesses under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Our message to investors, both Nigerian and international, is clear: Nigeria is open for business,” Tinubu said,

He noted that reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics, access to foreign exchange, stable regulations and a supportive tax system are critical to attracting investment and expanding production.

According to Yomi Odunuga, the President said ongoing economic reforms are designed to build a more productive and competitive economy, reduce dependence on imports, strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs for Nigerians.

Tinubu welcomed the Coca-Cola System’s proposed $1 billion investment in Nigeria over five years, announced in 2024, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the country’s economy. 

He said the administration is focused not only on the volume of investment attracted but also on its impact on employment, skills development, technology transfer and local sourcing.

“We are interested not only in the amount of capital that comes into Nigeria, but in what that capital does here,” he said.

The President also praised NBC’s continued expansion of production capacity, including new production lines in Oyo and Kano states, describing such investments as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving policies, infrastructure and regulations to support businesses, while urging the private sector to complement government efforts through investment, innovation and job creation.

Tinubu further highlighted the importance of human capital development, commending NBC’s Supply Chain Academy for training over 1,400 young Nigerians and supporting women’s empowerment and community development initiatives.

He urged investors to take advantage of opportunities across Nigeria, expressing confidence that the country can build a stronger economy driven by local production, exports and globally competitive industries.

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Kano  Governorship: Accord Party Governorship Candidate Gashash Getting More Endorsement From Kano Electorates.

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By Jabiru Hassan.


The movement for Democratic Protection and good governance (MDSG) declared it's full support to the Accord Party Governorship Candidate Ambassador Dr. Mukhtar Gashash in the forthcoming general elections.

In a chat with our correspondent in kano, the national president of the movement, Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali,  stated that it is time for the people of kano state to bring new steward who is seriously planning to transform the state with highest regard.

He expressed his confidence that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash will do his best to ensure that kano state becomes more examplary at both sector without bias which is the task previous administrators failed to achieve.

Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali reiterated that " this time around, our movement is working day and night to make sure that Kano people mostly youths remained Committed to actualize real change in the state's politics, leadership and transformation under the Accord Party government".

He called on the people of kano state especially the eligible voters to vote Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash due to his Transformation plans for the progress of kano state and it's citizens at both Urban and rural settlements.

Responding to a question about Accord party's strength in kano state, Dauda Mohammed Ali disclosed that in today's democracy, competent candidates should be tipped for an elective positions not the popularity of the political parties stressing that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash has been found to be the best option for kano state due to his track record on competency, transparency as a real democrat.
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Caught in the middle: Ortom’s silent dance between two camps.

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There are growing questions about where Mr. Samuel Ortom, a former Governor of Benue State and a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), truly stands politically ahead of 2027.

Ortom was a key figure in the divisions within the PDP before the 2023 general elections and was widely associated with support for Mr. Peter Obi, who finished third in that contest. More recently, however, he has publicly expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The latest discussion began after a visit by Mr. Peter Obi to Benue State. Reports indicate that a vehicle said to belong to Ortom was used to receive Obi at the Air Force Base airport in Makurdi. It is not clear who authorized the use of the vehicle, and Ortom has not commented publicly on the matter.

During the same visit, Obi was reportedly prevented from travelling to Yelewata, where he had intended to condole with families affected by violence. Obi’s team attributed the blockage to supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The Governor’s spokesman, Sir Tersoo Kula, denied any involvement by the Governor. He suggested the incident may have been staged to damage the Governor’s reputation, or that it could have resulted from disagreements within Obi’s own support base.

Ortom has not issued a statement clarifying his position on the 2027 elections or on the vehicle in question. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

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