PDP calls for EFCC probe of Edo’s finances

• I’m ready, says governor Adams Oshiomhole
• Party members urge dissolution of executive committee

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to institute a probe of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, especially his culpability in the Local Government Account jointly operated with the governor.

Oshiomhole yesterday welcomed the call by the state chairman of the PDP, Mr. Dan Orbih, but insisted that the probe should start from 1999.

The PDP had presided over the state from 1999 to November 12, 2008, when the Oshiomhole became governor through the verdict of the court.

The governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “We are pleased to state without fear or favour that we welcome the suggestion raised by Dan Orbih inviting the EFCC to look into the books and accounts of Local Government Administration in the last six years but that such investigation should also cover the period between 1999 and 2008.

He said such investigation should also look into the allocations and expenditures of the local governments, their procurement procedures, who did the procurements, at what costs and the total accruals into the coffers of local government accounts across the state within that period of 1999 to 2008.

“From such investigative effort, the public would be able to know who siphoned local government funds between the government of Comrade Oshiomhole and that presided over by the PDP for 10 years. This should be the real challenge in the light of ongoing efforts to sanitise the inherited rotten system from the PDP. It will also make an interesting reading if the PDP can publish all accruals to local government between 1999 and 2008, same way it published, inaccurately, the figures between 2008 and 2015.

Meanwhile, PDP members led by former member of the House of Representatives, Johnson Agbolagba has called for the dissolution of the state executive committee and those of the 18 local governments. He said they should be replaced with caretaker team that would conduct congresses.  
Those calling for the dissolution said the party has failed to win election in the past six years ands, therefore, needs new leadership.
  
In the same vein, The Guardian reliably gathered that some party leaders with the name new PDP being led by a former lawmaker are planning a similar meeting in Edo South where a similar position would be taken.  

The leaders in Edo North bared their mind in a letter addressed to the National leadership of the party signed by Abolagba, S.S.Mayaki and 18 other leaders across the six local councils in Edo North. The letter was read to journalists in a well-attended rally held in Auchi.
  
The leaders under the aegis of the PDP Adherents (Edo North Must Win) in the letter said “Edo North PDP leaders should be allowed to determine its political future rather than its political future being determined by non Edo North leaders or Edo North leaders perceived to be loyal to some national leaders of the party.”

The leaders lamented what they described as mass exodus of their members to the APC, regretting that, rather than find solution to the problem, the current leadership of the party in the state “have continued to embark on actions capable of causing disunity and destruction in Edo State and Edo North in particular.