Voting for APC will cause unending suffering, says Ize-Iyamu

We are vindicated by DMO’s reports on Oshiomhole’s debt profile

A vote for the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki, would lead the Edo people to unending suffering.

The Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation disclosed this at the weekend. According to the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, poverty and blending of the state’s treasury have characterised the eight years of Adams Oshiomhole’s administration.

Ize-Iyamu explained that the recent newspapers report credited to the Debt Management Office (DMO) have revealed the many lies by Oshiomhole that he never took foreign loans.

The DMO’s release stated that as at June 30, Edo State took a total loan of $179.52 million, which accounts for 4.91 per cent of the country’s subnational foreign debts.

“This amount is outside the over N800 billion debt that the governor has created for Edo State,’’ he added.

The PDP’s candidate said the issue of who becomes the next governor is no longer about Ize Iyamu, but the good people of the state, who are desirous to change the ‘change’ that had brought misery, suffering, hike in fuel and food prices, obnoxious taxes and levies. He added that deceit had taken over the political battle to rescue the state.

The candidate urged Oshiomhole and his candidate, Obaseki, who doubles as the head of economic team, to hold their heads in shame for squandering the state’s huge funds.

The deplorable situation, he said, has resulted in the state’s inability to pay the salaries of local government workers for 15 to 18 months, as well as respond to other socio-economic crisis in the state.

While accusing them of diverting the state’s funds for their personal businesses, he urged them to explain how they squandered the over N1.9 trillion federal allocations and internally generated revenue and their questionable wealth.

He said: “It a shame that Oshiomhole and Obaseki still talk about corruption by accusing innocent people when their government stinks of corruption. From the documented evidence that we have, the governor is the biggest looter of public funds in the country today. He should tell the people how much he is paying as land tax for his house in Iyamho, which is worth over N10bn.

“In the seven and half years, he has also acquired property in Dubai, Cape Town, in South Africa, San Francisco, the United States of America and high rise apartments in Atlanta and London.”

Ize-Iyamu alleged that Oshiomhole also has many mansions in Benin City, while the estate in his village, which people call a ‘three–in one’ architectural piece, is the size of a Texas styled ranch. It has swimming pools, water fountains and big event and cinema hall, golf arena, among others and consumes a N500, 000 monthly electricity bill.”