Former Governor Godwin Obaseki has responded to the recent move by Governor Monday Okpebholo to investigate the previous administration. On Sunday, Okpebholo announced the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee tasked with probing Obaseki’s tenure, with the committee members set to be sworn in on Tuesday.
Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki’s media aide, has strongly criticized the move, calling it a “smokescreen” designed to divert attention from what he described as the Okpebholo administration’s incompetence.
Osagie suggested that the probe was part of a broader attempt to distract from the current administration’s lack of direction and poor performance.
“The decision to set up a committee to probe the Obaseki administration is laughable and utterly ridiculous,” Osagie stated. “This is just another in a series of meaningless investigations initiated by the current government since they took office through questionable means.”
He further lambasted the Okpebholo administration for focusing on issues such as probing civil servants’ employment, ministries, departments, and assets instead of addressing the real concerns of Edo State. Osagie accused the governor of using these probes as a way to cover up his unpreparedness for office.
“The governor has shown that he lacks a clear vision for the state and has resorted to these distractions to buy time,” Osagie added. “The people of Edo State already see through this and recognize him as a politician out of his depth, manipulated by powerful interests seeking revenge after being denied access to state resources during the Obaseki administration.”
Osagie defended Obaseki’s tenure, emphasizing the transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline that characterized his time in office. He pointed out that Obaseki’s administration had achieved significant milestones across various sectors due to its commitment to good governance.
“This probe is just a diversionary tactic,” Osagie said. “The Okpebholo administration needs to focus on governance and the well-being of the people of Edo, rather than wasting state resources on baseless investigations.”
He concluded by urging the current administration to focus on tangible improvements for the people of Edo State, asserting that the impact of governance, not the noise of political probes, will be the true measure of success.