SHOCKING REVELATIONS:
Obaseki's Administration Of Fraud, Fraud, Fraud
MORE SHOCKING REVELATIONS ON EDO'S N19BN RADISSON HOTEL
Introduction:
According to a simple definition of the roles of a modern state, the modern state maintains public order, provides public services and regulating the economy, the state also provides services like education, healthcare and public transportation, protects consumers, ensures workers welfare and may also ensure price control of goods and services. (For more on the theories of state, state capacity, public administration, state utility research more on the works of Max Weber, Henri Fayol, Eghosa Osaghae, Amatya Sen, Peter Evans, Peter P. Ekeh)
Key issues for consideration
Towards the twilight of his controversy ridden regime, when the Godwin Obaseki administration decided to invest N19.5bn of Edo state’s hard-earned resources in a hotel Franchise, Radisson, Edo state and its people were lacking in most of the basic facilities to be provided by government earlier identified in the first paragraph of this piece. It must be categorically stated that as we speak, Edo state is paying for the N17.5bn bonds raised from the capital market through an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) tied directly to the state government allocation from the federation account in addition to the N2bn earlier expended from the treasury for the purpose of purchasing the property.
In taking major business and investment decisions, a government should have critically examined several factors such as the expediency, relevance, cost, benefit analysis, legal framework, risk and market value, alternative cost, alternative forgone etc. One expected that all these would have been thoroughly examined before a plunge into a business such as a hotel, yet available information suggests that it was more of other factors and considerations than the overriding public interest of the state.
1. As at November 2024 when time caught up with the despotic, abandoned and politically fatwa’ed Godwin Obaseki led regime, over 61% (11 LGAs out of 18) of the entire state were completely cut off from the capital, Benin city on account of bad and inaccessible road conditions, a situation he consistently blamed on the Central government. Meanwhile his colleague/counterparts in Lagos, Ogun, Delta, Niger, Kano, Kaduna and Ondo were investing massively in Federal Roads in their various states for the sake of their suffering citizens while later processing their refunds if necessary. This situation made internal travel cumbersome for over a million people in both Edo Central and Edo North senatorial districts. (www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/07/24/obaseki-why-edo-govt-cant-fix-federal-roads-in)
2. As at the time Godwin Obaseki decided to spend N19.5bn of Edo’s money on a private hotel brand, Edo schools were in shortage of over 5,500 teachers according to data from SUBEB, a hurriedly processed recruitment of about 5,500 teachers as at August 2024 also lends credence to this number. Yet throughout his tenure, a major campaigned was mounted to spotlight Edo basic schools as the best in Africa, what sorts of education without teachers?
3. As at November 2024, according to data from SUBEB, 69% of schools across the state were in urgent need of basic infrastructure such as descent classrooms, toilets, water and perimeter fencing yet, investment in a hotel was considered more expedient. (https://punchng.com/edo-employs-5500-teachers)
4. During this period, accessing Primary Health Care (PHC) was a major challenge with most of Edo citizens patronising the Federal Hospitals of UBTH and Irrua for ailment as little as malaria, dysentery, minor operations etc while all the General Hospitals across the state were left without doctors and nurses. There was acute shortage of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW) across the 192 wards, there was no supply of water and electricity in most of the Health Centres yet a consultant was paid over N900 million to supervise the construction of a renovated hospital tucked in the corner of the city (Stella Obasanjo Hospital) – This is a story for another day.
5. As at the time Godwin Obaseki decided to plunge Edo state into a needless investment in a controversial hotel business (a venture associated with post colonial, state controlled sub sahara Africa), Benin city was not in need of a descent hotel as Protea/Marriot, Otis, View Point, West View, Prestige, Constantial, Edo Heritage, Sage Hotels all private driven ventures were thriving and without government interest in their ownership and management.
6. During this period when that government decided to plunge Edo state into that needless enterprise, the entire Upper Sakponba and most part of Edo state was in security siege by bad boys, yet the government response was to purchase second hand used Toyota Sienna buses for police and other security agencies with the dangers associated with such low-level investment in security. Available data shows that between 2023 and 2024, Edo state lost over hundreds of young people to cult related clashes yet, investment in a hotel was the most compelling way to tie down N19bn of our collective resources. (http://punchng.com/edo-gripped-by -renewed-cult-violence/)
7. During the period under review, most of the roads in the GRA axis of Benin City were in shambles, from Ihama street, Etete, Golf Course Road, Boundary roads, Adesuwa street, First & 2nd Ugbor roads, Reuben Agho, Oko Central streets. Urban renewal was obviously a necessity as the entire city was abandoned, waste management continued to be a major public health issue, the Oba Market, Ibillo market and major markets across the state were in need of urgent, massive and major renovation, Ekiosa market was in bad shape while Ugbor Village road was in need of major expansion on account of population explosion and the associated traffic congestion around that axis, yet, Radisson Hotel was its priority.
8. While the majority shares or ownership of the hotel continues to be in dispute and controversy, a situation that is symptomatic of that government, Edo City Transport Services (ECTS) is still using its old fleet inherited from the Adams Oshiomhole’s regime while ordinary commuters continued to be at the mercy of merciless private transporters across the state. One would have expected that a significant investment could have been made over the last Eight (8) years on this major state-owned transport company to ease the transportation challenge faced by our people daily, yet our focus must be in owing a hotel.
*Conclusion*
As the controversy rages on as to the business intention behind the decision to invest our hard earned resources in a hotel brand, it is very clear that while Edo people were walking towards the right hand of the road, the government they voted for in 2020 for a second term in office made policy decisions that were obviously at variance with their priorities as a people with serious social and economic implication on their quality of life.