Society Gists

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has accused the former Governor of Edo State, Mr Lucky Igbinedion of diverting N4 billion bank loan in connivance with then Secretary to the State Government and PDP gubernatorial candidate, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, Oshiomhole said: “our attention has been drawn to the lies peddled by one Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the debt profile Edo State.

“We make bold to state, and the facts are clear, that in spite of earning the highest revenues from the Federation Account, the PDP states in the South-South region are the most indebted in the region and not Edo State.

“The domestic debt profile released by the DMO as at December 31, 2015, the last time it was issued, lists Delta State as having a debt profile of N320,605 billion; Akwa Ibom had N147,575 billion; Cross River: N115,522 billion; Rivers, N134,9566 billion; Bayelsa N103,374 billion as against Edo which had a far lower profile. While the other South-South PDP States have continued to amass domestic debts with high-interest rates, Edo is close to completely liquidating its domestic debt.

“While Ize-Iyamu continues to peddle his falsehood, we have the record of the N4 billion borrowed by the PDP government of Mr Lucky Igbinedion, with the knowledge of Osagie Ize-Iyamu as Secretary to State Government from Guaranty Trust Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank and paid to an address in Lagos.”

The governor said Edo people were not deceived as they knew know that the PDP and Ize-Iyamu were the ones who had a record of borrowing to steal and not the APC government led by him.

“Our records are open and we run a transparent government. No amount of planted or concocted stories by hack writers will distort the facts,” he said.