The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has announced plans to inaugurate a State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of former governor Godwin Obaseki.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, the governor has directed the committee which will be inaugurated on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at the Government House in Benin City to verify all state’s assets and liabilities under the previous administration.
According to Itua, the formation of the 14-member committee, which he described as crucial, aligns with the governor’s commitment to putting the state on a developmental trajectory.
The statement reads: “In furtherance of the Governor’s initiative to set the State on the path of development and accountable leadership, the need to establish a State Assets Verification Committee has become very imperative.”
Itua lamented: “Despite repeated calls for a comprehensive database of the assets and liabilities of the previous administration, the Godwin Obaseki-led Government provided only scanty and limited records.
“In line with the Governor’s campaign promise to ensure probity, accountability, and transparency in governance, and to deepen the governance process, a committee made up of respected sons and daughters from Edo State has been constituted.”
Providing details about the inauguration, he stated: “The committee will be inaugurated at the Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, on Tuesday, 26th November 2024, by 1 p.m. prompt.”
This development comes just hours after Governor Okpebholo issued a two-week ultimatum to a 12-man committee to recover all government-owned vehicles still in the possession of officials from the previous administration.