Kenneth Ehigiator
13 June 2008
Lagos — EDO State government has challenged the Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in the 2007 elections, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, to present evidence of claims that Governor Oserheimen Osunbor paid out over N105 million for construction of one kilometer of road.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Dan Aigbavboa, who threw the challenge in a statement issued Wednesday, described the allegation as cheap blackmail against the person of the governor.
He said the AC governorship candidate was economical with the truth when he told people at a rally that the state government was merely deceiving them with claims of road construction and rehabilitation.
According to him, Oshiomhole does not need to tell cheap lies to deceive the people because road constructions and rehabilitations are things that can be verified by anybody.
Aigbavboa said: " It has become very imperative to react to the speech of Oshiomhole at the AC rally when he accused the state governor, Prof. Osunbor, of awarding spurrious road contracts just to deceive people that he was working.
"The people of Edo State, including members of the AC, are witnesses to the various road construction projects going on across the state. If one must criticise, it should be done objectively and with some decency.
"It is not enough to mjust make unfounded statements. They should let the people have evidence of what makes the road construction contracts spurious."
Aigbavboa said the state government took exceptions particularly to claims by Oshiomhole that the governor was busy awarding contracts with a view to getting 10% kick back on the contracts.
He took a swipe at Messrs Abdul Oroh and Abubakar Momoh for recent uncomplimentary remarks made against the governor, adding that Edo North Senatorial District from which the three personalities hail had been the major beneficiary of the state government's road construction and rehabilitation efforts.
He said the government had not only flagged off construction of of the long-abandoned Ihievbe/Ihievbe-Ogben road in Abdul Oroh's constituency in Owan East local government area, but also the Auchi township and Okpella township roads.
According to him, Governor Osunbor will not be distracted from his efforts to make Edo State livable for the people.
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