Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has defended the impeachment of corrupt local government chairmen. He said it is neither wrong nor a sin. On Tuesday, he accused 18 suspended chairmen of remitting over N12 billion to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The chairmen, elected in September 2023 on the PDP platform, allegedly transferred this money to party leaders over 15 months. Okpebholo made these claims during a meeting with acting chairmen and councilors from the 18 local government areas at the Government House in Benin City.
“Impeaching a corrupt person who uses local funds for personal gain is not wrong,” said Okpebholo. “The only way to bring development to the grassroots is through you. The President also recognizes the importance of local governments.
The Governor stressed that local government funds belong to the people, not the chairmen. He urged the acting chairmen to use these resources for development in their areas, with full support from the Local Government Commission.
Okpebholo praised the acting chairmen and councilors for supporting democracy and transparency. He added that the N12 billion given to PDP leaders was public money, not personal funds.
The Governor also revealed that the chairmen had been remitting N800 million each month for Environmental Security Funding. He said this expenditure had no clear explanation. When I took office, I found these spending items. One was labeled ‘Environmental Security Funding,’ a term I had never heard before, Okpebholo said.
The chairmen were unable to explain the funds when questioned. The Governor referred the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA). As a result, the chairmen were suspended for two months.
Okpebholo criticized the chairmen for wasteful spending, while basic services like education suffered. Our schools have too few teachers, he said. Some schools have only two or three when there should be 10 or 12.
He thanked the acting chairmen for their actions, stating they had changed the narrative.
Damian Lawani, State Chairman of the Local Government Commission, assured the Governor that the chairmen were committed to working with his administration. The acting chairmen of Uhunmwonde, Esan West, and Owan West Local Governments pledged their loyalty and support to the Governor’s administration. They promised to work together to ensure the people of Edo State benefit from good governance.