Tinubu’s Palliative Concept Is Fraudulent – Gov. Obaseki Declares

• Says the president can’t gag Nigerians

The Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s palliative concept as not only deceptive but completely fraudulent.

Obaseki, who stated this while chatting with journalists in Benin, the Edo State capital, said President Tinubu is now out to gag the citizens, particularly elected governors from speaking the truth to power as well as expressing themselves in the light of the perilous times the nation has fallen into

The Edo State governor also berated Tinubu’s inability to plan in order to effectively respond to the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy, noting that the development has further worsened the nation’s economic situation and seriously improvised Nigerians.

President Tinubu, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, had said he was not surprised by Obaseki’s comment on the performance of the Tinubu administration, saying that the governor was deliberately shifting focus to the nation’s economic challenges as cannon fodder to divert attention from his poor performance at the state level since he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But, in another response, Governor Obaseki through his State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, stressed that the area where the Minister may be referring to as non-performance is the condition of the extensive Federal Roads running through the state, which the Federal Government abandoned and also prevented the Edo State government from intervening to repair claiming that contracts for their repairs have been awarded.

The Edo State government also said it was quite unfortunate that Tinubu desired to gag citizens and even a popularly elected governor from speaking truth to power.

According to Nehikhare; “The Edo State Government wishes to express its displeasure on the recent press statement credited to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, over Governor Godwin Obaseki’s comments regarding the Federal Government’s handling of the resultant effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.

“It is unfortunate and sad that the Federal Government now wants to gag citizens and even a popularly elected governor from speaking truth to power and expressing himself in the light of the perilous times we have fallen into.

“This action of the Minister is reminiscent of what happened in 2021, when Governor Obaseki raised the alarm over the irregular and illegal printing of money by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The claim that Governor Godwin Obaseki failed to attend the National Economic Council (NEC) meetings is blatantly false. The governor has attended all NEC meetings since the onset of this administration and records are there to prove this fact.

“Records of Edo State Government’s performance are also available for Nigerians to verify. Our reforms in the education sector, especially the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme has been hailed globally; in the agriculture sector the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP) Programme is currently one of Africa’s largest agricultural programs.

“Our radical reforms in the civil and public service with the government’s e-government and capacity enhancement initiatives, as well as the development of a valid and effective Social Register, to mention but a few,” he said.