Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the establishment of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee tasked with investigating the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
The announcement was made by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, in a statement on Sunday. The committee, which will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 26 November 2024, at Government House in Benin City, will be chaired by Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe.
In the statement, Itua emphasized that the formation of the committee is part of Governor Okpebholo’s broader initiative to promote transparency, accountability, and sustainable development in the state. “The creation of the State Assets Verification Committee is crucial to ensure that Edo State is set on a path of responsible leadership and prudent governance,” the statement read.
It further highlighted the lack of detailed records of the assets and liabilities of the previous administration, despite repeated calls for such information. “The Godwin Obaseki-led government provided only limited and scant details of the state’s assets,” the statement noted.
The committee’s members, selected for their integrity and contributions to Edo State, include Anslem Ojezua (Deputy Chairman), Frank Edebor (Secretary), as well as Kassim Afegbua, Patrick Ikhariale, Taiwo Akerele, Patrick Idiake, Rasaq Bello-Osagie, Fredrick Unopah, Abdallah Eugenia, Patrick Obahiagbon, Kenny Okojie, Lyndsey Tes-Sorae, and Abass Braimoh.
Governor Okpebholo, in his inaugural speech on November 12, also pledged to investigate the 2019 exclusion of 14 lawmakers from the State House of Assembly and recently ordered an investigation into civil service recruitment conducted under the Obaseki administration between May and November 2024.
