Edo 2024: APC, PDP trade words over contract sum

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged in war of words over the contract sum Radisson Hotel, currently built by the Edo State Government.

The APC Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe during a press conference in Benin City, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged N23 billion approved for building of the hotel by the state government.

He also tasked Governor Godwin Obaseki to as a matter of importance tell the people who own the hotel and modular refinery, alleging that the state government had earlier awarded the hotel contract for the sum of N19.6bn.

He said “On August 30, 2023, Governor Obaseki announced to the world that he was building Radisson hotel at a total contract sum of N19.6bn.

“The contract was awarded on August 23, 2023, to Shapoorji Pallonji Nigeria Limited for N15,397,368,022.49 (Fifteen Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety-Seven Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Twenty-Two Naira, Forty Nine Kobo).

“Today, the project has ballooned to N23b  with further sub-contracts of N2.1b; These additional contracts for the same Radisson hotel were awarded on the same day, June 1, 2023.

“It is vital to point out that the hotel complex itself, before the taking over by the Edo State Government was already 85% completed, yet, over N28b are being filtered away by a government that has failed to build a single hospital in eight years”.

Tenebe added: “Sadly, the ownership of Radisson Blue is shrouded in doubt. The EFCC must unravel this in the interest of the Edo people and find out the stake of IDIA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED and Edo State Government in the Radisson hotel project.

“Like the Radisson hotel, we call on EFCC to unravel the true owner of Edo Modular Refinery”, Jerret added.

He also raised the alarm that there is a ploy by the state government to delete sensitive information from the paperless governance of Obaseki.

“We hereby warn Governor Obaseki and the head of e-governance, ‘Ugo’ not to delete the approvals of contracts on e-gov”, Jerret maintained.

Reacting for the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Orientation and Communication, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, said the state government cannot dignify the APC with reactions, maintaining that the APC should state what it has for the people.

“I just read a statement from the Chairman of the APC. It is unfortunate that we still have people heading political parties without an idea of how the government is run and they believe in sensationalism.

“They cannot offer any policy statement or directions for a government they are trying to form instead they are chasing shadows, making allegations that are spurious and frivolous.

“We are not going to dignify them with our response but to tell Edo people to ask these APC leadership their plans for Edo State”, he said.

Continuing, Hon. Nehikhare said, “That is all we asked. We need to hear their plans for Edo State, and how they plan to offer a better state than we have done here in PDP.

“How they are going to sustain the progress we made or if they have a better plan, let them come out and articulate it”.