Momoh cautions, as PDP, APC transition committees bicker over modalities
By Owen Eresoyen, Benin
Two transition committees of both the exiting Governor Obaseki-led administration of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and that of the incoming Senator Okpebholo-led administration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have been advised to “play down on their antagonistic political relationship, and to bring forth, to bear, a smooth transition from the old to the new government in the overall interests of the people of Edo state.”
Giving the advice in a chat with Journalists in Benin City, Executive Director, Forum for Democratic Initiative, FDI, Dr. Abu Momoh, emphasized that “the seamless transition of one government to another is a crucially important exercise which must be attended to and addressed with all seriousness in the interest of transparency, accountability, sincerity and patriotism. It is not an exercise to be treated with levity, arrogance and half measures. That is why the two transition committees set up by both parties should sincerely see their assignment as that of the state that would augur well for the smooth and unhindered administration of the state. In all, they should work for the overall benefit of the people of the state.”
The Executive Director expressed delight at the calibre of personalities in the composition of the two transition committees remarking that “on the government side, there are people who are sufficiently in the know, led by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Joseph Eboigbe, who have been there in the thick of government transactions and activities these past eight years of the exiting administration, who can authoritatively speak on government’s official activities; on the APC side, there are personalities too, tested and well-exposed in the administrative nuances of government, led by former Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu, with former Senator, Pharmacist Matthew Urhoghide, former Secretary to State Governor, Barrister Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and others, who know specific information, and facts, the incoming administration needs to stabilize its entrance to effective governance. So, what Edo people need, at the moment, is a mutual, cordial and harmonious working relationship between the two transition committees.”
While regretting the ongoing observable unhealthy working relationship between the committees, Dr. Momoh maintained that “such altercations, and if you like, official arrogance, should not arise, because the ultimate purpose would be defeated in the melee, which would become a clog in the smooth transition, to the detriment of the people and the advancement of the state.”
Only recently APC Transition Committee had confirmed that the outgoing government led by Governor Godwin Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had not yet provided essential documentation for a smooth transition, insisting that the delay was affecting its ability to effectively execute its mandate.
A recent statement issued by the Secretary, APC Transition Committee, Barrister Patrick Ikhariale, had complained that its request for a comprehensive list of documents vital for the transition process since the 18th of October, had not been granted by the government’s transition committee.
Read some paragraphs from the statement: “Despite the very atmosphere of mutuality and robust engagement that attended the inaugural meeting, information from Government Team tried to scandalise the APC Transition Committee, with outlandish claims that we were asking for Sitting Allowances and that our request for hard copies was because members of the APC Committee were not tech-savvy. We find these false claims vexatious, underwhelming, insulting, barbaric, and completely misleading. Nothing of such was discussed or raised during and after our plenary.
“At the meeting, the APC Transition Committee stated unequivocally that documents to be submitted should be in soft and hard copies for ease of reference. This position was agreed upon by both teams and the government Team gave assurances that those documents would be submitted to the APC Transition Committee before the following meeting scheduled for Monday, 21st October, 2024.
“The APC Transition Committee wrote officially (18th October) to the Government Team detailing what to expect. Despite assurances from the Government Team, the two sets of documents sent were scanty and vague in respect of the expected details covering the scope of the information sought. For the avoidance of doubt and clarity of purpose, the letter inter alia, covers the items stated below:
“All Assets and Liabilities (headline); All Edo state assets located outside the state; Detailed report of all Federation Account; Allocation Committee (FAAC) and Internally; Generated Revenue (IGR) report 2020 till date; Detail report of the Derivation Fund to the state 2020 till date; All maturing legal obligations 2020 till date. This includes all contracts, pending or ongoing; Total indebtedness (local and foreign) 2020 till date, including bonds and treasury bills; All approved contracts by EXCO 2020 till date; Size, number structure of all MDAs including Human Resource records/data on public/civil servants and their roles; This should also include achievements/gaps if any till date; All annual financial Audit reports published and non published.”
Barrister Ikhariale, however, maintained that despite the absence of these documents, the APC transition committee was ready, and desirous to keep working with the Edo State Government committee to fulfil its responsibilities and terms of reference.
While, however, appealing to the public to disregard the false narratives emanating from the state government transition team, and urging well-meaning citizens to focus on the facts rather than speculations, the APC transition committee’s statement emphasized that it remained committed to facilitating a seamless handover for the benefit of Edo State.
Meanwhile, Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, rued the absence of the APC transition committee from the joint transition session with the state government’s team for the second consecutive day.
The commissioner, who spoke with journalists at the weekend in Benin City, said “the narrative that Okpebholo’s team boycotted the joint sessions over failures of the government’s team to provide necessary documents was false,” noting that “the government had provided both digital and hardcopy documents to the APC team who are only overwhelmed by the level of documentation of projects and achievements in the last eight years.”
He said, “When handing over power, you are not just handing over the instrumentality of power but everything you have done while in Government, to showcase what you have done, the achievement and challenges faced while in power. During our inaugural meeting, we listed out the timetable of how this committee was going to meet because creating a transition Committee when a government is changing hands is crucial for ensuring a smooth transfer of power. We are only having this problem because our brothers from the other side most likely are not prepared for the kind of projects and achievements they saw in our documentation.”
While noting that “a transition government like ours, we are very proud of what we have done and achieved and we have asked the incoming government to come and inspect what we have done,” Mr. Nehikhare alleged that “we have asked them to look at our projects and what we claim to have done but they have refused to even look at the documents.”
He spoke further: “We are the ones transiting and would give them all the information they need. It’s not true and quite embarrassing to say the PDP government can’t provide them with documentary evidence of financial transactions. Sen. Monday Okpebholo will receive a very detailed handover note from Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“Also on the e-gov platform in the office of the governor, all financial transactions, and bank statements, among others are on the governor’s dashboard. The transition committee is not the incoming governor but is sent to verify what we have done.
“We are here to reassure Edo people that the Edo State Government is committed to a smooth handover as we will be here on a daily basis to provide the APC transition team with whatever information they require. The governor will give a detailed handover note to his successor as it’s a standard practice all over the world.”
Lending its voice to the ongoing transition committees’ altercation, a group that calls itself Akpakomiza Strikers, in a statement made available to The Navigator, last week, stressed that “as sunlight is the best disinfectant, so is hard copy the surest authenticity in documentations.
The group’s statement reads: “The hiccups surrounding the transition process in Edo State have sparked debate; but a closer examination of the situation reveals that the APC’s stance reflects its commitment to transparency and accountability, which are the hallmarks of a party that is ready to serve the people effectively.
“While the PDP are peddling the narrative of transition as a non-constitutional requirement, it is succinct to maintain where it must be done, it should not be merely a ceremonial process but a strategic exercise for effective governance.
“The inclusion of experienced politicians in the APC team reflects the party’s recognition of the need to scrutinize the outgoing administration’s actions critically. Contrary to claims of premeditated hostility, their objective is to ensure that the incoming government has accurate information about the state’s affairs.
“The APC’s request for hard copies of documents is not an attempt to disrupt the process but a valid demand to ensure clarity and thorough examination. It is impractical to expect any team to fully absorb complex government data presented solely through digital means. The APC’s proactive stance should be seen as a positive development, rather than being dismissed as alarmist.
“A smooth transition depends on both parties working in good faith. With professionalism and collaboration, the process can be transformed into a meaningful handover that benefits all Edo citizens.
“As the state looks ahead to November 12th, the APC remains focused on building a government that delivers on its promises and meets the aspirations of the people.”