14th June, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
The Labour Party (LP), has berated members of recently dissolved Edo House of Assembly for approving to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s ₦3.5 billion loan request during their valedictory session last week.
The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Sam Oroupa, made the assertion on Wednesday at the party secretariat in Benin city, while reacting to the loan request, describing it as “reckless and needles borrowing.”
He said if elected into power in next year’s governorship election in the state, government under his party would not be associated with such borrowing.
According to him, “Labour Party is a party with clear cut ideologies and policies of development, people oriented programs and blueprints tailored to bring about social justice, equity and an egalitarian society.
“Edo people can no longer afford to mortgage their future and collective destiny into the hands of a government that has sold them into slavery through reckless loans and borrowings.
“Both the APC and PDP that have ruled the state have both left huge debt burden on the state.
“You will recall that this government originated from APC but only just crossed over to PDP and were the architect of the borrowings.
“The recent 3.5bn loan approval granted Godwin Obaseki by the out [gone] rubber stamp 7th State Assembly during its valedictory session is a slight on the sensibility of Edo people.”
He further noted that the loan granted the governor was not necessary, alleging that it would not impact the lives of the people of Edo state.
“The loan is nothing but a parting gift to friends and cronies to buy cars and landed properties at the expense of meaningful development for Edo people,” he alleged.
The Edo LP spokesman noted that the PDP under Governor Obaseki has plunged the state into serious and excruciating debt, adding that the only way the state would come out of the indebtedness is to do away with the PDP and the APC, and vote in a Labour Party governor come 2024.