The summary of the findings of the Committee which is contained in its over 3,900 page report are as follows;
1. On Radisson Hotel:
Committee found that while Edo state has Committed over N19bn (N2bn for land purchase and N17bn raised from the capital market) of its own funds to the construction of the Hotel including purchase of the original property, the erstwhile Government under Godwin Obaseki ceded away 80% of the ownership of the Hotel to a strange company named Tribury House Limited registered in 2024 while Edo retained 20%.
Available documents tendered by the Ministry of Finance showed that as at the time the agreement was reached, the said Tribury House Limited had not committed one kobo to the hotel project. Assuming but not conceding that Tribury Limited purportedly paid the sum of N10bn into an escrow account towards the end of that government the ratio of ownership of the Hotel will still be in the range of 70% in favour of Edo State and against 30%.
2. Cash and debt liability
Committee observed that the Godwin Obaseki government ceded 80% of Hotel ownership to the strange Company named as above, Edo state government is been charged directly from the federation account to defray the cost of the bonds issued in the name of the hotel till date.
3. That the previous government handed over a whopping liability (debt) amounting to Six Hundred and Eighty Two Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty Five Million, One Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fourteen Naira, Fifty Five Kobo only (N682, 565, 164,814. 55). This is 900% higher than what he inherited from the previous government headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole put at N84bn in 2016. This is outrageous and shows lack of financial discipline by the Obaseki led administration.
4. On Information and Communication Technology (ICT: It was noted that past government awarded a total of 22 contracts totally N22bn on ICT related activities within the last few years of the government to 18 different companies and over N17bn had been paid as at November 2024, most of these contracts were either for deployment of E-GOV platform or data center construction. Committee frowns at non state actors controlling the back end of the E-Gov platform while the state expended billions on the consultancy services. Further forensic investigation has been advised. The people of Edo state didn’t derive value for money for these phony ICT jobs and they appear shady.
5. Stella Obasanjo Hospital project consultancy:
The erstwhile government awarded the supervision (Consultancy) of the Stella Obasanjo hospital project to a company named Tanit Medical Engineering Company limited at the original sum of N427m in December 2022, eight months later on the 2nd of August 2023, the contract was increased by N300m to N727m and 10 months later on the 3rd of July 2024 few weeks to election the same job was increased by N200m totalling the sum of N967m – almost a billion naira for supervision of the renovation of the hospital
4. Committee notes that this assignment is not the main construction itself or even purchase of equipment. The curious part of this job is that for an amount of such magnitude, the procurement process was selective tendering method and restricted to only one company and never advertised for the general public to participate? Who owns Tanit Engineering.
5. On Edo BEST program sponsored by the world bank:
The Committee found out that of the $75m meant for basic education reforms and renovation of schools from the World Bank, only $5m came directly to SUBEB, the commission charged with the responsibility of implementation, while the remaining 93% of $70m was directly managed by the Governor under an arrangement referred to as Performance for result. The SUBEB staff complained that out of the $5m allocated to them only $2.5m was accessed before the project came to a close.
The state didn’t derive value from this project as the priority of the people of the state was how to fill the school infrastructure gap, teacher recruitment, security of pupils and hygiene, while a whopping sum of $75m was purportedly expended on procurement of tablets.
6. Afrinvest and Banwo and Ighodalo Companies:
That Afrinvest a company founded by Godwin Obaseki and Banwo and Ighodalo Company Limited a company where the PDP candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo had interest as a founding partner featured prominently in most of the transactions that were consummated during the regime of Godwin Obaseki. This amount to serious conflict of interest. While Godwin Obaseki was the Governor of the state, Asue Ighodalo was the head of state backed Alaghodaro GTE and organiser of the annual Alaghadoro summit.
7. That the former Managing Director of the procurement Agency one Mr Henry Idogun indicted the government in his paper presentation when he stated that the procurement laws of the state was frequently and routinely violated by the Godwin Obaseki government.
8. Edo Investment in Edo Modular Refinery Company:
The committee found that Edo state government approved and transfer the sum of N700m to a private company to assist in the establishment of the Modular refinery in Ologbo. The company returned the money after some years to the government without converting it to Equity as expected. The committee is curious as to what sort of partnership is that. Secondly the money which was ordinary sourced from EDSOPADEC was not returned to the accounts of the commission till date, rather it was curiously diverted elsewhere. The Commission pleaded with the committee to assist in retrieving their funds back to their accounts.
9. On Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA):
Committee noted that Edo state was alleged to have contributed the sum of over N3.8b in cash with a landed property which formerly housed the famous Central Hospital valued at over N5bn yet the ownership of the Museum is shrouded in mystery and controversy with the managers claiming its a private sector driven initiative.
10. Road contracts:
Several road contracts were awarded and contractors paid huge sums of money ranging from 50% and above few months to the 2024 election in violation of the public procurement law of the state 2020 as amended. It was also noted that road contracts were awarded beyond their distance for instance a road measuring 5 kilometers was awarded as a 7 kilometer road. There were also incidences of duplication of contracts.
11. Outsourcing of core civil service functions:
That a company named Green Field was hired to literally take over the funtions of the Civil service of the state by directly hiring, firing, transferring and training Civil servants across the state. The contract for this assignment was put at over N5bn. Committee found that this is a serious infringement on extant laws of the state.
12. On the Benin city mall
It was discovered that Edo state government spent over N7bn in the construction of the mall while the allocation of the stalls and shops was handled by a strange company instead of the statutory handler of such functions, Edo State Development Property Corporation (EDSPC) before the engagement of another firm for the management of the mall. It was discovered that ShopRite hadn’t paid a dime of their total obligation to the state government despite the fact that they have moved into the mall in the twilight of the administration.
14. Non completion but hurried Commissioning of the Stella Obasanjo Hospital
Committee was told by the engineering firm handling Stella Obasanjo hospital project that the hospital wasn’t ready for commissioning as at November 2024 and that the equipment supplied hadn’t been installed due to non payment, lack of power and inadequate personnel.
15. String and gang of Consultants :
That the state was ran by a ring of consultants for the most part of the immediate past government while Commissioners, special Advisers and permanent secretaries idled away. The portfolio of consulting jobs awarded is humongous which bleeds the state severely.
16. That Edo line property located at Commercial Avenue in the heart of GRA was curiously allocated to a construction company to install their equipment without due process.
17. Committee found out that while Edo state collected the sum of $75m for basic education reforms, most schools in the state lacked teachers and basic infrastructure such as water, toilet and no school feeding program took place in the state. However, the erstwhile government hurriedly embarked on a last-minute recruitment of over 4,000 teachers in November 2024. This is an indictment in itself.
18. Top officials from the State Ministry of Finance told the Committee that the official files for the Benin City Mall and Radisson Hotel were handed over to the former Chief of Staff to the Governor Osaigbovo Iyoha who refused to accede to the committee’s demand for the files despite sending a letter to him to that effect to return the files.
19. Other issues touched on was Observer newspaper limited, the printing press, vehicles and fleet management which has been contracted out with huge sums paid to the operators. There were incidences of vehicle suppliers been paid 100% for the supply of armored vehicles but not supplied to the government and incidence of the PA to the Governor eloping with a brand new prado jeep till date. These infractions have been recommended for criminal prosecution by relevant agencies.
20. There were variation of contracts from 50% and above, which is a deviation from the procurement law that stipulates not more than 25% for a project which must be justified. But all the well-established procurement principles, practices and laws were completely set aside during this period.
a. Committee recommends forensic analysis and investigation on ownership of Companies, enterprises, properties in Abuja, Lagos and other locations where Edo state had prior interest before Godwin Obaseki’s tenure.
b. Committee recommends prosecution of indicated ex
-officials
c. Committee recommends the blacklisting of indicted companies and full prosecution of contractors that ran foul of the laws of the state.
d. Committee recommends termination of shady contracts, MoUs and other controversial arrangements by the erstwhile Government.
e. Committee demands for the full investigation of the Edo BEST program particularly the utilization of the $75m from the World Bank
On Wednesday, the 5th of February 2025, the Edo State Assets Verification Committee submitted its final report to the Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The Committee was inaugurated on the 26th of November 2024 with clear terms of reference. It is chaired by Dr Afolabi Ernest Umakhike with 16 other members.
