Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the establishment of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
Fred Itua, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, announced the development in a statement on Sunday, noting that the committee will be inaugurated on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at Government House in Benin City. Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe will chair the committee, with Anslem Ojezua as deputy chairman and Frank Edebor serving as secretary.The statement emphasized the committee’s role in driving accountability and transparency in governance.“In furtherance of the governor’s initiative to set the state on the path of development and accountable leadership, the establishment of a State Assets Verification Committee has become imperative,” the statement read.
Itua also revealed that despite calls for a comprehensive database of assets and liabilities under the Obaseki administration, only limited information was provided. The committee aims to address this gap and uphold Okpebholo’s campaign promise to prioritize probity in governance.The committee includes notable Edo State figures such 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, who assumed office on November 12, has made accountability a central theme of his administration. He previously pledged to investigate the exclusion of 14 lawmakers from the State House of Assembly in 2019 and recently ordered a probe into civil service recruitments carried out under Obaseki from May to November 2024.
