The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has disclosed that N10.65 billion, representing 9.6 per cent of the 2016 Edo State total budget of N111.50 billion will be expended on the upkeep of the state governor and his family.

While lamenting that the state government neglected key sectors such as water provision and agriculture by appropriating N100 million and N300 million respectively to them, the party accused the governor of allocating N5 billion and N400 million to security and ICT respectively.
Edo State chairman of the party, Dan Orbih, who made the remark at a media briefing held in Benin on Tuesday to analyze the Edo State 2016 Budget, also accused Governor Oshiomhole of voting the sum of N3.5 billion for the construction of the Accident and Emergency Ward unit at the Benin Central Hospital, adding that the hospital ward has become a conduit pipe used to siphon the resources of the state as funds had been allocated to the wards in the last two budgets.
He said despite the sum of N150 million voted for the maintenance of the Benin Water Fountain located at the King’s Square in 2015, the fountain did not work, adding that the sum of N100 million has been voted for the same fountain in the 2016 budget.

He noted that the 2016 Edo State budget exposed the insensitivity of the state government to the plight of the Edo people, adding that the budget was designed to impoverish the people of the state and improve the personal lots of the governor and his aides.

Orbih said in the face of dwindling revenue from the federation account, the governor has continued to live lavish lifestyle, flying chartered flights that cost between N3.5 million and N4.5 million per trip for domestic flights to Iyamho, Abuja, Lagos and Benin.


He said, “while Oshiomhole budgeted N10 million as medical treatment for senior citizens in the 18 councils of the state, he has been doling out N4 million to his aides in the name of medical treatment.

“Considering previous allocation to the Accident and Emergency ward at the Benin Central Hospital, the ward could enter the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive hospital ward ever.”

Source:
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