Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has said the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari in the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in the state was a slur on the character of the national ruling party.
“It is party matter. We have a party chairman who has been suspended in his Ward. He has no legitimate business to act in the capacity. We will not accept any decisions from him.
“This is the party, I have the 18 local government chairmen of the party behind me. The entire party structure in Edo is one. They are solidly behind the President and behind me as a governor,” he said.
The governor said this while speaking on reasons he ordered the probe of the new five star Bénin Specialist hospital.
The hospital was built during the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole and commissioned by President Mohammadu Buhari in November, 2016.
Governor Obaseki had on Monday constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by Hon Justice J.U. Oyomire (rtd) to conduct a detailed inquiry into the process leading to the conceptualization, design, construction and equipping of the hospital.
The commission would also determine if there was a breach of the Edo State Procurement Law and other extant laws and procedures.
“We have opened that hospital. We had consultant there working. So much has been said about the hospital. I am beginning to see many things I don’t understand. Oshiomhole did a video that went viral.
“It is only fair for Edo taxpayers to understand what happened and why they decided to build the hospital. How much was spent to build the hospital, the state of the hospital today. I cannot be held liable for something I didn’t do. I want to make sure that at the end of my tenure I can explain everything that has happened”, he said.
Other members of the Prof Emmanuel E. Obaseiki-Ebor, Mrs Elizabeth Uwaifo, Enemaku Hilary Igemoh, while Mr Anthony Izevbekhale will serve as the commission’s secretary.
