A former commissioner in Edo State, Mr Chris Nehikhare, has given a blunt assessment of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, arguing that the government has so far failed to deliver on its basic duties.
Mr Nehikhare, who served under the previous People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government, spoke in an interview with The Standard Gazette.
When asked for his view on the governor’s performance since taking office, Mr Nehikhare initially declined to comment in detail, saying the party’s publicity secretary would handle an official statement closer to the next election.
You May Also Like
However, he later offered a sharp critique, “I won’t talk about the governor as a person, but the government is not working as it should,” he said. “It is all talk. They make noise, a lot of touts. The security issue is there. The government has a long way to go in trying to create a society where people are safe. In my opinion, the government hasn’t done well enough at all.”
Mr Nehikhare refused to directly compare Governor Okpebholo’s administration with the previous PDP government, saying such a comparison would be unfair. “This government will be two years in November. I cannot compare it with a government that spent eight years,” he explained.
Reacting to the recent defection of former Senator Clifford Ordia and others to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where they praised Governor Okpebholo as a “performing governor,” Mr Nehikhare dismissed the narrative. “The former senator is entitled to his own opinion, and he is probably contradictory himself. I am entitled to my opinion and my party’s view”, he said.
The state government has claimed to have reopened hospitals that were closed for nearly two decades and recruited over 1300 health workers. Mr Nehikhare advised the press and citizens to demand evidence. “When the government makes a statement, they have to back it up.
What they have done for the past few years is a carry-over from the last administration. Government is a continuation, and they have to continue the projects started by the previous government.”
Governor Okpebholo recently signed a N939 billion “Budget of Hope and Growth,” which includes an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) target of N160 billion.
Asked about risks of mismanagement or unrealistic projections, Mr Nehikhare said every government sets its own targets. “It is good for the government, so long as it is planned in a way that does not cause hardship for the people,” he noted, without giving a direct assessment of the budget’s feasibility.
The governor’s five-pillar SHINE Agenda covers Security, Health, Infrastructure, National Resources/Agriculture, and Education. When asked which pillar was most at risk of becoming mere sloganeering, Mr Nehikhare dismissed the premise of the question. “Security in Edo State is currently in shambles,” he said bluntly.
Mr Nehikhare confirmed he has no intention of leaving the PDP. “I am not planning to defect to any political party. The PDP remains the biggest political party in Nigeria. I intend to remain in the party and fix whatever problem is in it, he said.
The Edo State government has yet to issue an official response to Mr Nehikhare’s remark.
More Stories
Exclusive: APC Chieftain says Edo Governor ‘Distracted by Politics,’ Has ‘Achieved Nothing’
Exclusive: APC Chieftain says Edo Governor ‘Distracted by Politics,’ Has ‘Chieved Nothing’
Nigerian Opposition Leaders Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso Join New Political Party
Peter Obi Quits Another Political Party, Citing State Interference and Internal Crisis
EDSG Dissociates Self From Trending Video Threatening Arrest Of Peter Obi, ADC Members.
