The sitting of the Edo State Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) joint transition committee on Tuesday suffered a setback as the APC accused the government of not providing the necessary documents.
Newspot reports that Hon Patrick Ikhariale, a member of the APC committee, disclosed this to newsmen in Benin City.
Ikhariale, however, added that both parties had agreed to meet once the required information or documents were made available.
He said the APC Transition Committee members had held a series of discussions with the Transition Committee representing the outgoing government.
According to him, the nature of materials that the government team provided did not address any of the issues on the table.
“We have interfaced with the relevant officers of the government, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Joseph Eboigbe, and they agreed with us in October 2024 to provide exactly what we asked for.
“Because what they have supplied us so far has not addressed the issues in any substantial way, and we had expected that this would be resolved by this morning.
“We also had a meaningful and strong discussion. We need a set of documents that will address the issues we have raised, and that is where we are.
“We also agreed that today (Tuesday) Eboigbe has to discuss with His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and get back to us.
“And in any case, the information or documents we are asking for are in line with global best practices; we are not asking for anything out of the ordinary. So, it is on record that we have done the needful.
“As we speak, a letter has been sent to them, and we do hope that what we have discussed and agreed upon as of Monday will be executed so that we can progress and hold the joint meetings we are supposed to have,” he said.
He added that the governor-elect’s transition team is waiting for the Secretary to the State Government, Eboigbe, to reach out to the governor.
He stated that the SSG knows the next line of action to take regarding how and when they would provide the APC team with the necessary documents.
Ikhariale explained that the incoming governor-elect’s committee also urged the outgoing government’s team to provide whatever document or information they have at least 24 hours before their meeting.
He opined that this would enable them to review the documents, peruse them, and have an informed position on what to discuss, so they wouldn’t go to the meeting and discuss irrelevant matters.
He added that these demands were what the parties had agreed upon.
“Hopefully, if today or tomorrow we get the required information and documents, we will reconvene and do the needful,” he added.
Newspot recalls that last Friday, during the inauguration of the joint committee, Dr. Pius Odubu, the former Deputy Governor of the State and chairman of the APC committee, called on the outgoing government not to hide any documents from them.
Odubu emphasised that the documents would enable the incoming government to hit the ground running.
Speaking with journalists in Benin City, Secretary of the APC Transition Committee, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, confirmed that both parties had agreed to meet when the required information or documents were provided.
Meanwhile, the Governor Obaseki transition committee alleged that the APC team shunned Tuesday’s (October 22, 2024) joint sitting.
“At 8:00 am on Tuesday, 22nd October 2024, members of the Obaseki-led State Government team started arriving at the venue for the meeting alongside the Committee Chairman, Secretary to Edo State Government, Mr Joseph Eboigbe.
“The government team and journalists waited patiently for the arrival of members of the APC’s transition committee, who never showed up. Even after 1:00 pm, they had not arrived, and the government team left the venue,” they stated.
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