By Kolawole Ojebisi
In a rare departure from politics of vendetta which is the norm in the country, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare on Saturday denied the claim that members nominated by All Progressives Congress(APC) and Governor-Elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, have threatened to pull out of the transition committee if not paid sitting allowance by the state government.
Both teams met for the first time on Friday and promised to work towards a seamless transition to ensure all information needed by the incoming government is provided to give it a sound footing.
But no sooner had they ended the meeting than news started making the rounds that those nominated by the Governor-Elect are demanding payment to be part of the transition committee. According to what was bandied about by the rumour mill, the APC nominees threatened to pull out of the exercise if their demand is not met.
But in a statement issued by Nehikhare, the commissioner said the assertions were completely unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation.
He said the joint team remained committed to its responsibilities and will continue to work together for the betterment of the community, with a focus on transparency and collaboration.
He said: “We wish to clarify recent reports suggesting that the Edo State Transition Committee members nominated by APC and Governor-Elect, Senator Okpebholo, requested sitting allowances from the state government and threatened to boycott meetings if such allowances were not paid.
“These assertions are completely unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation.
“The committee held a cordial and very successful meeting at its inauguration. During this meeting, we collaboratively set out the agenda and methodology for our committee’s work. The atmosphere was constructive, and there was a mutual understanding that our collective efforts were dedicated to serving the best interests of the people of Edo.
“We remain committed to our responsibilities and will continue to work together for the betterment of our community, with a focus on transparency and collaboration,” he added.
Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State to become the Governor-Elect of the state.
The incumbent governor was elected on the platform of the PDP. The incumbent governor is expected to handover to the Governor-Elect on November 12.
