Crime

Dispute Erupts Over Looted Rice in Edo: Obaseki, APC, and CAN Clash

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 4th, 2024.

Dispute Erupts Over Looted Rice in Edo: Obaseki, APC, and CAN Clash

A dispute has arisen in Edo State concerning bags of rice looted from three locations around Benin City, involving Governor Godwin Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Edo Chapter.

The rice was discovered and looted from Urora, Eyaen, and Sapele Road in Ward 6 of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, all within Benin City.

Jarret Tenebe, the Chairman of Edo APC, has blamed Governor Obaseki for the economic hardship in the state. Tenebe alleged that Obaseki diverted Federal Government palliatives intended to alleviate hunger in Edo. He accused the governor and his faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of obstructing President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to mitigate economic difficulties.

Tenebe criticized Obaseki for not accounting for financial grants and palliatives received from the Federal Government, suggesting that the governor is instead fabricating stories about APC’s supposed plans to undermine state institutions. He called on Edo residents to vote for APC’s governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in the upcoming election, citing his greater experience compared to PDP’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

Prince Kassim Afegbua, a media consultant for the APC’s governorship campaign and former Commissioner for Information in Edo, accused Obaseki of trying to exploit the nationwide protests for political gain. Afegbua claimed that Obaseki had orchestrated a protest in Edo to boost his diminishing popularity, by funding groups to build protest platforms and mobilize participants.

According to Afegbua, Obaseki’s appearance at the protest was met with hostility from the crowd, who expressed their frustration with his administration. During this period, local residents uncovered a stash of rice, part of the palliatives from President Tinubu meant to aid Edo’s citizens, which had been withheld by Obaseki’s administration.