Obaseki running EDSOGPADEC, Revenue Board with Sole Administrators
……Governor milking Edo dry
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has been accused of unilaterally suspending the laws establishing the State Board of Internal Revenue and the State Oil and Gas Producing Area Development Commission and thereby abusing his office and the constitution.
Besides, Governor Obaseki stands accused of committing several impeachable offenses by unilaterally managing statutory commissions and boards, according to the Senator Monday Okpebholo Campaign Organisation.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. John Mayaki said, “The appointment of a sole administrator by the governor to oversee the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue Service, under the guise of the chairman of the revenue tax committee, without a statutory board is not sanctioned by the law that established it”.
Mayaki said, “The Edo State Revenue Administration Law of 2012 provides regulations for the management and collection of revenue owed to the Government of Edo State, along with related provisions as enacted by the Edo State House of Assembly which established the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, referred to as “The Board,” with its operational arm known as the Edo State Internal Revenue Service, or “The Internal Revenue Service” within the framework of this law.
“And so, for Governor Godwin Obaseki to suspend the law establishing the Board to be headed by a Chairman is an aberration and an illegality. This constitutes an abuse of office and dictatorial tendencies of the governor”.
Mayaki pointed out another breach, stating, “The prolonged absence of a constituted board for the Edo State Oil and Gas Development Commission, spanning over two years under the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki, where the commission is being administered by a permanent secretary, is a flagrant violation of the legal framework governing its establishment.”
He stressed the discrepancy surrounding what the governor has done saying, “The appointments to the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Area Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC) board should adhere to the provisions outlined in Section 3 (1) of the Law Establishing Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission, 2007. However, because the governor failed to appoint members, the board has failed to fulfill its mandate of compensating the oil-producing communities, leaving them without the promised benefits.
“Obaseki’s mismanagement EDSOGPADEC and the State Board of Internal Revenue with unilateral control through the appointment of sole administrators to oversee these crucial bodies effectively sidelined established legal frameworks and institutional structures, and thereby consolidating power in his hands. This has not only undermines the principles of governance but also raises questions around accountability and transparency in the administration of state affairs. And this is tantamount to milking the resources of Edo State dry, depriving the people of their rightful benefits”.