Opposition groups in Edo State and the Edo State government on Friday were engaged in a war of words over Governor Monday Okpebholo’s trip to London.

The opposition groups described the trip as a jamboree, citing the number of appointees that accompanied the Governor on the short trip.

According to the group, Governor Okpebholo’s trip to woo investors in Glasgow, Scotland, last year, ended in a scandal after a promised $250m investment deal failed to yield any results.

The Spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Christopher Ojeikere, said Edo people were still waiting for the outcome of Governor Okpebholo’s visit to Scotland.

“We are still waiting for the audio $250m projects to be executed after the Scotland visit. We have not seen any project.

“The Governor is seeking an opportunity to travel the world, and the President has made so much money available to them. That is the only motive. We have enough problems at home and enough local solutions which the Governor has not exploited.

“The last time, he spent one week, but what did he come back with? We don’t take them seriously. We regret that at a time Nigeria is making so much money, it is falling into the hands of people who have no plan to take our people out of poverty.”

The National Coordinator of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), Dr Samson Isibor, described the trip as a wasteful exercise.

He said, “Edo does not deserve this type of trick Okpebholo is using. Nothing works in this state. The earlier trip to Scotland brought nothing to the state. It is corruption galore. Look at the fly-overs.

He went there for jamboree and not for any economic value. He went to Scotland last year, and no investor came.”

However, the Edo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said 90 per cent of those who accompanied the Governor sponsored themselves to London.

Afegbua explained that the London meeting organised by the London Professional Training Centre was to enable the Governor interact with Edo people in the diaspora and inform them about what is happening in the state.

He said, “More than 90% of those who travelled sponsored themselves to the UK. Maybe those who are saying the trip cost N2bn saw it in their dreams.

“They should know that Governor Monday Okpebholo does not waste money on things like this. He told people who want to go to go, but they should not rely on government funding.

“The visit is to interact with the Edos in diaspora. The whole idea is for sensitisation. Do not forget the national election is coming, and lots of those in diaspora do make remittances back home. If they know that the government is working, they will be able to tell their relations back home to support the APC.”

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