Edo State Government says it “rejects” N14.15bn contractors’ debt and has “ordered verification.” With due respect, this is regrettably preposterous.
Governance is continuity. You cannot inherit the governorship and then inherit amnesia. A government is not a new tenant moving into a house and refusing to pay the landlord’s bills because “we did not build it.”
Yes, verification is necessary. Fraud must be checked. But “rejection” before audit is politics, not prudence. Contractors have families, workers, suppliers, and bank loans. For months they have been waiting. Now they are being told their completed projects are “inherited” and therefore suspect.
Where is the Assets Verification Committee report timeline? Where is the interim payment plan for contractors with certified work? Silence.
The statement by Haruna Braimoh says “public funds must be managed prudently.” True. But prudence is not delay. Prudence is audit and pay. What we are seeing is audit and reject plus delay. That is how you kill the local economy and blacklist Edo from serious contractors.
If the previous administration inflated figures, prosecute. If projects were not done, publish evidence. But blanket rejection is a signal: in Edo, government promises have expiry dates.
Edo people deserve transparency, not excuses. Contractors deserve verification, not vilification.
Pay what is due. Verify what is doubtful. But don’t call responsibility “inheritance” and then pretend it is not yours.
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bcradle@ymail.com
