Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has established a 14-member Asset Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
The committee, announced in a statement on Sunday by Fred Itua, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, is scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the decision to constitute the committee aligns with Okpebholo’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in governance.
The governor aims to create a comprehensive record of the state’s assets and liabilities—a task the statement suggests was inadequately addressed by the Obaseki administration.
“In furtherance of the governor’s initiative to set the state on the path of development and accountable leadership, the need to set up a State Assets Verification Committee becomes very imperative,” the statement reads.
The committee, comprising notable figures from Edo State, includes Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, Anslem Ojezua, Kassim Afegbua, and Patrick Ikhariale, among others.
Their mandate includes verifying the assets and liabilities left by the previous administration and providing a detailed report to guide future governance.
This latest action follows Okpebholo’s earlier orders to investigate the exclusion of 14 lawmakers from the state house of assembly in 2019 and a review of civil service recruitment processes conducted under Obaseki between May and November 2024.
Governor Okpebholo reiterated his administration’s commitment to transparency during his inaugural address on November 12, promising to strengthen governance processes and restore public trust.
The probe signals a shift toward greater scrutiny of previous administrations in Edo State and reflects Okpebholo’s focus on creating a foundation for responsible leadership and development.
Whether the findings will lead to significant reforms or political contention remains to be seen.