The Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams
Oshiomhole, on Thursday accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of
favouring state governors elected on the platform of his party, the
Peoples Democratic Party, during his regime.
He specifically accused the former
President of doling out N2bn from the Ecological Fund to each of the PDP
governors without considering giving same to governors of the All
Progressives Congress.
Oshiomhole made the allegation while
speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting state governors
had with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The state governors had approached
Buhari on the need for the Federal Government to assist state
governments to cushion the effects of the economic downturn.
Oshiomhole said they were lucky to have at this time a President they could approach on such issues.
He said it would have been impossible
for them to approach Jonathan to seek support without being given
lectures on fiscal responsibility.
The governor said despite Jonathan’s posture, wastage was more at the Federal Government level during his tenure.
He said Buhari was showing the
difference the APC promised by accommodating their governors
irrespective of their party affiliations.
He said, “We are very lucky to have
President Buhari at this time. I have been here now for seven-and-half
years and I have had the opportunity to work with three Presidents, that
is the truth.
“Under the last President, it would have
been impossible for us to approach Abuja to give us support because we
have personal challenges.
“We would have been given lectures on
fiscal responsibility and all those kind of talks, even though the
wastage was more here (federal level) than any other place at that time.
“We now have a President who recognises
that he is not just President of the Federal Government, he is the
President of the federation of which the states are part and regardless
of our political affiliations.
“This is very important. Everybody is
able to ask this President to give him support and he is giving, whereas
in the recent past, some PDP governors got N2bn from the Ecological
Fund. We the APC governors were not given but we promised to be
different and I am happy this President is showing that difference.”
When asked for his view on the proposed
new minimum wage by workers, Oshiomhole who is a former labour leader,
said, “I have not seen the document proposing a new minimum wage but
believing in your judgment that it is a proposal, from my own experience
there is always a difference between a proposal and a final agreement.
“Man proposes, God disposes and in
the real world, nobody gets what he wants, you get what you negotiate.
Any day any time, wake me up, I believe in a living wage.”
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