According to Nivo News, the Media Adviser to former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, has accused the Edo State Government of deliberately misleading the public over the Radisson Hotel Project, describing recent claims by the administration as a “cocktail of lies.”....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement released on Friday, December 12, Osagie said he felt compelled to respond to what he described as persistent falsehoods allegedly being promoted by the government through the Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua. He remarked that Afegbua appeared to have resurfaced after a prolonged period of inactivity since his appointment.

Osagie maintained that the controversy surrounding the Radisson Hotel Project followed a familiar pattern that, in his view, has characterised the conduct of the current administration since assuming office. He alleged that the government routinely manufactures disputes to divert public attention from what he described as its lack of a clear development agenda for Edo State.

He argued that the Radisson matter was only the latest in a series of projects he said had been unfairly targeted by the present government. Osagie recalled what he described as attacks on major initiatives, including the N30 billion Museum of West African Arts, the 95-megawatt Ossiomo Power Project, the Saro Farms and Ethanol Plant in Ikpoba Okha, and the Edo Printing Centre located at the Nigerian Observer premises on Airport Road. He also claimed that an attempt was made to undermine Presco, an effort he said was later abandoned after public backlash.

Addressing the Radisson Hotel Project specifically, Osagie explained that it was conceived under the Obaseki administration as part of a broader tourism development strategy for the state. He said this agenda also encompassed projects such as the Museum of West African Arts, the proposed Benin Royal Museum, and support for the National Museum at Ring Road.

According to Osagie, the former administration adopted a globally recognised model by committing initial public funds to make the project attractive to investors before transferring it to a private partner at a valuation significantly higher than the government’s original investment. He added that the private investor assumed full responsibility for the project’s assets and liabilities, while Edo State retained a 20 per cent equity stake.

Osagie accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of attempting to dismantle the project by escalating the matter to anti-graft agencies and the courts. He said the governor’s decision to involve the EFCC and pursue legal action was aimed at undermining what he described as a viable investment initiative, but insisted that such efforts had failed, prompting a shift to what he called media propaganda.

He further alleged that most of the investments facing hostility from the current administration are located within the Benin-speaking Edo South Senatorial District. Osagie warned that these projects, if allowed to progress, were expected to generate direct and indirect employment for no fewer than 50,000 people, in addition to stimulating broader economic value chains.

Osagie argued that delays and disruptions to these projects had stalled economic activities that should have been operational within a year after the Obaseki administration left office. He suggested that the projects would not have faced similar opposition if they were located in other parts of the state.

He also warned that the government’s actions could erode investor confidence, discouraging prospective investors and potentially forcing existing businesses to relocate. Osagie stressed that such conduct posed a serious threat to private-sector participation in Edo State’s economy.

Reiterating his position, Osagie said the Radisson Hotel Project was executed transparently and in the best interest of Edo people, adding that former Governor Obaseki had neither direct nor indirect ownership or personal stake in the project. He urged the government to end what he described as needless distractions and allow development-focused initiatives to thrive.

Osagie concluded by calling on Edo residents to remain focused and not be misled by what he termed deliberate misinformation. He urged the public to hold Governor Okpebholo accountable for his constitutional responsibilities, including safeguarding lives and property and creating economic opportunities, while questioning how sustained attacks on investments would translate into jobs and tangible benefits for the state’s youth.