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 (PDP), during his administration.
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.”
