Kingsley Ohens reporting
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has explained that the recent amendment to the Financial Autonomy Law of the Edo State House of Assembly and the Judicial Autonomy Law was undertaken to strengthen transparency, accountability and due process in the management and utilisation of public funds.
The governor gave the explanation on Monday while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Esan South East Local Government Area, led by the Onojie of Ubiaja, His Royal Highness Curtis Iredia Eidinojie I, at the Government House in Benin City.
Governor Okpebholo said the amendment was necessary to ensure that public funds allocated for constituency projects were properly managed and translated into tangible development for the people, alleging that no constituency project had been executed since September 2025 despite funds having been allocated for such projects.
He maintained that the constitutional separation of powers among the three arms of government required the State House of Assembly to concentrate on its legislative responsibilities, particularly appropriation and oversight, while the Executive implements approved projects through the appropriate government institutions.
“We have three independent arms of government, and the House is to appropriate funds and not to carry out the functions of the Executive by executing projects,” the governor said.
He added that the amendment would introduce stronger checks and balances into the system and prevent public funds from being controlled without adequate accountability.
According to him, constituency projects would now be domiciled within the relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), which would be responsible for their implementation and monitoring in accordance with approved specifications.
“Now, their constituency projects will be domiciled in various MDAs and, once they appropriate funds for projects, they are able to track them through the ministries and ensure the projects are done according to specification, not one person determining what should be done,” he explained.
Governor Okpebholo stressed that lawmakers would continue to appropriate funds for constituency projects, noting that the new arrangement was designed to ensure that such funds were deployed through established government structures and subjected to appropriate oversight.
“These are the things we are trying to correct, and thank God the members understand it and are insisting that their money is for the people and must follow due process,” he said.
The governor also appealed to the traditional rulers to help communicate the benefits of the Federal Government’s reforms to their subjects, urging them to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He said the reforms of the Federal Government had enhanced the resources available to Edo State for the execution of development projects across communities.
“You know I have promised Mr. President 2.5 million votes. The people I have in mind to help me deliver it are you, the traditional rulers,” Governor Okpebholo told the monarchs.
He described traditional rulers as critical stakeholders in communicating government policies at the grassroots, urging them to explain to their subjects that sustaining the reforms through electoral support would help consolidate ongoing development across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Onojie of Ugboha, His Royal Highness Ukata Odigie, said the delegation visited the Government House primarily to appreciate Governor Okpebholo for his support for their son, Hon. Sunny Ojiezele, who currently serves as Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly.
HRH Odigie also commended the governor for the administration’s development initiatives across Edo State, particularly the redevelopment of Ramat Park, which he described as a bold demonstration of the administration’s vision for the state.
The governor also received the spouses of members of the Edo State House of Assembly, who visited the Government House to felicitate with him on his recent birthday.
The statement was issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, on September 1, 2026.
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