.png)
10 hours ago
2
A former federal lawmaker and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Segun Saiki, on Monday, criticised former governor and current senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, over the distribution of grinding machines, motorcycles, sewing machines, and N100,000 cash to constituents.
Oshiomhole had distributed the items on Saturday in his hometown of Iyamho as part of his constituency empowerment programme.
Saiki, however, described the gesture as “hypocritical and inconsistent,” recalling that Oshiomhole once condemned similar initiatives by lawmakers as “short-sighted and counterproductive.”
“Oshiomhole swallowed what he had vomited by doling out grinding machines, motorbikes, sewing machines, and N100,000 as a constituency project,” Saiki said. “It’s like someone vomiting and swallowing it back. What can anyone do with N100,000 in today’s economy? Oshiomhole only gave money to those who visited him.”
He further noted that before becoming a senator, Oshiomhole had frequently criticised politicians for engaging in “token empowerment” rather than implementing long-term, sustainable development projects.
In defence of the senator, his media aide, Victor Oshioke, dismissed the criticism, stating that the empowerment programme was only one aspect of a broader intervention plan that included the construction of classrooms, market stores, and other infrastructure.
Oshioke maintained that Oshiomhole’s approach remained consistent with his campaign promises to prioritise enduring projects with tangible community impact.
“What Oshiomhole meant,” he said, “was that a senator should not be judged by the distribution of items but by lasting legacies and the jobs created through his initiatives.”
Before his election to the Senate, Oshiomhole had publicly stated his opposition to such empowerment drives, saying: “I don’t want to go to the Senate for business as usual. I have seen my senator give out grinding machines and motorbikes as empowerment. That is more offensive. How are you empowering a young man in his 20s with a motorbike? You are destroying him. The government must refocus on long-term strategies to empower people.”
The post Oshiomhole under fire for sharing sewing machines, motorbikes as constituency projects appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
