Obaseki laying the blocks for a prosperous Edo__ Eseosa Ewere
_.Obaseki, laying the blocks for a prosperous Edo_
_By Eseosa Ewere
In 2016, Gov. Godwin Obaseki rode to power on the back of the popular majority of Edo people, haven humbled other contestants in an indirect primary of the APC at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Obaseki went ahead to clinch demonstrable victory in a keenly-contested governorship election; been an expert in the management of human, material and financial resources, the fortunes of Edo State under Godwin Obaseki has witnessed exponential growth
Without mincing words, no government, be it civilian, military or paliarmentary has been able to utilize the financial and material resources of Edo State to grow the critical mass of Edo people like the Obaseki-led government is doing
Before now, one could see the state government prioritizing the needs of a select few with close proximity to the corridors of power over and above the yearnings and aspirations of the vast majority; deploying tax payers monies to enrich political associates and enforcers is evil, nepotistic and cannot be said to be building human capacity
The above is what distinguishes Obaseki's administration from successive governments since 1999; where government's pre-Obaseki used state resources to uplift a microscopic few to the detriment of Edo people, the Obaseki government is deploying Edo's limited resources for the overall development and growth of majority Edos, building systems and institutions aimed at enhancing the sustainable development of Edo people
Before now, we saw non-state actors with close proximity to government flout government's order, built on government land, converted government's properties to personal, extorted poor, hardworking market women deploying government's apparatus, oppressed, suppressed, humiliated and abused less-priviledged and less-opportuned individuals without government's connect, sealed communities to celebrate fat bank accounts, living stupendous and extravagant life at the expense of poor tax payers while governors looked the other way
Today, we have a good story to tell; while employment is at an all-time high, our lost educational fortunes are been reinvented, the political and administrative trajectory under Godwin Obaseki obviously tilts towards the people, there is infrastructure revamp and uninterrupted electricity power at critical facilities is underway, Edo's high self esteem and pride is been returned, roads are wearing new looks, training and retraining of workers for improved service delivery remains very key in Obaseki's government, local governments are active, functional and contributory and by extension grassroot development is enhanced, there is high sense of belonging amongst the critical mass and the political atmosphere is calm and result-oriented
The development of public institutions no doubt plays a major role in the conceptualization and actualization of key policies and programmes in every administrations, it is against this backdrop that the Edo State Governor has focused squarely on the reinvigoration, reformation, retooling and rebuilding of the Edo Civil Service, a critical sector of state crassly abandoned, underfunded, abused, misused and underused by past administrations, hence there was less than low turnout, the civil service was unattractive, unmotivating, uninspiring and our buildings where our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters worked were a rat hole
A visit to the State Secretariat at Sapele Road, Staff Training Centre at Okada Avenue, Judges Quarters at Aiguobasinmwin and others will convince you that Godwin Obaseki means business, haven approached governance with panache and hunger for work in 2016
At the Local Government level, there has been tremendous turnaround, with increased IGR and more work to do, the Edo State Local Government system under Godwin Obaseki has become more transparent, accountable, development-driven, fueling the Obaseki good-governance vehicle; whereas local government systems in the past were more of a fund pipe for Governors and cronies, today's local governments are practical tool for the overall development and growth of the grassroot; rebuilding schools, health centres, roads, facilitating rural electrification projects, building human capacity, improving local productivity, ensuring security of lives and property with the use of vigilante groups and other local security outfit, galvanizing community-based administrative framework, enhancing community policing and as well bridging the government-people relationship etc, remains major creed in today's local governments
These has however not been without resistance; where a handful of political players has posed themselves as clogs in the wheel of progress, with plans to unseat a Governor loved by all, it has however been a blessing in disguise that the more these clogs keep vigils, the greater love that Godwin Obaseki gets from Edo people at home and in the diaspora whilst laying the blocks for a new and prosperous Edo
This goes a long way to embolden the fact that Obaseki's good-governance approach, effecient policies and programmes, transparency and open-door administrative style, vibrant political and administrative team, remains demonstrable tool for the sustainable growth and development of Edo State, and as the Edo State Governorship election draws nigh, registered and card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress and a vast majority of Edo people are determined, ready, willing and able to do it again
*_4+4 T'ORGBA_*
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