Osagie Otabor, Benin
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said that electioneering activities for the September 19 governorship election would not affect governance in the state.
Governor Obaseki said he would continue to render services to the people of the state.
Obaseki spoke when he handed over cheques of various sums to over 49 persons as compensation to pave way for the construction of the N16bn Ogiso-Osunde gully erosion control along 3rd East Circular Road in Benin City through the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Taiwo Akerele, Governor Obaseki said his administration would not seize to partner with any group, organization and individuals to boost the development of the state.
According to him, “This is a very busy year for us as a government but we are not leaving governance and our government will continue to be citizen centered in the sense that whatever step we take, it is going to be citizen based and that is why we have invited all of you hear today.
“There is transparency in the process. There are accountability mechanisms that have been put in place and there is no opaqueness in the execution of the project.
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“I want to assure you that those who are at the helm of affairs in NEWMAP are people who are well tested and dedicated with years of experience on project execution with vast training both locally and internationally so you can always rely on them.
Obaseki said the contractors are known to the state government and have executed a lot of projects which emerged through a transparent process.
He said he expect a high quality project execution from them and would not hesitate to terminate the contract if any shoddiness in the execution of the project is observed.
Obaseki stated that he would set up a Community Oversight Committee to assist as third party assessors that would draw the attention of the authorities if there are areas of deficiencies in the execution of the job.
Earlier, State Project Coordinator of NEWMAP, Tom Obaseki said the gully erosion control would span over two kilometers.
He said the gully has left a lot of people in the area homeless and negatively affected the livelihood of the community.
He said the project would help give a permanent solution to the gully erosion challenge in the area.
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