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Tag: Governor Godwin Obaseki

  • No industrial growth with paper certificate alone, says Obaseki

    No industrial growth with paper certificate alone, says Obaseki

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki  has said investment in vocational education is fundamental to job creation and industrialisation of the state as well as the country as oil revenue continues to dwindle.

    Obaseki spoke when he received donations made by the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) in collaboration with the Industrial Training Funds (ITF), at Government Science Technical College, Benin.

    He commended the organisations for the donating electrical equipment and tools to the technical college.

    According to him, no country can grow industrially with `paper certificate’ alone; it must have technical skills to make the needed difference.

    The governor noted that most industrialised countries had in their workforces, people with vocational training who might not be university graduates.

    He said that plans were underway to set up three or five megawatts of power on the Government Science Technical College premises for its light industrial park to ensure constant electricity supply.

    The governor gave the assurance that the donated items would be judiciously utilised.

    The Director-General of NECA, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, thanked the state government for emphasising improvement in vocational and technical education.

    Oshinowo said that the biggest challenge facing Nigeria was that of unemployment due to lack of technical skills to make youths employable.

    He urged that all hands should be on deck to tackle the challenge.

    The Principal of the college, Mrs Bose Imafidon, said that the benefitting electrical department was one of 10 departments with highest enrolment.

    Imafidon pledged to use the equipment for the intended purpose.

  • Godwin Obaseki and his unusual ways

    Godwin Obaseki and his unusual ways

    I would be the last person to use the platform of divinity to score political points but there is no denying the fact that Governor Godwin Obaseki has built up enormous goodwill in the short space of time that he has been at the helm of affairs in the governance of Edo State as the sitting governor.

    The monologues and diatribe of the PDP (People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria) was a constant and regular feature in days gone by. It was like the king dancing naked in the market square; he was the only one that did not realize that his antics were an aberration.  Chief Dan Orbih’s face was seen, and his voice was heard regularly in strident criticism of government policies and programmes.

    The visible and laudable achievements of Comrade Oshiomhole did not deter him from the media onslaught that passed for opposition by the PDP.  They spewed out misinformation and disinformation.  Sometimes, it degenerated to personal levels.

    And suddenly, a new sheriff came into town.  Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki was sworn in as Governor of Edo State in November, 2016.  Edo citizens went to sleep only to wake up the following morning to outstanding changes in their landscape or the environment.  The appellation of “wake and see Governor” gained ground.  It was no longer business as usual. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole spent eight years in office and during that tenure, he doggedly reversed the rot and decay that the PDP had inflicted on Edo citizens over a period of sixteen years.

    The problems were myriad and seemingly intractable but Oshiomhole’s determination paid off in terms of the high level of successes he recorded.  This was the legacy that Godwin Obaseki inherited on assumption of office late last year.  He could not afford to lower the bar.  He was determined to live up to the mandate that Oshiomhole handed him that Edo must be taken higher to the next level. Refuse heaps disappeared from our streets, traffic mayhem evaporated from our roads, traffic lights were obeyed, market women and street hawkers disappeared from the sidewalks.  Dormant, moribund and comatose public investments began to spring back to life.  The people had value added to their lives, and they rejoiced across party lines.  I was reminded of Proverbs 29:2 which says in part, “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice”.

    Over time, there came a general feeling in the air that something was missing, a vacuum created.  There was a loud silence.  Then it dawned on all and sundry that the hitherto strident, discordant and cacophonous opposition of the PDP was silent.  Chief Dan Orbih no longer had reason to moan about governance.  He had found contentment in the land which even he could not deny or ignore.  There were those infact, who wondered if the Chairman of the opposition party in Edo State was preparing grounds to defect to the APC as many of his erstwhile party faithful had done and are still dong in droves on a daily basis.  The voice of the people being the voice of God (vox populi, vox Dei), as they say, once again, a verse in the scriptures came readily to my mind.  Proverbs 16:7 says, “when a man’s ways please the Lord, even his enemies are at peace with him”.

    Such has been the effect of the unusual approach to governance that has been adopted by Governor Godwin Obaseki that even the opposition PDP has been overwhelmed into silence.  Except for the thunderous, steady and determined beat of continuing development that is the hallmark of the APC administration of Godwin Obaseki which is an offshoot of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, it is all quiet all over the length and breadth of Edoland, like it was on the Western Front in the theatres of war in Europe at the conclusion of WWII.  In the aftermath, the opposition PDP is barely able to catch its breath.  Such is the developmental pace of government and governance that is currently going on in Edo State.

    It is all kudos to the foresight and the visionary leadership of the APC.  The vibrant and ongoing synergy between the Party, ably led by Barr. Anslem Ojezua and the State Government ably and competently led by Godwin Obaseki is paying off handsomely in terms of dividends of democracy to the good people of Edo State.

    In the final analysis, everyone is a winner including even the PDP that can claim the pyrrhic victory of saying the heat they generated in the polity energized the APC to be a party that has delivered and continues to deliver on its campaign promises.  But for Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, his track record performances bear testimony to the confidence of the Party leadership and the Edo electorate that said he is the best man for the job.  The people led, the courts affirmed, and the Heavens rejoiced.

     

    Azebamwan is the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC

     

     

  • Vocational Education, proven route to sustainable economic empowerment –Obaseki

    Vocational Education, proven route to sustainable economic empowerment –Obaseki

    • Kick-starts reconstruction of old Benin Tech College

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, said that vocational education is a proven route to sustainable economic empowerment, which offers a broader segment of the society the opportunity to learn, earn, and live with dignity as accomplished humans.

    Obaseki said this during the ground-breaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the old Benin Technical College in Benin City.

    According to the governor, success is not defined by the possession of a university certificate; rather, success is what the individuals can do with their hands. He said the future would be defined by knowledge and technical expertise and as such, Edo State cannot be left behind.

    Obaseki said the project would provide 1,300 direct jobs in the next 18 months, assuring that at least 800 of them would be reserved for Edo residents and indigenes. He added that part of the plan was to refurbish the existing buildings, equip several workshops and train teachers for delivery of a well-rounded technical education.

    The governor said the project would be an example of sustainable development pathway, stressing that the state government will ensure that students at the College get the best of technical education, work with latest tools and equipment, and provide the essential technical expertise needed in the state and the country at large.

    According to him, “My long-term vision for this site is to ensure that we build a light Industrial Park. This will ensure that business and knowledge seat side by side, working for the benefits of the Edo people. We are including solar power, harvesting water in the design. We have ensured that there is a strong framework for local participation at the project design stage.”

    The lead consultant for the rehabilitation work at the Government Science Technical College (GSTC) Benin City, Mr. Giles Omezi, said the project is in its first phase, which would stretch for 18 months, during which new classrooms and dormitory blocks would be built. He said about nine existing buildings would be refurbished while a number of workshops and laboratory would be constructed.

    He said the college would enroll 1500 students soon, who would get the best of vocational education, adding that in the long run, more students would be accommodated, as there would be provision for part-time students.

  • Obaseki, Mahindra group conclude arrangement on Benin Industrial Park

    Obaseki, Mahindra group conclude arrangement on Benin Industrial Park

     …Report on sequence of project implementation ready

     

    All is set for the smooth take-off of the planned Benin Industrial Park with the receipt of the Preliminary Report by Governor Godwin Obaseki from the Mahindra Group in India, on Monday.

     

    A visibly elated Obaseki, who is accompanied by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kadiri Bashiru, on the investment drive in Asia, said the Industrial park would serve as the catalyst for the industrialisation of Edo State.

     

    Receiving the Preliminary Report of the Industrial Park from officials of Mahindra Group, at their headquarters in Chennai, India, Obaseki expressed confidence in the capacity of the company to deliver the project in line with the vision of the state government.

     

    The governor said he “was impressed with the Preliminary Report by the Mahindra Group, which outlines the sequence of the project implementation, after their visit to Benin City for a thorough assessment of the economic viability of developing an industrial park in Edo State.”

     

    He explained that the project was well thought out, as it would maximise the location of Benin City, from where all parts of the country can be accessed, coupled with the abundance of natural gas, the low cost of production, access to water and availability of affordable labour.

     

    He assured that his administration was committed to leveraging on the gains of technology to boost economic activities by replicating in Nigeria, a Silicon Valley.

     

    “We visited the headquarters of the Indian company in March, this year, to share our idea of an Industrial Park with officials of the company. Three months later, the company came to Benin City for a feasibility study and today we are happy that we are ready to hit the ground running” Obaseki said.

  • Edo to develop 58 Tourist Sites, targets domestic, foreign receipts

    Edo to develop 58 Tourist Sites, targets domestic, foreign receipts

    The Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osaze Osemwegie-Ero has disclosed plans by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to revive and rebrand 58 tourist sites across the state.

    Osemwegie-Ero made the disclosure while receiving members of the Benin Cultural Heritage Centre, on a courtesy visit, led by Squadron Leader Ehi Ighile (rtd.), on Friday.

    According to him: “Governor Obaseki has handed over his vision to promote arts and culture in the state to us and has given us a marching order to identify all the cultural and tourism assets in all parts of the state, be it a festival or site, and repackage them for domestic and international tourists.”

    He said the Aba Festival that was recently held in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state, boosted the local economy with about N450million naira.

    He added that the tourist receipts were injected into the state economy by the over one million people who graced the occasion from all over Nigeria and the Diaspora.

    “The festival was a huge success due to the presence and participation of the Edo State Government, which is committed to supporting all the cultural festivals brought to its notice in the state,” Osemwegie-Ero said.

    “Our moat is a major tourist attraction and can be compared to the walls of China, but it has suffered neglect over the years. The vision of the present administration is to maintain and beautify the moat across the city and make it a tourist attraction that will generate revenue for the state.”

    He assured that the state government was prepared to develop the 58 tourist sites into world class sites to attract visitors from all over the world and told his visitors that his ministry was working with the Ministry of Education to ensure that Edo Language is part of the curriculum of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning across the state.

    He expressed the readiness of the Obaseki’s led administration to raise the profile of Igun bronze works, promote the rich cultural heritage of the people of Benin Kingdom and create wealth for the artisans and state government.

    Members of the Benin Cultural Heritage Centre, led by Squadron Leader Ehi Ighile (rtd.), said the non- partisan and non-governmental organisation, with over 100 members, is committed to promoting the glory of the Benin people.He said the Benin Kingdom ruled the world for over 400 years before it was conquered by the British and the advancements in the Arts led to the adoption of the Queen Idia mask as the symbol of FESTAC 77.

    “As a body, we have held discussions with the Ministry of Education on the lack of Edo teachers in our schools. We have decided to train 300 teachers to teach the language in our schools,” he said.

    He explained that another achievement of the group is the planned Benin Cultural Heritage Complex, which will be built on a land given to the body by the Oba of Benin, for which the group has been receiving donations from people at home and in the Diaspora.

  • Benin Monarch commissions re-branded Edo traffic agency

    Benin Monarch commissions re-branded Edo traffic agency

    The Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, on Tuesday commissioned the re-branded Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA).

    It was during the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole that the traffic agency was established and later disbanded due to complaints of harassment by members of the public.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki had rebranded the agency by employing fresh personnel, provision of new uniforms, modern radio communication equipment, motor- bikes and Hilux vans.

    Oba Ewuare II appealed to officials of the agency to be committed to their jobs and ensured that road users are not subjected to intimidation and harassment.

    He urged them not to see their appointments as avenue to enrich themselves by collecting bribes from motorists.

    His words, “I am glad that government deemed it appropriate to create a Public Complaints Department of the agency that the public can leverage on the make complaints.

    “I appeal to the officials to ensure that they operate within the confines of the law to avoid denting the image of the agency”.

    Managing Director of EDSTMA, Mr. Dennis Oloriegbe, said the agency would use the three basic traffic management strategies which included education, engineering and enforcement to tackle traffic problems from the roots.

    Mr. Oloriegbe stated that 351 persons completed the training programme which lasted between June 20 and June 28, 2017.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki assured the Benin Monarch that members of the agency have been trained to be civil and not to exploit the people.

    He paid tributes to Oshiomhole for establishing EDSTMA.

     

  • Traffic Management: Obaseki adopts best-in-class approach

    Traffic Management: Obaseki adopts best-in-class approach

    …As agency commences work

     

    After undergoing trainings that have been described as best-in-class, officials of the Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA) will in a matter of days take over the control of vehicular traffic on major roads across the state.

    Already, expectations are high amongst motorists that the agency will restore order and sanity on the roads through the strict enforcement of traffic laws that will check unprofessional conducts of drivers which make commuting especially within Benin City a terrifying experience, despite the network of wide and motorable roads.

    According to Governor Godwin Obaseki, the traffic agency will also eliminate the number of man-hours lost by workers and businesspeople to traffic congestion and the resulting chaos in parts of the state.

    He said the traffic control initiative was part of a bigger plan by his administration to remove any snag that impedes on the ease of doing business in the state.

    Obaseki explained that the agency was the product of a painstaking effort that adopted best-in-class procedure in designing the structure, recruitment and training of personnel and in equipping them for the job.

    To ensure that the initiative is well received by all the stakeholders in the road transportation sector, the governor said “we are working with various stakeholders in the sector including bus drivers’ unions, tricycle drivers’ associations and everybody or group that has stakes in the road transport sector.”

    He urged motorists to put their vehicles in order and be ready to abide by the laws guiding their trade as mobile courts will have been set up to swiftly dispense with cases of traffic law infractions.

    “With these measures we have put in place, we are confident that once we roll out, we will be able to bring an end to the traffic menace in the state,” Obaseki said.

  • APC’s battle to restore meritocracy in Edo

    APC’s battle to restore meritocracy in Edo

    The logic and reason behind the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) criticism of the policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State are often disturbingly shallow and many times, absolutely ridiculous.

    This is especially so because this same political party ruled over this country and indeed Edo State for nearly two decades and literarily left the nation and all the states where they held sway in ruins.

    You only need to look at the pages of the newspapers on any day, and you are certain to see revelations of the mindless looting which was supervised by the now degenerating political entity.

    Under the guidance of the PDP, an estimated N400 billion, or the equivalent of $4.6 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP), representing 39 per cent of the combined federal and state education budgets in 2016, was paid out as bribes to public officials in Nigeria annually. As shown in a new report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), revealed last week.

    The National Corruption Report, which covered the period between June 2015 and May 2016 also showed that almost a third of Nigerian adults (32.3 percent) who had contact with public officials between June 2015 and May 2016 had to pay, or were requested to pay a bribe to such public officials.

    This was the sort of culture which the PDP promoted both in Edo State and in other parts of the country, invariably resulting in a failed system where people had to resort to corruption to get ahead.

    So terrible was the situation that adults in the public and private sectors; young people and children in Universities, Secondary and Primary Schools, were introduced to a new ‘normal’ where success, wealth and victory did not come to you based on your competence but based on how much bribe you are willing and able to pay or how many people you knew on the corridors of power.

    Essentially, meritocracy was sacrificed on the altar of malpractices and corruption, leading civil servants, teachers, businessmen, students, pupils among others to abandon their quest for knowledge and capacity enhancement for the simple reason that promotion or increase was no longer secured on the basis of how good you were or how much you knew.

    Such was the state of Edo when the APC wrestled it from the PDP. Unfortunately, as they say, old habits die hard, and so the new ruling party in the state has been riding tirelessly against the tide of the culture of corruption enthroned by the PDP, trying to get the people to see that merit as the only currency for success and promotion has been restored.

    This same problem surfaced recently when Governor Godwin Obaseki introduced capacity enhancement testing for civil servants to identify the areas where government workers have skills gap to be able to fashion out appropriate training programmes for them.

    The same PDP leaders who damaged the system which the APC is now making efforts to fix began to scream and misinform government workers that the testing being done by the current government was designed to select workers for victimization and sack.

    Nothing could be further from the truth.

    Governor Obaseki has since dismissed the fear looming in some quarters that the ongoing assessment of senior civil servants in the state was designed to fish out incompetent workers for sack, assuring that such fears are baseless.

    Obaseki who was at Imaguero College, Benin City, venue of the assessment, last Wednesday, said that the exercise was in good faith and not a competency test as being rumoured.

    He explained that Edo civil servants are competent and do not require any further competency test. “Before they were employed, their competency was tested, and that is why they are working in the Civil Service. But before promotions are made in the Civil Service, senior civil servants go through assessments to fill vacant positions in the directorate cadre,”

    He added that the exercise was part of the strategy to strengthen the Civil Service for effective service delivery and assured that no employee writing the examination would be sacked.

    The governor disclosed that the recent examination conducted for staff members on levels 16 and 17 in the state was an eye opener as some civil servants were discovered to be very good and were appointed Permanent Secretaries.

    “We are not sacking anybody, but want to strengthen the service so that it can deliver quality services to the state. The assessment is not compulsory but necessary for promotion as those who need to be promoted would have to be assessed. If you refuse, then there may be no basis for your promotion,” Obaseki said.

    For teachers who kicked against the assessment, the governor said it was unfortunate as his administration did not intend to exclude teachers from the resulting promotion exercise and added that the two teachers that performed very well in the last exercise were appointed Permanent Secretaries.

    “We want to give everyone the opportunity to participate, but if teachers say they don’t want to be part of the process, no one will force them, we would, however, have no basis to promote their senior colleagues,” he added.

    This explanation of the issue by the governor has been completely sidestepped by mischief makers who are bent on constantly stirring a storm in a teacup, with the intention of smearing the good reputation of Governor Obaseki.

    Suffice to say however that this propaganda is an effort in futility.

    The Edo people who chose Obaseki as their governor did so with deep discernment and this ability to assess peoples’ character very much resides with them. They know without doubt that Obaseki in all his actions is fighting for their best interest.

     

    Osagie is the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

     

  • PDP condemns Edo competency test for promotion

    PDP condemns Edo competency test for promotion

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the introduction of competency written test by the Edo State government for its workers before they would be promoted.

    It said Governor Godwin Obaseki was sustaining an unpopular policy of his immediate predecessor.

    The PDP rather advised the state government to cultivate the habit of organising in-house training for workers and to “stop dehumanising them in the name of competency test.”

    State chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, in a statement issued in Benin urged Governor Obaseki to take learn from former Prof. Ambrose Alli administration on content development for civil servants.

    He said, “Edo PDP condemns in strong terms the clandestine and wicked reintroduction of competency test by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    “The test itself is an illegal one as a restraining order given by the Industrial Court in 2014 against the conduct of such tests has not been vacated.

    “With this, it has shown clearly that the only thing that has changed in the Edo government house is the personality because the present government is a continuation of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s anti-people policies.

    “We challenge the state government to come out with the real motive behind the competency test as it is a common knowledge that there is more than meets the eye in the exercise.

    “Remember that Oshiomhole set up committee and wasted millions of taxpayers’ money to organise the failed test in 2014. It is shameful that just like Oshiomhole, Governor Obaseki has shown great knack for frivolities.”

    Governor Obaseki, had on Wednesday defended the conduct of the test, saying t the test was not compulsory for all teachers and that it was unfortunate that many teachers failed to understand details of the test.

    He said, “It is not competency test. It is part of strengthening the civil service. The test is part of promotion exercise. They are already competent and that is why they are working and in the service.”

  • Tackling Illegal Migration: Denmark backs Obaseki’s initiatives

    Tackling Illegal Migration: Denmark backs Obaseki’s initiatives

    …Seeks more areas of cooperation

     

    The Government of Denmark has thrown its weight behind the initiatives of Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in Edo State, conceived to stop the illegal migration of Edo people abroad.

    The Minister for Development Cooperation, Denmark, Ulla Tornaes, who was part of a delegation to Government House in Benin City on Thursday, led by the Ambassador of the country to Nigeria, Torben Gettermann, pledged her country’s readiness to collaborate with the state government in tackling illegal migration in the state.

    The visit is coming two days after Governor Obaseki set up a task force against human trafficking, which is fuelling illegal migration and few days after the governor visited the Edo State-Saro Maize Farms, an agricultural initiative of the state government for unemployed Edo youths.

    According to the Danish minister, full knowledge of the root causes of illegal migration of Edo people to Europe would enable her country to collaborate better with the Edo State Government in addressing the negative trend.

    “We want more knowledge of the root causes why people leave Africa to Europe because we know you need these people to contribute meaningfully back home. l personally believe that one of the main reasons young people leave Africa to Europe is the lack of hope for the future which is caused by lack of jobs,” she said and added that the government of Denmark was working on policies that would create jobs in Nigeria.

    The Ambassador of Denmark to Nigeria, Torben Gettermann, said the visit was to strengthen collaboration with the Edo government in different areas especially in the area of illegal migration which has become a challenge to the state government.

    In his response, Governor Obaseki commended the delegation for the visit and steps being taken by the Government of Denmark to curb illegal migration from Nigeria to Europe.

    He said his administration has identified illegal migration as a challenge and would leave no stone unturned in curbing the negative trend which has for so long tarnished the image of the state.

    He told his visitors that a home-grown task force against human trafficking was set up recently in the state to complement the efforts of the federal government in addressing illegal migration.

    Obaseki assured that his administration was committed to tackling the root causes of illegal migration through the strengthening of basic and technical education, resettling of returnees and revamping of the state economy.

    “We as a government have a role to play, and we are determined to put the right policies and structures in place to ensure that our youths feel comfortable back home rather than take dangerous routes to Europe,” the governor said.