The Nation Newspaper

Tag: technocrat

  • Obaseki: The technocrat on the saddle in Edo adds another year

    Governor Godwin Obaseki’s emergence as the new political leader in Edo State, was the product of a deliberate and intense search for someone who is conversant with the issues of development; inclusive socio-economic growth anchored on industrialisation, and someone who can enthrone a sturdy and sane political order; people-centred and reforms-oriented governance propelled by the Rule of Law.

    Rare as the combination seemed, the lot fell on the investment banker cum politician given his flair for clear-cut strategies in delivering on assigned tasks and a knack for best practice.

    With an illustrious career built in boardrooms and solidified in shopping for Nigeria-bound investments across the globe, Obaseki comes off as the result-focused industrialist, who goes into investment negotiations with clinical finesse, armed to the teeth with raw data and guarantees as well as a deep understanding of the sanctity of contracts.

    A team player

    On assumption of duty, the governor assembled a team of mainly technocrats with clear tasks and performance evaluation framework that will measure periodically, input, output and outcomes.

    Obaseki’s solutions ecosystem

    His close aides attest to his systems approach and orientation to issues and problems, which begins with defining a problem, designing and developing system solutions, with attendant models for evaluation.

    The designed and tested solutions are set in legislation templates and transmitted as bills for enduring laws, to the legislature.

    Development experts contend that the lack of depth and policy short-termism account in part, for policy failures in developing countries.

    Governor Obaseki would rather create a network of related issues to a problem and proffer myriad of sustainable solution options for tackling the problems.

    Creating an ecosystem of sustainable solution options to problems cannot happen in one day, which explains his disposition to engagement with experts and other stakeholders, to ensure everyone is on the same page.

    Alaghodaro investment summit

    Obaseki’s predisposition to development models anchored on well researched ideas gave birth to the first edition of the Alaghodaro Investment Summit, which brought together subject matter experts who converged on Benin City from November 10-12, 2017, to chart a better future for Edo people and residents in the state, with the theme, “Envisioning the Future.”

    The three-day investment summit took the place of a one-year anniversary funfair that would have cost the state millions of naira, at a time the country was struggling to come out of a recession.

    The governor assembled local and international investors and business leaders, bankers, policymakers, lawyers, the academia, industry experts and members of the diplomatic community for a three-day idea incubation session, covering agriculture, manufacturing, culture and tourism, civil service reforms, forest regeneration, education and healthcare.

    A prudent manager of men and resources

    Governor Obaseki took over the reins of power at a time the Nigerian economy was neck-deep in the worst recession the nation has witnessed in decades.

    His expertise in the frugal application of scarce resources was called to task. At a time most states in the country, including the supposed rich states, were owing salaries, the Edo State government under his watch was up to date in salary payment. Civil servants received their salaries regularly before the end of each month.

    From the early days as the Chairman, State Economic Team, under former governor Adams Oshiomhole, Obaseki had developed an acute understanding of the developmental needs of Edo State, perfected which holes to plug for the state’s economic resurgence and when duty called, he wasted no time in providing a clear direction for his team.

    He sounded a note of warning to all government officials, including civil servants, that there would be no room for frivolous spending of the state’s resources.

    Specifically, the governor migrated revenue collection from analogue to digital platform to ensure transparency in the revenue collection process, embarked on the reform of the education, health, sports, justice sectors and began the retooling and retraining of civil servants.

    He has been nicknamed the ‘Wake and See Governor’ by Edo people and residents in the state, who are overwhelmed by the ease with which developmental projects spring up in their neighbourhoods.

    Investment/ industrialisation drive

    From his close study of the state, he understands that the state possessed several strategic assets that make it an investor’s delight.

    He had deployed this skill in brokering for investment for the globally-acclaimed, record-setting 450MW capacity Edo Azura Independent Power Project (IPP), among others.

    More so, the industrialisation plan pursued by the Edo State Government is quite grand and encompasses a wide range of strategically connected projects, namely; the Benin Industrial Park project that will host over 1000 companies; the 1800 housing-unit Emotan Garden project; the Benin River Port in Gelegele, which will serve as the gateway for  evacuating products manufactured in the industrial park; an auto assembly plant; a modular refinery and pockets of innovation hubs that will be scattered across the state, amongst other projects. On completion, these projects will not only see to the rise of the state as an economic hub, but as a cynosure of all those seeking to make an industrial city from what used to be a largely civil servants’ state.

    The most intriguing part of Obaseki’s numerous conceptions, is the nexus between one project and the other. Edo State currently has a community of related projects, in which the main or bye product of one project is useful to the other project (s).

    To illustrate, the 1800 housing-unit Emotan Garden project will source cement, sand, steel, tiles from companies that are located in Edo State. The demand for these building materials will impact positively on the scale of these companies whose managers will hire more Edo youths to produce to scale and meet the demand of the housing estate.

    This interconnection has also been factored into the ongoing repositioning of the colleges of agriculture in the state, which will train young graduates for the numerous large scale farms in the state.

    In same way, the Benin River Port is the link to the international market for companies that will operate from the Benin Industrial Park.

     Education

    The governor’s penchant for technology-driven systems has also found expression in the state’s education sector, where tech-based teaching method has been adopted in public schools.

    The reigning Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) initiative, is winning hearts and minds of Edo people, most of whom have begun withdrawing their wards and pupils from private schools and moving them to public schools where information and communication technology tools such as minicomputers are now being used for teaching.

    Edo-BEST is a basic education reform blueprint that prioritises the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in teaching, as well as harmonises teaching and learning outcomes across locations and promotes interactive classroom management model, among others.

    Barely 18 months in office as the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has demonstrated that governance is about deep and strategic thinking, as well as the execution of people-centred projects that will enhance their wellbeing.

    Keen watchers of developments in Edo would agree that Governor Obaseki deserves accolades for the clearheaded leadership he has provided in Edo State, amid a very turbulent economy, particularly, as he adds another year today.

    Even though in his modesty, he is the last person to pay attention to accolades and praises, it would almost be a crime against nature to allow this day pass without wishing him a  very happy birthday.

    • Osagie is the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to the Edo State Governor.
  • Coalition backs technocrat for House of Reps

    Coalition backs technocrat for House of Reps

    A coalition of over 20 women societies and groups, under the aegis of the National Association of Isiala Ngwa Progressive Women, has endorsed Lady Blessing Nwokonneya for the Isiala Ngwa Federal Constituency seat in next year’s election.

    It made the call in a communiqué by its National President Chief Anastesia Ukomadu, and National Secretary Lady Adaku Erondu, issued at the end of its enlarged town hall meeting held in Omoba, the capital of Isiala Ngwa South council of Abia State.

    The coalition said the call on Lady Nwokonneya to run for the office was in consideration of her track record, commitment to the people’s welfare, wealth of experience and confidence in her capacity to offer a first class representation in the House of Representatives.

    Lady Nwokonneya is a financial management specialist and professional banker with many years of experience. She has also won several awards of excellence.

    The communiqué said: “Given her background, exposure, quality experience, rich network and commitment to the good of our people, Lady Nwokonneya will no doubt offer the people of Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency a quality and purposeful representation that has never been seen before.”

    The groups urged Lady Nwokonneya, a woman leader of Isiala Ngwa residents in Abuja and Lady of Knights of Mulumba, to stand up and be counted and urged stakeholders to support the candidature of Lady Nwokonneya to lift the constituency’s socio-economic life.

  • ‘Why a technocrat should succeed Oshiomhole’

    ‘Why a technocrat should succeed Oshiomhole’

    Osamede Umweni is the Coordinator, ‘Edo Professionals,’ a group advocating for good governance in Edo State. He spoke with reporters in Lagos on the succession battle in the Southsouth. Excerpts.

    What are the factors that will shape the next governorship election in Edo State?

    I will say that the factors are subjective to each individual in the state. What I will are the factors, to me, are good governance and a capable successor to the outgoing governor.

    We have men, who are angling to become the governor of the state.

    We need someone who wants the good of the state and who is ready to move the state to the next level. Someone who is not selfish but patriotic. These are the factors that will shape the election in a few months from now.

    What are the qualities you expect from Oshiomhole’s successor?

    First, Oshiomhole has done well. If you want to measure him, I think he has passed. The next occupier of that office is someone who will surpass the foundation already laid in Edo State because governance is a continuous process. So, we need a pragmatic leader, a successful individual, who had excelled in his chosen field. One who has track record that can take the state to the next level. We do not need a failure as the next governor.

    There are speculations that Godwin Obaseki is the adopted candidate of the governor, which has left to a cold war between the governor and his deputy. What is your take?

    If a governor, who has been in the saddle for eight years, who looks at his achievement, he would want a successor that I prove on those achievements. As it is, Oshiomhole has not come, publicly to say he is supporting an aspirant. Oshiomhole, as a governor and individual has a right to support any aspirant to be governor, but it depends on the electorate to decide whether or not they want such an individual as their governor.

    Concerning Godwin Obaseki, he is the aspirant that I am rooting for. I have known him for 16 years now. In the course of our dissection, I could see the zeal and passion in him when I was discussing the Edo Project with. When he was made chsirmN of the economic team of Edo state, I felt that it was a good development. He has been successful in his professional life and he has been able to bring in revenues for the state and also helped in managing the state resources efficiently. When he decided to throw his hat into the ring, I felt it would be good to support his ambition. I know he has what it takes to move the state forward from where Oshiomhole has stopped. I think he is the best.

    Are  you not worried that this may affect the APC’s chances during the election, if the feud is not resolved?

    I am not worried because the APC is the ruling party. The various aspirants are going round the state meeting with delegates and leaders of the party ahead of the primary. As soon as the primary is conducted, the candidate will emerge and everyone will fall in line. I believe that the primary will be free and fair but all that is happening is politics. In the coming weeks, everything will be stabilized.

    What is the position of Edo Professionals regarding the elections?

    Edo Professionals is a non partisan body, which is formed for the advancement of our professional life and people in the state. The organisation was formed to chart a good course for ourselves and for our people.,it is basically a non partisan group, and not political group.

    Does that mean that this group is not averse to the emergence of a PDP governor, who can build on the legacies of the governor?

    As the coordinator of the group, I only have one vote but members are free to support any candidate of their choice. On the long run, the people of the state, who are the electorate, will be the ones will determine the next governor of Edo State.

    Why are you rooting for a technocrat to succeed the governor?

    I have noticed that states that have professional politicians in Nigeria do not fair well in governance. They hardly work for the people. What they do is to satisfy their personal interest. We keep saying that there is looting of the treasury, it is because we have professional politicians at the helm of affairs. When you have a sound technocrat at the helm of affair, he rejigs the state and makes it better for the people. We need someone who is successful in his profession to add value to the state.

    What are the legacies of Oshiomhole which has become a legacy that must be defended by the next governor?

    I am sure that if you have been in Benin city some eight years ago you would have wept by the state of the roads in that state. We had an administration for eight years but there was no meaningful progress in that state. There was nothing to talk about then in Edo state. In areas of infrastructure, there was nothing on ground, the monthly allocation from the federation account, was shared among private individuals. But now, Edo State is a state that has received transformation, salaries are being paid as at when due, pension are being paid.

    I can see see transformation in Edo State. The state has been able to raise the internal revenue. The governor has raised our financial base to a good level, infrastructures are all over the state. To me, he has performed compared to the past PDP administration.

  • ‘Edo needs technocrat as governor’

    ‘Edo needs technocrat as governor’

    Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Clement Ugbikile, in this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, explains why the party should field a technocrat as candidate for governorship election. 

    How would you assess the preparation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Edo governorship election?

    It is going to be a landslide victory for the APC in the coming election. If you look at the last election held in the state, with the money at the disposal of the PDP, it would be right to say the APC gave a good account of itself. The party won with more than two third in the Edo State House of Assembly and left only three or four seats for the PDP. If you use that as a yardstick to analyse the next election, it will be a victory for the APC. Now, you will say the PDP won the senatorial election in two places. That has to do with the kind of voters we have in Edo State. That election was done along with that of the Presidency. The voters thought that former President Goodluck Jonathan would win the election. They thought that everything would favour the PDP. That was why we lost some of the senatorial seats in the state and also some seats in the House of Representatives. But, immediately that election was over, and they discovered that the PDP did not win the Presidency, they had to re-strategize. Given that the next election was going to be the House of Assembly, they had to rally round the comrade governor. It was being speculated that, if the PDP won the majority in the House, they were going to impeach the governor. The Edo State voters are often appreciative any good done to them. They were appreciative of what Governor Adams Oshiomhole had done. That was why they voted for the APC in the last election. It was a landslide for the APC. My prediction this time around is that the governorship election is going to be a landslide for the APC. The issue is, who are the people coming up for the election? On the side of the PDP, they have many candidates, but three foremost are Prince Solomon Edebiri, Matthew Iduoriyekenwen, Osaro Onaiwu and Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu. Among these people, only Ize-Iyamu looks the most potent of them. He has been preparing for it long ago. I assume that he is going to be the candidate of the PDP. Any person who emerged from that camp will square it up with the candidate of the APC.

    The speculation is that the governor has an annointed candidate…

    When Oshiomhole said he was supporting a candidate, he did not say I will not provide a level playing ground for the aspirants. In fact, I have read what he said at a meeting for all the leaders of APC in Edo State. He said it would be foolish of him, your governor about to vacate office, not to have sympathy for one of my children, who is aspiring to replace me. A leader who is leaving a position and is not thinking of somebody to replace him is not a good leader. He said if I had my way or if the constitution had allowed it, I would have said this is the governor. But, the APC constitution does not allow it. The constitution does not equally bar him from saying this is my preferred candidate. So, what he has said is that this is my preference. Why the governor said so, is that he works with many people under him both in government and outside the government. And from his experience, he believes that certain person will be a better governor. But who are those people that are actually aspiring to replace him? I can assure you that my analysis of who they present will see the light of the day. In APC there are so many candidates, they have one Godwin Obaseki, Deputy Governor Pius Odubu, Dr. Chris Ogemwonyi, General Charles Airhiavbere, Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbo ect. There are other people, but we are just using this as a basis for our analysis. These are the top contenders. If the rumour going about that Oshiomhole support is for Obaseki, I think it is in order. Obaseki is not a politician. He is more of an economist, otherwise a technocrat. From behind, he was the head of the economic team advising the governor from time to time on the policies that he should pursued for the good of Edo State. And because of the situation in the country which is looking gloomy then the successor must have the economic wherewithal.  If it was gloomy last year, it is going to much gloomy this year. In the past, our governors go to Abuja to collect Edo State allocation and begin to distribute. If you could make money internally good for you, if not, there was no problem because Nigeria had lots of money then. It was no issue because any fool could be a governor because you had the money that comes from Abuja. The situation has changed because Nigeria is a mono economy state. That means that we rely solely on oil for revenue. Now oil revenue has dwindled, it takes an economist to draw a good plan. We are not even too sure that it is not going to slide further. This has some adverse effects on how much we will be able to get from Abuja. The governor that Edo State like other states need is the governor that can think. They must reflect on how they can get revenue to run the state. Assuming no money is coming from the federal allocation, the person must be capable of doing what an economist should do. This is certainly the job of an economist. He will sit down and analyze all the variables and come to the conclusion that he is not going to rely on the money that comes from the federal allocation. This requires somebody who is very vast on the economy of the state.

    The Benin monarch plays a major role in the emergence of the governor. Will the governor’s candidate get the palace’s support?

    I respect the Edo traditional order in great deal, the Oba of Benin is highly revered monarch. But, there is a different between tradition and politics. By law, the traditional rulers are not supposed to meddle into politics, but that is only theoretical. The Oba too is interested in somebody who will govern his state creditably well. The rumour making the round that Obaseki will not get the support of the Oba because of what happened many decades ago cannot be true. The rift in both families happened during the period of the great-grandfather, during the Oba Ovonramwen’s time. Assuming that the great-grand-father offended, which may not be true, why would you visit that on the son? I am aware of members of the Obaseki family that are holding position in the Oba of Benin Palace.