By Kolawole Ojebisi
Barely a week to the end of his eight-year tenure, Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki has explained why his administration executed certain projects under his watch.
Obaseki, who said he is leaving office with a sense of satisfaction. He gave the explanation during a postmortem of his years in office. The governor maintained that the projects he executed transformed the critical sectors of the state, including education, healthcare, the economy, infrastructure, and job creation, among others.
Obaseki spoke while leading his Enugu State counterpart, Dr. Peter Mbah, the former governor of Sokoto State and Senator for Sokoto South Senatorial District, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, and other dignitaries to inaugurate various projects in the state.
He said: “This project is something I had to do because when I ran for governor of Edo State in 2016, we were facing existential threats. Our children didn’t want to go to school but preferred to travel for greener pastures.
“The rate of irregular migration and human trafficking was very alarming for me. At that time, over 30,000 young Edo boys and girls were in Libya, trying to cross into Europe; we had the data. You can imagine how many died on their journey.” Obaseki noted.
The governor added: “While campaigning, I promised to restore hope and did what politicians don’t usually do: I promised to create over 200,000 jobs, and by God’s grace, we have surpassed that.
“These jobs were not created by the government or the civil service; instead, we focused on developing skills and training our young boys and girls in institutions like the Benin Technical School, who just wanted hope and opportunity in life.
“When I took office on November 12th, 2016, I visited the Secretariat, and the next day, I was at the Benin Technical College. If I was to create 200,000 jobs, I needed this institution to do so. But what I saw when I arrived was heartbreaking, and I made a commitment that restoring and renovating this school would be my priority.”
“I am glad that a week before my exit from office, I can see a rebuilt technical college offering hope to thousands of young boys and girls. This is a greater joy and gift from God as I leave office feeling deeply satisfied. I came, saw the state of the college, and did my best to revamp and rehabilitate it.”
At the commissioning of an education hub, Obaseki said the facility was a testament to his administration’s revitalization of the education sector in Edo State.
The governor also named the hub after late Chief Tayo Akpata, a prominent educationist and Commissioner for Education in the old Midwest State.
He said: “Today, we are here to commission the Edo State Education Hub, a facility that summarizes what we have achieved in Edo State. When we arrived, our educational system was in disarray, but today we are leaving a well-organized education system. This hub represents that, as it embodies everything related to education.
“In this facility, we have created a hall of fame for our teachers. The entire reform in Edo’s education sector was anchored on the teacher. The EdoBEST program succeeded because we focused on teachers who, in turn, taught the children. Teachers should be at the core of any education reform.”
Among those present at the event include the state deputy governor, Marvellous Godwins Omobayo; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Osaigbovo Iyoha; commissioners; and other members of the State’s Executive Council, traditional rulers, and education stakeholders.
