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After two years: Edo once had a good story to tell
By John Ewah
We reflect today on the transformative years of former Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in Edo State.
It has been two years since Monday Okpebholo assumed office as Governor, and nothing but the discordant tunes of praise singers permeate the crevices of our eardrums daily.
The collective resilience and determination of Edo people cannot be eclipsed by a government whose lack of direction is only rivaled by its affinity to draw insight from the mundane.
The Edo Story was re-written under the Obaseki-led administration. Through well-tailored policies, interventions and reforms, Edo became a sociopolitical attraction, featuring in global discussions as an exemplar for nations and sub-nationals.
Obaseki’s public service reforms and tech innovations placed the state at the vanguard of e-governance, e-procurement, digital infrastructures and ICT adoption in Nigeria.
The civil service secretariat was reconstructed and rehabilitated to global standards, housing a public service which emphasized a continuous and informed learning culture through the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA).
The Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) initiative gained global recognition, with other national and sub-national governments coming to take cues from Edo.
Benin Technical College was upgraded with cutting-edge facilities to boost technical and vocational education and address unemployment concerns.
The Ministry of Education in Iyaro, Benin City, was developed and reconstructed into an education hub, designed to house all departments and agencies of education, aimed at creating a supportive ecosystem.
Obaseki’s healthcare interventions saw to the upgrade of primary health centers across the 18 local government areas of the state, and the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EdoHIS) saw over 300,000 enrollees, resulting in affordable healthcare for citizens and residents.
The Edo State Emergency Medical Services (EdoEMS) and the Integrated Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHOEC) were established to offer round-the-clock emergency medical assistance and facilitate early disease detection, respectively.
The Obaseki administration reconstructed and resuscitated the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences and the Edo State College of Health Sciences and Technology to world-class standards, while also expanding the Stella Obasanjo Hospital into a health hub, designed to house at least 12 departments and provide healthcare services across various strata of the health ecosystem.
The administration ran the most ambitious oil palm program on the continent, the Edo State Oil Palm Program (ESOPP), with over 100,000 hectares of land cultivated with oil palm, attracting over $500 million investments into the state.
It constructed an agric hub to house the Ministry of Agriculture and other allied agencies, while also rebuilding the Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguorhiakhi into a foremost agric college in the country.
The administration recorded the offshoot of two modular refineries, three ethanol plants and the Ossiomo power plant. It established the Edo Innovation Hub (EdoJobs) to upskill youths with digital skills and provide them with employment opportunities, while also setting up a tech park to equip youths with advanced software engineering training, computer skills and nurture start-up entrepreneurs.
The Edo production Center was set up to create a thriving environment for MSMEs, while numerous retail outlets, like Market Square, Ford Mart, Domino Plaza and the Benin City Mall, which houses ShopRite and other business outlets, sprang up at the city center.
The Obaseki-led administration constructed the ultra modern Benin City Central Park and reformed the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA) to provide sanity in traffic management and control, while also establishing a computerized Vehicle Inspection Centre in the state capital.
The upgrade of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to a 12,000-capacity covered arena, with other state-of-the-art facilities was carried out by Obaseki.
The administration created a cultural district, constructed a physical planning hub, facilitated the establishment of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) Edo, to ensure social integration, economic development and the regeneration of urban areas. The Emotan Garden Estate project and other housing interventions, bridged the housing deficit in Edo.
The former Governor deployed contemporary solutions to address security issues in the state by establishing the advanced Command and Control Center and the Edo State Security Network, made up of the Edo State Vigilante Network and other security agencies.
It built and handed over a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Ehor to the Nigerian Army, and also constructed an ultra-modern marine police base, with a pedestrian jetty and waiting lounge, accompanied by armoured guns and speed boats, to boost both maritime and terrestrial security.
The list of Obaseki’s developmental interventions is endless. The Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub and Sound Stage was established to develop talents in youngsters and upcoming artistes,
the state-owned television station, Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) was upgraded with a new administrative building and cutting-edge gears, while a brand new edifice was built for the state-owned newspaper, the Nigerian Observer, with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
The administration saw to the construction and rehabilitation of numerous road networks across the state, spanning over 1300 kilometers, while its street lighting project brought night life back to the city center, boosting security and the state’s economy.
Truly, Edo once had a glorious story to tell. What is the current state of these notable interventions today? Were they sustained by the Okpebholo-led administration or did they become innocent victims of political witch-hunt by the current administration, just after two years of succession? Your guess is as good as mine.
Pictorial: Below is a pictorial display of some of Obaseki’s interventions in Edo
