December 02, (THEWILL) – Since taking over the reins of governance in Edo State on November 12, 2024 Governor Monday Okpebholo has moved with speed to make his first one hundred days in office impactful. After the initial politicking about probing his predecessor Godwin Obaseki and setting up a committee for that purpose, recovered vehicles from some staff of the past administration, he has set his eyes on establishing his administration on a sound footing.
The first of such measures he has taken is to keep the civil service, the engine that delivers policies to the grassroots, prepared for the great of task of governance ahead.
Last week, he approved automatic employment for First Class graduates of Edo State extraction from any university in Nigeria and overseas as part of measures to boost the quality of manpower in the state civil service.
The Governor also approved the payment of the “13th month” salary for workers in State civil service.
Edo State Head of Service (HOS), Dr Anthony Okungbowa, who announced this in a statement at the weekend, said the Graduate Development Programme (GDP) is targeted to ensure quality manpower is brought into the system for effective and efficient service delivery that will enhance growth and development.
“It is not just bringing them in, but also retaining them because retaining them is one of the major challenges facing the programme”, Okungbowa said, adding that the governor urged all First Class graduates from the state to come over for automatic employment.
“We are looking at the younger graduates from 2020, but Mr Governor may extend that. We are happy about this and appreciate the Governor because, through this, the service will have quality talents in the system.
“For everyone in that programme, they are moved round various Ministries, Departments and Agencies and plans are also on to move them to the private sector to gather more experiences after which they bring will such experiences to bear, to improve the system, to contribute to the development of the state”, Okungbowa said in the statement issued by Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
The governor has lifted the suspension imposed on the Edo State Security Corps in September 2024.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had banned the operation of the corps ahead of the Sept. 21, 2024, Gubernatorial Election. However, on Friday Musa Ikhilor, Secretary to the State Government, Musa Ikhilor said the suspension of the ban was aimed at bolstering the security apparatus and ensuring the safety of Edo residents.
Ikhilor said, “The decision made by Governor Okpebholo, marks a comprehensive shift in the state’s quest for enhanced safety and security. The suspension was initiated by the Inspector General of Police ahead of the Sept. 21, 2024 Gubernatorial Election.
“The suspension was based on the constitutional stipulation that election security is the sole responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, although it can be assisted by other sister agencies within the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.
“However, with the successful conduct of the goernorship election, the Edo State Government has deemed it necessary to reinstate the security corps. All returning officers are required to report to the office of the State Corps Commander or the three zonal offices of the Corps. This directive aims to ensure a seamless transition and the effective deployment of the security corps.”
Some of the governor’s marching orders are however stirring controversy. For example, his criticism of former governor Obaseki inauguration of Stella Obasanjo Hospital on Sapele Road, Benin- City as “a sham,” attracted swift reaction from aides of his predecessor.
Media Adviser to Obaseki, Cruseo Osagie declared the governor’s criticism as false and part of a clandestine plan to dodge payment of the contractors who executed the project.
According to Governor Okpebholo, “After inspecting the facilities, it is clear that nothing was done here by the Obaseki-led administration as they just painted the building and fixed air conditioners to deceive the people to think the building was completed. I don’t know what Obaseki and the PDP government did.
“This is a sham. Construction was ongoing when he commissioned the building. This is unacceptable. It is unfair. It is cheating the Edo people. We will come back again to talk with the contractor and see how to commission it for Edo people.”
Dr Oshiomhole who took the Okpebhole round the hospital facilities, said the contractor has a lot of explanation to make regarding the project.
“His Excellency has gone around to see the work and we have a lot of talking to do with the consultant and contractor because we thought that by now, the work would have been almost ready.”
But Cruseo thinks otherwise, “At the end of the Obaseki-administration, the former governor left about N30 billion in the government’s coffers. These funds are more than sufficient to pay off these contractors and meet all other immediate State obligations but the Okpebholo-led government is dodging the payment of the contractors.”
He said the claim that the Stella Obasanjo Hospital is not completed is a blatant lie that must be challenged by all well-meaning Edo people. According to him, the hospital is made up of two main sections: the Outpatient Department (OPD) and the Inpatient Department (IPD). “For the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was commissioned by the immediate past governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the outpatient and inpatient departments have been completed, fully equipped, and ready for operation.
“In fact, an agreement has been signed between the State Government and a management company to operate the hospital due to the sophistication of the equipment installed. The agreement also involves training civil servants in the health sector and giving them the necessary skills to handle the hospital’s advanced technologies.
He admitted that the only buildings that are still under construction within the contiguous areas of the vast Stella Obasanjo Hospital compound are the mortuary building and the administrative buildings meant to serve as a medical hub that would house everything related to healthcare in Edo.
He called on the governor to visit the outpatient and inpatient departments to see things for himself.
Okpebholo announced suspension of the e-governance platform, citing concerns over its control by “unknown non-state actors” from the backend, leaving civil service officials without administrative oversight, has also come for assessment.
The governor had ordered an immediate review but instructed ministries, departments, and agencies to continue using the system pending the review’s conclusion.
But former governor Obaseki emphasised the importance of continuity in governance, warning that dismantling functional systems would undermine progress.
Warning that these new measures would disrupt the Internally Generated Revenue status of the state, which had recorded a 370 percent growth in the last eight years from N23.64bn in 2016 to N67.29bn in the third quarter of 2024, Osagie noted that failure to deploy technology, is what is now being threatened by the Okpebholo-led administration’s measures.
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