Olumide Lawal
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has said that his administration would be fundamentally different from his predecessor, Adams Oshiomole by focusing more on governance and less politics.
Obaseki who made the disclosure at Government House in Benin on Sunday also announced cancellation of existing provision of free lunch for some groups and individuals.
The governor said, “We are going to be having more governance and less politics, so that we can move Edo forward. But I can assure you that nobody will be left out, as there is space for everybody; the young, the not-too-young and the old; we have plans for everybody.”
According to him, the decision to ban free lunch was based on his belief and principle that everyone must work to earn any benefit.
Obaseki however, pledged that the government would move the state to its desired level.
He said, “You will find out that our administration is going to be slightly different, if not radically different, from the last four years and the reason is simple. In the last four years, we had to do a lot of politics because we had to recover our state from strange people who took over.
“By the grace of God, we have recovered our state; it is now our state. In the next four years, we are going to be concentrating on what to do with our state and methods of doing it, effectively.”
According to him, there must value for everything the state has, “and so henceforth, there is no free lunch anymore; everybody must now work to earn. You must work to ‘chop.”
He expressed conviction that his cabinet would take shape at an appropriate time, when tasks and persons adequately qualified to handle them, have been identified by the government.
The Governor added, “When we have done that, then we will ask who is capable to do it. That is when we will appoint those who are going to do it. So, just give me time. One thing I can assure you is that we will only do the right thing because we know what is at stake.”
