Obaseki, Most Misunderstood Governor In Nigeria – Aziegbemi

…says Edo govt intend to train 15,000 software engineers to generate programmes for Google, Others

…Obaseki deserves commendation from Edo people

By Simeon OSAJIE

Edo State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Tony Aziegbemi has said that Mr. Godwin Obaseki is the most misunderstood governor in Nigeria but has done the most for a state, for its citizens that any other governors in this country and lauded the governor-led administration in the State for delivery on its promises to the people.

Dr. Aziegbemi who disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Benin City, Edo State capital listed some of the people-oriented programmes of the administration to include Education Reforms, Health and Technology hub where youths are trained on soft wares engineering.

According to him, “in the next five years, we are going to have 15,000 trained software engineers that would generate programmes for companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple and others.”

Further, Dr. Aziegbemi opined that he is saying this not because he is the state chairman of the PDP, but because he (Governor Obaseki) is the one that has done the most for a state, for its citizens that any other governors in this country.

“The Obaseki phenomenon is about hard work, is about thinking through processe;, is about keeping the people’s welfare and wellbeing at the call of whatever you are doing. All the projects executed by Governor Obaseki-led administration; is not just doing it or he has to do it, he is doing it because of the people because of the five million Edolites in this state.

“For instance, why would he for the first time in this country a state government is generating 55 Megawatt of electricity for its citizens. That is the best in this state, that the Ossiomo Power Plant.  It might interest you to know that that is where the Obaseki phenomenon comes in. One naira of the state government is not in that project. He leveraged on what we have to get investors to put in that project in place. What he did was to guarantee was to purchase a specific number of megawatt from them for them to know that they can invest in the project. Tell me which other state governor have done that.

“We all know the important of electricity. Yes, the common Edo man in my village for instance will say, ‘yes, he has built Ossiomo power plant, how is that benefitting me’. It is benefitting me in my village and people in my village in more than one way. What power plant would do or is doing is to allow businesses to use power 24/7.

“The Edo State civil service secretariat is on that power plant, a lot of businesses around Benin metropolis are under the power plant. And I have meant a few people, people runs hospitals and have attested to the fact that since they be on that power plant, their diesel expenditure from about a million a month has come down to a hundred and fifty, two hundred thousand naira. That is a lot. So, what does that do; is to allow the businesses to make more money for themselves, pay more taxes and those taxes would not be used for the benefit of the Edo people even in my village.

Explaining further, the former Federal House of Representatives member said: “also, the Edo Tech Park is the best again in this country where you have in the next five years, we are going to have at least 15,000 trained engineers in software engineering. Those young talents would be in Benin here, in their scope and general platforms, generate programmes for big companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc. and make a lot of money for themselves and for their families. All of that is happening in this state, and who again is at the centre that the governor is thinking about is the people, the young talents that we have in abundance in this state.

“Another legacy project of the Obaseki government is the EdoBest. The EdoBest programme has been adjudged to be the bedrock of this administration, because the governor knew from the beginning that we have a lot of migration starting from Edo State of the young ones, because the education system was almost collapsing, and instead of starting from the top, he said, let’s start from the beginning, lets draw this people – the Edo State people out of that firing line, trying to cross through Libya to Europe for greener pastures which of course is not there.

“Edo State was the only sub-national that was invited when the UN had a summit in New York recently. Edo State was the only sub-national that was invited when in South-Korea, held a Smart City Conference which included seminars and workshops.

“It is only Edo State governor that have had editorial written on him by the prestigious Financial Times by BusinessDay in this country and even gave him an award, even by Vanguard Newspapers. These are all testimony to the fact that people see and acknowledged and agreed that the Obaseki phenomenon is working in Edo State.

“Another legacy project is the Modula Refineries that are already working. Again is a first in the country. We all know the number of jobs being created from the Modula refineries. And of course, we cannot but acknowledge the fact that is only in Edo State that you have free internet service working around selected areas in Benin City. I am sure you will attest to the fact that there is no other state in this country that has being able to achieved that feat. Of course, we all know were those selected areas are; the Airport Road, Sapele Road, Limit Road, Ring Road and most areas in the Government Reserved Area (GRA). Of course, we admit that the free internet service is not covering everywhere yet, but any body will tell you that a thousand miles have to make the best step.

“And of course, Edo State is the only state before September this year (2023), all the 18 local government council headquarters would be connected so that at the local government council headquarters primary health centre will be connected so that people can access the internet, and of course you all will agree that information is keen going forward.

“This are view of the many many projects that are people oriented, people centered projects that has been done by this Obaseki-led administration in Edo State.”

The Edo State PDP, Dr. Aziegbemi then congratulated Muslim across the nation on the celebration of Eid Mubarak and opined that what the festival connotes for us is about be patient with one another, patient with yourself, patient with the system and employ the Muslim and the non-Muslim alike to  imbibe  the spirit of patient.

The leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has commended President Bola Tinubu for its decision to remove subsidy from Petrol and free-float the Naira currency.

The party said: “the two economic policies were spot on. And it’s the best way to go round the economy that have been grounded.

Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi who disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Benin City also said: “those two economic policies alone will give us in excess of #2 trillion”.

He however cautioned that the  palliatives that would be ditched out- arising from the subsidies removal would determine the success of the economic policies, adding, “because I know the average Nigerian is hit”.

On why he is commending an opposition-led federal government, Aziegbemi said: “it’s the paradigm shift in policies that we are bringing onboard in the PDP.

“I am an economist. So, when I see good economic policies from a distance, I will know.

Similarly, the party chairman lauded governor Godwin Obaseki-led PDP administration in Edo State for delivery on its promises to the people.

He listed some of the people-oriented programmes of the administration to include Education reforms, health and technology hub where youths are trained on soft wares engineering.

According to him, “in the next five years, we are going to have 15,000 trained software engineers that would generate programmes for companies like Google and others”.