Edo State Government Says They Welcome Constructive Criticism, Lists Gains in Jobs, Security, and Infrastructure

Edo State Government Says They Welcome Constructive Criticism, Lists Gains in Jobs, Security, and Infrastructure

Habiba samThe Edo State Government has declared that it welcomes constructive criticism and robust engagement from the opposition, stressing that dissenting voices help the ruling party govern better. 

Speaking at a media briefing in Benin City, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, made the position clear while outlining the administration’s achievements in civil service reform, infrastructure, security, and investment. 

Afegbua used the forum to distance the government of Governor Monday Okpebholo from a viral video credited to Emmanuel Akpan, popularly known as Egogo, a Senior Special Assistant to the governor. In the video, Egogo was heard threatening opposition parties, including the African Democratic Party, and suggesting that figures like Peter Obi would be arrested if they came into the state. 

Describing the comments as “incendiary” and “shocking,” the commissioner said Egogo’s remarks do not reflect the stance of the Okpebholo administration. “We want to disown that statement as not the position of government, but as the voice of an individual that is answerable to existing laws of the land,” he said. 

He emphasized that the governor does not condone thuggery, political intimidation, or any attempt to suppress opposition voices. “The governor does not tolerate political hegemony or any attempt to subdue or cow the opposition using subtle threats or otherwise. We welcome opposition, robust engagement, constructive engagement, and collective bargaining. Opposition helps ruling parties to think better,” Afegbua stated.

He noted that the administration’s focus remains peace, unity, and democratic engagement among all Edo citizens and residents, adding that threats and intimidation are “not our article of trade” or “thematic focus as a government.”

On governance, Afegbua said the administration had moved from promises to visible results across Edo South, Central, and North Senatorial Districts. “It is no longer rhetoric because we can point at what we are doing. They can feel it. They can see it,” he said, adding that a large majority of Edo people now score the government high.

He attributed the state’s ability to deliver projects to improved finances, driven by higher federal allocations following fuel subsidy removal and a stronger internally generated revenue system that now hovers between ₦9.5 billion and ₦10 billion monthly. “That is not magic. It is the result of our commitment to ensuring that everything that needs to be done is carried out,” he said.

In the civil service, the commissioner disclosed that over 1,000 new workers have been recruited, with more than 3,000 appointments made across ministries, departments, and agencies. He added that the government had also ended years of promotion stagnation that left some officers on the same grade for seven to eight years. “This government has ensured adequate promotion to different categories of officers,” he said.

On digital governance, Afegbua revealed that the state had replaced its old e-governance system with a new cloud-based “e-Gov” platform to cut paperwork, boost transparency, and improve service delivery across MDAs.

Highlighting infrastructure strides, he pointed to the ongoing rehabilitation of the Benin-Auchi Road, school upgrades, the completion of about 35 primary healthcare centres, and the construction of a 150-bed teaching hospital. A security camp in Uromi, designed to house soldiers and police personnel, is also nearing completion to combat kidnapping and insecurity. “When roads are clear and shoulders are well paved, drivers can see far ahead. It has reduced the incidence of kidnapping,” he explained.

The government, he said, has also invested heavily in markets, including the redevelopment of Oba Market in Benin and other major trading hubs, with assurances that traders will not be displaced.

On the investment front, Afegbua announced that the state recently signed a deal with a Chinese firm for a 10-million-metric-tonne cement production plant in Owan, expected to create jobs and stimulate economic activity. Work on the first phase, he said, will commence by the middle of next month.

He added that the administration is supporting agriculture, independent power projects, and the rollout of 100 Compressed Natural Gas buses to cut transportation costs. Of these, 50 will be deployed for free transportation across the state to cushion economic hardship.

Calling on local and foreign investors to make Edo their preferred destination, Afegbua said the state’s security architecture had seen major improvement and that vast opportunities exist in rice, cassava, palm produce, and maize farming beyond the established Okomu and Presco plantations.

He concluded that while developmental challenges are inevitable in an emerging democracy, the Okpebholo government’s hallmark has been its ability to provide tested solutions through policies and programmes that directly impact the people.