By Zika Bobby
Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state, John Mayaki said the first 100 days of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in the state has been very rewarding. He also countered the claim by the opposition that Obaseki was being monitored by former governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
It is over 100 days since the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration took over in Edo state. How has the journey been?
It has been like a whirlwind. When you work for a governor who is serious and intends to industrialise the state and even create nothing less 200,000 jobs, not to talk of providing 24-hour power supply, then, frankly speaking, you’ve got your work really cut out for you.
The governor is yet to constitute his cabinet and the opposition said that he is waiting on Oshiomohole, how true?
You see, I don’t want to dismiss anybody’s opinions as irrelevant. But when the opposition refuses to do its job constructively, then there is a problem. It is really bad for the state when the opposition cooks up falsehoods and begins to propagate it. Although we are all eager to have commissioners appointed but we also have to grapple with the dynamics of the process otherwise the outcome will not be palatable for both the government and the people. It is necessary as humans, to calm down when there is heat and pressure. You’ve heard of the aphorism ‘more haste less speed’ haven’t you? You will also have seen that when you are under pressure and in a hurry, you tend to get many things wrong and also forget many salient things.
The governor could have done it but he decided to involve party members in the selection of commissioners and board members, which is another reason the process took quite some time. He already said that anyone who wants appointment as a commissioner should apply through the party at the local government and the ward levels. This way, he has eliminated any charge of nepotism that may come up, and he has involved the party members too in the appointment process. In a couple of days, or within the week, the governor will forward names to the House of Assembly.
The opposition also accused the former governor of visiting Government House frequently in recent times, accusing him of monitoring the governor’s activities. How true is that?
Governor Adams Oshiomhole has been to the Government house two or three times. Is it not therefore a malapropism to say he has been paying frequent visits to the same Government House?
Oshiomhole has right to visit the Government House and so is any Nigerian, even you can visit and nothing would be wrong with it. However, I want to advise people not to wait on the CPS to come out with statements debunking claims by the opposition before they know that they get sometimes carried away in doing their job as the opposition. Comrade Oshiomhole has right and I think he qualifies to advise this government correctly. Governor Obaseki knows his onions. He is an intellectual; he is a ready and agile governor. Go and try him. Comrade Oshiomhole is a member of the APC and he comes to the Government House for only important issues like the last APC Caucus meeting. He is not monitoring the governor’s activities any more than you are. Anyone telling you that he comes to Government House to do vigilante over Governor Obaseki’s governance is just being troublesome and economical with the truth.
Security of lives and properties is one of the cardinal responsibilities of any administration. A former council boss, Sulaimon Afegbua was assassinated in broad daylight few days ago. What is the governor doing in this area to attract investors to the state?
I don’t know if you read the governor’s statement reacting to the news. He was absolutely furious. In the first place, that area along Benin-Auchi highway is a hot spot and the governor recently met with security chiefs in the government on how to deal with this menace. Very soon, we shall overcome that as we need not discuss security issues and strategies in the media. However, within the city, there is safety and security of lives and properties. Edo state is still the safest state in the geo-political zone.
In the area of attracting investors, we all would soon begin to see the result of the few trips the governor embarked upon recently. We visited Okpella and Auchi a couple of weeks ago in the company of investors over fertilizer. We visited Illushin over massive rice production with investors. We visited Amahor. We’ve signed power agreement with Siemens. We’ve set up a committee on Gelegele, among others. By the time all these programmes, initiatives and policies translate into reality – such as employment, youth development, tourism and agriculture, Edo people will become so busy that they will be the ones calling for a rest.
The governor promised to create 200,000 jobs after four years. How much of this has been achieved in the last 100 days?
In the last 100 days, I can assure you that the template has been set and the rest will come into place like a chain reaction. Already, people are registering on an online portal for the Edo jobs programme. Those that would become agripreneurs cannot do it alone, so they will have to employ more people. In fact, as far as agriculture is concerned, such as rice and maize farming, piggery, among others, you will begin to see the manifestation of the groundwork the governor has laid very soon.
What is the government doing in the area of youth engagement to make them productive to the society?
What the government is doing is very clear. The economy is in a delicate situation and the only way to thrive in it is to be productive. Now, we already have a glut in the labour market for those who want to sit at a desk and work. Meanwhile, food production is suffering. Technology is suffering too.That is why Governor Obaseki brought up the ‘Edo Jobs’ scheme. The idea is to let the government first know those that need jobs and in what areas that they need jobs.