According to Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, his administration has evicted non-state actors and restored transparency in governance as well as sanity in public spaces through subtle changes to taxation and land management.
In a press conference with journalists in Benin City, the governor noted that these non-state actors are upset that the government has changed the rules from the previous system because his administration has chosen to serve the needs of the many rather than the interests of the few.
“As for the issue of non-state actors collecting income, it took a while and we saw how it played out even in my reelection. What has happened is that we have been able to transform Edo State from one that mostly relied on revenue from Abuja to one that is attractive for businesses,” he said.
“We have reduced the excesses of non-state actors, who had previously caused immense pain for the people, through a combination of reforms in revenue collection and land management. So that there is sanity in public spaces and transparency and predictability in land transactions, we have removed touts from our roadways and are battling land-grabbers.
Obaseki announced plans for the Edo people in 2023 and said, “This year, we will maintain our emphasis on developing our youthful population’s capacity to obtain quality jobs in sectors including agriculture, health services, and technology. Hence The Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi will enroll its first class of students before September this year, while The Edo State School of Health Technology will be renovated to meet international standards, just like we did with our School of Nursing Sciences.
“Several prospects in the state’s agricultural sector, including the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), our initiatives to convert cassava into ethanol, forestry plantations, and poultry production, are currently creating a significant number of jobs. Our Gross Domestic Product will be strongly impacted by these and many more sectors.