After enduring 8 years of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s reign as Governor of Edo State, Edo People were a little bit hopeful knowing that a technocrat, Godwin Obaseki has been handed over the mantle of leadership in Edo State pending the Court Cases.
Fast-forward 6 months after he was sworn in as the fifth civil Governor of Edo State, more like Mr. President, our technocrat governor is yet appoint Commissioners, even though one would have expected him to have assembled his team soon after he had won the Edo State gubernatorial election.
There is no gain saying that Nigeria is still battling to come out of the economic recession brought upon us by the APC led government, hence it is only proper for state governors to cut cost of governance.
Surprisingly, Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki recently announced the appointment of 192 Special Assistants. Like for real, 192 Special Assistants! who does that? only Politicians and definitely not a true technocrats. Truly recession is just a word.
Edo State is more or less a Civil Servant State with no standard industry if any at all and as such one would have expected His Excellency, Governor Obaseki priority to be, building of industries or possibly encourage private individuals to do so through government friendly policies, provision of quality education, standard and affordable health care facilities as well as security of lives and properties. All these should be Governor Obaseki immediate priority and not 192 Special Assistants
Governor Obaseki must be wary of people hailing the appointment of 192 Special Assistants, especially the online noise makers and self-acclaimed media consultants unleashing poisonous saliva on social media all in the quest to please those in government house thereby doing more harm to his government.
Fact is, the appointment of over 192 Special Assistants is a misplaced priority as it will further increase the recurrent expenditure of this government considering our IGR, thereby reducing capital expenditure, and this, unlike an average Nigerian Politician shouldn’t be tolerated in a government under the leadership of a technocrats where cost of governance as well as recurrent expenditure ought to be reduced drastically.
Governor Obaseki should please not in a bid to please some political associates and party faithful engage in unnecessary political appointments that may likely put the State in a tight corner where paying Salaries becomes difficult.
Lest we forget, we still have local government Chairmen as well as Councillors that work directly with the people at the grass root level, so where then will these 192 special assistants fit in or is this government encouraging duplication of duties and thereby wasting taxpayers money unnecessarily ?
How many Teachers, Librarians, Laboratory Attendants, Doctors, Nurses, Laboratory Technicians has Governor Obaseki employed yet?
Instead of the 192 Special Assistants, Governor Obaseki should as a matter of urgency declare a total state of emergency in our Educational, Health, Security as well as the Employment sector by employing qualified as well as well-trained Medical Personnel, Teachers, graduates, skilled and unskilled people in all sectors of the government as this will have a direct positive impact on the lives of Edo people.
God Bless The Good People Of Edo State.
Simeon Iyoha tweets from @simmeonii
Email: simeoniyoha@yahoo.com
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