BENIN CITY: Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki has disclosed that Edo State government house is not a bank, or where you make money but a place to serve the people.
Governor Obaseki made the disclosure while receiving All Progressive Congress (APC) Women leaders in Edo state who paid her a courtesy visit in government house yesterday in Benin City, the Edo state capital.
He said he does not have money to give to anybody; the money in his administration is met to work for the people of the state. “I don’t have money to give to anybody, the money I have is to work for the people of the state. I can create money based on my experience as an investment banker, I can organize things to work but people must be ready to work.
Obaseki said the focus of his campaign is to create jobs for the people of the state and to do that the government must create the enabling environment that would encourage investors to come and invest in the state.
“The message I am sending to the people I am going to appoint is that government house is not a bank, it is not where you come and make money but a place you come to serve the people. Anybody who comes in and he is caught trying to make money and we find out, I will jail the person. We don’t have enough, in the past when we use to get a lot of money from oil yes we can waste but not now”.
Governor Obaseki said as a government, politics should be run differently from the way it used to be as it should not be that of sharing but building and developing the state. “We can’t continue to play politics the way we use to; politics of money, politics of sharing. It is not possible; we don’t even have anything to share again. Our politics should be that of building and in the process of building the best partners you can have will be women”.
He said his coming on board as the governor of Edo State is the doing of God and not of any man. “For God to elevate me to this office he has a reason and has a purpose. He brought me to try and help change the way we have done things. I am clear about it because with him on my side I am not afraid because He will see me through”.
He thanked the women for their support before, during and after the election as he continues to see larger numbers of women and youths in most of his campaign. He said in office, it is now time to work for the people of the state. He called on mass participation of women in his administration saying the level of involvement and participation has a lot to play.
Obaseki said the call for the 35 per cent affirmation of women in political positions is like preaching to an already converted man but rather the women should mobilize themselves and participate more in politics by ensuring that they don’t only asked for the position of woman leader or assistant woman leader but rather demand the 35 per cent affirmation in the leadership position right from their various ward.
He said he would write to chairmen and executives of the party and their executives to inform them that he would not agree on nominations for positions in his cabinet that does not include 35 per cent affirmation for women. He challenged the women to ensure ward meetings are called and they participate in the meetings and have input on the nominations process.
Earlier, Dr. Aisosa Amadasun who led the delegation thanked the governor for receiving them in government house despite his busy schedule pledging that the group will continue to support his administration till it succeeds in developing the state and fulfilling all the electoral promises made to the people of the state.
She said the women played key role in the electoral process that saw the governor emerged as the governor of the state. “As a woman is the key component of building the home, so also is she in building the society”.
Amadasun assured the governor that APC women in the state are solidly behind him and will support him and ensure his administration is successful in all she does.
Meanwhile Godwin Obaseki also received the former gubernatorial candidate of Labor Party Pastor Amos Areloegbe and his team who visited him in government house to congratulate him in his success in the election and his subsequent swearing in as the governor of the state pledging their readiness to cooperate and partner with the government to move the state forward. “We are ready to partner with you to ensure Edo State will be one of the best in the country. You are now the father of every party; we should see it beyond party level and see Edo state as a business for us all to join our hands together to develop it”.
Obaseki thanked the group for coming saying election has come and gone and it is now time to work and deliver on the electioneering promises made to the people of the state. He said more time should be spent on how to develop the state while less time on politics.
He said on the area of collaboration he has no power to speak on that as he ran on the platform of APC and only the party chairman and his executives will be able to speak on that. “I encourage you to open dialog with the chairman of our great party and whatever you discuss i will be informed. Thank you for coming”.
