BENIN CITY: Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki has disclose that in the first 100 days in office his administration had been able to come up with reforms and policies geared towards the actualization of the 200,000 jobs promised the people of the state during his electioneering campaign.
He made the disclosure when he received members of the Alumna Association of the Nigerian Institute for policy and strategic studies (NIPSS) who were in his office on a courtesy visit.
Obaseki said that the goal of his administration was to make the state an economic hub.“We set out to build on the existing foundation laid by the Oshiomhole led -administration. We identify clearly where the jobs will be coming from; the agriculture, Industry, and we are set to revamp the various sectors in the state”, he said.
He said that during the period under review, 200 Agric-prenuers had been identified to utilize 5,000 hectares of land for the cultivation of maize and other arable crops.
“We are planning to produce 25,000 metric tons of maize this cropping season and a ton of the maize will sell for N150, 000.We have began to screen young entrepreneur getting them ready to key into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ANCHOR borrower’s scheme. We are hopeful that in two cropping seasons we should be able to produce 100 young millionaires in Edo State”, he said.
Obaseki said that his administration was finalizing its first power purchase agreement to boost power generation in the state. “We are going to start with our first five mega watt and gradually increase to 50 mega watts within the next one and half years”.
He said the outcome of the power summit organized by the State Government 6 years ago had gotten an investor currently building the largest Independent Power Plant (IPP) in the continent (AZURA Power Plant) at the by-pass with 450 mega watts that will be ready before the end of next year. “That will be in addition to the existing 450 mega watts Plant build by the Obasanjo Administration. By 2019 in this city alone, we will have at least 1,000 mega watts and we will use that to drive the industry of the state”
He said that the availability of power in the state would create an enabling environment for more businesses to thrive.
Earlier the President of AANI Rtd Major General Lawrence Onoja expresses his delight and thanks the governor for the warm reception given to the group using the opportunity to invite the governor and the people of Edo State to Kuru Jos where the former Governor of the state Comrade Adams Oshiomhole will be honored by the body for making it proud for performing beyond expectation.
