Edo State Commissioner for Mining and Energy, Hon. Enaholo Ojiefoh, has expressed optimism on the transformational policies of the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, geared towards encouraging investments in the oil and gas, solid mineral and power sectors of the State.
He made this known while fielding questions from journalists after meeting with the Permanent Secretary and Directors in the ministry on the assumption of duty in his office in Benin City.
The Commissioner averred that the era of depending on oil as a major source of revenue is fast declining globally, adding that Edo State is blessed with large mineral deposits that need to be harnessed for the good of Edo people.
He said that the Ease of Doing Business policy and the massive investments of Mr. Obaseki in the State’s security apparatus have strategically positioned Edo State as an investment-friendly environment.
“Nothing can be as reassuring as knowing that your investment is secured in a place like Edo State because of the Ease of Doing Business policies and high level of intentional security system and structure set up by the State Government led by Mr. Obaseki to open up the state for Investors and investment,” Ojiefoh said.
“The oil and solid mineral sector of the state has capacity to generate jobs, increase revenue and investment and the Governor had given a matching order for efforts to be redoubled to ensure that more investors are brought into the sector, Edo people benefit from the natural resources God endowed them with,” he added.
Commenting on the fuel subsidy removal and what the state has done so far to ameliorate the effects occasioned by it on citizens, Hon. Ojiefoh said the State Government sympathizes with the people of the state and has also come up with several measures to cushion the sufferings and the overall rise in the cost of living occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
“The State Government has reduced the number of work days that Civil and Public Servants will have to commute to their workplaces from five days to three days a week,” the Commissioner said.
“For teachers and parents, their commuting to school was reduced as the government is working on deepening the EdoBEST@Home initiative to create more virtual classrooms, thereby reducing the cost of commuting for parents, teachers, and pupils.
“Fibre optic connections have been made available to help our people work remotely to reduce their cost of transportation. However, the government is also working with electricity companies in the state to increase the power supply to homes and businesses.
“In all of this, the State still pays 40,000 naira minimum wage which is far above the 30,000 naira announced by the Federal Government. The salary of Civil and Public Servants in Edo today is the highest in the country.
“And the state Governor is also working tirelessly on several other palliatives that will be rolled out very soon,” he stated.
