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Gov Obaseki says N70k minimum wage will be funded from savings from govt expenses, others
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the N70, 000 new minimum wage for civil and public servants in the State will be funded by revenue inflow into the State on the back of the government’s business-friendly policies as well as savings from government expenditure as a result of nuanced reforms by his government over the past seven and a half years.
Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, said some of the monies will come from savings from the State’s fleet management system, the e-gov platform which has eliminated the need for the purchase of papers and investment in the Ossiomo Power Project which is saving the government millions of naira for diesel purchase, among others.
The governor said, “I have been a private sector person for most part of my career before I ventured into the public sector. With that training and background, we don’t just make statements without careful analysis of our revenue flow and expenditures and then analyze how we are going to go about ensuring that we are able to live up to our promise.”
He further noted, “We have been very strategic in Edo State. We embarked on a very radical reform of the civil and public service which engendered a transformation exercise that completely turned around our civil service and has made it more efficient and effective.
“We are perhaps the only state government in Nigeria that has now gone totally paperless, we run our government on the e-gov platform and we have made a lot of savings from there.
“We have what we call a fleet management system for our vehicles in the state government so we no longer have multiple vehicles for multiple public officeholders running different expenditures to manage all these vehicles; they are all managed in one single pool called the Fleet Management System. We have made massive savings from there as well.”
Obaseki continued: “Also, early in my first tenure, I entered into an agreement with a private company to generate electricity and serve the government and this has come on stream since 2020. The State Government has now been taken off the national grid and curbed the use of diesel and petrol to run the government because we now have a 24-hour power supply from Ossiomo.
“So, we have cut down on diesel expenditure and in many other areas. Another area is training. Before, people had to leave the state to get trained but now we have John Odigie Training Centre where all our civil servants are trained at very frequent intervals at little or no cost because we have a training centre in the State.”
“All of these have resulted in massive savings for government which allows us to be able to take this bold decision which also means that we will be able to sustain it,” he added.
Prince Kayode Adewale, a contestant for the vacant Owa-Obokun of Ijesa land throne, has urged the Osun state government and traditional kingmakers to rely on oracles and deities in selecting the next monarch of the ancient town.
Prince Adewale of the Owa Bilaro Oluodo Royal Family, made the call during a press conference in Ilesa, Osun State, on Thursday.
He noted that the Ifa oracle, along with the Obokun and Ogun deities, should be the determining factors in the selection process.
The stool became vacant following the passing of Oba Gabriel Aromolaran, who joined his ancestors on September 11, 2024, after a 42-year reign.
As the contest intensifies, an Osun State High Court, presided over by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, has restrained Governor Ademola Adeleke and others from appointing a new Owa-Obokun from the Haastrup family or any other candidate.
Amid the ongoing legal battles, Prince Adewale reaffirmed his interest in the throne, advocating for adherence to traditional processes to ensure fairness and legitimacy.
He said: “The Owa Obokun stool is not for sale. In Ijesaland when it’s comes to selection of a new King the Ifa, Obokun and Ogun deities will be consulted and the person that has the highest vote from them will emerge as the king.”
Declaring his intention, Adewale said he is committed to standardizing mining practices and implementing robust land reclamation policies.
“Ijeshaland is blessed with abundant natural resources, particularly in gold mining. However, our gold resources must be harnessed responsibly and sustainably. Under my leadership, I will work towards the standardization of gold mining practices, ensuring that this wealth benefits the people of Ijeshaland while preserving our environment for future generations.”
The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the extension of the implementation of the capital component of the 2024 budget from 31 December 2024 to 30 June 2025.
Leader of the House, Hon Julius Ihonvbere, laid the report of the report of the bill seeking the extension as the House dissolved into the Committee of Supply to consider it.
It is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Appropriation Act, 2024 to extend the implementation of the Capital Component of the Appropriation Act, 2024 from 31 December, 2024 to 30 June, 2025 and for Related Matters (HB.2023)”
Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who announced the adjournment of plenary to January 14, 2025, urged members to work hard in their various to ensure that the prompt passage of the 2025 budget upon resumption.
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) on Thursday condemned in strong terms the suspension of 18 local government chairmen and councillors in Edo state by the House of Assembly.
Governor Monday Okpebholo had accused the suspended chairmen of disobeying his instructions by allegedly refusing to submit their financial records to the state government.
However, the ALGON’s National Executive Council (NEC) and its Board of Trustees (BoT) on Thursday jointly condemned the decision saying the governor and lawmakers did not give the council chairmen fair hearing to defend themselves.
The association at an emergency meeting in Katsina state, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, emphasising the need to respect the autonomy and independence of local governments as guaranteed by the nation’s constitution and recent ruling by the Supreme Court.
“ALGON views this suspension as a setback for democracy and abuse of power, particularly since the chairmen were not given a chance to defend themselves.
“This suspension is invalid. It contradicts the Supreme Court’s judgment granting local governments autonomy,” the ALGON National Publicity Secretary, Hamisu Anani, in a statement said.
Anani stated that if the Edo State House of Assembly’s decision was right, it would not have generated criticisms across the length and breadth of the country.
“This suspension is unconstitutional; it is null and void.
“ALGON is hereby urging the Edo State House of Assembly to reverse the decision and respect the rule of law to strengthen democratic governance.
“ALGON also appeals to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt this abuse of power,” the statement said.
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