As part of efforts to streamline efforts to attract new foreign investors to Edo State, the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has sworn in Mr. Dennis Idahosa as Commissioner for Investment, Public and Private Partnership with a charge to use his wealth of experience to attract investors to the state.

Speaking shortly after administering the oath of office on the Commissioner at the Government House, Benin City, yesterday, Oshiomhole said, “everyday we receive all kinds of enquiries about people who want to invest in our state. Quite a number have already decided to come but I believe we can attract even more if we have someone that understands the thinking, the feelings of International investors and what we need to do as a government to attract them to locate to our state so that they can create jobs, increase the economy and the GDP of Edo State”.

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole continued, “for someone who through sheer creativity and entrepreneurial drive has been able to excel, I believe people like you can bring your wealth of experience into governance and therefore your being in the State Executive Council will be an asset to the government and therefore the people of our great state.”

Speaking further on the new Commissioner, Oshiomhole said: “I suggested to him a few weeks back that having heard so much about his works, his businesses flying across continents and finding sufficient time to identify with his people, being able to relate vertically and horizontally that one of the things this government wants to focus on in the remaining part of this administration is the issue of attracting investors to our state because if we build all the roads, build all the schools, and provide water everywhere and we do not create jobs by attracting investors, we will still have challenges.

“So Dennis, I want to appreciate you for accepting and I look forward to working with you very closely in a way that will bring benefit to our people”, he said.

“My dream is that having worked hard and God having used us to open up the politics of this state, to redefine politics and governance and refocus politics on public wellbeing away from politics of individuals, to move away from one man dictatorship to a tradition of popular participation; my hope is that at the end of my tenure, we would have built up the younger crop of leaders like you who would provide leadership for our great state in future so that we would never again return to the tradition of self”, he said.

Responding, the new Commissioner, Hon Idahosa thanked the Governor for the confidence reposed in him and promised to bring his wealth of experience in the private sector to bear in delivering dividends of democracy to the state.

He assured the Governor that he will do all in his capacity to attract investors to the state so as to boost the economy of the state.