The Secretariat complex

Some Nigerian governors, Former President Goodluck Jonathan , Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state , Human capacity, Thugs , Election,

How some governors are building thugs to win election, ex President Goodluck Jonathan alleges

By Jethro Ibileke

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has commended the Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state for building brains and human capacity rather than building thugs to help him win election.

He stated this on Wednesday in Benin, at the commissioning the newly renovated Edo State secretariat buildings.

The former President while reacting to news of automatic employments given to all First Class graduates from the state by the Governor, commended him for prioritising human development.

“In some states, Governors are busy encouraging criminals because of politics, people that will rig election for them, carry ballot boxes, carry knives and cutlasses to pursue people. But, you are encouraging the brains of Edo state.

“The brains don’t come from one political party, the brains come from all the political parties, the brains come from those who are supporting all the candidates.

“You are not supporting these brains because you want to win election, but because you want to build a state, and for you to build a state, you have to build the people.

“Those who are undergraduates should struggle to make First Class instead of going to join cult gangs, drinking alcohol and raping women. You should try to make good grades. So, if you have opportunity to go to school, take your school seriously,” he said.

The former president who was impressed with the work done on the complex, lauded the governor for his vision and determination to give the state civil servants a befitting working environment.

According to him, “Listening to the history of the secretariat complex, I now know the power of vision. It takes somebody who wants to give his best to his people to do that.

“Where you’re working needs to be clean. Human beings need to work in a comfortable environment. Thank you for providing this befitting secretariat. You don’t have this setting so commonly in Nigeria. This is one of the best. It takes someone with vision to provide that.”

Commenting on the N70,000 wage paid by the governor to the state workers, Jonathan said: “Before now, civil servants have been going home with salaries that cannot take them home. Now, you’re paying them salaries that can take them home.

“Initially, when I read in the papers that you proposed to pay N70,000 minimum wage, I was also worried if thisy good friend will be able to pay. But, that is a word of a visioneer.

“To be a leader, especially a political leader, you must be somebody who has a vision. If you have a vision, no matter how challenging it is a, you will find a way to do well. That is why you’re the leader. It’s good for all the leaders to have a vision like Obaseki.

Jonathan prayed that the government that will take over from Obaseki “will not let us down, will continue in his good work.”

Speaking earlier, the Governor Obaseki noted that one of the biggest takeaways from the building of this secretariat is that one can achieve anything that he sets his mind to do, irrespective of the opinion of the nay sayers at the beginning of any journey.

He said: “When we started the project of these buildings, many people did not see the big pictures. These buildings are some of the most advanced secretariat buildings in our country, with most 24-hour daily power supply from Osiomo power plant, it has high-speed optic fiber Internet connectivity.

“We have done all of these because we believe that government bureaucratic process must work if we must make progress as a state.

“If we have to attract private sector investments, which we require to develop Edo State, it is important that we upgrade the workplace, personalities and capacity of public servants and the public service. That is why we have damned the consequences to upgrade our public infrastructure to global standard.

“I am very, very confident, that wherever General Samuel Ogbemudia of blessed memory is today, and all of those who worked with him during and after the civil war to build Edo State, wherever that are today, they will be proud that their dreams of building a secretariat complex like this has been realized today. We than God that we have kept their dream alive,” he added.

Also speaking, a former deputy governor of the state, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, noted that Governor Obaseki made Edo proud with the transformation of the secretariat buildings which he said had been on ground since the 1960s and 1970s.

Ogiadomhe who was a former chief of staff to ex President Jonathan, added that the Obaseki administration gave a good working environment for the state workers.

Earlier in his remarks, the State Head of Service, Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, thanked Governor Obaseki for doing so much for the state civil service, making the state workers the best paid in the country.

He described the interior of the secretariat building as second to none in the entire country, even as he noted that the Governor made the state public service most digitalized in Nigeria.