Governor Obaseki and Monday Okpehobo

By Jethro Ibileke 

The outgoing Governor of Edo, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has advised his incoming successor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, not to prioritize politics over security, or else, he will run into problems with the people of the state.

According to him, the citizens will demand for a secure environment.

Obaseki who stated this at the last security council meeting he held with heads of security agencies in the state, said his government is leaving the security of the State much better than he met it in 2016.

“I am leaving Edo much better, security-wise, than when I met it. My advice to the incoming administration is to take security seriously and never prioritize politics over security because there will be problems as citizens need to demand a secure environment.

“We have shown that it’s possible because we have men and women who have the capacity and training to offer security services to the State and the people of the State.

“We will continue to ensure you protect our country as nobody will fix Nigeria for us; we have to fix it ourselves. We should realize that we have no other country to call our own and no matter the frustration, we should ensure we fix the country,” he said.

While attributing his success to the collaboration and support received from heads of security agencies, the Governor said that together, they have changed the narrative and the perception of security in the State.

He also attributed the development and growth in the domestic environment, as well as the interest of investors in the State to the secured environment.

He added that in the last eight years, his administration has prioritized security and invested hugely in the State’s security architecture, transforming the State into one of Nigeria’s safest to live in and do business.

He went on: “I thank all security agencies in the State for the collaboration as their efforts have made the state secure and safe for all.

“The spirit of collaboration has helped us solve many problems in the area of security. I commend the Department of State Security (DSS) as they were open and ready to give us information always. By adopting technology, we were able to cover the State and make it safe for our people.

“Using technology, we have been able to document every incident in the State and review the same, and work together to respond to the security situation in the State.

“The civil defence corps has been a great collaborator in terms of improving security in the State and by extension the protection of federal assets in Edo State. As a State, we can tackle security challenges head-on as our collaboration has yielded positive results.

“The traffic agencies have done an amazing job in the last eight years as there have been improvements in the flow of traffic across the State”, he added.

The governor called for the participation of all stakeholders in fixing the nation, adding: “No one can fix Nigeria but us”.

Obaseki will hand over to Senator Monday Okpebholo on Tuesday, 12 November 2024.