Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shaibu has revealed how the Obaseki administration was able to cushion the effect of Austerity Measure that was created by the Oshiomhole’s administration before handing over the State to Governor Godwin Obaseki.
According to him, “We took over a State with huge challenge of crushing Austerity Measure with dwindling economic Fortunes of our people. The only way we were able to tackle it was to embark upon agreesive effort in raising entrepreneurs and building entrepreneurial spirit among the people.
“As a government, We want the poor in our midst to have access to means of production, turn them into entrepreneurs in their own right, employers of labour and masters of their own economic destiny, with the ability to turn the economic fortune of the State around for the better.”
The Edo State Deputy Governor revealed that “we discover that micro credit will enable us achieve our objectives faster because, micro-credit can be used to benefit poor entrepreneurs as a major fillip in removing people from the poverty line. This the government has proven by various forms of Micro credit program to bring about their own sustained development.”
He maintained that, “the objective of our administration is to achieve the happiness, economic enhancement and independence of the poorest, the weakest, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.”
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on media, Mr Benjamin Atu, in a press release sent to The DEFENDER on Sunday 9th August 2020, the Deputy Governor emphasised that “our administration has penetrated into the grassroot through meeting financial obligations of businesses. This he has done because, regular financial institutions owing to their nature cannot put down funds for low income business.
“In the absence of alternative funds for this group of people, the Obaseki government took it as a social responsibility and obligation, to provide them with necessary credit as we cannot continue to neglect them, considering the fact that they are in the Majority.”
More emphatically he said one of the major achievements of this poverty alleviation program is that it was carefully packages to meet the desire of the people at the grass-root, people who have never experienced direct benefit from government in any form.
The Deputy Governor maintained that ” all cruelty springs from weakness. The ongoing cruelty they are doing is scrabbling for power in order to deprive the Edo Central people of their chances. Obaseki is left with one term as a Governor when reelected but Ize-Iyamu will seek for a two term in office as a Governor and the people of Edo Central may wait forever for their time to be a Governor if Ize-Iyamu is allowed to have his way.”
He said, “The seat of the Governor of Edo State belongs to Edo people and only them can decide who occupies the seat at any point in time. In 2016 they decided in favour of Obaseki and in September 19 they will revalidate their previous decision by voting emmase for the PDP and Godwin Obaseki. Where Obaseki goes the people of Edo State are determine to go in the September election. Obaseki became a Governor by the Grace of God and the will of Edo People and no man can take the Glory for what God has done. Oshiomhole can’t share the Glory of God with him.”
While urging the people to support Obaseki reelection and ignore all the tales by moon light lies of the opposition, Shaibu said, “even the fiercest critics and rivals of Obaseki has acknowledged that Obaseki is not corrupt and he has efficiently deployed the resources of the State to impact upon the life of those who need government the most.
“Those who held contrary opinion about the achievements of the Obaseki’s administration are doing so out of ignorance of what’s happening in the State. Obaseki is a legend in terms of performance and a Saint in terms of management of the State resources,” Comrade Shaibu said.
