Benin, Edo, Nigeria – By Oladipo Airenakho.
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that his administration was poised to use the remaining period of his tenure to attract both local and foreign investors to the State with the newly created Ministry of Investment, Public and Private Partnership.
The Governor made this known recently in Benin while swearing in the Commissioner for the newly created Ministry, Mr. Dennis Idahosa, with a charge that he should use his wealth of experience to attract investors to the state.
‘’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 you being in the State Executive Council will be an asset to the government and therefore the people of our great State.’’
Governor Oshiomhole pointed out that the government received all kinds of enquiries about people who want to invest in the state and that the new ministry should take advantage of such prospects to attract investments.
He said that even though some investors had already decided to come to the state, having someone like the new commissioner who, with his vast wealth of business experience understands the thinking and feelings of international investors will facilitate government’s efforts at meeting its development goal of creating jobs, increasing the economy and the GDP of Edo State.
“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.”
Comrade Oshiomhole stated that it was his dream, having worked hard to open up the politics of the 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.
In his response, the new Commissioner thanked Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the confidence reposed in him and assured him that he would do everything in his capacity to boost the economy of the State through the mandate he has been given.
Honourable Dennis Idahosa promised to bring his wealth of experience in the private sector to bear on delivering the dividends of democracy to the state.
