By DADA AYOKHAI
In a rare moment of self-appraisal, Governor Godwin Obaseki awarded a pass mark to his administration, telling whoever cares to listen that he has constructed more kilometers of roads than his predecessors in office
Governor Obaseki also threw a challenge to the doubting Thomases who may want to dispute his claims to take a critical look at the verifiable records of his performance in the area of road construction and infrastructural development, adding they would easily come to terms with the reality
He made the remarks during a media parley with the leadership of the Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, anchored by its state chairman, Comrade Festus Alehe
The media parley was held at the Union’s expansive secretariat in Benin with Comrade Alehe going the extra mile to ensure the governor, who was the special guest, was in a relaxed mood to take on the tough questions thrown at him by the battery of journalists.
The no-holds-barred media parley provided the governor, who has been on the saddle for the past seven years, with less than a year remaining for his tenure to run out, an ample opportunity to respond to a wide range of questions covering the activities of his administration.
On the state of federal roads, most of which are in very deplorable conditions, Gov Obaseki said much as he is worried about the suffering citizens of the state have had to endure each time they ply those roads, .
The governor he would have loved to intervene to bring succor to Edo citizens and also reduce travel time, stressing that he and the rest of his colleagues are hamstrung by the refusal of the federal government to grant states the permission to carry out remedial works on the roads.
Governor Obaseki, looking radiant and upbeat throughout the parley, also used the forum to render an account of his stewardship.
Awarding a pass mark to himself, the governor said he can beat his chest for having outperformed his predecessors, adding that despite the limited resources at the disposal of the government, the state was still able to pursue aggressive policies in critical areas like education, health, security, road construction, and infrastructure renewal, all in a bid to improve the general well-being of the people
Earlier, Comrade Alehe, on behalf of the Journalists in the state expressed the Union’s profound gratitude to the state government for the gesture of connecting the union secretariat to the state power project
Comrade Alehe passionately pleaded with the governor to consider assisting the Union in addressing the twin problem of internet connectivity and mobility, adding these two factors negatively impact professional proficiency.
Comrade Alehe also poured encomium on the governor for bringing “stability and consistency” to bear on governance.
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