Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has unveiled a five-point agenda for the development of the state after he was sworn in as the 5th civilian governor of the state.
Okpebholo, in his inaugural speech on Tuesday, pledged to prioritise security, infrastructure, healthcare, food sufficiency, and education.
The governor declared war on criminals, saying the era of incessant kidnapping and other violent crimes was over.
While bemoaning incessant cases of kidnapping and other crimes, the governor said his administration would be firm in dealing with criminals and improve the security of the state.
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He said the new administration will support small businesses and market women with soft loans.
In a related development, the governor announced a panel of inquiry into the remote cause of the failure to inaugurate 14 House of Assembly members-elect in the state in 2019 for 7th assembly.
“Our traditional institutions shall be given the necessary support to play their role as custodians of our rich cultural heritage.
“It is in recognition of this that my administration shall support the decision of the federal government to uphold the Oba of Benin as the exclusive owner of the returned artefacts that were looted by British Colonial Forces during the Benin Massacre of 1897,” he added.
The past administration of Godwin Obaseki had been at loggerheads with the Oba of Benin over the returned artefacts.
Pursue immediate reconciliation, Tinubu urges
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, congratulated Okpebholo on his election, calling it a powerful endorsement of the people’s will. Shettima said the Edo people have shown confidence in Okpebholo and his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, noting that the election is a pivotal moment for true governance.
He said Nigeria has already overcome its most challenging period. “We have weathered the hardest days as a nation. We have pulled back from the brink of economic collapse, and now we step forward into a time of growth,” he stated.
President Tinubu called for immediate reconciliation to address potential post-election differences in the state, noting that, “While some may seek to disrupt peace after the will of the people has been expressed, every elected leader has a duty that extends to all, including those who may have voted differently or those who ran against them.”
Gov appoints SSG, two commissioners
Meanwhile, the governor, shortly after his swearing-in, announced the appointment of Musa Ikhilor as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and named Samson Osagie State Attorney General and Dr Cyril Oshiomhole as Health Commissioner-designate.
In a statement on Tuesday in Benin, Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, said the nomination of Osagie and Oshiomhole was subject to confirmation by the Edo House of Assembly.
Ikhilor, a lawyer with over 11 years of experience in Legislative Drafting, Parliamentary Administration, Lawmaking procedure and processes, Constitutional drafting and amendment, and general Legislative Governance issues worked in various capacities at the National Assembly.
He was appointed as Senior Special Assistant and later Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019. In May 2022, he was elevated to act as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker when the substantive Chief of Staff resigned to contest in the 2023 parliamentary elections.
Osagie, the nominee for State Attorney-General, is a private legal practitioner and a two term member of the Edo State House of Assembly and also the House of Representatives where he rose to the position of the Minority Whip.
Dr Cyril Adams Oshiomhole, who is the son of the former governor of the state and serving senator, Adams Oshiomhole, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH, majoring in Environmental Health, Toxicology, and Disaster Management) from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
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