Renown scholar and author, Prof Adebayo Williams, has commended the strides made by Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, in his first 100 days in office, saying with the pace set already, Edo was sure to become one of the economic and industrial hubs of the country.
Prof Williams, who is also erstwhile lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile- Ife, Osun State, made this remark on Sunday in Lagos while speaking at a colloquium with the theme: “Tracking Governor Godwin Obaseki’s 100 Days in Office,” organised by Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa (CGGEJA).
“We are very pleased with the remarkable achievements of Governor Obaseki in his 100 days in office, he has hit the ground running. With the pace he is moving, Edo State will become one the economic and industrial hub of the country,” he said.
Williams, who was chairman at the occasion, however, frowned at what he observed as delay by the governor in appointing his commissioner, urging him to do so without further delay.
According to him, part of fulfilling one’s campaign promises is constituting a cabinet as no one is an island or a reservoir of knowledge or wisdom.
“I have reservation about government making promises without fulfilling them. There is no way one individual can do it. Getting a cabinet is a way to fulfilling promises made to the people. Those who refuse to constitute their cabinet are only engaging in executive tyranny which has no place in democracy,” he said.
Speaking further, Adebayo, who is also a newspaper columnist, while recalling that old Benin Kingdom was far developed ahead of Lisbon before the Portuguese came into Nigeria, with well laid out streets, amongst other, said he was happy Governor Obaseki was set to bring about the past glory as a seasoned technocrats and political warrior.
Guest speaker at the occasion, Mr Sanyo Oni, said the directive given by the governor that nobody should come to Government House except on appointment was worth commending.
According to him, such step was to guide against time wastage on the part of the executive arm of government, saying government needed more time to work to benefit those who voted them in.
Oni, who is also a columnist also lauded Obaseki for placing priority in reviving the state Technical School as a way of enhancing people’s manpower now that most Nigerian youths were becoming unemployable.
Mr Jude Gadimoh, the Contry Director, CGGFJA, in his opening remark, recalled the genesis of celebrating 100 days in office dating back to 1933 under President franklin D. Roosevelt, saying, “Our gathering today is to look at those areas the government has made impact and analyse the likely effects of those steps in future.”
He promised that the body would continue to engage governments at all levels within and outside the country on the need for good governance in line with laid down rules that encourages economic justice for the people of Africa.
and then