Government, they say is continue. Continuity is achievable and easy when you have a successor who understands the workings of government.
One who has chosen to learn and internalized whatever he has been taught in his periods of schooling.
For Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he has learnt under the stables of two successive governments, Adams Oshiomhole who governed the state for eight years and the incumbent governor, Governor Godwin Obaseki who is also doing his eight years.
Recall that the eight years of Adams Oshiomhole were being adjudged as one of the best era after Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia in the areas of infrastructural development of the state.
Asue Ighodalo has also been present when the state is currently being rated as one of the best in promoting the welfare of workers and other areas that are worthy of notes.
Giving some of the reasons why Asue Ighodalo has to continue where Governor Godwin Obaseki is stopping, Truth Live News media recalls his (Obaseki) statement few months ago on his new minimum wage for the workers in the state.
He said the State Government made plans for the minimum wage three years ago when the telltale signs began to show that the economy was going in the wrong direction.
According to him, “I am able to pay N70,000 because two or three years ago, I raised an alarm that we were resorting to massive borrowings, which will be inflationary in the long run. I predicted there will be massive devaluation of our currency.
“You will ask, if you knew this, what did you do? We knew it would translate into the demand for higher wages because of inflation and so we said, look, let’s focus on building a much more efficient economy. Let’s focus on reducing our cost of governance. Let’s focus on training our people and getting more productivity out of them.”
On efforts undertaken by his government to reduce the cost of governance, Obaseki said, “We have a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) where we purchased 5-10 megawatts of power, which we use to run all of government offices and the street lights at night. So, I don’t have to buy diesel.
“I have a fleet management service, my own Uber, where I have put my own transport system, our cars, and vehicles into one transport system. So, I’m running the government at a fraction of what I used to run the system in the past.”
He further stated, “The savings I’m making from that, I’m saying, you know what? My most valuable assets are my people, let me pay them more and get more productivity out of them. I am measuring teachers today in terms of learning outcomes.
“My teachers can’t be absent from school because I can see all that from my tablet, whether a teacher is in class or not.
“I can relate my drug programme, what I pay for medicines to what’s been dispensed in my primary healthcare centers because I’ve trained my people.
“I have invested in technology. We have hugely invested in technology infrastructure.”
The governor added, “We have 2000 kilometers of fiber optic cable laid across the State.
“Every local government is connected with fibre optic technology. So, I’m able to extend telemedicine to a PHC in a community and get my doctors on the system.
“Why are we doing this? It’s to bring a better life to our people and how do you do it? We can’t make omelets without breaking eggs. So, once you decide that you want to make omelets, break the eggs. People will complain, but that’s the way it goes.”
Additionally, everything about the present government is highly digitalized ranging from the payment of bills to other areas and continuing with all these reforms, requires one who has been in the process and not a beginner and which we believe Asue Ighodalo is well fortified for these tasks ahead of him because he has cut his teeth and he is not a neophyte in governance.
And should the state says otherwise, the people of the state should be prepared to go back to the old stone age where things are done manually.
This, I strongly believe that the state can’t afford to have taken 100 steps forward through Godwin Obaseki monumental achievements in the state and thereafter choose to take a million step backwards by voting Senator Monday Okpebholo rather they should be prepared to advance the state much more by voting for Asue Ighodalo popularly known as AI because “Na him be the man wey sabi and he go do am”