Okpebholo’s Masterstrokes That Edo People Must Know

By Eubaldus Enahoro

When Governor Monday Okpebholo took over the mantle of leadership in Edo State, many asked what direction his economic philosophy would take.

Barely two years later, the direction is clear and bold. The Governor is quietly doing stuff that previous administrations found difficult to do and which are not in the public domain.

Take for example, shifting the tax burden from the poor to the rich, proving that the government can run a profitable business, and demanding results over rhetoric.

For years in Edo State, the poor bore the brunt of taxation. Market women, bus drivers, small shop owners were harassed daily with multiple levies, tickets and touts while big businesses evaded tax through loopholes.

Governor Okpebholo is changing that narrative. His administration is institutionalizing a progressive tax system. The ongoing reform at the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) is focused on widening the net to capture high-net-worth individuals, large corporations, luxury property owners and businesses in the informal high-income bracket, while granting relief and streamlining collection for micro and small businesses.

The message is simple: If you make more in Edo, you pay more for Edo’s development. If you are struggling to survive, the government should support you, not squeeze you. This is not just economics; it is social justice.

This is the SHINE Agenda in action – making Edo a state where prosperity is shared and the burden is fair.

For decades, Nigerians were sold a lie: “Government has no business in business.” That lie was made believable because government businesses were run aground by corruption, nepotism and lack of vision.

But today, the new Edo Line is Okpebholo’s answer to that lie.

The Governor did not sell the Edo Line; he revived it. He did not concession it for peanuts; he retooled it. Today, Edo Line is back on our roads with new buses, with a transparent management system, with routes that are profitable and with drivers who are accountable.

What Edo Line has done is more than transportation. It has restored public confidence. It has proven that if you put a round peg in a round hole, if you remove political interference, and if you insist on accountability, a government-owned enterprise can be efficient, profitable and serve the people.

If the Edo Line can work, then our markets, transportation system, and our farms can work. The Governor has broken the psychological barrier.

The Governor has regularized the appointments of several contract staff in the state civil service and ensured the regular and prompt payment of salaries before or on the 26th of every month.

The Governor has done a lot for Edo people which are known to only a few people. For instance, it was news to participants during the Edo Orientation week organized by the Edo State Orientation Agency, in Benin city, that 126 contract staff of the Edo Specialist Hospital were employed on the directive of the Governor.

In the words of the Chief Medical Director, Edo Specialist Hospital, Dr. Anthonia Inibokun Njoku, the compassionate Governor gave the permission to employ the contract staff.

Apparently because of such actions of the Governor that are not known to Edo people all appointees of the government have been told to ensure every Edo man and woman knows what the government is doing and how they can access opportunities being created across the state.

That was precisely the message of the Director General of the Edo State Orientation Agency, Hon. Maleke Idowu Moye and other speakers to participants at the event with the theme, “One message, One Governance,”

There is no doubt that good work without good communication is like winking in the dark. Governor Okpebholo is working – roads are being rehabilitated, schools are being renovated, health centres are being equipped, security is being strengthened, and workers’ welfare is being prioritized. These achievements need to be projected.

According to Maleke, “It is no longer enough to be an appointee with a portfolio. Every Special Adviser, Senior Special Assistant, Special Assistant and other appointees must become Chief Marketing Officer of the SHINE Agenda.

The appointees were admonished to project the New Edo positively, be ambassadors and not embarrassment.

They were informed that the agency is watching their activities and when in doubt of any information about the government they should contact the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua.

There is no doubt that Governor Okpebholo described as a man of humanity, who listens and believes that actions are better than speaking English knows how to connect with the people

While it has been emphasized that every government needs time and patience from the people, Okpebholo has made significant giant strides in a short time.

The completed Ramat Park Flyover is one of the fastest Billion Naira Fly over to be executed and another one is ongoing in less than two years. This is a project most governments build for eight years.

This and other messages of what the government is doing must be taken to the wards, local governments, social media pages, community meetings and the New Edo story must reach the people.

The Special Adviser on Public Affairs and Media, who is also Director of Publicity, Edo State All Progressives Congress, APC Campaign Council, Hon Haruna Braimoh disclosed some of the achievements of the government to reposition the state in the various sectors, noting that Governor Okpebholo has promised to leave Edo better than what he met.

The Special Adviser disclosed that work is going on in the rural communities across the state, adding that the Chinese are in Edo North exploring minerals.

In the same vein, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity Buggie Okhuemoi said Governor Okpebholo is one of the best things to happen to the state because he is a blessing and when he finishes his tenure, the people will know that a Governor has ruled the state.

“Okpebholo is working for the future and very passionate to leave behind a legacy,” he added

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua admonished citizens to consciously realize they have a responsibility to be of good conduct in the eyes of the public when nobody is watching.

“When a Governor is working, we should celebrate and encourage the government. This government is performing and the people must be told.”

In his key note address, titled, ” Governance literacy Value Orientation and the responsibility of Appointees in Building Citizenship,” Mr. Soni Irabor commended Governor Okpebholo for what he is doing, noting that some people are not appreciating what the Governor is doing because they do not believe he can do them

“It is the responsibility of government appointees to ensure that the people are informed about what the government is doing. The ultimate purpose of governance is to build the trust of the citizens because trust is earned.”

Governor Okpebholo may not be a noise maker. But in his calm, methodical way, he is restructuring Edo’s economy to favour the poor, he is restoring faith that government business can work for the people, and he is delivering tangible results rewriting what was wrong

What remains is for those in government to move with the same speed, the same clarity and the same purpose to tell this story because Edo must SHINE, and the people must see the light.

Eubaldus Enahoro is a former Editor of the Nigerian Observer Newspaper