From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Mr Efe Igbinosa, an aide to Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has commended him for his 30-year Developmental and Physical Plans for the state, saying it will place it among the top three richest states and the first most livable in the country.
He gave the commendation in Benin while speaking on what he tagged “Edo’s 30-year Development And Physical Plans: The Journey Towards A Secure Future”
Mr Igbinosa said Obaseki is prepared to entrench a culture of planning in the state and as such, he has decided that the 30-year Edo Developmental Plan will not only be a plan but a legal document that will be legislated upon and to do this, the government is already putting plans in place to create an agency that will be established by law and saddled with the responsibility of conceptualizing and implementing government’s development plan in a sustainable manner.
Igbinosa added that by so doing, subsequent leaders will be bound by law to continue with the state Development and Physical Plan.
He maintained that the governor is already laying the foundation for this 30 years plan with some of the reforms and landmark projects he has embarked upon; from the civil service reforms to basic education, to health, power, agriculture, fintech, MSMEs, culture, sports and security.
He stressed that all these infrastructures have been deliberately and carefully put in place to serve as the pillars for the 30 years Development and Physical Plan, which on its own has four key pillars, which are; Governance and Sustainable Environment, Social Development, Economic Development and Infrastructural Development.
He said in the end, the overall objective of Edo State Development and Physical Plan is to be the top three richest states and the first most livable state in Nigeria in 30 years adding that this plan is achievable and Obaseki is prepared to secure the future for the people of Edo State.
According to him”In spite of the failures of developmental plans in the past, Governor Godwin Obaseki is determined to open a fresh page in our history to see to the reality of this 30- year plan, because of the significance of the plan to our future.
‘This plan like China’s also has short, medium and long term implementation strategies.
‘The advantages of a long-term plan are such that decision-makers within a state or local government have a reference point and documentation against which decisions are made and progress measured,’ he said.