Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has revealed how Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration was able to cushion the effect of ‘Austerity Measure’ created by his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

In a statement, Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on media, Benjamin Atu, noted that Governor Obaseki took over a state with a ‘huge challenge of crushing Austerity Measure with dwindling economic fortunes’.

He said: “The only way we were able to tackle it was to embark upon aggressive effort in raising entrepreneurs and building entrepreneurial spirit among the people.  As a government, we want the poor in our midst to have access to means of production, turn them into entrepreneurs in their own right, employers of labour and masters of their own economic destiny, with the ability to turn the economic fortune of the state around for the better.”

The Edo State Deputy Governor said the objective of Governor Obaseki’s administration is to achieve the happiness, economic enhancement and independence of the poorest, the weakest, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

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“Our  administration has penetrated into the grassroots through meeting financial obligations of businesses. This, he has done because regular financial institutions owing to their nature cannot put down funds for low income business.

“In the absence of alternative funds for this group of people, the Obaseki government  took it as a social responsibility and obligation, to provide them with necessary credit as we cannot continue to neglect them, considering the fact that they are in the Majority.”

He emphasised that one of the major achievements of the poverty alleviation programme is that it was carefully packaged to meet the desire of the people at the grassroots; people who have never experienced direct benefit from government in any form.

“The seat of the governor of Edo State belongs to Edo people and only them can decide who occupies the seat at any point in time. In 2016, they decided in favour of Obaseki and on September 19, they will revalidate their previous decision by voting enmasse for the PDP and Godwin Obaseki. Where Obaseki goes, the people of Edo State are determined to go in the September election. Obaseki became a governor by the Grace of God and the will of Edo People and no man can take the glory for what God has done. Oshiomhole can’t share the Glory of God with Him”, he said.