JojoNaija:
Since 12 November 2016 when he was sworn into office as the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has embarked on hundreds of projects. However, some stand out in terms of their scope and long term benefits.

In this article, we highlight eight ( outstanding projects carried out by the Obaseki-led government that have thus far come to define his time in office as the Edo State governor.

Edo Best



All over the world, education is a key driver of national development and societal growth. Godwin Obaseki, the current governor of Edo State fully understands this.

In April 2018, Obaseki introduced the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation – Edo BEST – to revamp basic education in the state.

The intention of the programme was to transform the learning outcomes for the 300,000 children. The students cut across 1,500 public primary and junior secondary schools in Edo State. To achieve this, the government invested heavily in education technologies.

The programme was launched to retrain and support all 15,000 government teachers— novice and experienced.

The teachers were given tablets while the headteachers got smartphones to transmit daily attendance. The tablets are loaded with digital lesson plans for every lesson needed for each day.



Headteachers are provided with monthly data to enable them to use the software in the smartphone to register all children and take attendance and manage teacher performance in each classroom every day.

Another 150 persons were also trained as Social Mobilization Officers to engage communities on why they should protect facilities in public schools in their domains.

Public primary schools in Edo State have witnessed a high influx of pupils from private schools across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, due to the total transformation of the Basic Education Sector in the state.

EDOBEST is changing lives and pupils in public primary schools across the state are at the centre stage of this project.

Revolutionary Revenue Collection From Transporters

For decades, Nigeria degenerated to a nation where the responsibility of collecting government levies from citizens is assigned to shady characters, touts or cronies of politicians.

In major cities in Nigeria, the collection of levies from commercial motorists is a multi-billion naira industry.

Assigning the responsibility of collecting levies from commercial motorists to touts and transport unions has succeeded in making billionaires out of these collectors.

On assumption of office, Governor Godwin Obaseki made a clear departure from that norm.



On January 1st, 2017, Obaseki outlawed the use of private revenue collectors in the state. The State Government then took over the responsibility of collecting levies from non-government agents.

They did this when they introduced the scratch card model of tax payment. This method is intended to be used in the informal and mobile sector particularly in the public transport sector.





This innovative levy collection method has sanitized the system. It has also saved commercial motorists from harassment from touts and agents of the road unions previously saddled with the responsibility of collecting the taxes.

Obaseki soon acknowledged that the revenue base of the state had risen with the new system. He noted that N500,000 is now being realized from nine points in Oredo local government. Previously, only N45,000 was remitted from these nine points.

55MW CCTEC Ossiomo Power Plant



Edo State, with an estimated population of 4 million, gets about 88MW of electricity. This is far from meeting the rising electricity need for residential and commercial purposes.

Governor Obaseki understands the role that steady power supply plays in promoting businesses, driving industrialization and productivity.

To change the narrative of poor power supply, Governor Obaseki entered a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) of 55MW with Ossiomo Power and CCETC Clean Energy (CCETC-Ossiomo Power).

The CCETC-Ossiomo power plant is intended to supply stable electricity to government buildings and public utilities, such as hospitals, offices, street lights, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and other such public facilities.

It will also supply power to the Edo Production Center, an industrialisation program located along the Sapele road axis of Benin city, where Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) ply their trades.

The power plant is also intended to attract investments into the state, improve the sector for greater performance as well as create competition in the power supply industry.

The test run of the CCETC-Ossiomo Power Plant held on 20 July 2020.

CCETC-Ossiomo Power Plant is located at Ologbo community in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area (LGA), Edo State.

The power project is set to be expanded to a 550MW capacity gas power plant to be constructed in three phases.

EDOGIS



On 1 August 2017, Governor Godwin Obaseki set up the Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS).

EDOGIS is the successor government agency to the erstwhile Ministry of Lands and Surveys (later known as Lands Bureau).

It is a computerized process that was set up to secure land assets of Edo State residents with the new “Digital Certificate of Occupancy”.

The agency is the only digital repository of all registered landed properties and subsequent transactions in the State. It also keeps and archive electronic and physical copies of all transactions submitted for registration, easing historical searches on all registered properties in the State.

This system has helped in addressing the recurring inter-community conflicts over land sale and boundary disputes.

The system also reduced the cost of acquiring Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from N300,00 to N50,000 and delivering certificates within 30 days.

According to the governor, EDOGIS would attract investors. This will happen if they discovered that the record time of acquiring land was easier and corruption-free.

The Edo Fertilizer and Chemical Company



The Godwin Obaseki-led Government, in partnership with Wacot Group of Companies, reactivated the Edo State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (ESFCCL).

The Fertilizer plant was constructed 14 years ago but was never operated.

According to the Governor, the aim of revitalizing the plant is to make the state self-sufficient in food production and enable farmers get fertilizer at affordable prices.

The Fertilizer plant will also enhance the state’s socio-economic status and create an avenue for the youths to leverage on the expertise of major players in the Agriculture sector.

The plant can produce 60,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer in a year.

The facility would go a long way in providing fertilizer for neighbouring Kogi, Delta, Ondo and Anambra State.



On Aug 29, 2017, Yemi Osibanjo, the Vice President of Nigeria, commissioned the NPK fertilizer plant.

The Edo State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (ESFCCL) plant is located in Auchi, Edo State.

Edo Modular and Refinery Company Limited



The Edo Modular and Refinery Company Limited is among the growing list of ongoing legacy projects by Obaseki.

The refinery is owned by AIPCC Energy Limited. The company is a joint venture between AFCOM and Peiyang Chemical Equipment Company of China (PCC).

It was established through an MoU that involved the Edo State Government, local and international private investors.

The Chinese consortium is made up of Peiyang Chemical Equipment Company of China (PCC), a world-leading modular refinery company; Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (SIPS) which is a subsidiary of Sinopec, the top Chemical giant in the world and African Infrastructure Partners (AIP), a Nigerian Infrastructural company.

The refinery is expected to process 5500 barrels of crude oil per day.

It would produce from its feedstock 50 per cent of diesel (500,000 litres), 25 percent of naphtha (300,000 litres), and 20 percent of fuel oil (200,000) litres.

When completed, the Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals will supply 20 percent of Nigeria’s diesel, save over $350 million in foreign exchange yearly, earn over $125 million from export of naptha and meet 100% of Nigeria’s LPFO demand.

The crude would be sourced from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC) facility – oil-mining lease (OML) 111, near Benin City.

The most remarkable feature of the MOU with the Edo State Government is the local content component of the deal.


In the MoU, it is stated that Edo citizens must be trained in welding, refinery operation and fabrication works, etc. This is to enable them participate in the construction of the refinery as well as its operation, post-commissioning.

To get the project started, the Obaseki-led government approved the release of N700 million (seed investment). The fund is a redeemable preference shares in the refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited.

The venture is expected to create legitimate employment opportunities. This will reduce poverty, provide job opportunities for teeming youths in the communities. It will also facilitate the establishment of a fabrication yard as proposed by the promoters. This will go a long way in creating expertise, professionalism and further training in the oil and gas industry.

The refinery was built at the cost of $10.2 million. It is currently at 70% completion and is expected to begin operation in October 2020.

The refinery located at Ologbo in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area (LGA).

Gelegele Port



Part of the efforts to industrialize Edo State by the government of Godwin Obaseki is to build a seaport.

To achieve this, the state Government signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese company. This was done for the development of Gelegele Seaport.

The MoU will see China Harbour Engineering Company, the biggest infrastructure company in China, lead the development of the seaport.

The seaport will serve as the gateway for exporting manufactured goods from the Benin Industrial Park (currently under construction) and other manufacturing companies in the region. The Gelegele Seaport will also open up Edo State to the international market.

According to Governor Obaseki, “the project will serve as an agro-export processing zone. It will be driven by the state government and the private sector”.

Work on the Gelegele Seaport is currently in progress.

Benin Industrial Park



The lack of first class infrastructure and services is the biggest complaint that companies have about Nigeria.

To address this complaint, Governor Godwin Obaseki initiated the development of the Benin Enterprise Park.

The Benin Enterprise Park is an industrial hub. It is being developed to be easy to access, affordable and with uninterrupted supply of gas and electricity. This is so that companies in the area can operate efficiently and predictably. The industrial center is a 997-hectare area of land.

Obaseki said his administration was focused on building conducive business environment. This is being done to scale up investment and create more job opportunities in the state.



Chinese company, Tianjin -Yuyung Construction Engineering Company Ltd, is partnering the state government on the development of the Benin Industrial Park (BIP).

The Edo State Government approved N2.1b power for the Benin Industrial Park.

On July, 2019, an investor, Anchor Tenant, committed about 250 million dollars to the development of Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park project.


Source: https://jojonaija.com/godwin-obaseki-first-term-in-office/

FreeGlobe:
In Lagos, Alpha Beta, as consultants, gets 10 percent of whatever Lagos State generates monthly. If this statement confuses you, you are not alone. There are just a few things you need to keep in mind though: Lagos State generates roughly 31 billion Naira a month. Ten percent of that is going to a consultancy firm owned by the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. 75% of the revenue generated by Lagos State comes from taxes.

If you need to read the paragraph again, you are not alone. However, the truth of the matter is that Alpha Beta Company has been the tax consultant to the Lagos State government since 1999, when the former governor Tinubu began his tenure.

That year, Alpha Beta Company had definitely succeeded by delivering a dramatic rise in monthly state revenue from about 600 million Naira to 7.7 billion Naira. A laudable achievement indeed, but it would have been less so if the citizens of Lagos State knew what they had traded it in for. Alpha Beta Company had charged the state of Lagos a whopping one billion Naira a month for their services.

Now, just to reiterate, Tinubu owns Alpha Beta Company. Tinubu was also at the time, the Governor of Lagos State. Alpha Beta Company became the tax consultant for Lagos State in 1999, and they charged roughly 13% of the entire state revenue.

Today, Alpha Beta Company is still the tax consultant for the state. They now charge roughly 10% of the entire state revenue and Tinubu still owns it. The only thing that has changed is that Tinubu is no longer the Governor of Lagos State, or so it says on paper. With utmost respect to the office of State Governor, Tinubu is still very much in control of the state’s affairs, or at the very least, its revenue.

Despite all feelings of being scandalized here, one must look at the big picture. Governor Fashola is still working for Bola Tinubu. If he was not, things might have changed. New relationships would have been forged with the State Government and interest groups. However, the standings beg the question: what has really changed since then?

Undisclosed sources claim that Tinubu’s role in installing Fashola as Governor of the State is the biggest hindrance for the present regime. An agreement between Fashola and Tinubu over the duration of the tenure of governorship, as well as the selection of certain cabinet members paints a vivid picture on the sort of bind Fashola is in. At the moment however, one wonders whether or not he finds it at convenient as he used to, or if he ever did.

What is clear, however, is that there appears to be a lot of money changing hands, and the masses are still bewildered over the fate of roughly 31 billion Naira in revenue per month. There are a number of allegations regarding Fashola’s spending penchants. Here are just a few of them that beg to be disproved:

1. That in 2009, Fashola gave N250 million to the Rotimi Akeredolu-led executive of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) for the NBA conference held in Lagos, at a time when Lagos teachers and doctors were on strike for improved welfare package.

2. The Babatunde Raji Fashola Government within six months, January to June 2009, spent N420 million on the hiring of private security – to guard who? – despite his heavy investment in the Police Force through the State Security Trust Fund.

3. Babatunde Raji Fashola spent N1.5 billion to demolish the Bank of Industry (BOI) building, paying a company introduced by one Tunji Olowolafe in cash transfer, only for him and his cronies to claim the land adjacent to it.

4. The Babatunde Raji Fashola Government awarded a part of Western Avenue (Funsho Williams Road), about two kilometres road for N7.7 billion, just between Abalti Barracks and Costain. And without the construction of any bridge, the project was carried out by Julius Berger. This project must certainly be investigated.

5. Between January and June 2009, the Babatunde Raji Fashola Government claimed to have fuelled 225 vehicles in his office alone with N135 million. These figures amount to about N800,000 per day at a time that petrol was sold for N65 per litre. The Government always got fuel cheaper, but Babatunde Raji Fashola claimed to have bought it at N85 per litre.

6. Between January and June 2009, Babatunde Raji Fashola’s Chief of Staff and Personal Assistants expended N290 million in sending text messages and phone calls on their lines.

7. It is also very sad to know that the Babatunde Raji Fashola Government awarded the construction of a road and drains inside Gbagada General Hospital for over N1.8 billion to the same Tunji Olowolafe’s company (DEUX Projects Limited).

8. The sum of N1.5 billion of un-appropriated funds, without approval, was claimed to have been spent on the demolition of Oshodi.

9. The Helicopter Deal was a big fraud. The helicopter was not built for any kind of emergency evacuation, rescue or to even combat urban fire. Over N5 billion has been spent on the two helicopters. And the seal of Lagos State is not on it, and it is not even in Lagos but in the Niger Delta making money for some private people in Government. The whole helicopter deal stinks to high heavens; it constitutes the biggest governmental fraud of all times and confirms the rot in the State. See THISDAY December 19, 2009.

10. The Senior Special Assistant, SSA (Media) to Babatunde Raji Fashola spent N183 million in six months on press coverage and editors outside the approved budget but funded directly from the Governor’s Office.

11. In a State where children are sitting on the floor in classrooms, where unemployment is rampant and poverty pervasive, Babatunde Raji Fashola paid the wife of a controversial pastor over N600 million in two years for Christmas decorations for about six streets in Lagos.

12. In six months, between January and June 2009, Babatunde Raji Fashola spent monies on several faceless organisations, subventions, grants and donations such that they quickly pocketed N2 billion.

Most of these allegations were compiled by the True Face of Lagos, the same group that petitioned against Fashola to the House of Assembly and the EFCC. The Lagos State Government is under the proverbial microscope and the masses are watching wit rapt attention.
http://www.lestweforgetnaija.com/index.php/articles/item/120-tinubu-fashola-alpha-beta-and-the-taxation-rape-of-lagos

three:
The erstwhile Managing Director of AlphaBeta, the Lagos State consultant on IGR took to twitter to share his petition to the EFCC via the law firm Adetunji Shoyoye and Associates.

He Accuses the firm among other things of corruption and money Laundering.

https://twitter.com/DapoApara/status/1037577498220015616?s=19

See tweets and petition below.... \



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imhotep:
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anonimi:
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Ishilove:

.

anonimi:


What is going on here?

Ishilove:

I am quoting your memes

anonimi:


I thought that you did not like them?

And when did you have a change of gender?

Ishilove:
I'm just being naughty.

I'm getting in touch with my masculine side.

anonimi:


Is this naughtiness related to the masculine side?

anonimi:



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