Edo State’s newly inaugurated governor, Monday Okpebholo, has announced the formation of a panel of inquiry to investigate the exclusion of 14 elected lawmakers from the state assembly’s seventh session, an event which has raised concerns about the health of the state’s democratic institutions.
Speaking at his swearing-in on Tuesday, Okpebholo also set forth a five-point agenda focused on security, infrastructure, healthcare, food sufficiency, and education.
Declaring a hard stance against crime, he promised, “Our citizens is top priority for us. To achieve this, we shall implement programmes carefully outlined in my five-point agenda, designed to grow robust economic growth and improve the lives of our people.”
Okpebholo’s infrastructure agenda includes a commitment to improving the state’s roads, with plans to begin construction and make key routes passable.
“The deplorable condition of our roads has made it difficult for people to move from one part of the state to another,” he said, vowing immediate action to improve connectivity.
The governor further pledged support for small businesses and market women through soft loans, and he outlined plans to bolster education by recruiting more teachers, refurbishing schools, and raising tertiary education standards.
“Our teeming youthful population will not be left out,” Okpebholo said, promising skills programmes for youth empowerment.
He also emphasised his administration’s commitment to improving electricity access for rural communities, and he voiced support for the Oba of Benin’s role as custodian of repatriated cultural artefacts.
As he concluded, Okpebholo underlined his commitment to working closely with the judiciary and legislative branches to uphold democracy and governance in Edo.
