Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday commissioned the Edo State Secretariat Complex on Sapele Road, Benin City, commending Governor Godwin Obaseki’s commitment to the progress and development of the state.
Jonathan also laid the foundation stone for the 1,500-capacity Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Auditorium, which is being constructed at the Secretariat Complex.
Dignitaries at the commissioning ceremony included Governor Obaseki and the First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; Deputy Governor of Edo State, Godwin Omobayo and his wife; as well as the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa.
Also present were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2024 governorship election, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and his wife; the Deputy Governorship candidate and Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie; and the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, among others.
Speaking about the new complex, Jonathan noted that the buildings were some of the best in Nigeria, commending the governor for his vision to complete the dream of the late Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, the former governor of Bendel State, who initiated the construction.
He encouraged other governors to emulate Obaseki by investing in the public and civil service and recruiting first-class graduates into the service through automatic employment.
“I want to join the civil servants in thanking you for your visionary leadership, improving their welfare, and paying them a N70,000 minimum wage. That is a wage that will actually take them home.”
Jonathan added, “We have always prevailed because the majority of Edo people understand, appreciate, and endorse what our government has done. This has given us the courage to tackle any problems we faced along the way.”
Noting that the state is on a steady growth trajectory, he said that in the remaining few months of the administration, it will finish strong.
“We will complete all that we have started. This week, I will set up my transition team to aggregate and document all our achievements, projects, and undertakings for the next administration,” he said.
Governor Obaseki, on Wednesday, also announced that the state government will pay government workers’ salaries on June 14, ahead of the Salah celebrations.
The governor made this announcement during the commissioning of the State Secretariat Complex in Benin City, the state capital.
He said, “I have heard all the accolades about the minimum wage. I assure the workers that it is not a fluke. We are a very deliberate government that sits back to do our work. You know that for the seven and a half years since we came into office, we have paid salaries on the 26th of every month.
“In cases where we have holidays, we pay our workers before the holidays so they have money to celebrate. In the same manner, we will be paying the June salaries on Friday, June 14, ahead of the Salah celebration to enable you to have a good Salah.”