By Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi
The Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki, while recently appraising the performance and achievements of heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the State as well as some political appointees, enjoined the political and administrative leaders to cut down on wasteful expenditures and prioritize the interests of the people, noting that if leaders in government do not deliver on their promises to the people, their positions cannot be guaranteed.
The Governor gave the directive during a two-day leadership retreat at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), from 12th to 13th September 2022, which had as its theme, “Expanding the Frontiers, Succeeding Together”.
The Governor in an opening remark noted that performance reviews of all MDAs which would now be held quarterly and half-yearly in the State, is essential, particularly at a time when revenue is not matching expenditures.
Obaseki noted that the essence of the retreat is to benchmark the targets set by government at the beginning of the year with actual performance at mid-year, to ascertain performance gaps and consequently devise strategies to ensure such deficits are recovered before the end of the year.
According to Obaseki, “I am sure everyone is watching the developments in the country, particularly the evolving political developments. The people are now demanding a lot from government and people in government who have the responsibility to manage the collective resources. Technology is evolving and the people now use social media as a monitoring mechanism on the government and would react when their interests are not catered for.
“They have realized what government can do for them since we came in about six (6) years ago, and would only likely vote their interest. This awareness is rapidly increasing and fierce, as no political party can beat their chest and say in the next election I will have a clear victory, because the people are watching. They would ask you what you have done for them. Governments would not be spared and neither would civil servants”.
Obaseki continued, “Looking forward as a government, we do not have what it takes to finance government, as much is being spent on running government and not enough is spent on delivering services to the people, hence the need for MDAs to be collaborative, efficient, reduce waste and cost of governance to reflect current economic realities and most importantly, prioritize actions”.
Speaking on efficiency and productivity within the public service, Obaseki said: “For those that have done exceedingly well, we would give accolades and encouragement to make more improvements, and for those who are lackluster, we have asked them to do everything within the mechanism and structures we have put in place, to ensure they catch up before the end of the year, because as a government, we cannot afford to feed the people with excuses.”
The Governor also declared that alternative sources of income have to be identified and explored as the State can no longer rely on crude oil allocation from the federal government to meet the growing needs of the citizens.
He stated that the tourism sector is key in driving the economy of the State, which is to be explored to bring in more revenue to the State. Governor Obaseki expressed his optimism with the work done so far in the State, noting that Edo would be able to explore new frontiers that would open up more opportunities”
In his welcome address, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, ably represented by the Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., commended the dynamic and uncommon leadership style of the Governor in piloting the affairs of the State. This, according to the Deputy Governor, has culminated in the realization of the collective dreams of the people and the MEGA Agenda of the current administration.
Speaking on future synergy and prospects for the State, Shaibu said: “The theme of this leadership retreat is very apt and I fervently believe that Edo State would be better for it. As a State and a forward-looking government, this retreat has the capacity to re-energize us as state actors and representatives of the people, to take stock, reflect on the journey so far, crystalize ideas and chart ways forward for the good of the State and benefits of our people.”
Highlight of the event was the presentation of mid-year performance reports by Heads of MDAs.
Recall that Heads of MDAs were trained by the State Government recently, on the newly adopted Performance Management System that extensively makes use of the Balance Score Cards (BSCs).
The heads of the various MDAs and appointees made presentations of their various BSCs at the retreat, bearing testament to the new performance management system in the State’s public service.
