By Godfrey Osejele
It is one thing to have an elected representative at the helm of affairs and another for the elected official to adequately represent the interest of the people, after securing the mandate.
Over the years, the aforementioned has been one of the basic problems Nigerians faced in the hands of elected representatives.
The majority of elected officers, when placed in the corridors of power, tend to take irrational and draconian decisions that, most of the time, have detrimental effects on the people.
However, in Edo, the story is different. The people have found a true embodiment of selflessness and trust in the person of Governor Godwin Obaseki, as he has continually prioritized the interest of the masses in his policies and programs. He has shown this again with the launch of Operation Plan Edo.
Operation Plan Edo is a bigger umbrella that has under it, Operation Show Your Building Plan, which was launched in March 2022. This initiative; Operation Show Your Building Plan requires property owners and developers to provide their building plans for recertification.
Operation Plan Edo has a broader scope which is aimed at recertifying building plans and collecting data on the socio-economic needs of communities beginning from the Benin metropolis. This exercise is in line with the Government’s vision of actualizing its 30-year Development Plan.
The Governor was represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Isoken Omo, during the exercise in Ugbor axis of Benin City. The other Government functionaries present at the event included the Head of Oredo Local Government Administration, Mr. Kessington Osifo.
The Operation Show Your Building Plan was received with hostility and physical attacks from the communities when it was first initiated around Amagba and Ogheghe axis, by people who misconstrued the intent of the Government.
Consequently, the Operation Plan Edo was birthed with a broader scope and manpower as twelve other Ministries have been incorporated into the exercise.
Speaking to journalists, Hon. Omo explained that the Amagba and Ogheghe experience made the Government to further engage with the people to know exactly what they need in their communities.
The Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has collaborated with other Ministries by creating teams with hand-held devices which are assigned to the different communities for engagement and collation of data which will be sent back to the Government to aid it in attending to the most pressing needs of the people in the various communities.
This is a laudable initiative by the Edo State Government as this exercise will help to draw the Government closer to the people and give them a sense of inclusiveness in the decision making process of the State, especially as it pertains to development.
