The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said no
government can survive by bailouts but by sustained economic development.
Obaseki said the protest and accusations from pensioners
was ill-conceived and sponsored.
The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press
Secretary, Mr. John Mayaki, said: “We cannot be reactive to situations as it
concerns the running of government, workers welfare, payment of salaries and
emoluments – actions and reactions have to be well-planned and sustainable.
“Pensioners must understand that the system needs to be
properly organised at all levels –from federal to state and local government –
so as not to continue to depend and survive from bailouts. This is our major
concern, which is why the state government is reorganising and overhauling the
entire pension system to achieve better and qualitative service delivery. Edo
state government cannot commence screening of her pensioners because there is
an ongoing screening of pensioners with federal share at Imaguero and New Era
Secondary Schools which is expected to end on March 9, 2017.
“Are they accusing Mr. Governor of lodging the Paris Club
refund in his personal account or government account? Is the governor entitled
to collect interest from monies lodged in government account? Is the money
meant exclusively for pensioners or for Edo State of which workers and
pensioners are a sub-set? Let me put it on record that the money is not in any
fixed deposit account, whatsoever.”
Meanwhile, Obaseki has signed the state’s uniform and
harmonised levies, rates, fees and charges collected by local government law
2017 bill into law.
The bill was passed by the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Obaseki said the law will enable the state and local
governments capture and access revenues accruable to them and added that a
special schedule would be created where taxes collected by the councils would
be announced to ensure transparency in the collection process.
“We want to assure you that what you have assisted us in
doing has certainly created a new paradigm and given a new lease of life to our
local government. We want to assure that it will be given full effect…”
While waiting for your approval, we have begun to put in
place mechanism for the implementation of the law by working with the judiciary
to ensure they have the enforcement mechanism,’’ he said.
He said the review of the bill became necessary in
pursuant of his New Year Day broadcast to discourage levies and taxes being
collected by unauthorised persons in the stat
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