Jungle Journalist Media Limited
  • News
  • Politics
  • Economy and Business
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • entertainment
  • Health
  • Niger Delta
  • Security
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Economy and Business
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • entertainment
  • Health
  • Niger Delta
  • Security
No Result
View All Result
Jungle Journalist Media Limited
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Economy and Business
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • entertainment
  • Health
  • Niger Delta
  • Security

Alaghodaro Summit of Unending Promises and Realities

by Jungle Journalist
October 5, 2021
Reading Time: 5 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsApp

By Edoko Wilson Edoko
(wilsonedoko@gmail.com)

The annual jamboree created by Governor Godwin Obaseki called Alaghodaro summit has continued to raise negative concerns among Edo people as their taxes are wasted with no goal achieved.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alaghodaro Summit, a major “wake and see policy”, started in 2017 and is now in its fifth edition. Wrongly labelled an investment summit it has merely served to highlight the blunders of the governor on his anniversary in office.

ReadAlso

No Content Available

Given its mission statement at its inaugural edition in 2017, it looked then that the Edo State Government unveiled an economic blueprint fashioned after the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP) of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The blueprint had a 168-page EGRP document that covered the years 2017 to 2020. It has been described by economic experts as a well-articulated set of guiding principles for the economic management of the State. However, how has this supposed magical plan turned the fortunes of Edo state four years after?

It is worthy of note that at the 2017 Summit, Governor Godwin Obaseki claimed to have showcased ambitious agricultural programmes that gave birth to the Edo State Fertiliser and Chemical Company, which was commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Auchi. The objective of the plant was to boost the local production of fertiliser in Edo state.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to their bogus assertion, the Edo State Fertiliser Plant and Chemical Company Limited is a public-private venture which has the capacity to produce about 60,000 metric tons of fertiliser per annum. We may then ask, how has this been achieved since it was proclaimed?

Also exhibited at the investment summit in 2017 was the Edo State Saro Farm in Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of the State. Governor Obaseki had said then that the maize farm was part of his administration’s accelerated agriculture initiative to boost job creation in the state. He boasted that at least 50,000 agricultural jobs would be created before the end of the year after the summit.

According to him, the first phase of the initiative targeted job creation for 1,000 farmers through the cultivation of 5,000 hectares of maize farms across five local government areas of the state.

Unfortunately, like the other lofty promises, 4 years later, what are the testimonies from the much celebrated Saro Farm at Sobe?

ADVERTISEMENT

Similarly, the much talked about Edo Industrial Park which Obaseki said has received positive reviews by development analysts, is today comatose nothing on ground suggestive of an ambitious project. The proposed site has been overtaken by weed, indicative of abandonment.

Another white elephant project of Governor Obaseki is the AMES Edo Truck Transit Park which the Governor claimed was borne of public private partnership agreement (PPP) between the Edo State Government and Atlantique Marine, for the construction of a modern Truck Transit Park (TTP) located in Benin City. It was said to be designed to conveniently accommodate about 1000 trailers on rotation basis. The park was too also serve as a public rest area located off the road to provide a temporary rest location for truck drivers on a long drive.

Another PPP example is the construction of an Inland Container Depot (Dry Port) in Benin City, also facilitated by the rather opaque Atlantique Marine. The objective of the project is said to bring shipping activities closer to manufacturers so as to drive industrialization in Edo State and neighbouring states. The project was supposed to have been completed by 2018 – three years ago, and upon completion was, expected to a Custom Port and approved and designated by the federal government as a Port of Origin and Destination. Like the others, the proposal seems to be stuck in the pipeline, with no hope of seeing the light of day.

During the 2018 edition of Alaghodaro summit, Obaseki paraded his administration’s achievement in the education sector that revolved a yet to be understood idea called Edobest program. He announced that Edo teachers, numbering 7,000 are today active participants in the global digital space, conducting classes with digital devices loaded with academic instructions for primary school pupils.

With the unaccounted investment of Billions of Naira into the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme, EDSG still claims they have produced over 7, 000 digital teachers with impressive learning outcomes in public primary schools across the state – my question is, why does the reality on ground betray their misleading propaganda?

Sadly, most schools in Edo state, lack the adequate number of teachers, while pupils and students receive lessons sitting on bare and dirty floor. A vivid example of this regrettable scenario is the three schools in Igbanke like many other communities across the 192 wards, which still lack a lot even with the noise about EdoBEST achievements. The Igbanke Grammar School; Igbanke Mixed Secondary School and Omolua Mixed Secondary School have no Mathematics and Science teachers.

Also at the 2018 summit, regarding his achievements in the health sector, Obaseki said efforts were being made to revamp 200 healthcare centres across the State. But again the reality today, remains that most communities in Edo State lack good health centers. Where there are structures that are called health centers, there are hardly basic health facilities and personnel. Instructively, the state owned Central Hospital is currently in shambles. Meanwhile, the Stella Obasanjo Hospital has been converted into a mortuary with little or nothing on ground.

In spite of the obvious distance between promises and performance, the governor has said that the State has witnessed tremendous progress in the areas of infrastructure, quality education and job creation, with a policy strategy linking job seekers to trainings and employment opportunities, which have culminated in the creation of 77,200 jobs out of the promised 200,000 jobs. On this particular issue, one would begin to wonder who actually got these opportunities, no be juju be that?

In 2019, the organizers of the third edition of the Alaghodaro Summit posited that the event was to evaluate the progress made by the administration and make projections for the future. This assertion actually bamboozled me because, I keep wondering what’s on ground to really appraise or evaluate? Is it the bad roads littering the state?, insecurity or his timidity in the management of the state affairs?

Coming to the 2020 edition of Alaghodaro Summit, Obaseki bragged about the progress recorded with Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park, which development he claimed was ongoing including the Benin River Port and the Utesi Industrial Cluster.

What is the progress so far with these developmental rethorics?

Currently, Edo State is ranked the worst performer in terms of accountability in the management of public finance, scoring 3 per cent of the required information in an assessment report (for 2018 fiscal year) that was conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Edo State scored 5 per cent in 2018 in the same survey but dropped by 2 points in 2019. In terms of non access to information to rate the state’s handling of state funds, Edo State was rated 97 per cent in 2019, and 95 per cent in 2018, while some states like Rivers and Adamawa which recorded 2 per cent each in 2018, recorded significant improvement in public fund management by 37 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

There is great concern about how accountable and prudent the Governor is in the management of our financial resources. In the past administrations, especially during Oshiomhole’s government, details of spendings were published in the state’s website for citizens to follow and access the progress of governance.

It baffles me and a lot of Edo people that till now the current administration can’t tell us how much has been expended through the white-elephant project called EdoBEST and other projects which are only seen on the pages of newspapers.

In summary, the non achievement under the Obaseki administration is so unprecedented. However, as the journey towards the attainment of a better Edo remains a long walk, one can only wait patiently for this plague which has befallen us to come to an end in the next three years of uncertainty.

Edoko Wilson Edoko writes from Benin City, Edo State.
wilsonedoko@gmail.com
07054266378

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Related

Tags: Alaghodaro Summit
Share2Tweet1Send
Previous Post

Prof Greg Ibe says high shipping cost is hurting Nigeria’s trade with China

Next Post

Makinde, Wike, Udom voted governors of the year in the 2021 Igbere TV Awards

You MayAlso Like

International

International Yahoo Boy Gets 235 Years Jail Term Over Fraud, Money Laundering

June 30, 2022
Community Reports

BLOODBATH: 18 bodies recovered, as Ebonyi, Benue communities clash over farmland

June 30, 2022
Election

Vote-buying will determine winner of Osun governorship polls next month – Ebonyi prophet

June 29, 2022
National

With Atiku and Okowa, PDP remains a better choice for Nigeria

June 28, 2022
National

Army annual celebration to hold June 29- July 6 in Imo State

June 28, 2022
National

2023: Neither Atiku nor Tinubu can fix Nigeria – Ango Abdullahi

June 28, 2022
Next Post

Makinde, Wike, Udom voted governors of the year in the 2021 Igbere TV Awards

Eastwing Aviation School Enugu to Hold Annual Seminar in December

Discussion about this post

ADVERTISEMENT

Recent Posts

  • International Yahoo Boy Gets 235 Years Jail Term Over Fraud, Money Laundering
  • Africa is losing $50bn yearly to illicit financial outflow – ANAN
  • BLOODBATH: 18 bodies recovered, as Ebonyi, Benue communities clash over farmland
  • Vote-buying will determine winner of Osun governorship polls next month – Ebonyi prophet
  • Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s Family Followed Due Process In Seeking Solution To Her Daughter’s Health Crisis
ADVERTISEMENT

Recent Comments

  • Ogbuenyi Sunday on Anambra police arrest river-bathing prophet ‘Onye Eze Jesus’
  • Stephen CE on List of international stars who have joined #EndSARS/#EndSWAT and what they said

Trending

EKWEREMADU: How My Journey to UK for a Job Turned to Organ Harvesting – David Nwamini

BREAKING: ICPC Uncovers Billions In Cash Meant For Arms, Ammunition To Fight Boko Haram In Abuja Home Of Ex-Chief Of Army Staff, Buratai

BREAKING: I didn’t attend primary, secondary schools; my university certificates stolen by unknown soldiers, Tinubu tells INEC

JUST IN: Political Extremists Have Assigned Fulani Jihadists To Kill Peter Obi, Says Intersociety

World’s richest man breaks record, earns Dangote’s total worth of over N6trn in 8 hrs

See the things Peter Obi said that set the internet on fire

Tansian University on the brink as unending crises rage on

ADVERTISEMENT

Ike Ekweremadu: What British law says about human organs donation, transplant & trafficking

How 2 Men Lured Nursing Mother to Hotel, Drug Her Yoghurt, Kill Her and Sell Her Baby for N150K

BREAKING: Justice Tanko Muhammad Resigns As CJN

ADVERTISEMENT

Popular Stories

  • JUST IN: CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele sacked

    1498 shares
    Share 599 Tweet 375
  • BREAKING: Enugu LG election turns bloody, 5 killed as unknown gunmen abduct journalists(+Disturbing Images)

    363 shares
    Share 145 Tweet 91
  • BREAKING: Founder of Synagogue for All Nations, TB Joshua dies after programme

    273 shares
    Share 109 Tweet 68
  • BREAKING: ICPC Uncovers Billions In Cash Meant For Arms, Ammunition To Fight Boko Haram In Abuja Home Of Ex-Chief Of Army Staff, Buratai

    222 shares
    Share 89 Tweet 56
  • Lekki girl who sleeps with dogs for N1.5M battling incurable diseases, confesses to friend

    219 shares
    Share 88 Tweet 55
  • EKWEREMADU: How My Journey to UK for a Job Turned to Organ Harvesting – David Nwamini

    216 shares
    Share 86 Tweet 54

ABOUT US

Jungle Journalist Media Limited

Jungle Journalist Media Limited

Jungle Journalist is an online news and information resource centre dedicated to accurate and timely news reports.

Read More >>

CONNECT WITH US

SECTIONS

  • Aviation
  • Biafra
  • birthday
  • Bizarre
  • Breaking News
  • Building and Properties
  • Columnist
  • Community Reports
  • crime
  • Economy and Business
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • Election
  • electricity
  • entertainment
  • Health
  • Holidays
  • Human Rights
  • International
  • Interviews
  • Law
  • Magazine
  • media
  • Money
  • National
  • News
  • Niger Delta
  • North
  • Obituary
  • Oil and Gas
  • Opinions
  • Photos
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • Religion and Culture
  • Science and Technology
  • Security
  • South East
  • South-South
  • South-West
  • Sports
  • Transport and Aviation
  • Violence
  • Women and Children
  • Worship
  • Youth
No Result
View All Result

NEWS SOURCES

  • Punch
  • Nigerian Tribune
  • The Nation
  • Thisday
  • DailyTrust
  • The Sun
  • Daily Independent
  • PM News
  • Vanguard
  • Premium Times
  • Sahara Reporters
  • The Guardian
  • Leadership
  • Daily Times Of Nigeria
    • About
    • Advertise With Us
    • Privacy Policy

    © 2021 Jungle Journalist Media Limited - Web Designed by AfeesHost.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • News
    • Politics
    • Economy and Business
    • Sports
    • Editorial
    • Education
    • entertainment
    • Health
    • Niger Delta
    • Security

    © 2021 Jungle Journalist Media Limited - Web Designed by AfeesHost.