By Newsmata
The Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Projects Implementation and Monitoring, Ufoma Bello, said on Sunday that one of the core mandates of her principal, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is infrastructure development across the state.
The Special Adviser disclosed this while speaking to journalists at the first quarterly stakeholders’ engagement which was held at the Government House, Benin City, Edo State.
Staff of Edo State Ministry of Works, Edo State Public Buildings and Maintenance Agency, (EDPUBMA) and Projects, Implementation and Monitoring Department and relevant stakeholders were present at the maiden meeting.
Key objectives of the engagement was to ensure that massive infrastructural projects like roads, public buildings, and other facilities, are contracted, monitored, and evaluated in line with international best practices, as well as promote sustainable infrastructure development plans in the state.
According to her,. “Governor Okpebholo’s administration has a mandate to drive infrastructural development in Edo State”.
She challenged directors, permanent secretary in Works ministry, to collaborate with her office to help the governor deliver on his mandate and ensure all projects embarked on were completed and up to international standard.
She said the collaboration would ensure that the administration did not engage in white elephant projects and all projects completed and handed over to the public on schedule.
“When the Edo State Government puts in money to fund a project, we all, including the host community, must give feed back to the government to ensure smooth collaboration which will benefit us all, and also ensure long lasting projects upon completion” she stated.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, John Obanor, an engineer, said the engagement was more like a family forum to synergise and chart the way forward, and also to fall in line with the vision of the governor in terms of infrastructure development across the state.
The next quarterly stakeholders’ meeting takes place later in the year as the state government continues to drive infrastructure development and promote sustainable growth ahead of the governor’s first 100 days in office.