The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has reaffirmed that his government will continue to pray and sue for peace in the state but not at the expense of the people of Edo State.
Governor Obaseki spoke at the weekend when he led some members of the State Executive Council to the thanksgiving service of Hon. Ephraim Aluebhosele and Hon. Emma Okoduwa, lawmakers representing Igueben and Esan North-East Constituency II in the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) respectively, who were thanking God for electoral successes.
The governor, who was responding to the call for peace in the state by Rev. Fr. Francis Omolumhen, said, “I have asked what I have done wrong; they want me to share the money of the state but my conscience will not let me; I have not discriminated against anybody in the state.
“Nobody can play God and nobody is God. We will continue to pursue peace but we will not give Edo resources to a few but rather use it to develop the state. I am not interested in the next election but the next generation. I am not distracted but focused to continue in my developmental strides in Edo State”.
Obaseki said his administration is working closely with the World Bank to revamp and restructure the College of Education in Edo State with its headquarters in Igueben.
“We have restructured the College of Education in Edo State with the headquarter in Igueben to train secondary schools and technical education teachers as other campuses will be in Abudu and Afuze. The College will bring development to the people.
“We have not forgotten the vulnerable in our society as we cannot take them for granted. We have made donations of a million naira into the church purse for the Parish Priest to channel into an empowerment project for widows.”
The governor further praised the legislative prowess of Hon. Aluebhosele, who he said, thinks like him, as they both attended the University of Ibadan and studied Classics.
Rev. Fr. Francis Omolumhen, who represented the Bishop of Uromi Diocese, urged the governor to be a father to all by bringing everyone together to move the state forward.
Speaking at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, venue for the thanksgiving service for Hon. Okoduwa, he said religious leaders are praying for the success of the Obaseki-led government, which has good intentions for the people of Edo State.
“I call on you to bring all the legislators together to have a unifying house to develop the State,” he said.
At St. Joseph Catholic Church, Igueben, the Parish Priest, Very Rev. Fr. Charles Akue called on parishioners not to only celebrate the birth of Christ but focus on his coming rather than committing sin during the season.
Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye; All Progressives Congress Chieftain, Theophilus Okoh; Commissioner for Infrastructure, Hon. John Inegbedion, and Executive Chairman, Igueben Local Government Area, Hon. Josie Ogedegbe, during thanksgiving Mass by Hon. Aluebhosele of EDHA, to celebrate his electoral victory, in Igueben, Edo State.