 |
| Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki |
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has received the Fiscal Policy and Transparency Star of the Year award, following his administration’s reforms in management of scarce state resources and implementation of policy actions to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
The award was received by the representative of the governor and Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Joseph Eboigbe, at a book launch on “Integrity Vs Power Play: Understanding the Buhari Phenomenon”, in Abuja, organised by The Nigerian News, a multimedia news organisation with offices in the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
While presenting the award to the governor, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Sam Ode, said, “It has become very imperative that governance in Nigeria should shift away from the usual polity that has been the dominant factor. The governor of Edo State by all intent and purpose is known as a technocrat and a bureaucrat that has brought the best in transparency in the fiscal policy management of the state under his watch.”
In his response, Obaseki said, “I am indeed very happy to receive the award, which is an evidence of the efforts we have put over the years to strengthen the micro and macro economy of Edo State. Much of these efforts have led to Edo State receiving direct development finance from the World Bank.
“So far, in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa, only two sub-national entities have received direct funding from the World Bank, which are Lagos and Edo states. These efforts have indeed pushed Edo State forward. We are also looking at further institutionalising these best practices.”
The governor added, “We have recently signed the Public Financial Management and Fiscal Responsibility Law and the state government has subscribed fully to the Open Governance Partnership Principles. When I eventually serve my two-terms and leave office, it will become a way of life for successive administrations, that fiscal policy and management will be a norm in Edo State.”
