In this interview with the Crusaders Voice News,the Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Mr. Fred Itua,gave insight on the journey so far. He explains how his boss, Governor Monday Okpebholo makes his work interesting by fulfilling his campaign promises to Edo People, stressing that in six months, the governor has surpassed the expectations of nay-sayers.
He dwells on the governor’s performance, and why there is no need to misrepresent facts before Edo People because the Governor is practicalizing good governance by simply providing social amenities like roads, traffic-control through building over-head bridges ,building new schools and renovating of old schools, healthcare centers, employment of nurses, doctors, teachers, prompt payment of salaries , the most important of all, taking decisive actions against kidnappers and cultists in the state.
Enjoy the excerpts:
As the Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor , how have you been able to manage facts from propaganda?
If you have practiced as a journalist for a good number of years and you were able to equip yourself professionally , it is quite easy for you to understand when it is time to present facts and when propaganda is needed as a tool to dissuade false narratives.
In this case, we have concentrated on providing facts, I’ mean, what the Governor is doing for Edo people. In doing that, the government is focused in making life meaningful for Edo People.
So, we give less attention to stories that are not factual . With my professional training, I don’t need to be involved or get engaged with those who use their social media handles to peddle lies. Whenever, such situation arises, I provide facts with evidence and post while the people decide or decipher which one is the truth or false. But the point is , in an era of social media ,where everyone who has a phone is a journalist, how many people will you respond to? So, if you have about 5,000 persons posting untrue stories on a particular issue, all I can do is just to address the facts and publish them. Those who know the truth will stick to it .
*Can you take us through some of the projects that have been executed or are currently on-going?*
The Governor’s infrastructural road-map is dynamic and encompassing. Within his six months in office, his infrastructural drive has cut across the Three Senatorial Districts. In Edo South, the most prominent is the over-head bridge at Ramat Park which will help to control traffic in that axis.
His Excellency, Gov. Monday Okpebholo was at the site recently and the site engineer confirmed that it was about 40% completed. The Governor has also initiated the construction of major road projects and erosion control sites in areas like Temboga road, Charismatic Renewal, off Ekenwan Road, while there is also another one at the Army Cantonment Barracks at Ekenwan. In Edo Central, where the Governor came from, there is a road project stretching from Ubiaja to Ekpoma. The Governor has also carried out serious remedial work on the Benin by-pass up to Iruekpen which is about 45 kilometers.
Now you can drive on that road, at most ,50 miniutes. I am telling you because I was on that road recently and is quite safe as well . If you go to Edo North, remedial work is going on from Auchi to Igara, although, some of these roads are Federal roads but the governor has taken over the work because he is concerned about the safety and well-being of Edo people.
Within Benin City as well, work is currently going on in Old Sapele Road which is about 23 kilometers. The flagging-off of the second fly-over bridge at Adesuwa, off Sapele Road road is also another mile-stone achievement that is coming up soon. The Governor is building new schools and renovating old ones that are in a very dilapidated shape.
In Agricultural sector, the Governor is also doing perfectly well. His government has been able to identify the importance of food security and has commenced farming in the Three Senatorial Districts cultivating almost 5 hectares of farm lands where the governor intends to grow what the people would eat and probably sell the remaining ones to people in other neighboring states. Quite a lot is happening at the same time and this is just six months in office. Imagine what will happen after three years!
You will recall, that despite the over-blotted educational reform of the past administration , when Governor Okpebholo, came on board, he saw the rots in education and declared ” A state of emergency ” right away. Before he took over as the Governor of Edo State, Ambrose Alli University ,which is the first State University in Nigeria, was receiving less than N40 million subvention But he was able to raise the subvention to N500 million. This is one significant turn-around for AAU that has suffered from one crisis to another due to lack of support from Governor Obaseki led administration.
Beyond the money he injected into that system, when you visit there, you will see major work ongoing to give the higher institution a face-lift. Then across the State, over 100 schools have been renovated and some are still ongoing, both in primary and secondary schools. Then the primary health sector, which is ordinarily under the Local government purview . The State Government is building new health centers and renovating new ones,making that sector receive the necessary attention it requires.
As I speak, there is an ongoing recruitment of doctors, nurses and medical staff to man these places that the governor is trying to revamp. There is no sector that is left out as far as the Governor is concerned.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor are always seen to manage the public image of their bosses. How has it been so far?
My experience as the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo has been a fulfilling journey for me because my boss is in a hurry to see every face wears smile in the state. His transparent leadership and all inclusive style of governance is part of what makes me find satisfaction in what I do despite the jabs we get from the opposition.
The nature of my job is not supposed to be an easy one because is not for everyone. The same way anyone can be a doctor but if you are made the CMD of a clinic or an hospital that has about 5,000 staff, can you manage them? That is where the difference comes in. But I will categorically tell you that my boss, His Excellency Monday Okpebholo, has made my job much easier by keeping to his campaign promises. Being a media aide to the governor is primarily beyond being an image maker. It also includes crisis management. You know how journalists can sometimes be very opinionated and any little trigger that others would over-look, journalists will pick it up . But so far, in Edo State, journalists have been the most supportive people in this administration and we are not taking that for granted at all.
On the promises, whatever the Governor will not do, he won’t promise. He is building on his Five Point agenda one at a time. Everything is going pari-pasu, which means none is being ignored.
His Excellency is a Man that makes a promise and he sees to it that it is done. If he has been able to keep his promise and made it in the last six months, you should be rest assured that going forward, nothing will change. Instead, he will improve on what has been achieved.
The Anti-Cult Law and the fight against kidnappers and cultism has been adjudged as being one sided by some schools of thought, What is your reaction to this?
His Excellency is not fighting one particular cult alone. He is fighting cultism and the criminality involved such as kidnapping and other vices. So, if your group falls in the category of what the state tag as cultism, then you will face the full wrath of the law.
The governor is blind to the group that anyone belongs to but his eyes are opened to the crime that is being committed as a member of such proscribed group. Whichever anyone belongs to, the Governor doesn’t care, what he cares about is that if a crime is committed by any member of such group that is prohibited by law, there will be consequences which has already been spelt out by the law.
What should Edo People expect from this administration going forward?
When the Governor came on-board , he said he will focus on key areas and if you listened to his inaugural speech, he emphasized on security, infrastructure, health, Education and food security which , if you are in Edo and have access to the media, you will see what he is doing. The focal points are the five pillars on which the others can build on.