The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has said that many Nigerians are richer than Nigeria as a country.
He stated this on Monday in Benin, during a meeting of the State Transmission Committee, with over 27 professional organisations.
The governor, who urged the professionals to collaborate with his administration to expand the state’s tax net to enable the government deliver on its mandate of making the great, expressed concern over the salaries and all sources of emoluments burden of the state, which he said will soon hit N40 billion a year.
Obaseki emphatically told the professionals that the state would be developed with money from Edo people.
He said: “For us as a government to continue to behave the way we used to behave before, when the circumstances that brought us into government are totally different; I think it will be grossly unfair to God and the people of Edo State. We are in government to serve you; we want you to join us and make Edo great again.
“So, without the commitment and collaboration of these different professional groups, there is not much that we can do because right now, we spend almost N40 billion a year in paying people’s salaries and all sources of emoluments.
“In the past, we used to get that amount from oil revenue and now, that amount will have to be paid by taxes from you. Therefore, should you not have an input? Should you not have a say? And that say, should it just be about criticizing the government?
“Truly speaking, if we do not build institutions, if we continue in the old ways, trying to build super stars and strong men, we will have no future, because these strong men will die, then what now happens?”
The governor, who noted that money is no longer available for government as it used to be, insisted that the money “is with us Nigerians. Nigerians have more money than Nigeria. It is the money of Nigerians that will develop Nigeria. It is the money of Edo people that will develop Edo.
“The government can do so much and you have seen what we are trying to do with the little resources that we have. I know how much we can achieve. There is a need for all stakeholders to change their attitude towards contributing to good governance.
“For us as a government to continue to behave the way we used to behave before, when the circumstances that brought us into government are totally different; I think it will be grossly unfair to God and the people of Edo State. We are in government to serve you; we want you to join us and make Edo great again.
“So, without the commitment and collaboration of these different professional groups, there is not much that we can do because right now, we spend almost N40 billion a year in paying people’s salaries and all sources of emoluments.”
“In the past, we used to get that amount from oil revenue and now, that amount will have to be paid by taxes from you. Therefore, should you not have an input? Should you not have a say? And that say, should it just be about criticizing the government?” he asked.
