Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has revealed that his administration used job creation initiatives and entrepreneurship programmes to address illegal migration and human trafficking among youths in the state.
Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, said his administration would sustain efforts at ensuring that Edo youths were adequately empowered to live life to the fullest.
The governor said his administration had made remarkable success in tackling human trafficking and illegal migration, noting that the government traced its root causes and addressed it.
According to him, before 2015, the image of Edo State was bad and synonymous with trafficking as Benin City was referred to as the capital city for prostitution.
“For every boat that capsized, there was one Edo person there and every Edo girl that tried to travel was a suspect. Edo had about 30,000 of its citizens in Libya trying to cross to Europe.
“Our young people were in a hurry to leave the country and it became a problem for my administration in restoring the hope of Edo youths,” he noted.
The governor further stated, lack of job increased the problem of human trafficking. “So, while campaigning, I did what most politicians would not do; I campaigned with job creation, promising to create 200,000 jobs. Five years running now, we have done well in terms of job creation for Edo people,” he said.
Obaseki, in another development, said his government was committed to building physical and digital infrastructure to drive sustainable growth and development in the state.
Obaseki, who spoke with journalists in Benin City, said his administration was leveraging on technology and data to drive governance and create a workplace that inspires and motivates the state’s civil and public service to work for the Edo people.
He said: “In Edo State, we are focused on 12 thematic areas, which include reforms of government structure, making government the enabler in the society, creating a citizen-centric leadership structure and utilising technology and data to drive governance. We are also ensuring that the government focuses on sustainable economic growth and building the physical and digital infrastructure that we require for our growth.”
Reassuring the right environment for workers in the state to become more productive and efficient, the governor noted: “Our goal is to strengthen service delivery, establish and enhance processes and systems for improved efficiency, as well as create and sustain a high-performance culture in our public service.”
“We are utilising technology and creating a workplace that inspires and motivates our public servants to work for Edo people.”
Earlier in the day, the governor, led other top government functionaries to a special Christmas carol of nine lessons organised for students drawn from various schools across the state, with a charge for the students to show love to one another.
The carol, in its maiden edition, featured special performances from various musical, dance and choreography groups.
The event, organised by Edo State Ministry of Education, was held at Imaguero College in Benin City.
Obaseki, who noted that the season was characterised by love and exchange of gifts, urged the children to show love towards one another as they celebrate Christmas.