I’ll not deny any child quality education for greed of any individual – Obaseki

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said he will not deny any child in the state quality education for the greed of any individual blackmailing him to share the state’s limited resources.

The governor said this during a courtesy visit by members of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) from the 18 local government areas of the state, at Government House, in Benin City, Edo State.

He said a major concern of his administration is how to improve education, noting, “Education is one of the biggest problems we need to address as a nation. The difference between developing and developed countries is education, knowledge, training and information.

“People say we have done well by constructing roads, developing the state, but it is the least we have achieved as a government. To build human beings is most critical and enduring. That is what SBMC is helping us to achieve in transforming the education sector.”

Obaseki urged women to join the committee as his administration intends to expand the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme to include Junior Secondary School, classes 1-3, adding, “Our focus in the next three years is on secondary education.”

The governor reiterated his determination to transform the education sector despite the distractions from a few individuals who want him to share taxpayers’ money to them, noting,  “I keep wondering how some people see the development made in the state as nothing and are only concerned about their selfish interest. I am not ready to drop any child under Edo-BEST to feed the greed of any person. Edo must work and change, as nobody is greater than the people.”

The leader of the School-Based Management Committee, Felix Enehizena, commended the developmental strides recorded by the Governor Obaseki-led administration, which he said has brought peace, progress, transformation and tranquillity to the state.

“Edo-BEST is working perfectly for us as parents and community representatives. The Social Mobilisation Office (SMO) has trained over 11,000 SBMC members in the state which has afforded the members the opportunity to collaborate with the government to ensure certain things are put right,” he said.