March 16, (THEWILL) – Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has inaugurated a 15-man Business Enabling Environment Task Team, charged with the responsibility of helping the government to identify and proffer solutions to bottlenecks to business growth and to ensure conducive environment for businesses in the state.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Assistant, Media to the governor, Crusoe Osagie, said the team, headed by Edo State Commissioner for Finance, Joseph Eboigbe, was inaugurated by Obaseki at Government House, Benin City.
Other members of the committee are Kelvin Uwaibi, who is the Secretary; Frank Evbuomwan, Ukinebo Dare, Joan Osa-Oviawe and Edugie Agbonlahor, among others.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Governor said, “This is a team that has been set up to prepare the state for a baseline survey on the ease of doing business in Nigeria, as was decided by the Nigeria Economic Council. As you are aware, states today are typically funded from the Federation Account.
“Over the years, the attitude of states is to run themselves with the view that at the end of the month, funding will come from the Federal Government. In a normal environment, states depend on taxation for their sustenance.
“States ability to do well depends on the businesses in the environment. What has happened today in Nigeria, is that the Federal Government still gives subvention to states on a monthly basis. But the growth requirements for states today cannot be satisfied by the allocations.”
Justifying the need for the team, he said that for any state to survive, it must have enough businesses that could pay taxes from which it could derive revenues. He also said it had become imperative to create an environment where businesses would thrive.
Meanwhile, Obaseki has said the newly upgraded Edo College of Nursing Sciences, will develop the human capacity to sustain ongoing reforms in the healthcare system and improve access to quality and affordable healthcare services to Edo people.
The college, which was recently reaccredited to offer three-year nursing programmes by Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), used to be Edo State School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Obaseki said his administration would sustain investment in the state’s healthcare system, ensuring the delivery of affordable, quality and efficient health services to the people.
He said: “The lessons of COVID-19 taught us that if one is ill, the person has no control of where to get healthcare from. COVID-19 has taught us a lot and motivated us to decide as a state to re-establish our healthcare system and make Edo State a medical hub.”
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