2nd May, 2024
By Jethro Ibileke
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has hinted that the state government will soon commence the use of artificial intelligence in governance.
He gave the hint on Wednesday while addressing the Labour movement on the occasion of the observance of the Workers’ Day.
According to him, “I can only predicts that from a very few years or if not months, that Edo State will begin using Artificial Intelligent (AI) to assist in running government.
“Yes, you will use AI and you will have AI.”
The governor who used the occasion to reel out his achievements in the last seven and half years, noted that the welfare of workers and every citizens in Edo has been the basis for every decisions and actions he took.
He disclosed that his government has also employed about 5,000 additional workers to boost the workforce of the state.
“I have always been conscious of that responsibility which God has place on me and in spite of the hostilities and vendetta by some politicians, I have done everything in my power and human ability to ensure that I do not stray from that ideological part for the use of the public resources for the good of our citizens.
“From a state which ranked the highest in human trafficking and irregular migration seven years ago, we have become a state with the lowest numbers of multidimensional poor people in Nigeria.
“We have become a state with one of the lowest infants and maternal mortality rate in Nigeria. We have become a state with the lowest numbers of out of school children in Nigeria.
“One of the things I promised in 2016 was that I was going to build our institutions for governance and today we can proudly say that workers to achieve the modest institutional reforms which we have now achieved in Edo state.
“Today, we can celebrate and that with your support we have been able to recruit over 5,000 new workers into the Edo civil service based on merit and no longer on favouritism as it used to be. Now you don’t need to know anybody to get work in government in Edo state. You just need to know something.
“You can celebrate that we now have the first public training academy in West Africa, and, this academy, the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, has trained over 10,000 workers who participated enthusiastically in our trainings.
“I have been amazed by how workers in Edo State embrace and adopted technology and how they have continue to use applications to do the ways we do things in government, whether they are teachers using technology in EdoBest or workers using platform in the secretariat or whether they are our health workers using e-health technology in our different primary healthcare. You have all done very well,” Obaseki said.
He continued: “Two days ago, I announced that we have raised the minimum wage in Edo state from N40,000 monthly to N70,000 monthly, an increased of over 75 per cent. This is because we know and feel the hardship which most of you experience daily.
“For almost a year now fuel subsidy has been removed, exchange rate has more than double and food prices have gone up the roof and most you can barely buy things that you used to buy for yourself and your family.
“We are empathetic government, we cannot say we do not know and if we know, we can sit down and do nothing about it. That is one reasons that we said even though it will be a strain on us we should do what is expected by increasing the minimum wage.
“The N70,000 minimum wage is within what we can afford as a state government. However, should the federal government decide on a higher minimum wage, and decide to make the funds available to states, the savings which they have made from the removal of fuel subsidy, Edo State government will adjust its minimum wage to that of the federal government.
“Your salaries will continue to be paid on or before the 26th day of every month and we will continue to make sure that we have an effective health insurance scheme, 2hich has assisted you public servants.
“I want to appreciate you, and I heard your stories on how the health insurance scheme has assisted many families. Please, if you do not have the health insurance scheme or you have not enrolled, please, today go and enrol with the Edo State Health Insurance Scheme. It is working like magic.
“I also want to assure our senior citizens, our pensioners that we will continue to pay your premium so that you can attend to your healthcare in our healthcare facilities in our state.
“For the workers we will continue to pay your health insurance, so that if anything happen to you, your family will not be left in penury. Today, my presence here is to say thank you and to say all we have achieved as a government would not have been possible if you did not help me to make it possible.”
Earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Odion Olaye, said the state workers are appreciative of the governor for approving N70,000 as minimum wage for workers.
He called on the governor to fulfill his promise of paying the wage award he promised the state workers to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.