Edo Security Policies Restore Investor Confidence, Says Deputy Governor Idahosa

Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has said the security policies of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration have restored confidence and created a safer environment for investment and agricultural production in the state.

Idahosa stated this when he received a delegation from the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), led by its Programme Director, Dr Effiong Essien, on a courtesy visit.

The deputy governor’s remarks were contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo, and made available to newsmen in Benin on Monday.

He said the administration’s people-oriented policies, programmes and legislative reforms had contributed to reducing crime and strengthening the justice system, particularly in dealing with criminal elements.

According to Idahosa, the government’s commitment to the SHINE Agenda had helped position Edo as one of the more peaceful states in the Niger Delta, citing its firm stance against kidnapping, cultism and other forms of criminality.

He stressed that security remained critical to the state’s economic development, noting that investors and farmers could only operate effectively when their lives, businesses and farmlands were adequately protected.

“In any nation where there is security, investors and transformation would come.

“It is only when it is safe for our mothers to go to the farm that they can go to the farm and be productive.

“Security is number one in the SHINE Agenda. It shows the Governor’s emphasis on security and even agriculture,” he said.

Idahosa linked the government’s security drive to its efforts to achieve food sufficiency, stressing that farmers needed safe communities and farmlands to maximise agricultural production.

He, on behalf of the governor, commended PIND for choosing Edo as a base for its human capital development programmes and assured the organisation of the state government’s readiness to collaborate with it.

The deputy governor noted that several corporate social responsibility interventions by multinational companies, particularly those targeted at rural communities, were implemented through partnerships involving PIND.

He described PIND’s interventions as needs-driven, saying its projects were designed around the specific needs of communities and beneficiaries while strengthening relevant value chains.

Earlier, Essien said PIND was a non-profit organisation committed to promoting peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta by bringing governments, communities, businesses and development partners together to address shared challenges.

He said the organisation’s interventions focused on reducing poverty, strengthening coastal communities, promoting youth employment, fostering stability and supporting sustainable development across the region.

Essien outlined PIND’s short- and long-term development plans, training programmes and interventions already implemented in rural communities across Edo State.

He appealed to the state government to collaborate with PIND in establishing safe farm corridors, strengthening agricultural value-chain actors and reactivating the Udo Skills Development Centre for practical training, entrepreneurship and youth employment.

He also requested the designation of a government focal person to receive early-warning information from peace actors across the state’s 18 local government areas to help prevent conflicts and unrest before they escalate.