I Attracted Multi-billion Naira Projects, Others To Edo, Says Ex-Minister Agba

The immediate-past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, has reviewed his stewardship under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, disclosing that his native Edo State benefitted from multi-billion Naira projects and other significant interventions, which he facilitated.

Agba said his over-three-year tenure as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was productive and beneficial both at the national and state levels.

He said the projects that he facilitated were clear evidence of his commitment and contributions to better the lives of Edo people and Nigerians as a whole even as he urged those who had benefited from the projects and interventions to give credit to former President Buhari for approving them.

The former Minister spoke to journalists at the weekend against the backdrop of widespread insinuations and criticisms of his ministerial stewardship.

He debunked the claims that he was unable to facilitate projects or attract federal government presence to the State.

He said that those spreading such narratives were either ignorant of his achievements or were outright mischievous, ostensibly for political reasons.

While reeling out some of his stewardship, Agba noted that beyond attracting intervention projects to the State, he also facilitated the appointment of sons and daughters of Edo into various Boards as well as training for youths.

“For example, I facilitated the appointments of Chief Robert Ohomba into National Insurance Commission (Benin); Dr Emman Imafidon (Esan) into National Institute for Social and Economic Research, NISER; Barrister Bisi Idahome (Owan) into Centre for Management Development, CMD, and Simon Oke (Etsako) into NDIC as board members.

“We have been able to get about 25 Edo citizens to China for training, and they are across the three senatorial districts. I facilitated the training. We have over 70 projects that we attracted to the State from among which UBTH and Psychiatric Hospitals in Benin benefited greatly.

“In 2020, UBTH benefited N950m; in 2023 alone, it also received N1bn intervention fund; Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu received N950m in 2023 which I facilitated and also the same amount for Irrua Specialist Hospital. All of these were achieved in three and a half years as part of my stewardship, and I was not the only Minister from Edo State.

“The projects that we have cut across the three senatorial districts of the State, Aden Bridge for instance in Ovia South local government area is about N1.2b, the Ekenwa to Ikoro road in Ovia North East is about 19 kilometres; we have water projects in Uromi, and other areas of Esan land. I also facilitated the construction of NIFOR internal roads,” Agba stated.