Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State inaugurated a 20-person transition committee on Thursday, four months before the end of his term, to ensure a smooth transfer of power and information to the incoming administration.
The committee is led by Joseph Eboigbe, a former Commissioner for Finance in the State. The members were sworn in by Obaseki at the EXCO Chambers in the Government House, Benin City, with some participating remotely.
Obaseki, nearing the end of his second term, stated, “Today is the 11th of July, 2024, and it will mark exactly four months to the day I will hand over the government to the next elected governor of Edo State.
As it’s global best practice, I am putting together a transition team that would have the responsibility to document the achievement of this administration in the last eight years.
“The team will collect and organize all documents and materials related to policy decisions made by this administration over the last seven years and place them in a structured data room. I believe that most of these materials have almost been digitized.”
Obaseki emphasized the need for a comprehensive digital and physical repository to store all records of operations, agreements, EXCO resolutions, presentations, and policy documents across all sectors, ensuring that institutional knowledge is preserved for future administrations.
He added, “You will all put together reports on each area and aspect of government we have intervened in and recommendations for the next administration.
This document and resources should serve to smoothly transfer power and knowledge from this administration to the next.
We would have both the physical and digital repository of all the information and decisions taken during the life of this administration as these documents will be relevant both for internal and external consumption and research and possibly policy development.”
Obaseki highlighted that the report will offer a comprehensive overview of the administrative framework, policy influences, and both completed and ongoing initiatives to guide the incoming administration.
The report must be finalized by October 30, 2024, to be included in the materials handed over during the transition on November 11, 2024.Joseph Eboigbe assured that the committee would diligently fulfill their responsibilities and meet the governor’s deadline.The governorship election in Edo State is scheduled for September 21, 2024.
