Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, slammed state governors recruiting criminals for the purpose of unleashing them on unsuspecting public during elections.
He urged them to emulate the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, who is promoting and encouraging the best brains through his automatic employment to first class graduates in the state.
Jonathan spoke at the inauguration of the renovated Edo State Civil Service Secretariat Complex in Benin City.
He said, “Let me also join the Head of Service, the young first class graduate you employed, we thank you. When the Head of Service mentioned that in his speech, I was quite pleased. In fact, if you go to some states, governors are busy encouraging criminals because of politics, people that will rig elections for them, carry ballot boxes, carry knives and cutlasses to pursue people but you are encouraging the brains.
“The brains don’t come from one political party. The brains come from all political parties. The brains come from those who are supporting all candidates. So, you are not supporting these brains because you want to win election but because you want to build a state and for you to build a state, you have to build the people.”
He also commended Obaseki for improving workers’ welfare and providing a conducive working environment for the civil servants in the state
He added, “Let me also join the civil servants to thank you for improving their welfare. Of course, before this time, civil servants had been going home with salaries that cannot take them home, now, you are paying them salaries that can take them home.
“When I read on the newspapers that he is going to start paying N70,000 minimum wage. I was worried and expressed hope that he could pay. A political leader must be somebody who has a vision and not someone who just wants to get to office and doesn’t know what to do when he gets there.
“If you have a vision, no matter the challenges, you must find a way to perform,” Jonathan added.
On the part, Obaseki said the Civil Service Secretariat Complex was the first place he visited when he assumed office as the governor of the state.
He said he met the complex was in a very sorry state and promised to revamp it and make it conducive for workers.
Also speaking the state Head of Service, Mr. Anthony Okungbowa, thanked Obaseki for revolutionising and digitalising the state civil service.
