Hendrix Oliomogbe
Edo State Government has sharply criticized the 2026 Phillips Consulting States Performance Index (pSPI), which poorly ranked Edo for having the weakest momentum in its assessment of states across various governance and development indicators, prompting calls for policy review and accelerated delivery in critical sectors.
In a statement Monday in Benin City, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kasim Afegbua, the government insisted that the state’s ranking in the 2026 pSPI was faulty as most of the fiscal, administrative and governance indicators used in the report had already been shaped by policies, budgets, expenditure decisions and institutional realities that predated the current administration.
Prince Afegbua reminded that Governor Monday Okpebholo took office on November 12, 2024, after much of the period assessed in the report had already elapsed.
He argued that the timing of Okpebholo’s assumption of office ought to have been considered in interpreting the report, noting that the assessment substantially captured conditions inherited from his immediate predecessor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
The commissioner continued: "The report should not be interpreted as a direct assessment of the performance of the present administration. Rather, it substantially reflects historical conditions inherited at the commencement of Governor Okpebholo’s tenure.
"Any fair and objective interpretation must therefore distinguish between inherited realities and reforms undertaken after 12 November 2024. Chronology is fundamental to credible governance analysis. Democratic accountability requires that governments be evaluated based on policies implemented during their constitutional tenure."
He however said that the government is opened to independent assessments, adding that such critical reports could help promote accountability, transparency and continuous improvement in public administration.
The statement cautioned Edo people against arriving at hasty conclusions beyond what the methodology and assessment period of the report could reasonably support.
Prince Afegbua added: “The central issue raised by Edo State Government is not whether governance should be measured, but whether historical outcomes should automatically be attributed to a government that did not formulate or implement the policies that produced those outcomes."
The Edo State Government spokesman pointed out that pSPI evaluates state governments using indicators, including citizen satisfaction, internally generated revenue, revenue self-reliance, debt sustainability, fiscal management, audited public financial information and governance outcomes.
He conceded that while such indicators are useful in measuring state performance, several of them are built over extended periods and cannot be fundamentally altered within a short period after a new administration assumes office.
Sounding optimistic, the commissioner said that against the backdrop of interventions in fiscal management, infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and youth development, signs of a changing trajectory under the administration of Governor Okpebholo are clearly emerging.
Comments
Post a Comment