Edo State Assets Verification Committee has said that the committee’s mandate was not to target or victimise any individual or group.
Mr Ernest Umakhihe, the Chairman of the committee, told newsmen on Tuesday in Benin after the inauguration of the 14-member committee.
Umakhihe said that the assignment was essential to achieve government’s broader transformation agenda.
He said the exercise was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the state’s assets, ensure transparency, accountability, and proper management.
“The objective is to evaluate the status of government assets and align them with the administration’s vision, for effective service delivery and resource optimisation,” he said.
The chairman said that asset verification was a standard practice in governance and an essential tool for informed decision-making.
According to him, the process will help identify areas where assets are underutilised, mismanaged, or in need of rehabilitation, thereby enabling the government to plan strategically for sustainable development.
He urged stakeholders to cooperate fully with the committee, assuring them that the exercise would be carried out with integrity and in strict adherence to due process.
Also speaking, Prince Kassim Afegbua, a member of the committee, said that the committee would not be detered by the opposition party criticism, as assets verification was a global practice.
“The committee is made up of people with proven track records in governance, legislature and finance. We are going to interrogate claims and figures.
“The decisive step our 14-day-old government has made, has endeared Edo people to us. Certain persons will be invited to the panel and we will be fair.
“We are committed to conducting this exercise transparently, with fairness as our guiding principle. There is no agenda to antagonise or discredit anyone,” Afegbua said.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to good governance, stressing that the outcome of the exercise would serve as a catalyst for improved resource management. (NAN)
