By Maureen Nwine
The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has faulted attempts to use the 2026 Phillips Consulting States Performance Index (pSPI) as a definitive assessment of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
Afegbua argued that much of the data reflected in the ranking relates to conditions and policies inherited from previous administrations and, therefore, should not be attributed entirely to the present government.
The commissioner, while acknowledging the importance of independent assessments of government performance, said such reports must be considered within the context of their methodology and the period covered.
According to him, Governor Okpebholo assumed office on November 12, 2024, meaning that a substantial portion of the period assessed in the 2026 pSPI predates the administration.
He noted that key indicators used in the ranking—including internally generated revenue, debt sustainability, fiscal management, audited accounts and institutional performance—were largely influenced by policies, decisions and financial conditions inherited from previous administrations.
Afegbua therefore described it as misleading to attribute such historical outcomes wholly to an administration that had only recently assumed office during the period under review.
He said the Okpebholo administration had, since taking office, introduced several measures aimed at repositioning the state and improving service delivery.
Among the interventions, he listed the strengthening of revenue administration, construction and rehabilitation of roads, regularisation of more than 5,000 teachers, renovation of over 80 public schools and the upgrading of more than 70 primary healthcare centres.
Other initiatives, according to the commissioner, include the recruitment of additional health personnel, deployment of about 2,500 Security Corps personnel and 500 Forest Guards, as well as ongoing urban renewal projects, market reconstruction, public service reforms and youth development programmes.
Afegbua maintained that subsequent editions of the performance index would provide a more representative picture of the administration’s performance, as they would increasingly capture policies and programmes conceived and implemented under Governor Okpebholo.
“Governance should be judged not merely by inherited circumstances but by the vision, leadership and measurable progress achieved in transforming them,” he said.
The commissioner reaffirmed the Edo State Government’s willingness to engage with independent assessments, but urged analysts, stakeholders and members of the public to consider the chronology, methodology and timeframe of such reports when evaluating the performance of any administration.
