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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has reiterated his commitment to improving the security situation in the state, with the view to boosting investors confidence and drive economic progress.
He gave the assurance during the pre-launching ceremony of the Skywise Group Tower in Benin City.
Represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo said he has been able to tackle cultism and other violent crimes in the state, adding that insecurity is a bane to economic progress, as no investor would invest in a place that is not safe.
“The governor has asked me to represent him. And he has asked me to tell you a few things. First, to assure you that your investment in Edo is safe and secured.
“Secondly, when the executive governor came into office, Edo was faced with a lot of insecurity; but, as we speak, it has been reduced to the barest minimum. The issue of cultism is being completely destroyed. Same time, last year, you heard them counting scores like chicken.
“But, today, all those are things of the past, courtesy of Senator Monday Okpebholo. Please, a round of applause for my governor. Why am I saying this? For business to thrive in any society, security must be addressed. And, as we speak, today, by the grace of God, everything about security is the first priority of the executive governor of the state.
“I want to assure you that the government of Edo State will also patronise you greatly, to ensure that your business meets your highest desire from Edo, and not only from the citizens, but from the government. And, lastly, we are going to be praying for you because we are almost the same age.
“And, when I see visionary leaders like you, they inspire the younger ones to do more because there’s nothing impossible”, Okpebholo said.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Skywise, Dr. Elvis Abuyere, said the company had its property demolished in some parts of the country, and despite that little setback, the company finally decided to toe the path of the old saying that “charity begins at home”.
He said that was the reason the owner of the company decided to come back to Edo to setup Skywise.
“For those who have known us for over a decade, we are known for excellence, we are known for impact, and we are known for results. But, fortunately, we are trying to round up 2025, despite the many issues that we actually encountered this year.
“For those who have been following us, lately, you would realise that we have some challenges in Lagos. One of our premises in Lagos was demolished. Also, we had one in Abuja that was demolished, too. “And when we were having our discussion, we realised that ‘charity begins at home’. So, we thought it wise to begin the journey of ‘Sky wisely’. We are just starting, and that is true. I believe that Benin and Edo State actually are untapped markets for our business.
“For those who know us, you would realise that we are into investments, loan facilities, automobiles, luxury automobiles. When we were putting this together, people said, ‘aah, you are into luxury’. Why are you coming to Benin? People don’t know how to buy.
“I said no, there’s a saying that only one percent of the Nigerian population drive a brand new car. But, we’ll increase that number, to ensure that we have a lot of Nigerians driving brand new cars. And that is one of the reasons we came to Benin today. If you look at the showroom downstairs, you will see all the brand new cars from 2024 to 25, even 2026”, Abuyere said.
Dr. Abuyere added that Nigerians don’t need to break the bank before they could own a brand new car, as the process has been made seamless for them; and that all they need is to approach Skywise.
