By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—GOVERNOR  Godwin Obaseki  of Edo State has shut down the state-owned transport company, Edo Line Limited, indefinitely and directed that its staff be absorbed in the state Ministry of Transport.

Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki

It will be recalled that Edo Line Company Limited was established by the military government of late Brig- General Samuel Ogbemudia as Mid- West  Line in 1968.

Godwin Obaseki gave this directive in Benin City, yesterday, when  he paid an on-the-spot assessment to the company to ascertain its state, which had been non-functional for several years and weighed down with debts to banks and non-payment of staff salaries.

During the visit, Obaseki discovered  some buses in a state of disrepair with services in major departments, including the mechanic unit, the courier section, moribund.

The governor, who was  accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, and other top officials, lamented the condition of the state-owned transport company.

He said: “We will shut down this place, clean it up, and decide on how to liquidate the debt and plan how to use the premises for other ventures.”

Noting that the company’s debt was about N1.5 billion, he said: “This is a typical waste. Can you see how many vehicles are around? We have been paying people for close to four years without doing any work. The company has a huge debt and as a government, we cannot continue in this situation.  What we are doing is that we are absorbing the staff.”

Edo Line, which last operated in May 2015, had a workforce of 186 people.

Strong with its headquarters located on James Watt Road, Off Mission Road, Benin City and outlets in Lagos, Abuja, as well as other parts of the country.