By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE Secretary of Mercy Committee set up by Governor Godwin Obaseki to assist indigent people with their health and other needs said the project has disbursed over N400,000,000 to 624 people to meet their challenges since he won his second term as the governor of the state in 2020.

Addressing journalists in the government house, Benin City on Tuesday, the Secretary of the committee, Igbogo Peter told journalists that the governor was initially releasing N10 million monthly which he doubled to become N20 million at the beginning of this year.

He said most of the beneficiaries on health were treated for cancer, kidney, liver and heart-related issues.

He said “I understand that because it is an election season, questions of what Governor Obaseki has achieved over the years have become the topic of all and sundry. I also understand that some persons have taken it upon themselves to verify his signature in every nook and cranny of Edo State.

“Immediately after the inauguration of His Excellency’s second tenure as Governor of Edo State on November 12, 2020, His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki raised a five-man team into a committee he called Mercy Committee which I am privileged to serve as secretary.”

He said “The scope of this committee is to oversee request letters of assistance from indigent persons sent to His Excellency, assess the claims of the letters, interface, interview the claimants, review and make recommendations on such requests which must fall within Health challenges, Mini-business assistance, education, Household Economic Strengthening and others.

‘Today, after almost four years in office, we can empirically state that His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki through Mercy Committee has the following report:That at the end of 2021, His Excellency assisted 235 indigent persons. In 2022, he assisted 151 indigent persons. In 2023, he assisted 196 indigent persons. So far in 2024, he has assisted 142 persons. That he budgeted Ten Million (N10,000,000.00) monthly to assist indigent people in the state. That he increased the monthly expense on these indigents by 100% at the beginning of this year. That about 624 persons have been assisted so far with well over Four Hundred Million Naira Only (N400,000,000.00).

On the health category, he said “This category being our core focus, ranges around Cancer-related issues, kidney transplant, Heart, Liver and other chronic health challenges. About 128 persons have been supported in the last three and a half years.”

On mini-business, he said about 287 of them have been supported with funds to either start or upgrade already existing ones while on education, “About 131 indigent persons have been assisted with school aids to further or complete their education programs” while on household economic strengthening and others, 148 persons have been assisted. “Interestingly, when we interfaced with these persons, our data shows that 42.7% of applications received and treated are from Edo South Senatorial District. 28.9% from Edo Central Senatorial District while 21% represented requests from the Edo North Senatorial District. 5% were received from Edo indigenes in the Diaspora and 2.4% were from none Edo indigenes within and outside Edo State, age limit notwithstanding

“The joy of relief in the faces of the downtrodden gives courage to His Excellency, and inspires more zeal in him to do more and to set a pace for subsequent administrations to follow.”