Ex-President Jonathan also laid the foundation stone for the 1500-capacity Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Auditorium, which is being constructed at the Secretariat Complex.

Speaking on the new complex, Dr. Jonathan noted that the buildings were some of the bests in Nigeria and encouraged other governors to emulate Governor Obaseki in investing in the public and civil service and recruiting first class graduates into the service through automatic employment.

He said, “I want to join the civil servants to thank you for your visionary leadership and improving their welfare and paying them ₦70,000 minimum wage. That is a wage that will actually take them home.

“If you have a vision, certainly you will find a way to overcome all challenges before you. Edo State workers are happy for your transformative leadership which has changed their lives for the better.”

In his speech, Obaseki said the commissioning of the Secretariat Complex would certainly transform the landscape of Benin City, as it is not just an edifice, but represents what the future of what a city should look like.

According to him, “It is not just an edifice, but represents how we want to run our affairs now and in the future by prioritising what matters most which are productivity, efficiency and excellence.

“The structures are a reflection of the investment we have made over the last seven and half years to rebuild our institutions. This has been a painstaking process which includes a total overhaul of how the public and civil service in Edo State operates. We have now built a workforce that will now drive change and advancement in pursuit of the core values of our democracy and good governance.

“After securing my mandate to govern the people of Edo State in November 2016, this complex, particularly Palm House, was the first place I visited. I started work and built this place, which was in bad shape as the civil servants were working in an uncomfortable environment. I made a pledge to them, myself and to God that I will rebuild the infrastructure of this Secretariat. Today, we are here to see for ourselves what we have done.

“The takeaways from the building of this Secretariat are that it tells us that we can achieve anything we set our minds to irrespective of the opinion of anybody. When we started the building process, many people didn’t see the big picture, but today, look at where we are.

“This building is one of the most advanced Secretariat buildings in Nigeria. It has 24 hours daily power supply and high internet connectivity. We have done all this because we believed that government bureaucracy must work if we must make progress as a State.”

The governor noted that the concept of the Secretariat complex is replicated in other locations across the state, noting that they include the health hub, built environment hub, agricultural hub, and the education hub.