Edo State Assets Verification Committee has said the committee’s mandate was not to target or victimise any individual or group.

Ernest Umakhihe, the committee chairman, told reporters on Tuesday in Benin after the inauguration of the 14-member committee.

Mr Umakhihe said the assignment was essential to achieve the government’s broader transformation agenda.

He said the exercise was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the state’s assets to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper management.

“The objective is to evaluate the status of government assets and align them with the administration’s vision for effective service delivery and resource optimisation,” he said.

The chairman said asset verification was a standard practice in governance and an essential tool for informed decision-making.

According to him, the process will help identify areas where assets are underutilised, mismanaged, or need rehabilitation, thereby enabling the government to plan strategically for sustainable development.

He urged stakeholders to cooperate fully with the committee, assuring them that the exercise would be carried out with integrity and in strict adherence to due process.

Also speaking, Kassim Afegbua, a committee member, said the committee would not be deterred by the opposition party criticism, as assets verification was a global practice.

“The committee is made up of people with proven track records in governance, legislature and finance. We are going to interrogate claims and figures.

“The decisive step our 14-day-old government has made has endeared the Edo people to us. Certain persons will be invited to the panel, and we will be fair.

“We are committed to conducting this exercise transparently, with fairness as our guiding principle. There is no agenda to antagonise or discredit anyone,” Mr Afegbua said.

He reiterated the state government’s commitment to good governance, stressing that the outcome of the exercise would serve as a catalyst for improved resource management.

(NAN)