By Charis Remi Turner

The Edo State Government has made known its position concerning the e-governance platform (E-Gov) through which government transacts its daily business across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the State.

According to the Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., the clarifications became necessary against the backdrop of some misleading information that the administration of the present Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has shut down the E-Gov platform, which was initiated by the immediate past administration in the State.

The SSG, who directed that officials of MDAs should continue to work on the E-Gov platform, revealed that the governor has ordered the immediate review of the entire E-Gov platform, with a view to enabling the Edo State Government gain total administrative control of the platform and restoring institutional memory of government, which according to him, the current platform lacks.

Ikhilor disclosed that the entire E-Gov platform of the Edo State Government was run and operated from a backend by unknown non-state actors and that no officer of the entire Public Service of the Edo State Government has administrative control of the platform.

The statement by the SSG added that such was considered a serious data security threat as it placed the entire governance structure of the State at the mercy of non-state actors or so-called Consultants.