Hon Philip Shaibu, APC gubernatorial running mate, Mr Godwin Obaseki. APC Gubernatorial candidate and Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the flag-off of the gubernatorial campaign of the All Progressives Congress for the September 10 election in the state, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Saturday.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has promised to create 200,000 jobs within four years, if elected governor of the state.
He made the promise on Saturday at the official flag off of the party’s governorship election campaign held at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin, Edo State.
Addressing party supporters, Obaseki said his administration will reposition agriculture and make Edo the hub of agriculture in the country, adding that 150,000 jobs would be created in that sector.
He also promised to make entrepreneurship a way of life in the state, just as he promised to encourage technical and vocational training, as well as focus on women empowerment and expand on infrastructure.
The APC candidate told party faithful that he had contributed to providing services to the people of the state as Chairman of the State Economic Team, especially in managing the finances of the state, which he said had ensured regular payment of salaries.
He, therefore, pledged to work day and night with his running mate to realise the collective aspiration of Edo people, even as he asked for the peoples’ prayers to enable him succeed.
National chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, while presenting the party’s flag to Mr. Obaseki, said the Edo people have a choice to vote for the APC and Obaseki to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy which the Adams Oshiomhole administration had provided in the last seven and half years or vote for PDP and return to the locusts years which the PDP 10-year governance in the state represented.
He noted that out of the 36 states in the country, 27 were financially insolvent, but expressrd joy that Edo was among the states that were doing well, and urged the people to vote for Mr. Godwin Obaseki so that he would build on the good foundation laid by Oshiomhole.
Earlier in his speech, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, described Mr. Obaseki as “the brain box” of his administration, adding that as the chairman of the state economic team, he did not earn salaries for the seven and half years he worked.
Cataloging his achievements in all sectors in the life of his administration, Oshiomhole urged the people to vote for Mr. Obaseki to ensure continuity of development in the state.
He also called on Nigerians to repose confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said was trying to restore the country’s economy which was bastardized by the PDP in the last 15 years.
“Support the President, he is doing a fine job. For the first time, we have a president calling on Ministers and other high Government officials to give account” Oshiomhole said and reaffirmed the confidence of Edo people in President Buhari, just as he warned against any move to impeach him.
Chairman the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, led five other governors and seven deputy governors of the party to attend the flag off ceremony at which scores of PDP members led by Oredo local government Chairman, Mr. Samson Esemuede, defected to the APC.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Eheneden Erediauwa wished Obaseki well in his ambition to be the next governor of Edo State.
”On behalf of the chiefs, the royal family and the Benin Kingdom, I want to specially welcome here the gubernatorial aspirant and his running mate, the one I call my son. He is always so shy. I don’t know how he is able to play politics. I want to welcome all of you for coming here today. I am very delighted and honoured to see the chieftains of the APC, and we are sure that the state is moving on strong with the APC. I have always said one thing, and I have repeated and reiterated it over and over again that in Benin, the Benin Monarch is not partisan. However, it is not always too easy to be in the opposition with the party at the centre in Abuja.
“So, when Adams Oshiomhole, the Comrade Governor took the reins of office here, and it was APC; the PDP was in charge in Abuja; we were all wondering: how is he going to do it? How is he going to get the attention of the federal government? How is he going to pool all the resources that he needs to work in the state? As you all know, he worked miracles. He did a lot of things which many people thought could not be done. Almost along the same line the Governor of Lagos State at the time also, Fashola. So, they were virtually like two brothers working together in the face of the opposition.
“So, we can only pray that may the Lord God almighty and our ancestors protect the gubernatorial candidates, give them the wisdom to put food on the table of the masses because for us, our first concern is the people, the masses, and of course, he will be a great respecter, like our comrade Governor, I said he should do better than him, to be a great respecter of the traditional institution.”
Among the Progressives governors that visited the Benin Crown Prince with Governor Oshiomhole were Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State, Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano State, Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State as well as deputy governors of Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Borno, Kwara, Kogi and Oyo states.
Comments
Post a Comment