The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, leaders and members of the People’s Democratic Party, on Monday, took the party’s campaign for the local council elections to Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area amid rousing welcome from crowd of supporters and residents, who applauded the governor’s developmental strides and pledged to vote for the party in the forthcoming local government elections.
Obaseki while speaking to the party faithful at the Okpujie Demonstration Primary School in Uromi, urged the people to come out en masse to vote for the PDP candidate to ensure the party’s victory in the September 2, 2023 poll.
The governor said, “Kelly Inedegbor is a good man who will work for the people. I will support him. With him as the chairman and me as the governor, development is sure. He will work for the development and growth of the people. I urge party faithful to come out en masse and ensure PDP wins in the locality to guarantee sustained development.”
On his part, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, said: “We are here to beg you to liberate Uromi properly by ensuring PDP wins all the seats. We want a chairman that will be close to the people, market women, students, and farmers; a man that will ensure the development of the area.”
The Deputy Speaker of the EDHA, Maria Edeko, thanked the people for their support and votes during the last House of Assembly elections in the State, reassuring quality representation at the House to ensure more developmental projects get to the area.
She noted that as Deputy Speaker of the House, she has flagged off some projects in the locality including a secondary school, assuring of more developments if PDP wins in the September 2, 2023 local government election.
Also, the PDP candidate in the forthcoming LG poll, Kelly Inedegbor, said: “I will provide soft micro loans for women, ensure security, provide interest-free loans, and ensure even development and growth in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State. I assure you, I will not disappoint you if you vote for me to become the Chairman of the council.”
Arch. Bishop Tony Okosun thanked the people for coming out in large numbers to welcome the governor and his entourage, adding, “This is a victory rally. We are celebrating victory in advance. Our party has won both the chairmanship and council election billed for September 2, 2023.”
The governor also led the team to the palace of His Royal Highness Zaiki Anslem Edenojie, the Ojuromi of Uromi Kingdom where he met with traditional rulers across Esanland, who blessed the governor and his entourage.
Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has said that the state government has divided the contract for the construction of Benin/Abraka expressway so as to engage two contractors to ensure speedy delivery of the road project.
The governor said this during the celebration of the 70th birthday anniversary of former Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Chris Agbonwanegbe.
Obaseki, who noted that the celebrant was committed to the development of the state and kept track of his administration’s projects, noted that Agbonwanegbe constantly reminded him of the pace of work with regular messages.
According to the governor, “It is the pressure he mounted on me that made me accelerate the construction of the Benin/Abraka Road, especially the section going to Ugo. For your information, Chris, I have now divided the contract into two. I brought two contractors so that they can finish that road before Christmas.”
He added: “I have known him for the past 10 years as a brother and a friend. He is consistent, reliable and someone who believes in his people. He texts me almost every month to remind me of one issue or the other affecting Iyekeorhionmwon, particularly around Ugo.
Earlier in his remark, the former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, who was the chairman of the occasion, congratulated the celebrant for his consistency and loyalty.
In his response, Agbonwanegbe declared Governor Obaseki as the best performing governor in the history of the state, noting that he has discharged himself creditably in almost all areas of developments but lamented that most of his achievements are not acknowledged in the public space.
Agbonwanegbe, who served under the former Governor Igbinedion made this disclosure in a remark during the celebration of his 70th birthday anniversary in Benin City.
Wondering why the governor has refused to blow his trumpet as others do, he said: “The governor must be commended for his achievements and commitment to transforming the state.
“Do you know that a child trained in Edo State School of Nursing, Benin City, gets a job in America without going through secondary examination? That is courtesy of the governor but not many people are aware of this fact.
“Each time I lie on the bed and I reflect on him, I wonder why people are not talking of him and all the things that he has done. I came to discover that he himself is the cause because he doesn’t believe in publicising what he has done. This is because he believes that he is doing what he was elected to do.
“He has done more roads in terms of kilometers than previous governors. Incidentally, he is not publicising his achievements. I know there was a governor in this state, who was trekking along Sapele Road, even when he knew he was powering electricity behind ACB Building in Sakponba Road and people were hailing him, children were going after him.
“I was with a renowned chief in Benin City a couple of days ago, he said to me that he has 24-hours power supply; 18 hours from Ossiomo Power plant and six hours from PHCN.”
Taken aback by this development, which most people don’t know about, Agbonwanegbe said he then asked the chief, ‘‘Sir, why don’t you let the public know some of these things?” His reply, he said, was, ‘‘since the man (Obaseki) who did the job doesn’t want people to know, is it me that will be shouting about it? That was the kind of reaction that came from him.”
Continuing, the celebrant said, “Your Excellency, I was at Iguoriakhi a couple of days ago, we recalled that I supervised the Ministry of Agriculture while Iguoriakhi was under the Ministry of Agriculture. When I got there, I saw a different Iguoriakhi, better than a university, people should please go and see for yourselves, I’ m not just saying it.
“When we finish here, anybody that has good analytical mind, go and see the Palm House, the Secretariat Building today, don’t just look at the building from outside, but take a step in, for those of you that have travelled out of this country, you will see that the offices of the workers are furnished as you see in overseas, with each of them having computer and air conditioner.
“It’s the best of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. Where the governor is taking us to, it will appear as if we are not determined to get there yet. We should also know that people say follow who knows the road. This man knows the road, so, we should follow him and get this state better than we saw it.”
Beside the transformation of the state, Agbonwanegbe also noted that the governor cares for the welfare of the people, disclosing that, “I want to come to a personal note. There are people who don’t know that I got ill in 2019. He was in APC then and I was in PDP but word got to him that I was ill.”
