As the September 19 Governorship election in Edo State draws closer a group known as OTITI-ESAN KWOLEGBE FOR POI has thrown their weight behind the candidate of the APC pastor osagie oze Iyamu,
Speaking to newsmen in Ekpoma Esan West Local Government Council the Converner of the group and former chairman of the APC in Edo state Prince Tony Omoaghe said they were here today, in the midst of our fellow compatriots, to discuss and interrogate our political compass as we approach the twilight of a new Dawn in the political trajectory of our dear Esanland.
Since the inception of civil rule in 1999, Edo Central Senatorial District has burn the brunt of marginalization in all facets of social, political and infrastructural developments, that was further kindled with the short-lived administration of Prof. Osariemen Osunbor. His tenure, which would have brought relief and social Justice to Esanland was truncated by forces beyond our control. However, since that unfortunate incident of history, our collective efforts have been geared towards agitating and plotting several interactive graphs that would rightly accord us our pride of place in the political equation of Edo State.
This meeting has become inevitable to rouse the consciousness of our people who are driven by different political persuasions and ideologies, to join hands in the collective quest for political equity in advancing the cause of an Esan Governor in the next dispensation. This is the Esan Agenda which is supported by the facts that Edo Central Senatorial District has not effectively occupied the seat of the Governance of Edo State since 1999, whereas the Edo North and South have had it in successions. Edo South, under Chief Lucky Nosaghare Igbinedion ruled for eight years, Edo North under Comrade Adams Oshionhole ruled for eight years, and rather than go to Esanland in 2016, Mr. Godwin Obaseki of Edo South again was elected to office.
The idea of the Esan Agenda has been a recurring issue for some time, and we believe this can be best realised through implicit tact and diplomacy, considering the demographic balance that weighs against us.
We must build friendship and have allies knowing that in the game of politics we must be sensitive to the feelings of others. We must promote constructive engagement and collective bargaining in the minds of our political associates so that our aspiration and temperament are properly understood.
We need the cooperation of the other Senatorial Districts in achieving this objective. We have reviewed and fully appreciate the tide of promises made by the contending political parties who are vying for the seat of government in the September 19 election. The choice we make is very important in determining our political future. We have studied their various election agenda and believe that our hopes and aspirations are best represented in the SIMPLE AGENDA of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the candidate of All Progressives Congress, (APC)
The SIMPLE AGENDA, as documented, is a reflection of the aspiration of the needs of Esanland. It addresses inter alia the following challenges of our corporate existence, viz:
(a). SECURITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
(b). INFRASTRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
(c). MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
(d). PUBLIC, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP in the development of our abundant human and natural resources.
(e). LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE. This is imperative in attaining a new social order for the repositioning of our civil society
(f). EMPLOYMENT GENERATION for the legion of School leavers and those who must be trained to acquire skills in various vocations.
We call on Esan people and leaders not to be deceived by vain promises made by those who have consistently betrayed our aspirations. Some ‘leaders’, who consider their interest more Paramount than that of the people, have again recently sold our future and the Commonwealth of Esanland on mere receipt of political ‘portage’. While some received Cash, others got Vehicles as compensation for abandoning the Esan Agenda. This betrayal must be resisted by our people who must now critically analyse the candidates of the two frontline political parties.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, does not appear to me a promise keeper. He also does not have the interest of Esanland in mind. In the past four years of his administration, he has had many opportunities to assuage the visible marginalization in Esanland, but turned his back against us. We can count a litany of such indiscretion against our land. There are no visible development in any of our LGA towns and villages, our local schools don’t have teachers, no laboratories or library in any of our public schools, Nearly all school buildings are derelict, no government presence in the health sector, all Primary Health Centers have been virtually abandoned because of poor staffing and lack of equipment, No attention is accorded to repair or construct access roads, even the Federal government initiated SEEFOR program for rural road development is not visible in Esanland. All the access roads to Esanland, whether through Igbanke to Igueben, or through Ehor to Ogwa, or through Auchi to Ekpoma have all failed. There has been no appointment of Esansons into any responsible government positions in the last four years. We have not seen the much desired love and attention to our needs to convince us that when reelected, Obaseki will be a ‘newman’. The 60MVA transformer at Irrua, which was facilitated by Rt Hon Patrick Ikhariale, (while he was at the House of Representatives), that was installed to provide regular and stable electricity to Esanland was forcefully removed at the instance of Governor Obaseki to unapproved location outside Edo Central. All Esan roads and infrastructures provisioned in the last four years’ budgets were never done, thus making easy access to our towns and cities impossble.
The Federal college of Education approved to be cited in Irrua was arbitrarily relocated to Ekiadolor in Edo South, where the Tayo Akpata University of Education was abandoned. Today, he claims credit for the ongoing infrastructural facelifts in Ambrose Alli University. To the contrary, facts reveal that the projects in AAU are sponsored by the Federal government under the TETFUND intervention scheme for tertiary institutions. Rather, the Obaseki regime has drastically reduced the monthly statutory subvention to AAU, thus constraining their academic operations.
Esanland has no portable WATER, the Ugbalo water project co-sponsored with the Federal government has been abandoned for lack of counterpart funding. While our villages are ravaged by gully erosion, the Edo government refused to apply the approved Ecological funds sourced from the Federal authority in solving this problem.
Furthermore, the incumbent Governor refused when he had opportunity to make an Esanman the Head of Service of Edo State, the Secretary to State Government, as well as Chief of Staff, when the occasions arose. He by-passed us and gave the positions to his cronies from other areas of the state, thus furthering our political marginalization as a People. Information reaching OTITI-ESAN KWOLEGBE indicate that the Governor, has already anointed his deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu as his successor, if per chance he’s reelected. This puts Esan in a very precarious position, but God forbid, this will never happen.
Thank God the candidate of APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has demonstrated strong commitments to ensuring his successor comes from Esanland. POI has shown strong belief in our people by giving them loud and strategic positions in his campaign organization. His campaign Director General (DG) and many of his campaign Directors are from Esanland. The POI agenda and desire for political equity in Edo State favours our collective aspirations as a Senatorial District. We shall pursue the actualization of the agenda with all vigour.
In conclusion, we call on all Edolites, and particularly, Esan people to join us in the mobilization towards achieving the promises of the APC’s ‘S.I.M.P.L.E’ agenda, and the promise of Installing an Esanman as the successor of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. We deserve a better lease of life in Esanland, and as a strategic Senatorial District, we resist further attempts at marginalization in the hands of Governor Obaseki.
We have consulted far and wide, we have searched our minds and interrogated various scenarios, and have come to the conclusion that the candidate who shows us love and has our interest at heart, is the one deserving of our support. Let’s support the candidate of APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who has shown us love. He is in a more formidable position to win the election considering his state-wide support base. His election will help in realizing the Esan Agenda and aspirations, and also restore the integrity of the ‘tripod’ upon which the political stability of Edo State stands. We have extracted a solid commitment from the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, that there will be a deliberate intervention in the Infrastructural renewal of all five LGA’s in Esanland. We believe he will deliver on all promises. We therefore call on all Esan sons and daughters at home and the Diaspora to vote massively for APC in the election come September 19th, 2020; for we see Hope and great promise in the SIMPLE AGENDA of Pastor Osagie Andrew Ize-Iyamu. All ESAN are invited to embrace the SIMPLE AGENDA of Hope that would take Esan to the NEXT LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT.
VOTE THE BROOM.
VOTE PASTOR OSAGIE IZE-IYAMU.
VOTE APC,
OTITI-ESAN KWOLEGBE.
ENIGIE GHATOR, EKHALE, ISE. .
