Edo guber: Ize-Iyamu engages with Edo people on his SIMPLE agenda
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has begun to engage with the people of Edo State on his electioneering promises encapsulated in his SIMPLE agenda.
For over an hour on Monday and with over 2000 participants viewing him, listening to his explanations and asking questions on the nitty-gritty of the perspective plans and promises in the agenda, Ize-Iyamu provided explanations that illuminated his sectoral agenda that cut across infrastructure, through security to economy.
But significantly, he blasted the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration for not showing commitment to addressing security matters in the state.
He said that it was scandalous that despite the fact that the administration allocated to itself over N600 million as security votes/budget every month, about N5 million was being released on monthly basis to the Police to assist it in confronting security issues in the state.
According to Ize-Iyamu, “the money is not enough to fuel operational and patrol vehicles of the Police Force in a month.”
He also decried the failure of the Obaseki government to invest in tracker technology for determining the location of kidnappers when they make their calls for payment of ransom.
“If one month’s security vote cannot buy the technology, can’t two months’ votes buy the tracker? Government must show sincerity in combating crime. If government is sincere, it will give the issue serious commitment,” he stated.
He continued: “Again, when was the last time the state government, on Governor Obaseki’s watch, bought Toyota Hilux vans for the Police? When we were in government, we were doing that yearly.”
Ize-Iyamu, however, noted that government alone could not fund security needs, but stressed that government could appeal to and partner private sectors to achieve that, stressing that it was in this context that the Security Trust Fund has become imperative.
He also took on the Obaseki administration on his decision to abandon the storm water project that was conceptualized by the Oshiomhole government in which he (Obaseki) was chair of the Economy and Strategy Team, describing the action as “senseless and wicked”.
According to him, “I commend the foresight and initiative of the Oshiomhole administration that initiated the storm water project (which was to tackle erosion problem in Benin), but the abandonment of the project is senseless and wicked.”
He said that the decision by Obaseki, who was a central actor in the administration that initiated the project, smacked of mischief.
Ize-Iyamu said that Obaseki, as Chair of the Economy and Strategy Team, negotiated the N30 billion facility, using his Afri-Invest company for which he got a huge commission through his company.
“How could somebody who facilitated the financing of the project say he was no longer interested in the project or in completing the project?”, he asked.
He assured Edo people that when elected, his administration would prudently complete the project even if it was conceptualized and executed at exorbitant cost.
“It is a project that must be competed when we come in. We will look at all the areas that need attention and we will complete them”, he declared.
Ize-Iyamu took the opportunity of the social media engagement to admonish Obaseki to desist from the use of propaganda and focus on issues, stressing that “what Edo people need is someone that will make their state better in the next four years.”
He also reminded Obaseki that the former governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole would not be on the ballot paper in the September 19 governorship election and lampooned him (Obaseki) for always referring to Oshiomhole’s “yabis” against him (Ize-Iyamu) when Oshiomhole practically put him (Obaseki) on his back in 2016 during the governorship electioneering that produced him as governor.
