Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says his grouse with President Goodluck Jonathan is that the President abandoned Edo State and did nothing for the state despite securing 95% votes of Edo people for his re-election in 2011.
The Governor said the people of the state are however wiser now and will vote the President out on Febuary 14, for abandoning them.
Speaking at separate rallies of the All Progressives Congress in Ehor, Uhumwode Local Government Area and at Igueben, Igueben Local Government Area on Saturday, Oshiomhole said in spite of several letters to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state on erosion ravaging parts of the state, the Jonathan administration abandoned Edo after cajoling them to vote for him, as their brother, in 2011.
According to Oshiomhole: “the last time, we voted for President Jonathan. He got 95% of the total votes in Edo State. Yet, I cannot think of any meaningful thing he has done in the state.
“We have written volumes of letters to Abuja on the Queen Ede erosion site. That erosion was caused by the Federal Government as a result of the design errors in the course of constructing the road to Asaba. It started as a small erosion, over time it has escalated”, he said.
Governor Oshiomhole continued, “I have written for support from the ecological funds which we are entitled to, to rebuild and reclaim the place. It has destroyed some houses, destroyed farmlands, destroyed a secondary school and right now almost destroying a Catholic Church yet the Federal Government has done nothing.
“Last year, President Jonathan gave N2 billion each to some PDP States even where he lost election to deal with erosion. Those that don’t have flood erosion were given money for desertification but we in Edo state that voted for him got nothing.
“I am not lamenting this. We have learnt from it and are determined not to repeat our mistakes but the good news is that we have secured funds from the World Bank on our own effort to rebuild Queen Ede erosion and restore it and save the lives, farmland and properties of the people who live around there. Soon the construction work will start”, he said.
Governor Oshiomhole continued, “for 16years, the only federal thing I see in Edo State is the resurfacing of Ofosu up to Benin old dual carriage way which they only started after our government decided to construct additional lanes all the way to Ugbowo. I can’t see any other thing they have done in 16 years.”
Speaking on the failure of the PDP led Federal Government to prosecute those indicted in the ill-fated immigration recruitment exercise in 2014, Oshiomhole said that is a clear indication that President Goodluck Jonathan does not care about the welfare of the Nigerian youth.
He said: “Young people were defrauded in the name of providing jobs. They were asked to pay 1000 naira to apply for Federal jobs that did not exist illegally using consultants in clear breach of federal laws. PDP federal government defrauded our youths to the tune of N800 million and then they organised a mock interview using various stadiums across the country and young people lives were wasted.
“The Minister that presided over this national fraud was given honors. For PDP, this is a normal way of life, not one person was punished. People lost their lives. Last week, the relatives of those who died in Benin were protesting to us that the Federal Government have not given them even the jobs they promised”.
He asked the people to vote out the PDP at the federal level and all levels in the country. According to him, “I believe that with General Buhari, Nigeria will be in a safer hand beginning with security. Under PDP, security has completely collapsed. Insurgents have taken over. People are now afraid to go to church or mosque to worship. Nigerian Armed Forces used to be celebrated as the best in the continent. UN call on us to provide officers and men to help restore peace on the continent but now we are told we can’t even secure our own territory”.
Oshiomhole continued, “The reason for this is simple. The money meant for defence has been stolen over the years since 1999. They did not invest in the Armed Forces. Nobody can secure its land without weapons and today, we are living in fear.
“We can’t continue to lament. We need a competent President with courage to stand, be counted, defend Nigerians, secure our country and return us to the path of sustainable growth and development. We believe that General Muhammadu Buhari can and will do it. We need a man who is not corrupt to fight corruption and if we do not fight corruption, Nigeria cannot make it and General Muhammadu Buhari is the man we need at this stage.
Meanwhile, Governor Oshiomhole has assured the people of Orhionwon Local Government that construction work will commence in the Abudu Township road within the next one week.
He gave this assurance at the APC rally in Abudu where he reinstated his administration’s commitment to spread dividends of democracy across the length and breadth of the state.
He said, “I can promise you now that latest Wednesday, the caterpillars will move in here, demolish the PDP and start building roads of APC and this Local Government will now wear the looks of a Local Government headquarters. We are committed to bringing change and development to the state”, he emphasized.
