Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says self-confessed treasury looters will be rejected at the polls on September 10, by the people of Edo State.
Speaking during a visit to him by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, pn Tuesday, Oshiomhole said those who looted the nation’s treasury and have confessed to stealing public funds are now offering themselves to govern Edo State.
He said: “I know there are a lot of people who don’t quite understand what is going on. Our party inherited a federal treasury that was completely bastardized, emptied, emptied from the vaults to soak away pits, to farm houses, and even in Edo here, the people who are asking for Edo votes are those who have already made statements to EFCC that they collected N500 million, N700 million: that is already N1.2 billion.
And their leader confessed in his own right that he collected N300 million from money meant to secure Nigerians against terrorism called Boko haram. And it is people who diverted such money, who collected it and they have owned up to it in black and white in their hand writing that are asking Edo people to surrender the state.
“So for us, our campaign message is cut out for us. The choice is between a bunch of people whose philosophy is ‘share the state money’ and those who believe that the state money belongs to the people, and the task is for the governor to manage it in a way that will deliver prosperity to the people.”
Governor Oshiomhole commended the Lagos Governor for taking his assignment as the chairman, APC national campaign council for Edo State governorship election very seriously. He said, “For us in Edo, it is clear that you have taken this assignment seriously. It is one thing to accept an assignment, but the passion with which you have accepted it, and to the extent to which you are determined to go to ensure that we do everything we need to do to continue to retain the governance of this state.
“Under your leadership, I have no doubt. We couldn’t have had a better campaign organization. So, I thank you for that.”
Oshiomhole who introduced the Governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his running mate, Mr Philip Shaibu to Governor Ambode said, “We have a credible messenger that you are going to be able to help us to market, and we also have a compelling message to put across to Edo State. And we believe the election will be won on the basis of the pedigree of the political parties, the pedigree of the individual and what the two parties have to show to the people.”
On his part, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State assured that Lagos and Edo States will immediately develop a major commerce and economic relationship as soon as Mr Godwin Obaseki emerges as Governor of Edo State, saying this will ensure that Edo develops at a faster pace.
He said “I have come here this afternoon to accept physically the daunting task which has been laid upon me by our national party and appointing me as the chairman of the gubernatorial campaign committee of the gubernatorial election coming up in Edo State.
“I am very pleased and humbled by that appointment. And I have come here, firstly, to apologize for not being around on Saturdaywhen the committee was inaugurated because of some exigencies, and to show my presence a few days after, and my commitment to ensure that our gubernatorial candidate not only wins the election, but he is able to show his footprints just like what the present governor has done, that the APC and the change mantra is really in totality about what we want governance to be in Nigeria.”
He promised to establish bilateral relations between Lagos and Edo State, “What I can promise your Excellency is that we have decided that we will bring the whole machinery of the Lagos model to Edo State. In addition to that, we believe strongly that Edo State has the potential of becoming a giant in Africa also, and this relationship is beyond the fact that it is historic, we also want to use this platform of this campaign to start a major paradigm shift in terms of economic and political relationship between Edo State and Lagos State.
“If we are to look deeply, we believe strongly in the potential of Edo State which actually lies in the symbolic relationship that it can have with Lagos. And that is why I am personally taking this responsibility of being the campaign chairman to ensure that beyond the campaign and the success of the election, a major commerce and economic relationship commences immediately with the in-coming governor, and also to let us actually start to have bilateral economic and political relations that will be of benefit to the people of Edo State, firstly, and then to the improvement of the economic growth of Edo State.”
Governor Ambode concluded, “I like to also say that what we have ahead of us as a party, that is, APC, is beyond ordinary election. We need to take Nigeria out of its doldrums, and the only party that can do that is APC, of which we are happy to be aligned with your state and other progressive states in the country. And that is why we are here as brothers, we offer ourselves and we will continue to also send the same message across board across all the progressive states.”
Ambode said, “On a personal note, I am very proud of all the things you have done for Edo State and even this country Nigeria, and I can say the few achievements I have actually attained in Lagos State were driven and inspired by the kind of energy you bring to governance, and I am very proud to be associated with you and the government of Edo State.”
