Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Edo State for September 19 election has thrown everything he is worth into the race
For Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Edo State All Progressives Congress candidate in the September 19 governorship election , the effort to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming governor has been very demanding. To be sure, it is not the first time that Ize-Iyamu set his eye on the ball. The difference, this time around is that he seems closer to a resounding score. His proclivity towards the Edo governorship is fired by a S.I.M.P.L.E. Agenda.
S.I.M.P.L.E. translates into S stands for Security and Social Welfare, I-Infrastructural Development/Urban Renewal, M-Manpower Development and Training, P-Public, Private, Partnership, L-Leadership by Example and E- Employment Creation and Social Empowerment Scheme. (SIMPLE).
And this what Ize-Iyamu has simy been going round the nooks and crannies of Edo State to canvas to the people. At one of the campaigns, he promised to deliver rural broadband development and ensure the availability of high-quality, affordable broadband services in rural communities to reduce inequality and raise the standard of living if he emerges as the next Governor of the state.
He made this promise on during his ward tour at Arokho, Ward 7, Owan East Local Government of Edo State. He said his administration will reduce the rural-urban migration in the state by raising the quality of life in rural areas.
He also promised to operate the skills acquisition center and the hospital built by Hon. Pally Iriase, Former Deputy Majority Whip of the House of Representatives and APC Chieftain, in the council.
He said: “My SIMPLE Agenda is to make life better for all Edo people through manpower development, job creation, leadership by example, infrastructural development among others.”
“This community is known for farming, I promise to assist farmers with loans and farm inputs if elected as Edo Governor.”
Hon. Abubakar Momoh, a former member of the Federal House of Representatives who joined the campaign tour, said Ize-Iyamu is well-positioned to record an overwhelming victory at the polls because of his exemplary public service record.
He praised Ize-Iyamu as a formidable grassroots politician who contributed to the development of the state as Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government.
“The PDP candidate has nothing to show that he did in Edo North. The people are wise and they want a governor in the person of the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, that can provide infrastructure for them.”
Mr. Lawrence Okah, the Edo APC Secretary, also expressed confidence of a comprehensive victory for the APC at the polls, stating that Ize-Iyamu represents the aspirations of the people for a change in government.
He said: “We are here to present our Governorship candidate to the people of the different wards in Owan East. The people are yearning for change and Ize-Iyamu is the change the people want.”
Taking the incumbent governor of Edo State to task on what he has done to deserve a second term, Ize-Iyamu’s campaign team challenged Governor Obaseki to show his achievements and records in office. Governor Godwin Obaseki was said to celebrate only excuses, deceit and blackmail to Edo people, according to the APC governorship candidate.
Ize-Iyamu said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Obaseki may only be advertising another four years at the helm in the state which has run on lazy gossips and tactless lies peddled in the media to generate sympathy and distract attention from their failures.
Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the Edo APC Media Campaign Council, who endorsed the statement said Governor Godwin Obaseki is a confused candidate spurned by his closest aides and associates because he lacked administrative skills and frittered away his goodwill on lazy, and corrupt, endeavors that yielded nothing but worthless MOUs.
He said the Governor’s incompetence is made worse by his refusal to accept responsibility for his failures, a flaw, which according to Mayaki, led the Governor into declaring at a recent rally that “Edo State has been thrown in darkness in the last five years by the APC.”
He mocked the Governor for forgetting that he had in fact been in office for four out of the five quoted years and the indicting fact cited by him on the poor state of electricity only reinforces the claim of the that his emergence has been a tragedy that must be reversed on the 19th of September.
Mayaki said, “Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s re-election campaign is an assault on common sense, decency, and ethics. He has failed to articulate his achievement in the last four years, even in special media charades put together by what is left of his tattered team of staff.”
“When they rushed to launch a farcical ‘MEGA’ plan that is now nowhere to be found and thrust the embattled Governor in front of a camera, he stuttered, fumbled, and ended up saying nothing other than the fact that his administration was a MEGA failure and his entire re-election campaign, a MEGA circus.”
“Unfortunately for him and his people, the people of Edo State are not in need of clowns. What they want is a prepared Governor like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC who has a visible manifesto and specific plans on how to deal with the challenges confronting the state.”
“Obaseki has continued to whine and sulk because he was served a rejection notice everywhere he has been in the state with his fellow clowns. Even at their recent event, he was heard criticizing the APC for the state of electricity in Edo in the last five years, forgetting that he was Governor for at least four out of the five.”
“All promises including the GeleGele Seaport, Benin Industrial Park, and Mini-stadia in all 18 LGAs of the State have been abandoned for name-calling and finger-pointing.”
“Obaseki’s answer to the people’s question of what he has done in the last four years and why he has done to deserve re-election has been “Oshiomhole said”. Sadly for him, Oshiomhole is not on the ballot. Before he realizes though, it would be too late. He is indeed the sluggish Governor who is slow to everything, including basic understanding.”
Challenging the incumbent Edo governor to show his achievements and records in office for which he is asking the people for reelection, Ize-Iyamu’s team alleged that Governor Godwin Obaseki has only excuses, deceit and blackmail to offer Edo people.
Ize-Iyamu asserted that Governor Obaseki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he represents may be asking for another four years at the helm in the state to run it on lazy gossips and tactless lies peddled in the media to generate sympathy and distract attention from their failures.
Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the Edo APC Media Campaign Council, who endorsed the statement said Governor Godwin Obaseki is a confused candidate spurned by his closest aides and associates because he lacked administrative skills and frittered away his goodwill on lazy, and corrupt, endeavors that yielded nothing but worthless MOUs.
He said the Governor’s incompetence is made worse by his refusal to accept responsibility for his failures, a flaw, which according to Mayaki, led the Governor into declaring at a recent rally that “Edo State has been thrown in darkness in the last five years by the APC.”
He mocked the Governor for forgetting that he had in fact been in office for four out of the five quoted years and the indicting fact cited by him on the poor state of electricity only reinforces the claim of the that his emergence has been a tragedy that must be reversed on the 19th of September.
Mayaki said, “Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s re-election campaign is an assault on common sense, decency, and ethics. He has failed to articulate his achievement in the last four years, even in special media charades put together by what is left of his tattered team of staff.”
“When they rushed to launch a farcical ‘MEGA’ plan that is now nowhere to be found and thrust the embattled Governor in front of a camera, he stuttered, fumbled, and ended up saying nothing other than the fact that his administration was a MEGA failure and his entire re-election campaign, a MEGA circus.”
“Unfortunately for him and his people, the people of Edo State are not in need of clowns. What they want is a prepared Governor like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC who has a visible manifesto and specific plans on how to deal with the challenges confronting the state.”
“Obaseki has continued to whine and sulk because he was served a rejection notice everywhere he has been in the state with his fellow clowns. Even at their recent event, he was heard criticizing the APC for the state of electricity in Edo in the last five years, forgetting that he was Governor for at least four out of the five.”
“All promises including the GeleGele Seaport, Benin Industrial Park, and Mini-stadia in all 18 LGAs of the State have been abandoned for name-calling and finger-pointing.”
