•Governor renews commitment to promote equality, inclusivity, urges stakeholders’ collaboration
The Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, yesterday, commended Edo people for coming out en masse to vote and ensure victory for the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last Saturday’s House of Assembly elections in the state, reassuring that the governor would appreciate the people for their efforts, resilience and sacrifice with more infrastructural projects across the state.
Osagie, said this during a live session held at the journalists’ situation room, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Benin City, which was anchored by the association’s chairman, Festus Alenkhe, and Adesuwa Ehimuan, Chairperson, Edo State Council of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).
According to him, “The March 18 House of Assembly election was more representative of what the people voted and we thank Edo people for rising above the noise and propaganda and coming out en masse to vote for PDP and protecting their governor who cares about them and works for them night and day. He may not talk too much but they know he is working for them.
“The sinister motive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) coming into the election was to come and remove the governor and that is such an irresponsible reason for contesting an election. How can you be trying to be a lawmaker just because you are planning a vendetta?
“We are very confident the PDP will have control of the house of assembly. We believe that we will have not less than 15/16 seats which is a comfortable majority and we will be able to conduct our affairs in a seamless way and allow the governor to focus on his work.
“We are full throttle ahead. The governor will show his appreciation to Edo people who rose to his defense and provided a guarantee on his mandate, not just in words but action and ensure he does not betray their trust and belief,” he reassured.
The governor’s media aide continued: “This governor has only one instrument to play politics – good governance – by working which has been his winning formula, unlike others who use violence, thuggery, harassment, bribery, inducements, etc.
“That’s what you are going to be seeing in the next few months including road construction works continuing, infrastructure development continuing, enhancement of business environment intensified, new hotels spring up, new power companies set up as the federal government has made it now possible for the state government to do so, more tertiary institutions come on stream with massive recruitments, repositioning of state universities, and lots more.”
Decrying the manipulations during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, Osagie further charged the electoral body, “In the future, INEC should practice what they preach and make it known if things will not work. They should be more responsible as their action has damaged the confidence of the average Nigerian voter and might even make some people lose interest in voting for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting equality and inclusivity in the state.
He therefore called for the support of all stakeholders to achieve a prosperous and progressive Edo State that is totally free from all forms of discrimination and prejudice.
According to a statement, the governor gave the assurance in commemoration of the 2023 International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination marked yearly by the United Nations and its sister agencies.
Obaseki, who described racial discrimination as a flagrant violation of human rights and a barrier to achieving equality, justice, and peace, said his government will sustain efforts at ensuring an equal opportunity for every Edo citizen to live their life to the fullest.
He said, “As we mark the 2023 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to promoting equality, inclusion and social justice in Edo State.
“Racial discrimination is a global issue that affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. It is a flagrant violation of human rights, which threatens our collective wellbeing and undermines our efforts to build a just and inclusive society, and requires the collaboration of all stakeholders to end the hydra-headed monster in all its forms.”
Obaseki further noted, “As a government, we understand the dangers of societal discrimination and have taken deliberate steps to eliminate it in all its forms and guise and promote social justice and inclusiveness.
“We are creating an enabling environment that guarantees equal opportunities for all our citizens to live their lives to the fullest, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion and gender.
“We are also pursuing reforms and programmes to promote diversity in our workforce, improve access to education and healthcare and empower marginalised communities, thereby tackling inequalities and discrimination in our state.”
According to the United Nations, “The 2023 theme of the International Day focuses on the urgency of combatting racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
“The UDHR states that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind, such as race and colour, among others. However, racism and racial discrimination continue to affect people all over the world.”
