The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Osaro Onaiwu has promised to improve the living standard of teachers if voted into power, especially in providing accommodation and welfare packages.
The candidate who made the promise during his campaign tour of all 10 wards in Igueben Council area of Edo State at the weekend, was particularly moved by the massive migration of teachers from the rural areas to the Urban centres due to poor welfare package.
At Igueben and Ogwa, he said: “it is appalling that as important as this local government area is, it is still very backward in terms of educational development.
“Besides, the markets are terrible. Even the roads within this locality are in their worst state. This is one of the major reasons I decided to offer myself in service to better the lots of my people, “ He specifically promised to build a Teachers’ quarter for primary and secondary school teachers to discourage migration of teachers from the villages to the Urban centres.
Onaiwu further said that he would build skills acquisition centres across the state to engage jobless youth for improved standard of living.
The former Director General of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, who is the standard bearer of APGA in the forthcoming election urged all eligible voters in Edo State to come out freely to exercise their franchise and vote in APGA on September 10, for a better and promising future for Edo State.
War of billboards, posters in Benin
With barely a month to the Edo State governorship election, Benin, the state capital is awash with bill boards and posters of candidates of the contesting political parties.
They come in various shapes and sizes and are placed in strategic locations in different parts of the city, with messages, appealing to voters consciences.
The political parties/candidates’ visibility in the ‘war of bill boards and posters’, appear to be determined by the ‘depth’ of their pockets.
Among the political parties, the candidates of the APC and PDP are more visible until yesterday (Monday) morning when residents woke up to see the city almost ‘overrun’ with posters of Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his running mate, Philip Shaibu of the APC.
The Obaseki’s posters, bearing messages on the different sectors of the state economy, are placed at a distance of about 10 feet in major roads of Benin City.
Obviously, the political parties and their candidates through this campaign strategy, are trying to show strength in their effort to dominate the minds of the electorate.
In the days before the election, there are indications that the bill boards and posters’ war would get more intense.
We’ ll bury PDP in Edo –Esemuede
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman of Oredo Local Government, Mr. Samson Esemuede, has observed that Governor Oshiomhole distributed government money through projects execution rather than sharing money to individuals. The former PDP chieftain who recently joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke shortly after he and some of his family members were presented with membership cards of the APC in Ward 10, Oredo local government.
Urging supporters of the APC to move from street to street to preach the ‘Bible’ of the APC and Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Esemuede said his former party will not be allowed to win in any unit across the state during the conduct of the governorship election. He said he decided to realign with progressive minds by joining the APC because he has seen achievements of Oshiomhole, admonishing APC members to explain to the electorate to be patient with Buhari’s administration because the mess being cleared was caused by the PDP.
“We will bury the PDP politically on September 10. Oshiomhole has empowered many people. You can now see that politics is an instrument of development.
“Start street to street campaigns. Knock on people’s door. Tell them why things are difficult in the country.
Tell them it was caused by the PDP and that Buhari is doing his best to get things right.
“Do not take chances on Election Day. Be prepared for challenges on election day and don’t allow PDP win in my unit”, Esemuede said.
In his speech, State Secretary of the APC, Chief Osaro Idah, the Obazelu of Benin Kingdom, said it was Esemuede that taught intrigues of politics in the locality.
He alleged that the PDP is plotting to return to power because they are now broke.