Tony Osauzo, Benin
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in Benin, urged the people of Edo State to reflect on the three cardinal promises of fighting insecurity, encouraging agriculture and fighting corruption, which he made during his electioneering in 2015, saying his administration has performed well in all the areas.
Adressing a large crowd of party faithful and supporters, at the Garrick Memorial College in Benin, venue of the campaign, the president, while thanking them for their patience, said the security situations in the North East and Niger Delta have improved.
On agriculture, he said the country has made progress by saving billions of dollars that would have been expended on importation food items.
President Buhari also spoke on corruption and said his government was seizing assets from corrupt persons in the country. He disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) will soon address Nigerians to give a comprehensive account of how much has been recovered and what the money would be used for.
Corroborating president Buhari on his administration’s performance in the area of agriculture, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, praised the government’s agricultural policy and said the country is moving towards food security.
He announced that the Buhari administration has paid debts left behind by the previous People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led government on the Benin-Auchi-Okene Road dualisation project and the contractors back to site to continue work.
Oshiomhole described Edo people as enlightened voters, who would deliver victory to the president and the APC and said the violence and intimidation allegedly perpetrated by PDP in 2015 will not be possible in this year’s election.
He also urged Nigerians not to allow Atiku Abubakar “sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and other national assets.”
Also speaking, Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, urged Edo people to vote for Buhari to enable him complete all the laudable projects he has embarked on across the country.
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on his part, praised president Buhari for granting the licence for the building of the 450 megawatts Azura Power Plant.
He alleged that Buhari’s predecessors in government demanded $20 million bribe before granting the licence.
The governor, who promised to deliver one million votes to Buhari, however, regretted that the state, despite generating 700 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, remains in darkness because those who privatised Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) sold it to their friends.