Wilfred Eya
Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has expressed confidence that he will be re-elected because he has delivered on what the people of the state needed, saying his focus now is to better the lives of people of the state.
He downplayed the forthcoming governorship election in the state and assured that his re-election is already a done-deal even as he expressed commitment to the development of Edo State
Speaking during a Town Hall meeting of Edo State people in Lagos, held at Ikeja, he said he was working toward ensuring that Edo overtakes the Centre of Excellence (Lagos) by 2050.
Governor Obaseki said Edo State problem is not resources but leadership, and reiterated his commitment toward ending godfatherism in the state, declaring that “Godfather will not be allowed in Edo State.”
The meeting with the theme “Edo Òkpa ‘Nó,” was organised by Unuedo Renaissance, a body of professionals from Edo State.
He assured that his administration would work toward building an international airport in the state, adding, “my dream and I hope I will be here then is that by 2050, Edo will host the Olympics.”
His words: “The problem of Edo is not resources; it is not an opportunity. We had all of these. We had everything. Our problem is that people have been thinking so shortsightedly. The military governors did not know when the next coup would be, so they never tried to make an attempt and the politicians are only concerned about the next election.
“For us, we are not thinking about the next election because by the grace of God that is spoken to already. We are thinking about the next generation; where will Edo be in the Year 2050? How would we be positioned by 2050? How would we overtake Lagos by 2050? It is possible.
“For us, it is clear; what we need to do is to plan. They said those who fail to plan, plan to fail. So, it is about having rigorous regional and urban planning. We didn’t meet anything but we are going to leave behind a lot.”
Speaking to journalists after the event, Governor Obaseki described his meeting with the Edo people in Lagos State as a form of accountability and not a political move.
He noted that there is misinformation about his administration as a result of power contest and therefore it was important to get them corrected.
“My meeting with the Edo people in Lagos State is just about accountability. They have the right to know what is happening in their state. As we approach the election, there is a lot of misinformation as a result of contest for power.
“So, it is important to let them know, put out the facts, engage them, get their concerns and indeed their feedbacks were profitable,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Daisy Danjuma, publicly endorsed Governor Obaseki for second term and urged the people of Edo State to allow the governor to continue.
“He (Obaseki) has done well and we want him to continue. I am a member of the BoT of PDP but I am supporting him for a second term,” Senator Danjuma who represented Edo South Senatorial District in Senate between 2003 and 2007 declared.
Speaking earlier, a former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Mathew Egbadon, lamented the level of brigandage in the state politics, asking the governor to find a way to solve political problems without resorting to violence.
Egbadon, who spoke on behalf of the people of Edo Central also kicked against marginalisation of the people of the senatorial district in terms of political appointments at state and federal levels.