Edo 2024: Ernest Abegbe Inaugurated LGA Coordinators, Asks Electorates To Investigate aspirants claims

Over the weekend, in Benin City, the Edo state capital, a frontline aspirant in the coming Edo 2024 governorship election under the platform of Labour Party, Mr Ernest Abegbe has asked the electorates to critically evaluate, assess and investigate claims by aspirants in the coming Edo governorship contest 

He made the observation during the inauguration of his campaign coordinators across the 18 local government areas of Edo state in his campaign office in Benin city.

In his opening remarks, Mr Ernest Abegbe advised electorates to begin evaluation and verification of claims by aspirants, stressing that it was not wise to accept aspirants based on pecuniary inducements without thorough investigation of claims and backgrounds . He said this has become imperative to checkmate the perennial rock and roll programmes of so much movements without motion which our dear state and nation have found themselves because of bad leadership.

He said he knows the problems of Edo state and that he has the solutions to them which he says would be addressed through 

Competence, integrity and conscience.

 On the insinuation that he is not as popular as some other aspirants, he said that in the creation of the world that darkness was in existence before light but that when light came, darkness had to give way. He said his coming into the Edo governorship contest is light coming to take darkness out 

He said he is convinced that he would get it because he has everything needed to salvage the current situation of the state. He has never and will never soil his hands or involves in a questionable act.

"Some years ago when I was still struggling with the basic necessities of life, I handled very large projects with opportunity to collect hundreds of millions as bride but decided that I better go back to my village and farm than join those who destroyed Nigeria by taking brides and subverting the will of the people. I have never and will never involve in rubbish or anything that would smear my image and integrity built over the years.

Continuing, he said,"the major problem of Edo as a state is the economy and infrastructure, if you are able to tackle these two problems, the rest would fall in place and the living standards of Edo people would have risen astronaumicaly. 

The Esan born Edo 2024 governorship hopeful, a Financial expert, an Economist and Educationist who holds a first degree in Accounting, an MBA in Management, MSC in Economics, PDG in Education, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation and Institute of Management Consultants and a Certified Forensic Accountants said he would create transparency and accountability around governance of Edo State adding that he knows what to do to optimize the revenue base so as to stabilize the economy of the state and ultimately the people.

"I know what to do because in the year 2020, I was one of the very few Nigerians appointed by federal government of Nigeria as technical working group to prepare the Medium Term National Development Plan for the nation for 2021 to 2025, from 2025 to 2030 and the Nigeria 2050 Agenda.

"This was not a political appointment but we were selected based on competence and technical expertise to draw the roadmap for the industrialisation of Nigeria. Our nation has enough documents but implemention is where the problem is.

He assures Edo people that with his wealth of experience acquired over the years, with his financial and economy knowledge couple with his integrity, honesty, credibility and good conscience that nobody would tamper with Edo people's money but would be used judiciously for the good of Edo people irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation.

"Government money belongs to everybody including our old parents in the villages. The masses have over rated some certain class of people without knowing that we all are actually equal, even before God".

"Just look at Bendel Breweries and Guiness Nigeria Plc for instance, both on the same plot of land, one next to the other, one working and the other is not.

He said that the Edo State Ministry of Works need to be decentralized, revamped and repositioned for effective service delivery by having Infrastructure Rapid Response (IRR) in the three senatorial districts that will work simultaneously in consonance with the central objective of responding rapidly to maintenance of public infrastructure to mitigate incessant failures with a mandate of zero potholes on our roads across the state. 

"I am an expert in revenue uptimization. I will uptimize the revenue base of Edo to access the much needed revenue for our developmental projects.

"Our government will take the lead to establish industries across the 18 local government but would run them through private sector collaboration. We have done our need accesment of the three senatorial districts

"One other and most important foundation of our government would be honesty, integrity, good conscience and accountability which will center around the people. Our government would be people centered. I am simply asking the people to come and govern themselves through me. Edo people would practically be involved in our day to day running of our administration. They would be part and parcel of the government and they will see how their money is being utilized for them.

Highlights of the event included question and answers and finally the inauguration of the local government Coordinators with a minimum of three Coordinators each drawn from the 18 local government areas of the state.