By Ndubuisi Orji

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation has urged Edo people not to be deceived by the promise by  the All Progressives Congress (APC)  governorship candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki to create more than 200,000 jobs if elected as governor.
The campaign organisation said it is the punitive and selective tax regime promoted by Mr. Obaseki as the Head of the Economic Team of Governor Adams Oshiomhole administration that has caused the major economic mess in the state today.
In a statement issued by the media unit of the campaign organisation in Benin-City yesterday, Ize-Iyamu said the good people of Edo State would not be deceived again by the dishonesty of the APC-led government, adding that youth unemployment and under-employment remain a huge challenge, both at the state and federal government under the APC.
The organisation said that data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Edo State presently has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the country.
According to the statement, “when Governor Adams Oshiomhole assumed office in 2008 with the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki as the Head of Economic Team, he promised to create 100,000 jobs in each year of his administration, meaning that 800,000 new jobs would have been created over eight years.
“But Oshiomhole has not kept his promise. The governor and his economic team have not succeeded in replacing those they retired from Edo State Civil Service. What more? Almost all the thriving business — Bendel Breweries Limited, Okpella Cement Factory, Ewu Flourmill, Michelin, Edo Transport Service, which the APC inherited from PDP, have collapsed because of the suffocating business environment Oshiomhole and his economic team deliberately created in the state in the last seven and a half years.’’
The Ize-Iyamu campaign organisation added that the present high rate of unemployment in Edo State is largely responsible for the predominant incidence of youth restiveness, armed robbery, kidnapping and cult related activities.
The organisation added: ‘’In the next few weeks, we will publish the number of companies that have been forced to relocate from Edo State because of the punitive and senseless tax regime of the APC-led government in the state. A government that derives joy in throwing young men and women into labour market cannot create job.
“It is noticeably clear to our people that Edo State is increasingly down because of the wide off the mark economic, social and political policies of an incompetent, inexperienced, shambolic, thieving and empty government being led by the out-going self-serving and self-aggrandising emperor-governor Oshiomhole and aided by his Head of Economic Team, Mr. Obaseki.’’
Ize-Iyamu added that the only answer to the present sorry state of Edo State is for good men and women to punish the APC on September 10 during the governorship election, for subjecting them to abject poverty in the past seven and a half years.
In line with best established global practice, Pastor Ize-Iyamu promised to immediately roll out a basic model of a long-term people-centred economic development and empowerment plan to right the wrong of the Oshiomhole-led government.
“Our SIMPLE Agenda will break and reverse the deteriorating prosperity of our youths, women, and pensioners. Under the present APC government we are in the wrong track and we surely need to change the change. Never again shall we allow APC to deceive us,’’ Ize-Iyamu stated.


Anenih marginalised Esan people not Oshiomhole-Idahosa‎

From Tony Osauzo, Benin‎

Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on political matters, Chief Charles Idahosa, yesterday put a lie to Chief Tony Anenih’s claim that Governor Adams Oshiomhole marginalised the Esan people.
The former chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, had at a flag off of his campaign for Edo Central Senatorial District, which held at Uromi, alleged that Oshiomhole had consistently marginalized the Esan people. According to Anenih, the governor refused to pay N300 million counterpart fund for Ugbalo Water project which he (Anenih) had used his influence to secure the sum of N1.2 billion from the federal government.
But reacting to Anenih’s claim yesterday, Idahosa described it as a misrepresentation of facts, saying rather it was the former PDP BoT chairman who marginalized his own people.
“It was very interesting seeing Chief Anenih speaking at the rally in Uromi. I was very impressed because I got worried because he did not speak when they flagged off at the state level but I thank God for his good health. But it is sad that Anenih will come out now as a local government leader of the PDP, to attack APC and Governor Oshiomhole of marginalizing Esan people.
“But looking at the facts on ground, it was Anenih who marginalized his own people because when he was the Alpha and Omega, and the Mr Fix it of Nigeria politics, he refused to make an Esan man governor. Because he wanted to be a lone star, he did not want any competitor so that people will worship him.
“When a graceful in-law of the Esan people, in the person of President Obasanjo wanted to compensate his people, he gave the governorship seat to Prof. Osariemen Osunbor, Anenih refused because he wanted Ugbesia. Immediately the Appeal Court sacked Osunbor who is an Esan man, Anenih went into partnership with Oshiomhole and gave him four commissioners after celebrating Osunbor’s sack with Champaign.
“When he wanted to go to his old tricks, he found a hard nut to crack in Oshiomhole; they fell out and Oshiomhole sacked his four commissioners and that was the end of PDP in Edo State.

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Okorocha welcomes Obaseki to Governors’ Forum

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

Ahead of the governorship election, Imo State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha at the weekend in Benin, welcomed the party’s candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to the forum.
Okorocha, who led other APC governors and deputy governors to Obaseki’s campaign at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin recently, said, “We are here to fully‎ endorse  Godwin Obaseki.”
Alluding to rain showers that slightly disrupted the campaign, Okorocha said it was an indication that Obaseki’s candidature has been divinely sealed.
He described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a failure, stating that the snatching of ballot boxes was the party’s specialty.
While urging the Edo people to vote for Obaseki, Okorocha assured that if Oshiomhole did everything for Edo State, Obaseki would do more. Earlier, Governor Adams Oshiomhole had described Obaseki as a thorough and efficient man who has brains and who is not a thief.
Reeling out the achievements of his administration across the state, Oshiomhole said through those projects, his government has made a statement that the state was viable.
“It is extremely important that we do not put the vehicle in reverse‎ gear. That is why I am putting forward Obaseki, who is like a brain box. He has the solutions to the problems facing the state”, he said.
Responding to allegations by the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, that he did not allow his party the use of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for the flag off of its governorship campaign, Governor Oshiomhole explained that he did so in obedience to the court judgment at the time which stated that only the Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP should present candidate to INEC for the Edo State gubernatorial election. He also responded to Chief Tom Ikimi who described him as “the boy from Kukuruku Hill”, describing Ikimi as a serial election looser who has no electoral value.
“If it takes a Kukuruku boy to defeat a son of a Cook, then, I am a proud Kukuruku boy”, Oshiomhole said in reference to Chief Ikimi.


We didn’t endorse Ize-Iyamu -Esan traditional ruler

Less than 24 hours after 28 royal fathers of Esan land reportedly endorsed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) candidate, controversy yesterday trailed the endorsement.
One of the traditional rulers, the Onojie of Opoji and Vice Chairman, Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Ehidiamen Aidonojie 1, dissociated himself from the endorsement, describing it as untrue.
HRH Aidonojie, one of three Traditional Rulers who reportedly spoke during the purported endorsement in Uromi last Saturday, spoke to journalists yesterday in Benin and narrated what transpired.
“We were invited to come and listen to what the PDP said they have for us and not endorsement. Besides, I stated in that occasion that Esan people are like the Jews surrounded by Arabs. I told the PDP people that it is action that speaks, that how are we sure that what they are preaching now is better than what APC has done for us.
“The problem Esan people are having today was caused by Anenih because he never empowered Esan people. And it is not true that PDP empowered Esan people, it is only Uromi. So, there was nothing like any endorsement. Are we going to endorse a party that ruled us for 10 years without anything meaningful for Esan people even when Anneih was in charge?
“May be two traditional rulers, the one from Uromi and Ujogba endorsed him not all of us. They are on their own. They did not carry traditional rulers along in doing that. Before you endorse any body, you should compare the two parties but PDP never did anything, so how can we endorse him. If there is anything like that I should be the one to say it because I am the spokesman of Esan traditional rulers, ” he said.‎