A PDP governorship aspirant in the Sept. 10, governorship election in Edo, Chief Solomon Edebiri said he was in the race to boost development rather than `massage the ego of self-styled “political leaders.’’
Edebiri, who spoke on Sunday in Benin while briefing journalists noted that “coming from the business environment, I see things differently.
“ I see governance as a business enterprise where my focus will be how to make profit for the general good of the people.’’
Edebiri, who contested the 2012 governorship election under the platform of the defunct ANPP, said aspirant like himself might not get immediate acceptance of the party leadership, because of his background as a core business person.
“People like us have challenges with getting immediately accepted by leaders, especially the critical few, who think you have to be a core politician to play the right politics.
“Comparing the industry where am coming from, looking at the sentiment people have for those of us coming from professional setting.
“Business setting into politics and having to match against those who see themselves as professional politicians who have been around in government.
“They know that because we see things differently as professionals, we have challenges with getting immediately accepted by leaders, especially the critical few who think you have to be a core politician to play the right politics.
“But I feel completely different because we should begin to tilt towards the desire of the people.
“We should not be focused on some people’s interest, we should begin to focus on the common man for whose reason democracy was established.
“That is the government of the people, for the people and by the people.
“And if the people are out of this equation, it’s a completely incomplete equation. And that’s what people like me fight for.
“We are saying that people must be in charge of who rules them, of who governs them, of who decides things for them by the day, of who takes their fate, put it on the balance.
“ The people must be at the core centre of the whole game. And getting that acceptable to the leaders who say they are professional politicians have been a challenge.
“They feel that they have to dictate for the people, they have to decide for the people and the people must follow what they say.
“ The people must do what they want, the people must take a cue from what they do; and I don’t think it should be like that.
“Sincerely speaking, we must now begin to know that we are expected to serve the people, work for the people, labour for the people, let the people see us as servants serving them.
“ Even if we take the posture of a leader, for me, it should be a leader-servant equation,’’ he said.(NAN)