From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A two-time governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Bishop Akhalame, yesterday declared his intention to contest the 2024 governorship election in Edo State for the third time with the view of revamping the agricultural sector.
Dr Akhalame made the declaration in Benin during the unveiling of his book, entitled “Reaction and Sustaining the Edo Economy”
He said his decision to contest the 2024 election was borne out of his need to reactivate the state’s economy and correct bad governance in the state.
“Today, I publicly declared my intention to contest the 2024 governorship election under the Zenith Labour Party to change the narrative and reactivate the state economy for the good of the people.
“Edo is blessed with a lot of resources but the problem we have is bad managers. My book is a template of the action plan I am going to implement to ensure that Edo’s economy becomes the best in Nigeria.
“This is why I contested the 2016 and 2020 elections, this time, I am very confident of winning because Edo people need a leader who has the application to solve practical problems bedevilling the state and that is what I represent”.
He said if elected, he would run a participatory government where everyone would be involved in decision-making and ensure that the priority of the people is put together and implemented by engaging the people to actually know their needs.”
“A lot of things have gone wrong in the governance of Edo State, that is why I brought out a book that would be a covenant between me and Edo people.”
Akhalame decried that the kind of democracy practised in the country where few people sit in the comfort of their homes and make decisions for the people can’t take us anywhere.
“Today the government just sit and said this is what to give the people but if you don’t sit down with the people you may not know what the people actually need. What I am bringing is participatory governance.
“My political ambition is a journey, I didn’t get it right in 2016, I missed it in 2020 but in 2024, I am confident of victory because I have the capacity to change the state”, Akhalame said.
Also speaking. Professor Benson Osadolor, former Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, said in 2024, Edo state can’t afford not to elect a governor who must be of proven integrity, sound Intellectually equip to do the job.
“It is not just enough to say I want to run for governorship but what exactly can you offer, how sound and Intellectually dedicated and committed are you to the progress and development of Edo State? How you can mobilize resources to develop the state and what has gone wrong that you want to fix?”, Osadolor asked rhetorically.
He said the book written by Akhalame would be useful in reactivating and sustaining the economy of Edo State.