By Sunday Ani
Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Adolphus Arebanmhen Aletor, has vowed to fix the state if elected in 2024.
Speaking at a parley with Edo corporate executives, professionals and friends in Lagos at the weekend, he promised to use his experience and exposure to better the lots of Edo people. He said he has what it takes to win the governorship ticket of the party in the forthcoming primaries.
Aletor, a financial expert-turned politician noted that having attained the peak of his career in the last 25 unbroken years, he had realized that he would remain unfulfilled if he did not use his experiences and exposures to better the lots of his people. “It is no longer news that I am in the race to Edo State Government House in 2024.
“Apart from the sense of fulfilment I will derive from serving my people, the almost nonexistence of governance in Edo State has made my desire to serve, an emergency. Edo State, which is home to many of us from various communities, and languages, such as the Bini, Esan, and Afemai, has become a shadow of itself, leaving the people to fight daily for survival.
“Though many have argue and made justifications for the past and present administrations that the issues we face are pervasive, permit me to disagree beause I perceive that the issues are self-made for the convenience of the elite.
“In the game of Edo politics, the masses have been excluded, and the government detached from reality. The issues in our education sector, health sector, local government administration, infrastructure, especially roads security in the protection of life and property, and food security have brought a lot of untold hardship on the citizens of Edo State.
“Our schools are left in a decrepit, dilapidated, and uninhabitable state. Children now go to school three times a week, while the burden of sourcing expensive fuel to power expensive android powered tabs, and buy disappearing data has been shifted to the parents who are either with subsistence economic activity or a meagre minimum wage,” he stated.
On his part, the Chairman of the Aletor Campaign Advisory Council, Shaka Oboge, said his principal is a breath of fresh air filled with creative ideas and innovative thinking founded on an unbridled passion and a deep sense of commitment to change for the well-being of Edo people.
He said: “While Adolphus is not a career politician, he is a dedicated, highly qualified and thoroughly experienced executive with the courage, integrity and compassion to drive the design and execution of the kinds of policies – supported with the appropriate strategic partnerships, investments and leadership – to deliver an Edo State of the 21st century.
“An Edo state designed and reshaped to unleash the creativity, innovative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit of every Edo citizen to courageously tackle the challenges we face, create value for our people and generate wealth for our state.
“Yes, our candidate might not fit the traditional mould, but that’s precisely why we need your support now more than ever before. Conventional thinking has its place, but it often leads to the same old solutions and the same old problems. Our unconventional candidate represents innovation, creativity, and the courage to tackle challenges in new and unexpected ways.”
The Labour Party woman leader in the state, Pauline Omagbelehan, said Aletor is a man with a lot of discipline and vision.
She said: “Aletor has said a lot and going by his background as a banker, who has had a lot of courses, trainings and opportunities, I know that he is coming to do something for our people. But, you also know that before you can become governor of Edo State, you have to go through what we call primaries. And that is the deciding factor and the game changer.”
The LP chairman in Esan South East local government Area of the state, Mr Agboga Ehikioya, said Aletor has the capacity to fix the state if elected governor.
He said: “From day one even as a child, he has acted above his age, and everything he starts, he follows it to a logical conclusion. Today, as a party, we have about 18 gubernatorial aspirants, but he stands out. He is already a successful man. He doesn’t need us but we need him to serve the good people of Edo.
“He is a very passionate man. And for those who know Edo State very well, you will agree with me that for the past 10 years, the state has not developed in terms of infrastructure.”