…to focus on education, agriculture, health, job creation
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the September 21 governorship election in the Edo State, Hon. (Dr ) Isaiah Osifo, has promised to give the people of the state a qualitative leadership that will impact on their lives positively through the mechanism of restructuring and transformation of all sectors of the economy to boost development if elected governor.
Osifo made his intentions known on Tuesday, August 20, during a media chat with the executives and members of Edo South Journalists Forum, who were in his campaign office in Benin City to pay him a courtesy visit as part of their lined-up familiarisation visits to the Edo South leaders.
Presenting his intellectually doctored manifesto, the APGA candidate said that governance was simple and that it was all about strategic planning to achieve the desired results for the people in terms of development. He regretted that the mindset of every average politician now is to loot, siphon and impoverish the people through bad policies and programmes even without recourse to the available human and natural resources.
He said if elected, his administration would give tax exemption to some sections, like petty traders in all markets and transporters across the state, just as he said that his government would religiously embark on commercialisation and industrialisation to create employment and increase revenue base in the state for development.
Osifo, a two-time Executive Chairman of Uhunmwonde Local Government Area and former Chairman, Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON), Edo State chapter, recalled how as a council boss he used the lean resources to promote the well-being of his people by giving them access to adequate education, health, enhanced roads infrastructure, rural electrification and scholarships to indigent students from basic to tertiary institutions level, assuring he would replicate same if he becomes governor.
He maintained that he had all the requisite qualifications to govern Edo State to achieve her potentials, especially having served as the Chief of Staff in the Professor Osunbor administration, insisting that accountability and transparency remain his benchmarks.
Noting that his achievements as local government boss speak volumes about his administrative pedigree as a tested and trusted politician who fraternises with his people at the grassroots on regular basis, Osifo said he is in the governorship race not to amass wealth at the detriment of the people but to ameliorate their plights through good governance. He explained that as a man who grew up in the village, he has a common understanding with his people and knows the rudiments of playing local politics.
Osifo recalled how as ALGON chairman he influenced the posting of medical doctors to all the local government councils across the state, which has remained a reference point in the state’s primary healthcare departments to date.
He bemoaned the neglect of the educational sector which, according to him, remains the foundation to achieve good governance.
Osifo appealed to Edo people, especially the journalists, to work for his victory in the forthcoming governorship election, just as he thanked the executives and members of the Edo South Journalists Forum “Otuedonogbebe” for the visit, assuring of his unwavering support to take the forum to an enviable height to achieve its aims and objectives for the people.
The forum was led on the courtesy visit by the Chief Convener, Comrade Edosa Okunbor, Pst. Victor Imade, Madam Ede Agho, Osagie Osunbor, Lucky Efese, Aghatise and Anita Okunkpolor, among others.
