A group known as Edo Mass Movement (EMM) has endorsed the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Asue Ighodalo, and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, ahead of the Saturday, September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
The group also commended the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, for his developmental strides across the state, saying the governor has fulfilled his promise of completing all legacy projects initiated by former military governor of the state, Brig. Gen. Samuel O. Ogbemudia, which he made in 2016 while seeking the group’s support to become the governor of Edo State.
The group stated this in a press release on Tuesday signed by its Coordinator, Osamaye Alegbe, and Secretary, Osawaru Owen, and made available to newsmen in Benin City.
The statement said, “The Edo Mass Movement, a brain child of Dr. S. O. Ogbemudia whose sole aim is for good governance, after a crucial meeting resolved as follows:
“That in 2016 in the residence of our Leader and convener. Dr. S. O. Ogbemudia, His Excellency, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, promised that he will complete the projects Gen Ogbemudia started which several successive administrations failed or refused to complete and to generally follow up the developmental strides of Dr. S. O. Ogbemudia. It was for this reason that members of the Edo Mass movement and Edo people were told to vote massively for Mr. Godwin Obaseki,” the group said.
“We have x-rayed his performance in the past 7 years and 9 months and are overwhelmed by his achievements in keeping with his 2016 promises he made to the Edo Mass Movement in Midwest Hall at the residence of Dr. S. O. Ogbemudia.”
The group said its team of experts, whose mandate was to monitor the projects the governor promised, is proud to list a number of verifiable projects completed and modernized by Governor Obaseki.
The group listed, among numerous other projects, “the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, the Secretariat Building in Sapele Road, completed and modernized the Bendel Printing Press in Sapele Road that has been transformed to an entrepreneurship training hub with constant electricity from the Ossiomo Power plant which has provided employment opportunities for many Edo Youths, and the renovation of School of Health Technology”.
The group also listed “the modernization of The Nigerian Observer with the state-of-the-art machines, the upgrading of Igarra Technical College to a mining institution, the renovation of the Benin Technical College, the Institute of Continue Education (ICE) is now a Tech Innovation Hub that provide free of charge training to all Edo people, The Edo Line premises is now a skill acquisition centre where all our youths can go for training”.
“The College of Education in lyaro is now a befitting block of Offices 11. The Ethiope Publishing Building at Ring Road is renovated and reformed to Pension House, for pensioners to have casy access to their data base. The School of Nursing on Sapele Road is modernized and upgraded 13. Office Blocks at Ezoti Street, Still under renovation and upgrading,” the group said.
Finally, the group thanked Governor Obaseki for changing the narrative of “Do your own” which past governments adopted by starting white elephant projects and abandoning the old ones, stating that the governor has proved that development in Governance is a continuum.
