By DADA AYOKHAI
Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, a frontline gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the party’s primary election slated for February 17, 2024 has said that he is in governorship race to take Edo State to enviable heights in the comity of states in Nigeria.
Umakhihe, the immediate past Permanent Secretary, in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security opined that he is not in the race as a result of cries against the marginalization of certain parts of Edo north including Owan and Akoko Edo from occupying the Edo state Government House .
The APC governorship hopeful made the remarks when he took his “FRESH HOPE” campaign agenda to Esan North-East, Esan South-East and Igueben Local Government Areas respectively in the Edo Central Senatorial District of the state.
He noted that his vision is strictly on his capacity and desire to do more work for the good people of Edo State, based on his experiences and competence to deliver.
“I am not coming with a message of marginalization but a message of capacity, capability and the desire to do more work for the good people of Edo state ,as I posses the relevant and needed experience to deliver on the mandate”,he said.
He opined that the bad governance in the state at the moment necessitated the need for people of his calibre to join the governorship race in order to change the narratives from bad to better.
“I know the bad state we are, in Edo and we need somebody to fix it. I have come prepared, with a blueprint to do the fixing for the benefit of the people because of my passion to serve”, he said.
Umakhihe, who addressed leaders, executives and members of the party separately at Uromi, Ubiaja and Igueben respectively, however,
decried the dilapidated state of schools across the three senatorial districts in the state.
He noted that a good educational system and educated society are the best investments for a stable and healthy economy and democratic system.
He assured that if given the party’s ticket and eventually voted in as the governor of the state in the next September 21, 2024 election, priority attention will be accorded all the dilapidated schools across the state.
The governorship aspirant, also condemned the situation where the people will be taxing themselves to employ teachers to teach their children in a government school.
He promised that such an unwholesome practice will be a thing of the past under his watch as Governor, as qualified teachers will be employed in all subject areas to take care of the children.
“Apart from employing qualified teachers, there will be continuous training and retraining of the teachers which will afford them the opportunity to continually develop as professionals and impact on the children positively”, he added.
While , also lamenting the lack of potable water across communities in Edo Central Senatorial district, he posited that with sophisticated technological equipments no community is expected to exist without good water.
According to him, “why water should not flow in the land when there are various technologies now on ground to get water no matter the depth.
“If given the desired support and mandate, the issues of water is going to be a priority and would ensure that water flows in communities in Esan land”, he assured.
He, however, appealed to the party faithful for their support and nomination to represent the party at the forthcoming September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election.
In his remarks, the local government party chairman of Esan North East, Hon Emmanuel Ivbagbemie commended Dr Umakhihe for his organizational skills and meritorious services to the nation as Federal Permanent Secretary and, also for making Edo state proud.
Ivbagbemie opined that the governorship hopeful statement’s is a vision waiting to be commissioned.
He described Umakhihe as an in-law in whom the Easn North-East people are most pleased due to the level of his intervention in the infrastructural development of Uromi community where his (Umakhihe’s) wife hail from, as well as his human capital development on the youths of the community.
At Ubiaja, Esan South East, the people that spoke said Edo people need somebody with capacity as governor, adding that, they have seen in Umakhihe as one that have that qualities and will therefore support him to change the narratives of yesteryears.
At Igueben, the party executives and members trooped out in their numbers to receive the frontline APC governorship aspirant, Dr Ernest Umakhihe.
The Local Government chairman of the party, Chief Sunday Ikholegbe described him as a material that should be given the support and nomination for him to impact in the state for the benefit of the people.
