Edo Guber: My Focus Is On Capacity To Provide Good Governance, Not Lamentation Of Marginalization - Umakhihe

Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe

By Editor

Feb 2, 2024

Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, an aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the Edo State Governorship  election scheduled for September 21, 2024, said his intention to govern the state was not as a result of the political marginalization against his Owan people to govern the state but to take the state to enviable heights of socio-economic development in the comity of states in Nigeria.

Dailymonitorngr reports that the APC governorship candidate hopeful, made the remarks when he took his "FRESH HOPE" campaign agenda to Edo Central senatorial district.

Umakhihe, the immediate past Permanent Secretary, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that he is not in the race as a result of cries against the marginalization of certain parts of Edo North, 1including Owan and Akoko-Edo from occupying the Edo Government House.

The governorship aspirant who addressed party leaders and faithful at the various local government secretary of the party 

noted that his vision is strictly on his capacity and desire to do more work for the good people of Edo State.

He opined that the capacity and desire to do more to the people of the state is based on his experiences and competence to deliver good governance.

"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. 

"Bad governance in the state at the moment necessitated the need for me to join the governorship race in order to change the narratives from bad to better.

"As a result of the bad governance in Edo State, 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, while addressing 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 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 should water 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 i would ensure that water flows in communities in Esan land", he assured.

He, however appealed to party faithfuls 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, 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 statements 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, in Esan South East that spoke said Edo people  need somebody with capacity as governor, adding that  Umakhihe is one man 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,  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.