The Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation said Sunday that Edo
people had developed beyond the level of winning elections through any
means of financial inducement, saying the electorate are ready to reject
and punish the ‘’Pseudo Comrade’’, Adams Oshiomhole, and his party, the
All People Congress (APC) on September 10 for subjecting them to untold
hardship in the past seven and a half years.
The campaign organisation also stated that it is malicious and spiteful to
blame Ize-Iyamu for whatever might have been the mistake of the past
administrations, including that of Oshimhole.
In a press statement issued by the Media Unit of the campaign, it said that
Oshiomhole and APC by their actions, are waging unnecessary war against
the people of Edo, adding that it is ‘’ungodly and inhuman’’ for the
out-going governor to have recently induced some selected innocent women
with N120 million —- for the purpose of election, when pensioners and
local government workers have not been paid 10 to 15 months salaries.
Governor Oshiomhole recently donated N120 million to some selected market
women at the Dr. Osaigbovo Ogbemudia Staduim, Benin-City, thanking them
for supporting his administration and added that the APC governorship
candidate, Godwin Obaseki would do more if elected.
According to the statement, ‘’The good people of Edo have made up their
minds to take their destiny in their own hands by sensibly picking the
best candidate that can move the state beyond where it is now; and that
candidate is Pastor Ize-Iyamu.
‘’The people remain strong and focused in the on-going efforts to bring
about a new State that will deliver socio-economic, healthcare,
employment, skill acquisitions and other deliverable services to the
people. And there is no better prepared candidate for the position in any
of the political parties than Pastor Ize-Iyamu.’’
The campaign organisation also stated that the swelling popularity of the
PDP candidate and the determination of the people to vote out the APC are
already making Oshiomhole and his puppet’s candidate, Obaseki panicky.
The campaign organisation said it is too late in the day for APC to trick
the Edo people, who have made up their minds, advising the party, the
out-going governor and his stooge, Obaseki, to explain to the people how
they hugely depleted the state treasury in the past seven and a half years
for their self-aggrandisements, rather than blaming Pastor Ize-Iyamu for
their woes and afflictions.
According to the statement, ‘’For all that we have heard, we are yet to be
persuaded by Oshiomhole/APC’s weak argument and misinformation that there
is a better prepared candidate for the Edo State governorship position in
any of the political parties than Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
‘’Having served in the past as Chief of Staff to the Edo State government
and later the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ize-Iyamu had
piloted the engine of governance and would therefore need no induction
course to swing into action from day one, just as no one can bamboozle him
to derail governance as can be done to a typical green horn, like Godwin
Obaseki.
‘’Perhaps, the most popular criticism is that Pastor Ize Iyamu served in
Chief Lucky Igbinedion former administration —- a government in which
all the critics themselves served or garnered immense advantage.
‘’And we ask: is it rational for instance, for us to blame the current
Chief of Staff, Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon and the SSG, Professor Julius
Ihionvare, for the financial bleeding of the state in the past seven and a
half years? Surely no.’’
The statement added that apart from occasional outbursts, which many people
refused to understand, no one has so far refuted the story that it was the
same so-called ‘’discredited government’’ that brought and financed
Oshiomhole’s election in 2007.
The statement added: ‘’In any case, the same Ize-Iyamu whom Oshiomhole is
abusing today was the Director-General of his campaign organization during
the last election. Is it a case of he is good when working for Oshiomhole
and bad for having worked for Igbinedion and very bad for seeking to work
for himself?’’