Former secretary to the Edo state government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has
\ndeclared his intention to contest the forthcoming Edo governorship election
\non the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ize-Iyamu purchased
\nthe N16 million nomination form at the PDP state secretariat on June 9th,
\n2016, becoming the first aspirant to do so.<\/p>\n
Escorted by a throng of supporters, the aspirant was received at the
\nsecretariat by party chairman, Dan Orbih, who advised him to conduct a
\ncampaign based on the serious issues affecting the people of the state.<\/p>\n
Ize-Iyamu assured the chairman that his conduct will dignify the party at
\nall times. \u201cThe journey to reclaim Edo from the tyrant that has held the
\nstate hostage has began,\u201d he said. \u201cWe elected a government without vision
\nand agenda. We must change the change that has brought poverty and hardship
\nupon our people<\/p>\n
From the secretariat, Ize-Iyamu and his supporters marched to the Emporium
\nEvents Centre in Benin, the state capital, where he officially launched his
\ncampaign and unveiled his manifesto, tagged \u201cSIMPLE Agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n
The aspirant explained to thousands of his supporters in the packed hall
\nthat SIMPLE was an acronym which represented Security\/Social Welfare,
\nInfrastructural Development, Manpower Development, Public Private
\nPartnership, Leadership by Example and Employment opportunities\/Empowerment.<\/p>\n
While promising to run an all-inclusive government if he wins the PDP
\nprimaries later this month and the state election in September, Ize-Iyamu
\nberated the Gov. Adams Oshiomhole led government of developing only a part
\nof the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy SIMPLE agenda addresses the problems of Edo South, Edo North and Edo
\nCentral,\u201d he said. \u201cIt addresses the issues affecting our students,
\nbursaries and scholarships. It addresses the issue of pensioners, youth
\nemployment and empowerment, health care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody has something for him in the agenda,\u201d Ize-Iyamu said.<\/p>\n
In a direct jab at Gov. Oshiomhole who attracted criticism in 2013 when he
\ntold a widow to \u201cgo and die\u201d, Pastor Ize-Iyamu said that \u201cEdo will no
\nlonger have a government that will tell our women to go and die.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PDP aspirant accused the incumbent APC administration of deceit and
\nstealing. \u201cThis government, under the guise of doing infrastructure, has
\nstolen so much money. The cost that the government put for so many projects
\nis almost ten times the actual cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ize-Iyamu drew the largest cheers at the event when he broke into a song by
\nreggae icon, Bob Marley, which he said came to his mind when he saw the
\nyoung people who accompanied him from the PDP secretariat to the venue of
\nthe declaration. \u201cEmancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but
\nourselves can free our minds,\u201d he sang, as the crowd joined him in the
\n\u2018Redemption Song\u2019.<\/p>\n
Concluding his speech, Ize-Iyamu said, \u201cOur State cannot be left the way it
\nis. We cannot continue in lamentation and suffering. Now is the time to
\nchange the unfortunate change. And the future they have always told us to
\nwait for is not in another time; it is not in another election; it is now.
\nThis is what I represent and it is what I present to you; take it!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former secretary to the Edo state government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has declared his intention to contest the forthcoming Edo governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n