Jimoh Ijegbai , Edo State Commissioner for Education, insists the governor’s achievements will secure his victory.

Excerpts:
Division in APC over Governor Obaseki second term

Governor Godwin Obaseki has done three years and we are preparing for another election. Great that INEC has announced the time table, those in this state and outside the state, can see that Governor Obaseki has done excellently well. On internally-generated revenue IGR, what we had before Obaseki came on board was an arrangement being run by ‘agberos’.

You find them celebrating that they have made billions of naira. Even the former governor realised that Edo cannot continue on that path because of the downturn of the economy and he decided to go for one of the best brains we have to become Governor. Obaseki, after careful planning, decided we must deploy technology in collecting revenue so that we can plug all the loopholes and ensure that the Edo people get value for their money.

Before the introduction of technology in collecting revenue at the local government level, the entire 18 local governments were only able to raise N33m monthly. When technology was introduced, the revenue shot up to about N300m as of December last year.

If you compare N30m and N300m you should decide whether we can go back to the old ways or continue with what we have started. The populace will be the greatest beneficiary of good governance.

Governor Obaseki was one of the persons that designed the pension scheme we have today in Nigeria. He decided to introduce the contributory pension scheme. Today, you can see that pensioners are no longer protesting. Pensions and salaries are paid at the same time.

He has introduced the same policy at the local government level so that a situation where the wage bill is increasing and pension is increasing, there will come a time government will come to a halt and you will not be able to pay those in service and those who have retired. The best way to go is the contributory pension scheme. In education, some people make silly statements that the governor is not doing well. It is true that Oshiomhole embarked on red roof revolution but Obaseki decided to take it further than it is not sufficient to have structures and the learning process is not there.

We decided to introduce technology in teaching our children at the primary school level. It is now being extended to the secondary level. Our children are now learning.

There is a big difference between what we have before and what we have now. Obaseki also introduced reforms in the Colleges of Education. In line with the reform policy we are pursuing, we are going to have one College of Education with three campuses.

Abudu will be in charge of primary school teachers, Igueben will train teachers in secondary, vocational and technical education and the one at Afuze will train those in Special Needs, physical and health education.

They will specialise in their core areas. The curriculum will be built around the technology we are using at the primary and secondary school level. Our teachers will be better equipped. We have a team of consultants that will ensure the reforms succeed. Late this month, we will send a bill to the House of Assembly to consolidate the three colleges into one with three campuses.

If you look at our tertiary institutions, we have run a system that it is no longer crisis-ridden. Salaries are being paid; research and development are going on. Obaseki has also done very well in road construction across the state. Last year, we renovated 240 primary schools across the 18 local government areas. We decided to go to the base.

There is no ward in the state where you will not see one project being carried out. It is an attestation that the Governor wants to build the party from the base. You don’t need to lobby before projects get to your area. Change is difficult to scale through. People will initially resist it but later they will embrace it. I know that Edo people accept and acknowledge that Obaseki is working.

The other day, the CBN Governor was in the state where he launched a very ambitious programme. We are cultivating 120,000 hectares of land for oil palm. In the next three years, the economy of the state will experience a boom. The state is moving in the right direction. The governor is diversifying the economy. You know about the production centre and the industrial park. By the time Obaseki is re-elected, these things will start bearing fruit. Obaseki has a vision.

He is not focusing on what do I do quickly without planning so that people will be hailing him. He decided to plan first so that the result will be more manifest in his second term.

APC crisis
I do not see any crisis that will not end if people genuinely seek peace. What are the issues? There can be disagreements but the ability to resolve the crisis differentiates us from animals. Oshiomhole laid the foundation Obaseki is building on what we started.

I do not see any reason for the crisis not to be resolved. The party is making efforts to see peace reign in the party.
In a democracy, there are laid down rules for whatever you are doing. It is not a lawless society.

The constitution of the party is there. Whatever you are doing that is not in line with the laws of the land, you are wasting your time. It ought not to be. In a democracy, you have submitted that you are going to be guided by the rule of law. It is not a situation where one person will take action at the spur of the moment that is not legally binding. I think at the appropriate time we pray that peace will return to the party and there should be genuine reconciliation, which makes it easier for the party and everybody in the state.

Obaseki’s second term ticket
Who is a major player in this state? I have one vote and the other person has one vote. Gone are the days where one man will think that he will sit down and dictate. We buried it a long time ago when we said let the people lead, one man one vote. That was what took us to where we are today. We decided to say the people should be at the front burner in whatever we are doing. When it gets to the nomination, that is going to be the process. One man cannot dictate.

I see them running around at night meeting with persons who are not in the APC. That is the irony of it. The Holy Bible says woe onto those who go to Egypt for a favour. We founded the party upon which we are ruling Edo State. Those you call major players are ordinary members of the party. At the end of the day, Mr Governor will win the nomination and the main election. Go round the state, you will find out that the people are happy with what Obaseki is doing. For the very vocal minority who are saying no, it must be done in their terms, we say no to that. We rejected that a long time ago.

Source:- Vanguardngr

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