By George Etakibuebu
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Dr Asue Ighodalo, on Saturday in Nuremberg, explained why he is running to be the governor of state.
It was at the last lap of week long blitz in which he engaged the Edo Diaspora Community in Europe. It started with Reggio Emilia, in Italy, then moved to Manchester in England; London, also in England and to Hamburg and finally to Nuremberg.
Addressing a packed hall, Ighodalo who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo and other campaign chiefs, swept his audience off their feet when he declared that he is particular about the job in Edo State and proceeded to offer reasons.
“Guys, I truly want to be governor of Edo State. People say I don’t need a job that I am already made, no, guys, I need this job.
“I need the job because we must show the world that Edo State can be the first sub-national sovereign in Nigeria.
“I need the job because we must show the world that with all the resources of great minds like yours and all the natural resources that God has given us, we can use them positively for the betterment of our state, and hopefully for our country.
“I need the job because we need to move a lot more people from poverty. We need to show love to many more people, indeed all, because if we truly love our people, Edo State will not be where it is. Some of you are here, you have virtually forgotten about our plights of no roads, no water and so on. So much so that whenever you come home it is pain and you sacrifice so much to come home and in fact sometimes don’t really want to come home. You know what, that means you’re actually helping in pauperising Edo State by not coming home,” he argued.
Pressing on, Ighodalo stunned his audience further, saying ” I was looking at some data this morning and I discovered that Nigeria gets over $20 billion in remittances, more than any other source of foreign in flow into Nigeria. You know what, more than half of the $20 billion is by Edo State indigenes, remitting money to Edo State. If you send $500 to Daddy and Mummy, they will jump for joy because of the exchange rate.
“But imagine what will happen if you come back home twice a year and spend over E1000 in Edo State. What you guys will infuse into the state will be so massive that it will make the $20 billion pale into insignificance or a child’s play.
“So things have to change. Therefore, I want to be governor so that we can together make Edo State a first world sub-national sovereign.”
Ighodalo went on to give the example of Singapore and other countries that moved for a Third World status to a First World status and asked, “So, how come we are in a Third World with all the resources of human, material and natural resources?”
Ighodalo then challenged his listeners to set about playing a role that will make their coming back to Edo State both interesting and a lovely story.
He asked rhetorically, “So how are we going to move Edo State to a First World sub- sovereign. He proceeded to answer it all by expounding his “Pathway to Prosperity for All ” Manifesto to them in details.
He added emphatically:
“I am clear in my mind that it is doable and that is why I have applied for this job. I am clear that Nigeria is going to develop from the states up. If we have six or seven states developing at the right rate, Nigeria has a chance of developing. Truth is these guys in Abuja are not going to help us. When you think of a road as a Federal road, these guys don’t use it. So they are not moved to fix it. So we who use the road must do something about the road. It’s as simple as that. And it has started.
“What we must do is never to go back. Look at the history of Nigeria, the story is when one person takes five steps forward, another comes and takes 50 steps backwards. We must change that. So, what has happened in the last 8 years in Edo State, let’s build on that by engaging the person who can take us 50 steps forward not backwards.
“I was talking to some guys today and I asked them, why is it that when we want to employ a Governor or President we don’t do thorough background checks on them. But if it’s our domestic staff like drivers or maigaurd, we run thorough checks on them? Here in Germany, if they want to employ their Chancellor they have a way of getting the best. That’s why good roads and other social amenities are in surplus. If you count five countries as a First World country, Germany is one of them.
“So, by not talking to your relatives back home on who they should vote for in hiring a Governor, there’s no guarantee that they would not choose the wrong person.”
Ighodalo concluded by promising to make Edo State proud if given the opportunity through the election to be the governor of the state.
The question and answer session that followed was no less exciting as he brought the Diaspora engagement to a flourish end.
