The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Dennis Idahosa, in this interview with Southsouth Bureau Chief BISI OLANIYI, speaks on his ambition and chances at the primary. Excerpts:
This is your second term in the House of Representatives. How has it been?
In my first tenure, I was able to attract 120 projects to my Ovia Federal Constituency in Edo South Senatorial District of Edo State. In my second term, I was given the opportunity to run without contest, and I also won, by God’s grace and the support of my constituents.
Based on my impressive performance, experience, capacity, and exposure, I deem it fit, based on what we have in infrastructural deficit in Edo state, and all the numerous promises made by this current Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and they were not fulfilled, I believe as a sincere man, promise keeper and God-fearing human being, when I run the election for the governor, and I am able to win, I will transform Edo state that everybody will be proud of.
29 aspirants indicated interest to vie for governor in Edo State on APC’s platform, but 12 of you were screened and cleared by the committee set up by the National Working Committee (NWC) of your party. What are your chances, in view of the presence of highly-experienced and equally-formidable politicians in the contest?
We were 29 that indicated interest to run for the office of the governor, but only one individual would be able to get the ticket, and with the wisdom of the leaders of our party, they were able to reduce the number to four: former Edo Deputy Governor, Chief Lucky Imasuen; the immediate past Edo Chairman of APC, Col. David Imuse (rtd.); the representative of Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpekholo; and I.
I have reached out to many of them who could not make it, and a reasonable number of them have agreed to support me.
My team and I are meeting with major stakeholders of APC across the three sematorial districts of Edo State, and I am being accompanied by my leader, Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former Edo Commissioner for Information, who stepped down as a governorship aspirant of APC for the 2024 contest, and he is media friendly. I am going to learn many things from him, because I am a man of the grassroots.
How will you assess Governor Obaseki?
One thing that I have to say is that the current Governor of Edo State promised a lot of things. In my federal constituency, he promised us Gelegale Seaport in Benin Kingdom, but today, there is nothing like Gelegele Seaport. He promised to build a mini stadium in the 18 local government areas of Edo State, but not even one has been built.
Governor Obaseki promised Edo residents an industrial park, but not fulfilled. A lot of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have been signed, with any tangible project on the ground to show for them. Consultancy fees were paid, but nothing happened. He also promised Edo youths 200,000 jobs, but as we speak, he has not given us 10,000 jobs.
Governor Obaseki who made promises, but he is unable to fulfil them, should not be taken seriously. He came to our party (APC), and everyone supported him in 2016, but nothing to show for it, until he defected to PDP on June 19, 2020, ahead of the September 19 2020 governorship election in Edo state.
When we said we did not want Obaseki in our party, the PDP graciously accepted him, and he has also dealt with the party (PDP) and its leaders.
When a man married the first wife, and chased her out, and got married to the second wife, and also chased her out, it shows that the man has issue. I know that Governor Obaseki has not fulfilled the promises that he made to Edo people.
What are you going to do differently?
With what I have done in Ovia federal constituency, I am sure that APC will give me the governorship ticket for the September 21, 2024 election in Edo state.
With the support of the good people of Edo state, when I get the ticket, and I win the general election, I will be able to promote lots of programmes in Edo state.
First, I will respect the freedom of information.
I am a Benin man, and well brought up, I will respect the traditional institution, and I will protect the territorial integrity of our state, because as we speak, our mothers, fathers, and youths cannot go to their farm. Under my watch as the governor of Edo state, with my security vote, I will collaborate with security agents and ensure our land is safe and secure, so that our people can go to their farms and engage in other activities.
I will ensure local government autonomy by ensuring that all the allocations to the local government councils are used for the development of the localities. This is against what we have currently in Edo state, with the council chairmen being given stipends that are not enough to work. This will not continue under my watch.
I understand very well that women are the bedrock of every home, and if you give them opportunities, they will maximise them, and build our economy. So I will use my office as a guarantor to all financial institutions in Edo state to give short loans to start businesses and sustain their households.
For the youths, I will leverage on investments. When I was the Commissioner of Investments and Public-Private Partnerships PPPs, in the administration of the then Governor Adams Oshiomhole, I was able to woo foreign investors to Edo state to invest and create job opportunities for our youths. I will do more, God willing.
As you know, Edo is currently the third indebted state in Nigeria. When there is so much debt, most of the allocations will go to servicing of debt, and we cannot sustain it. Under my watch as a governor, we are going to review most of these loans to one digit, as most of the loans were not properly evaluated.
We are aware that the current governor is interested in property, and he has been using persons to acquire so many lands in Edo state. Under my watch, all the Certificates of Occupancy (CofOs) that have been issued in the past seven years will be reviewed, and if there is anything contrary to the law, all those lands will go back to Edo state government.
Be specific on how you will provide jobs for the teeming unemployed, but qualified Edo youths?
We cannot rely on the minimal resources coming from Abuja, as a way of monthly allocation. We have to think outside the box. We will encourage foreign and local investors to be able to provide jobs. Government alone cannot provide the jobs.
I will also review the mining policy in Edo state. There are loopholes in it, as the reviewed policy will create jobs for our people.
If the opportunity is given to me as a young man, I understand the problems of our people. I will do away with the SAs and SSAs, those are not the kinds of jobs that we need. When the election is over, you will abandon them. We need jobs that are pensionable and sustainable, something you can plan with. Something you can rely on.
