As Edo People Go to the Polls Today.

As electorates in Edo State, South South of Nigeria, go to the polls to elect the State Governor today some very salient but important issues need to be noted especially when the election seem to have attracted so much national and international attention.

Edo State prior to November 2008 is one state in Nigeria where you drive around and end up lamenting absence of infrastructures in all ramifications, particularly roods, water, schools, health facilities, industries etc. Even when this is one state that has produced very many of the best brains in industry, government, academics, law, arts and culture as well as politics.

Before 2008, the last time the people felt the presence of government was when Prof. Ambrose Ali was governor and before him, Brigadier Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia as military governor.

Between May 1999 and November 2008, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, was represented by Lucky Igbinedion, for eight years, and briefly Prof. Osariemen Osunbor who by virtue of the judgment of the Governorship Election Appeal Tribunal in November 2008 can’t be referred to as former governor of the state.

However, throughout this period, there was no evidence of any positive touch in any area of the needs of the people of the state. Their administrations watched as flood massively took over the beauty of the state, prided as the Heart Beat of the Nation. Schools built in the seventies were either sinking or dilapidated or collapsed. Public health institutions gave way to unregulated private health centres despite deepening poverty across the state. Indeed, no public institutions worked, obviously because state resources remained captives of a few powerful political juggernauts who felt comfortable in their tinted glassed SUVs fueled with the people’s funds.

Today, the battle for the governorship of Edo State seem so fierce because a very tiny few state dependents have been blocked from accessing state funds meant for all of the state. Those who have no visible means of livelihood but clearly dependent on feeding fat on what belong to all of the state have become so desperate, like wounded “lions”, to the extent of not just arming people they rendered jobless and hungry, but send the lowly to murder for pittance. They send their kids abroad and give little to those they rendered hopeless to kill for them to return to looting the collective treasury for a very tiny few.

No one who ever lived in Edo State, or who had ever been to Edo State will not believe the state was probably jinxed on development.

And since 2008 November, the Adams Oshiomhole administration reopened the eye of every Edo person to the fact that government must be responsive to the needs of the governed.

Roads, drainages, schools, health, job creation etc suddenly became possible to revitalize with public funds under four years, when in twelve years, others before his administration preferred to feed a few with public funds. And nothing can be more disgusting than when those who wish to return the state to abyss become so desperate as to ignore their eyes and conscience, if any.

From benin City to Ugbekpe Ekperi to Ososo to Ewuato, to Ugboha, to Okpoji, to Iruekpen, to Agenbode, to Warrake, to Okpella, to Igbanke, to Ekiadolor,  Sakponba,  and all the nooks and crannies of the state, the people can point to at least a school or health centre or road that have become structurally better than four years ago. The opponent can continue to show films of their own failures but the people will recall what yesterday was and what has made today a resounding beauty and success.

The Edo people need to reopen their memories, look back to their past, checkup the present and VOTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THEIR COLLECTIVE INTERESTS rather than accept crumbs from a tiny clique of thieves to truncate their collective aspirations.

LOOK AROUND YOU, YOU WILL HAVE A REASON YOU MUST VOTE FOR CONTINUITY TODAY AND LIVE A HAPPY LIFE. Vote Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria to complete his works rather than engage those who are well known to have plundered state resources to satisfy their thirst for power to steal more.

Nearly all communities in Edo State have at least five new things they hitherto thought were impossible but now see within eyeshot.

As you go out this morning to vote, look around you, you will see structures you never saw 3 and a half years ago. You will see new roads of quality. You will see health centres; you will see the new look of your old school etc and with those new structures, you will regret any reversal, if you refuse to listen to your conscience and opt for crumbs being insultingly thrown at your face. Edo must complete the rejuvenation and resuscitation of their collective heritage.

The outcome of today’s election will determine the future of this country.

Watch out for blow by blow updates on the election from this moment.

Edo ukpolor o, but we will cope.

GO AND VOTE. DEFEND YOUR VOTE AND RESIST ANY MANIPULATIONS.

VOTE FOR ADAMS ALIYU OSHIOMHOLE.

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