BENIN CITY – Thousands of market women across Edo Statestormed the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Monday where they endorsed the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Godwin Obaseki for the Governorship of the state.
Led by Mrs Blacky Omoregie, the market women who filled the stadium to capacity said they have a firm belief in Governor Oshiomhole to bring a worthy successor as Governor of the state.
According to Mrs Omoregie “your belief in Godwin Obaseki is not misplaced following your burning desire to turn Edo into an El-dorado. We want to assure you of our readiness to support his ambition to become the Governor of Edo State with our prayers to enable him embrace your sterling leadership qualities in the interest of Edo people.
“We told the Governor that before the end of his tenure we want him to show us the person who will be the next Governor so that we can get an assurance from him that he will also develop Edo State like Oshiomhole.
“If the person he brings assures us that he will perform, we will bring out our PVCs which we hid in our boxes and vote for him. So Comrade Oshiomhole has built roads, he built schools, he built hospital, the next person will do more.
“Oshiomhole the good you did for us, we will never forget, so for this we make Oshiomhole our Life Patron, the Oba of Benin is the Grand Patron, the incoming Governor will be our Patron.
“It is obvious that since you came on board on November 12, 2008, the lives of all market women have been remarkably touched. On November 12, after his government we will escort him to his village in Iyamu and thank his mother for giving us a good son.”
Governor Oshiomhole who thanked the women for endorsing Mrr Obaseki assured them that as Chairman of the State Economic Team, Obaseki knows all the issues affecting the state and will hit the ground running after his election as Governor.
The Governor blamed the hardship presently faced by market women and other Nigerians on the looting of the nation’s treasury by the PDP when they were in government.
According to him, “during the oil boom when crude oil sold for $140, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stole all the money. When Boko Haram terrorists were killing muslims and Christians, burning churches and mosques, with Christians complaining, muslims complaining, saying they couldn’t worship because of fear, terrorists were pursuing villagers to the extent that they got to Okene. Then, government appropriated money to buy arms for soldiers to fight insurgency.
“The governorship candidate of the PDP collected N700 million from Fidelity Bank from the money that government had appropriated to procure arms to fight Boko Haram terrorists that were killing people. Then the EFCC quizzed him about the fraud. Is that the kind of person that wants to govern Edo State? He has gone to EFCC office in Port Harcourt more than ten times. Now, he has to go to Abuja. Soldiers had to desert the battle field because they didn’t have arms to fight. Do you hear that soldiers are running away from the battle field? President Buhari is retrieving the money from them.”
He said, “Even now, the naira is in distress because the money that should have been in the treasury to protect the naira has been stolen by the PDP government. Pastor Ize-Iyamu alone took N700 million. N300 million was paid to his boss at Uromi. They also collect N500 million. If you put that together, it becomes N1.5 billion. That is what they stole.
Oshiomhole thanked the market women for supporting Godwin Obaseki, “So, our market women, I want all of you, Edo South, Edo Central, Edo North to unite. I will stand by you in government. I will stand by you out of government. Obaseki will continue from where I stop. He will support your market. He will support your commerce. And above all, he will ensure your children continue to enjoy good school.”
Also speaking, the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Godwin Obaseki assured the market women that his government will boost the economy of the state if elected as governor. He said, “I will give market women soft loans to improve your business. When I become governor, I will bring industries, and some of you can become suppliers to industries.”
