I Have Found My Certificates – Godwin Obaseki

BENIN CITY – The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Noghase Obaseki says his missing certificates for which he swore to an affidavit  have been found and wondered why  his opponents would politicise such an issue.
Mr. Obaseki made the disclosure yesterday at an interactive session with a broad spectrum of  Civil Society Organisations in Edo State drawn from Labour, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) ,  Community Based Organisations (CBOs), Women Groups, Artisans, Market Women,  Association of Widows,  People Living With Disabilities (PWD), academics  both at home and in Diaspora as well as members of the public who converged on Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Benin City to interact with all 19 gubernatorial candidates vying to govern the state from November 12.
“As someone who has been in the big private sector for so many years, I didn’t need the original copies of my certificates all the time, so for a long time I left them in a brief case, not knowing which of my brief cases again, but I knew I had them somewhere. So,  when the need to present them to INEC arose and I could not immediately locate them, I had to swear to an affidavit which was the normal thing to do under the circumstance. But when all the noise about my not having a certificate was going on, my cousin in New York called me up to say, what is all these we are hearing, your original certificates are with me here and I asked him to send them by the next flight. So, I have found them” Obaseki told the crowd while fielding questions from the activists.
The governorship hopeful also promised to build a mini-stadium in all the 18 local government headquarters to rejuvenate and boost sporting activities across the state which he hopes would also create jobs for teaming youths of the state.
On his plan to create jobs, Mr. Obaseki said he would begin by taking statistics of all unemployed people in the state, pointing that at the moment, there is no dependable figure as to how many unemployed in the state. “We would know those who went to universities, polytechnics and monotechnics and those who didn’t go to school.” Then we would go all out to begin to provide them jobs through massive industrialisation and agricultural programmes. He said the Institute of Managment and Techonoly, Usen and Colleges of Agriculture would be used to impart practical skills on middle-level workers in the state for greater productivity and service delivery to the people.
Mr. Obaseki said  he is ready to build on the successes recorded by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration. He told the activists that his priority would be to develop and strengthen the state bureaucracy for greater service delivery to Edo people in the areas of transportation, agriculture, Lands and Survey, road construction, education, water supply and healthcare delivery. He said his priority in the health sector would be the primary health care for the grassroots people which would help to ease the burden of Secondary and tertiary healthcare systems.
Mr. Obaseki  who said 900 MW of electricity would soon be injected into Edo State on completion of the Azura Power Project, also promised to strengthen security and electricity supply to all nooks and crannies of the state to boost industrialisation plan of his administration if elected.  He assured  that the judicial system of Edo State would be strengthened to ensure speedy dispensation of justice. He also promised to put in place a Public Defender Agency to take care of the poor and vulnerable groups who have difficulties in having  access to justice.
Welcoming guests earlier, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), the Rev. David Ugolor and lead Convener of the Civil Society interactive session said that CSOs in Edo State were determined to meet with all the 19 candidates to interact with them on their plans for the people of Edo State and that there was no political interest being served by the conveners. He said all what the candidates would promise the electorate would be documented by the CSOs  and would constitute the instrument which would be used to hold the next governor of the state accountable to citizens of the state.
Speaker after speaker raised several issues which they want the candidate to address when he emerges the state governor. Those who spoke at the forum as Co-Conveners include: Executive Director of Edo Women,  Prof Yinka Omoregbe  and a board member of Edo Women, Dr. Esohe Aghatise, Barr.  Austin Osakue, Rev. Olu Martins and Barr. Abraham Oviawe. Other CSOs leaders at the well attended event include the Executive Director of Girls Power Initiative (GPI), Mrs. Grace Osakue, Rev. Humphrey Areghan, Comrade Osaro  Iyamu, Dr, Philip Ugbodaga among several others.
The interactive Session by Edo Civil Society Organisations with  Bishop  Akhalamhe Amielemenoghena of PDC and Pastor Amos Arelogbe of the Labour Party as well as other gubernatorial candidates continues today at same venue beginning at 10.00pm. The Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is expected to take his turn on Friday, August 19, 2016.