Edo state is one socio-political entity blessed with abundant human, natural and material resources which if adequately harnessed can take the state to the highest levels of socio-economic, infrastructural and industrial development except for a glaring paucity of dynamic, resourceful and purposeful leadership since it’s creation on the 1st of October 1992.
Though there have been flashes and phases of visionary leadership in the past, this has not been sufficient to take the ‘Heartbeat of the Nation’ to its desired position in the relevant scheme of things, nationally and globally. However things are set to change with the expression of intent to contest the 2024 gubernatorial election by no less an eminent personality than Distinguished Senator Monday Okpebholo, Chairman Senate Committee on Public Procurement representing Edo South Senatorial Zone.
Having won a decisive landslide victory in the 2023 National Assembly elections which sent his motley of opponents scampering for safety, a kinetic Senator Monday Okpebholo popularly known as ‘Akpakomiza’ moved swiftly to justify the confidence reposed in him by the vast majority of his constituents by ensuring credible representation, effective lawmaking and efficient oversighting of the nation’s vast MDA bureaucracy.Thus an action-oriented Senator Okpebholo has reached out to key federal agencies notably the Sustainable Development Goals Office,the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing, Education,Water Resources, Universal Basic Education Commission,National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and other crucial MDAs in other to garner pivotal road projects, construction and rehabilitation of primary and secondary classroom blocks, hospitals and health centres, provision of 500KVA transformers, water borehole projects as well as employment opportunities for his constituents in the federal establishments and the security agencies. Also included in this list is the training of women and youths in numerous skills acquisition schemes and vocational occupations.
Crucially, a benevolent Senator Monday Okpebholo has initiated the payment of WAEC, NECO and JAMB registration forms for thousands of students in his constituency as well as providing foodstuffs, provisions and monetary grants for women, youths, widows, the infirm, the indigent, the physically challenged and other vulnerable members of society. The dynamic Senator has contributed tremendously on national issues and has positioned himself through sheer determination and confidence in the Red Chamber where he argues the cause of his people and thereby renders dividends of democracy to his constituency.
In the crucial oversight arena, a resolute Senator Okpebholo has signposted his commitment towards holding federal ministries, agencies and parastatals accountable in the discharge of their statutory duties and functions. For him it is no longer business as usual but ‘business unusual’ and as Senate Procurement Commitee helmsman, Senator Okpebholo is determined to sanitise the procurement process so that only competent and qualified contractors or consultants are hired by the MDAs while persistent laggards are shown the way out. In this light, the Senate Committee on Public Procurement is poised to investigate the procurement system since 2019 in order to unravel all that went wrong or did not follow due process during the period. And Senator Okpebholo has vowed that there will be no sacred cows; those found culpable will definitely face the due sanction of law, no more, no less. Having delivered steadfastly on his campaign promises, Senator Monday Okpebholo is taking on the whole of Edo State as his future constituency by declaring his bid for the governorship ticket, which has garnered kudos and deserved plaudits from far and near due to the unalloyed trust and confidence the people have in his capacity to deliver on his promises. Indeed the Edo Central federal lawmaker is a highly revered corporate mogul who has a vast network of companies in the high tech, information technology and mobile communications arena including the well reputed lnterweb Communications Ltd providing internet, computer and telecommunications services in the sub-regional and international foras. Senator Monday Okpebholo’s unmitigated success and unrivaled proficiency in running those high net worth corporate establishments is a testament to his outstanding leadership, administrative and organisational qualities which are sorely needed to transform, restructure and recalibrate Edo State for the greater tasks and challenges ahead. While many of the other contenders for the Edo governorship seat are professional politicians who have no other credible vocation to boast of, the versatile Senator Okpebholo is a globally renowned corporate high flier who has gone, seen and conquered overseas and is back to turn his beloved state around for the best.
His vision is to ensure that Edo State becomes the most preferred destination for foreign direct investment in the telecommunications, banking, financial services, manufacturing, industrial and product merchandising sectors in order to provide hundreds of thousands of jobs for the teeming youths in the state. The provision of jobs will drastically reduce the rate of crime and other anti-social vices thus making for a more secure,stable and peaceful environment that will act as a multiplier effect for increased local and foreign investment, a productive cycle no doubt. The agricultural sector which was a mainstay of the former Midwestern Region will be revived under Senator Okpebholo’s surefooted administration with the provision of soft loans, grants, farm seedlings and modern equipment to farmers in order to boost agrarian production while the oil and rubber plantations will be revitalised with the infusion of funds, skilled manpower and advanced technology to boost their production.
Tens of thousands of youths will receive training in numerous skills acquisition schemes including animal husbandry, fish farming, poultry rearing, rabbit farming, welding, vulcanizing, carpentry, fashion designing, hair styling etc in order for them to be self-reliant and self-sustaining. Thousands of primary and secondary school classrooms blocks as well as hospitals,health and maternity centres will be constructed or rehabilitated with the provision of books, classroom furniture, laboratory equipment, drugs and medical equipment respectively in order to raise educational and health standards in the state. Roads, bridges and other physical infrastructure will undergo massive construction and rehabilitation in order to ensure smooth and seamless movement of persons, goods and services statewide. Clean pipeborne water will also be provided by the urgent resuscitation of the state’s waterworks while hand pumped and mechanised boreholes will also be constructed at a frenetic pace to ensure the availability of water in the rural and urban centres of Edo State. In the sphere of state governance, an incoming Senator Monday Okpebholo administration will adopt a zero tolerance approach to corruption, malfeasance and other fraudulent practices. Loopholes utilised to divert and pilfer public funds will be completely blocked while those culpable for looting the state’s treasury will be handed over to the anti-graft agencies for immediate prosecution. Probity, sanity, transparency, accountability, due process and the rule of law will form the main planks of Senator Monday Okpebholo’s governance paradigm while equity, justice and fair play will guide his appointments and siting of infrastructural projects and social amenities.
All and sundry regardless of ethnic, linguistic, religious, sectional or partisan affiliations will be carried along and well represented in the administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo in consonance with his One Edo, One Destiny philosophy.
Indeed the aforementioned is just a tip of the iceberg and more goodies remain in store for Edolites when Senator Monday Okpebholo, God willing assumes the mantle of leadership of ‘The Heartbeat of the Nation’ come November 2024. To God be the glory.
Efosa Ogidan, a public broadcaster wrote from Benin , Edo state
