Ahead of the 2024 Governorship election in Ondo State, a member representing the state on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Gbenga Edema, has declared his intention to run for the governorship election.
Edema who made his aspiration known while speaking with journalists in Akure, Ondo state capital, said his gubernatorial ambition was to enrich politics with ethics for the service of humanity within the state.
He also mentioned that he remains the most qualified candidate to transform the state.
The NDDC Commissioner said his motivation to serve is people – driven saying and there is an urgent need to provide more effective solutions to improve the living standards of the citizens and developed socio-economic plans to turn the state’s economy around.
He described himself as the best candidate for the job, considering his experience and the need to sustain and intensify the present efforts of the Akeredolu-led government in the state saying he is ready to provide leadership that is equipped with broad experience in governance to ensure stability and continuity.
“It is this combination of experience and patriotic passion that I bring to the table. I have been in the political arena for over 30 years. I have served at every level of government – local, state, and federal”
According to him, he remains the best person to continue with the legacies of Akeredolu, in terms of infrastructural development and attracting investors to the state.
He said, “I know that I have informed him (Akeredolu) of my desire to run, and he has not opposed it. I consider myself the best man who will carry on Akeredolu’s legacy to the next level because we have shared all these legacies before.”
“When the deep sea port comes on stream directly, it should be able to attract about 10,000 directly. By the time you start to talk about the multiplier effect, it can hire about 30,000 people.
“If, for instance, we can open up Ondo State through the Lekki Peninsula to Dangote Refinery, that road will also expand opportunities for us.
“Some people think that Nigerians are lazy or don’t know what to do. There are things you do to make the citizens active. You can do this by putting structures in place to attract investors to the state. What investment needs is an enabling environment.
“When you talk about visionary leadership, it is not rocket science. In our clime here, for those of us that are not too old, we have heard of Obafemi Awolowo. In 1955, he said that the only way the West can improve is through free and compulsory education.
“In 1966, the West became the most advanced region in terms of intellectualism in Nigeria. So the only way to develop other people is only through education, especially through vocation and skill education.”
Edema stated that “Our education curriculum should be redesigned to meet our current demands. We need to focus more on vocational and technical skill acquisition.
“When I was at the Assembly, I got some people trained at Don Bosco for skill acquisition. Likewise, when I was at OSOPADEC, I encouraged many to go to school and train in technical skills.
“We will tinker with our curriculum to align with our current needs and demands and to the advantage of our state.
“So, our children should be trained in entrepreneurship right from an early age so they know how to make and use money.”
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