"I am a Bini man o," Akpata affirms during NUJ Stopover
By Bernadette Idalu
The visit by the Labour Party, LP, candidate for the September 21, 2024, Edo State gubernatorial election to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Press centre yesterday, July 4, 2024, took a hilarious turn when Barr. Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, asserted, "I am a Bini man o, don't mistake me because I bear Yoruba names."
This was a clear reaction from his end to halt the stereotyping of Edo State governorship candidates as either being "Home boys" or "Lagos boys."
On the flip side, this clarification is also germane against the prevailing backdrop of an earlier visit to the Palace of the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare, where clarifications got made which distilled him as a distinguished and illustrious son of the Benin Kingdom, but, not a son of the palace.
Akpata, a former Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, President, who came with his running mate, Prince Yusuf Asama Kadiri (SAN), and entourage to the Edo State Council of the NUJ, led by Comrade Festus Alenkhe, gave insight about his background, revealing he grew up mostly in Warri, Delta State, during the mentally stimulating question and answer segment with journalists.
Based on raised questions aimed at defining his policy tilt to ascertain projects by his predecessor he hoped to continue with irrespective of party affiliation and those he hoped to yank off, if voted into power, Akpata said he would carry on with the Gele-gele deep-sea port. However, he mirthfully retorted, "I don't have problems with museums, na who chop belleful naim dey go museum."
He frowned at the action of government for knocking down the Central Hospital located in Benin only to erect and replace it with a museum, a process he termed as misplaced priority. He observed further that it was an error of government to use government funds to build a hotel.
He likened the inherent problems of the state to that caused by members of the same coin who have over the years plunged the state into the doldrums citizens presently find themselves in. He claimed that the political rulers of the state were simply members of the same coin due to their cross carpeting and affinity to hold onto and explore federal or state might in barefaced impudence at the detriment of others. He codenamed such political bigwigs as members of "PD/APC."
He argued that it was time the LP was allowed to come to prominence as a party of choice to change the narrative by giving prominence to the Labour party; a party which draws traction from the political goodwill of society, thereby, bettering the lot of workers. He made a clarion call for the adequate support by all citizenry for the party which is on a rescue mission to salvage families.
Akpata who spoke extempore said if elected, he will make small and medium scale enterprises, SME's, to function optimally in the state due to the adequate provision of electricity. This he noted will go a long way to revamp the economy and even have a multiplier effect, leading to an effective and expanded tax net which erases need to place tax burdens on the commercial and intellectual commumities by government as people would voluntarily step forward to pay their taxes when their means of livelihood is assured..
While noting that, "Democracy is a four year timeline, enough time to assess a government," he gave a verbal blueprint of his manifesto, a document he said would be released in a few days, to enable the electorates hold him to account.
Despite voicing his abhorrence for documented manifestoes, "Am not a fan of manifestoes, it grinds to dust in the hand of people," he nevertheless urged people to internalize his campaign promises to hold him to account and serve as an adequate feedback mechanism in due cause.
He said his manifesto document was almost at the finishing stage as at the time he addressed members of the press.
Akpata who declared that he would run an open door policy also promised to bring governance to the doorsteps of the people by the creation of a "Government House Annex" in the three senatorial zones of the state, a function to be overseen by the deputy governor, to help connect governance directly to people at the grassroots aside also being an effective feedback mechanism for government.
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