FOM LEFT: Governor ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE OF Edo STATE; DEPUTY GOVERNOR, DR PIUS ODUBU AND DR VICTORIA AMADASUN, WOMAN LEADER, APC Edo State AT A RALLY OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, on Thursday accused the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government of failing to improve the power sector, in line with the promise it made to Nigerians in 1999.
He said the fact that the Presidency had to fuel power generators at the Presidential Villa was an indication that ordinary Nigerians had no hope of getting uninterrupted power supply from power distribution companies in the country.
The governor spoke at separate All Progressives Congress rallies held at Ibillo and Otuo, in Akoko Edo and Owan East local government areas of the state respectively.
He said, “When PDP took over power in 1999, they promised to fix the power challenge of Nigeria in six months. Now it is 16 years, yet we have no light.
“In the Presidential Villa in Abuja, one billion Naira was budgeted for the purchase of diesel. So, it is obvious that the PDP government cannot give us power. With PDP there is no hope.
“All we can do for you is to buy transformers and extend cables but whether you get light or not is not in the hand of the state government. It is in the hands of PDP-led Federal Government.
“Even in Government House, there is no light. Even Edo, Delta and Ondo electricity have been sold to private individuals. It is these private individuals that bring bills for light not provided”.
The governor further stated that the rate of unemployment had increased owing to the difficulty of some industries to cope with inadequate power supply.
He, however, called on eligible voters to pick up their Permanent Voter Cards in order to fix the system, adding that “nobody can solve it unless it is addressed from the federal level”.
Oshiomhole added, “Our children are jobless. How can they get jobs when there is no power? If Nigeria must make progress, we must have light. This is non-negotiable.”
“That is why we say after 16 years, it is time to bring back General Muhammadu Buhari.
“We want to change from a country that is sick to a country that is strong and virile, providing for her people, caring for the elderly, for women, providing employment for young people and, above all, providing security for both the rich and poor and securing the territorial integrity of our great nation”.
The governor also assured the communities that his government would continue to bring development to the state, while soliciting their votes for the APC candidates in the general elections, which commences in less than 10 days.
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