BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE, Benin
GENERAL CHARLES EHIGIE AIRHAVBERE (RTD) is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic party in the July 14, gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Airhivbere who spoke with select correspondents in Edo state in an interview, accepted the challenge from the ACN governorship candidate, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for a public debate with a proviso that it must take place in the prison yards. He also denied the allegation that he was detained for some months over an alleged involvement in Army Pension scam even as he said that the PDP will defeat the incumbent governor in the election. Excerpts
How prepared are you for the July 14, 2012 governorship election?
INEC invited us recently to a meeting and that was the first time I knew there are seven of us vying for the gubernatorial election for the Edo State Government come July 14, 2012. It was a beautiful interaction with INEC in Abuja. Few days ago,our credentials were also submitted; the forms we filled have been displayed at INEC office in Benin to enable all the people of Edo State have the opportunity to see our credentials; to have opportunity to look at our documents; professional qualifications and academic backgrounds; to make comments before the clearance by INEC. I think it is a very good development in our democratic process. For me, I am very prepared. When I retired from the Army, I decided to come to the PDP to challenge the incumbent Governor. I knew what I was in for and I have since been prepared.
What do you think are your chances?
For every step and every direction, there are several options. For me, failure is not an option in this particular election because my people, the people of Edo State are yearning for a change. I want to really emphasis that having had the opportunity to visit the 18 Local Government Councils in Edo State, I have also been privileged to visit over 95% of the wards (192 wards) in Edo States; I have come to the conclusion that Edo State needs a change because we need to touch the people who are the voters in Edo State; that is, the people who are in the rural areas where there are farmers, where our food basket is located. They need to be touched and they need to know what have eluded them since 1999.
(http://vml1.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Charles-Airhiavbere.jpg?9d7bd4) (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/why-pdp-will-win-edo-guber/charles-airhiavbere-2/)CHARLES EHIGIE And I believe this is the time for a change, a transformational change and that is why when I have come into politics. I decided to come to the PDP, because it is only in PDP that Edo
State will have a rapid transformational development that will touch the people at the grass roots.
What are the things that have not been done, that you will do, if you are voted in?
Let me quickly say this that the government in power in Edo State today led by Adams Oshiomhole has paraded itself on the pages of the newspapers that Edo State has become a construction site. I want to tell you that this is not true. Most of the renovations he is even doing, the renovation of schools are UBEC- assisted because it is partly funded by the Federal Government.
The hospitals are not
equipped; there is no modern equipment to meet with the present medical situation in the state. Having said that, what is basically absent in the various wards or rural areas are modern educational facilities. Some of pupils don't even come to school because the teachers are not available to teach them. The teachers are not paid; the teachers are not trained. There is no training the trainer programmes. It is important that our children must be given the opportunity to go to school. So, for that reason, I will make education free and compulsory from primary to
secondary school levels. That will be one of the first ways to attack the area of the school. I will also give you this statistical model, that a child who was 5 or 6 year old in 1999 is today about 19 years old and this child has come of age.
They already of voting age and most of them have not been trained. There are no skill acquisition centres, and most of them have been abandoned and that is why you find most of the people who come to Edo State are skilled labours and from neighbouring countries or states. I believe this has to change, it not acceptable. So, for that reason, all the various headquarters of Local Government Councils will have a refurbished skill acquisition centres so that we can teach those children.
Also, we will follow it up with
structures to enable them employ themselves. Now,lets talk health. I want to assure you that this will be addressed critically. Elders of 70 years and above will be given free medical services. Women who are
pregnant and who are supposed to have medical attention need to be given attention. There will be free delivery for them; there will be free heath care services for children in the hospitals; government will be responsible for their medical bills and so on and so forth.
Now, let me draw your attention to the level of insecurity that is in our state. The various security organisations will be brought into the full knowledge of the situation we have found ourselves in Edo state. The roll call today has shown that kidnapping is at an average of four every month,armed robbery has gone into its highest level in Edo state and the public is aware.
This cannot attract investors into Edo state. The investors will only come to put their money in a state where they know they will have high level of returns for their investment. I want to assure you that if we face security in Edo State, 75% of the economic problem in Edo State would have been resolved and
the rest will be history. I want to also tell you that most of the state companies are moribund.
You have Edo Line that employed well over 5,000 people and it has not been working; Bendel breweries no longer functions. The products of Bendel breweries are off the shelf and it has been destroyed and so automatically, the workers are at their homes.
How do you then bring down the security situation in the state?
The Chief Executive, that is the executive governor of a state is the head of the security apparatus of his own state. These organisations you have mentioned are members of the state security council and the Chief Executive is the head.
It is their duty to assist the governor by ensuring that the lives and property of the citizens of a particular state are guaranteed. But in a state where the governor budgets N4.2 billion every year for security, it is the duty of the State Governor to properly equip these organizations and ensure that those federal agencies that are posted to him are properly deployed.
A situation where in a
state, because one in a hundred of the people that have been assassinated and robbed is your personal secretary, then you take the law into your hand, then you now have to lead a demonstration to the Oba's Palace and to the Police headquarters; it means that the state has failed in terms of security, because people who are from
Edo State have lost their lives to kidnappers, to robbers. I even have a brother-in-law who was called Bayo Ade, a popular musician in Edo State who was killed; I didn't take to the streets. But where the governor of the state has decided to take to the streets, then we have problems in Edo State, and we have to consider the state as a failed state, when it comes to provision of security .
ACN government under Adams Oshiomhole has severally challenge you to a public debate.Are you ready?
Well, my background is that of a military man and one of my cardinal guiding principles is to prepare for any challenges. Don't forget that I started my carrier from the Nigeria Military School and I also want to let you know that I know what it takes to challenge an incumbent that has the treasury at its disposal.
I'm just reminded of the allegation that you were once detained for 3 months for involvement in army pension scam.
No, I don't have any case with the army. If you don't have information, you throw in different propaganda so that you will generate reaction but thank God the Electoral Act has given everybody the opportunity to know who we are. I want to challenge Adams Oshiomhole to go to INEC Ikpoba Hill Benin City and read the lines and read my retirement letter. Since, I joined the Nigeria Army in 1969 as a boy soldier, I have never been charged for any misdemeanour. I won 3 medals; the Forces Service Star, the Meritorious Service Star, and the Distinguished Service Star during my carrier. I also won 2 honours; the best all round cadet of my set and I went to the Nigeria Defence Academy in 1981, I won the corps medal of Honour.
A corps medal of Honour in the Nigerian Army Finance Corps. This honour is for a man who is unblemished. I was never detained for a scam unblemished. I have also seen his own where he has only Modern 3, so he is going to explain to Edo people. So its very easy, as far as I am concerned, I believe INEC has given us the opportunity to see that aspect of it. So he has questions to answer about his academic qualification for this particular governorship race.
The tension that has been evolving in the state prior to the election has been source of concern to so many people, how do you think this can be avoided?
You know election is a very exciting thing, first and foremost it is a struggle for power and those who hold on to power will want to remain in power perpetually and that's why you find most of the people you find today in ACN were formerly in PDP because they needed another platform to be in power, they went to ACN. Is it the likes of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, name them; they were all members of the PDP that did not perform.
They are now in ACN and they are not performing and they would do everything, (like) orchestrated occasion to make sure that they remain in power. I cannot understand why the government in power will share money to NYSC people to automatically make them umpire and they will be suspected. You bring in the organised labour who are suppose to be members of the electioneering process and I am aware that there is a part of the law that state that labour organisations are not supposed to use their money for political activities; soautomatically the huge sums of money we were told was shared during that labour endorsement was the tax payers money of Edo State.
The killing of the governor personal secretary, the assassination you have said was politically motivated, after giving the police 14 days ultimatum to find the killer, 3 days after you are naming the street, the Delta Crescent on which the Chief Tony Anenih (C.F.R) lives in the name of the late Secretary to the governor. These are arm-twisting tactics that are not acceptable to the PDP and is not acceptable to me. And these are orchestrated activities to heighten the political tension in the state. We have made our reports to INEC and INEC is looking into this various complains and I think INEC will address it. It is unfortunate, but there is nothing that cannot be addressed in this situation. And I believe and I have also mention it at different fora that, what the incumbent governor is enjoying is the fact that he has the
immunity clause of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his favour.
What advise are you giving to the people of Edo State as we approach to the D-day of election?
I want to assure you and assure the electorate that the 14th July gubernatorial election is the one and only that will be conducted by the INEC in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I am sure and convinced that INEC will deploy al available logistics in its favour to make sure that, that election will be conducted in a very safe environment. And I want to ensure the electorate that, under "one man, one vote" and your vote must count; PDP will win Adams Oshiomhole hand down. They will be safe and everybody must obey the rules of the game. I am also happy that the election tribunal has been put in place in readiness of the July 14 election. So every body should come out and vote for me, am sure victory is ours in PDP.
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