By Victor Ahiuma-Young

FORMER president of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Mr. Peter Esele, has said that he wants to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to make a difference in the lives of the people of the state.

Seeking to govern the state on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Esele, in an interview with Vanguard, said he had interacted with all segments of the citizens of the state, and was ready to provide solutions to their problems.

According to him, “I am confident that I have the capacity to lead the people of Edo State and also, the opportunity to put to use what I have acquired over the years in terms of experience. I have been president of PENGASSAN, TUC, member of the last National Conference, I have been on the board of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, among other government committees.

Comrade Esele

“I am very much qualified to contest for the office of governor of Edo State.  If most of the good people are afraid to go into politics, why should they complain if they are being led by very wrong people?  So, we all need to get involved. Nobody says you cannot make change wherever you find yourself. But one thing is very clear, politics and being in government give you the larger reach for you to actually make a difference and change people’s lives.

“I have done my research, and I have done everything I need to do and that is why I am convinced that I need to get involved.  Every day I visit  communities, villages and interiors of the state, I learn something new about my people and what they need. Now, it is also an opportunity for me to know where the problems are with regard to the people and I am coming with the solutions. For me, that is the key, interacting with the people and also knowing that yes, you can really make the difference.

“My key areas of focus will be education, agriculture and culture. That does not mean I will not touch other areas if given the opportunity. But these are the key drivers. Education is not an answer to all of our problems, but education is key to solving our problems. Now agriculture, suddenly because our economy is down, everybody is talking about diversification. You know there are so many things you can do with agriculture.”