By Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation

The attention of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organization has been drawn to a publication in Sunday Vanguard of August  7, 2016 by one Christian Oronsaye purporting to make a choice of excellence on who to vote in the forth-coming Edo State governorship election. Ordinarily, we would not have responded to the publication but for the need to set the records straight and obviate the tendency for the publication to mis-inform or attempt to mislead the good people of Edo who are seeking better governance and have seen in Pastor Ize-Iyamu the hope for  a new state that will deliver socio-economic, healthcare, employment, skill acquisitions and other deliverables of democracy.

The publication seeks to portray Ize-Iyamu as one who demonised the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) following the closure of the AAU in 2001/2002 after the protest of students who  “in the process, cornered a Coca-Cola truck.”  The publication is another  effort by the All Progressive Congress and its supporters to blame Ize-Iyamu for all mistakes of the previous administrations in a bid to disparage and stop the PDP candidate in the Edo election at all costs. The publication mischievously suggests that Ize-Iyamu, as Chief of Staff, had power to re-open AAU after it was shut down.

Before the closure in 2001/2002, AAU had become notorious in the international media for negative publicity. In a desperate bid to blame Ize-Iyamu, the writer of the publication failed or refused to mention that the protest referred to also included:

1. the false imprisonment of the Commissioner for Education at that time by students of AAU on the campus; and
2. the threat to the life of Governor Lucky Igbinedion, who had swiftly visited the campus to assure the students of government’s resolve to address the issues, but was shielded into his car and driven off the campus after the students started to throw several objects at him.

AAU was closed down for about 10 months (not “over two years” as alleged by the publication) mainly because it became imperative to so do in order to allow Edo State government at that time to properly intervene and position the school  to graduate students worthy in character and learning.

Whilst the APC finds it convenient to blame Ize-Iyamu for the misdeed of the previous administrations and the writer of the article seeks to blame the PDP candidate for the closure of AAU, they conveniently refuse and/or selfishly fail to praise him for the good deeds of the Lucky Igbinedion administration. The Visitation Panel constituted by the Igbinedion administration on AAU had far reaching results including:

1. re-constitution of one of the most impactful Governing Council of AAU led by the Rev. Fr. Theophilus Uwaifo;
2. down-sizing of the number of students following the expulsion/rustication of students who were not qualified at their point of entry;
3. positive value re-orientation leading, amongst other things, to the massive, widespread and unprecedented renunciation by cultists of their membership of diverse secret cult groups and genuine repentance; and
4. significantly improved standards leading to the accreditation of virtually all the courses in AAU including law and basic medicine as well as a part of clinical studies for medical students following the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. These improved standards allowed the writer of the Publication to excel in his studies.

When Ize-Iyamu left Edo State government on May 29, 2007, the academic standards of AAU was at its highest height.

Apart from the rescue of AAU as set out above, the APC and the author of the publication failed to praise Ize-Iyamu for the positive intervention of the Igbinedion administration in changing the infrastructural landscape of AAU.

As a man given to excellence, hardwork and industry with robust understanding of the demands of the same, the PDP candidate  will not denigrate the efforts of Professor D. O. Aihie or any other person in laying the foundation of success of the law faculty of AAU on which the Igbinedion administration consolidated. Come to think of it, how could Ize-Iyamu have shattered the legacies of Aihie in the singular encounter mentioned by the author of the Publication?

Ize-Iyamu remains committed to the bright future of Edo and will not be distracted by mischievous and malicious publications orchestrated to divert the attention of the people from the issues at hand and the imperatives of good governance.

Our focus at this time is to use the Edo governorship election to deepen our electoral process by steering campaigns towards issues-based campaigns (as is practiced in developed democracies) rather than reducing electioneering campaigns to party affiliations, mundane considerations, or direct attacks on the person/character of the opponent. It is for this reason that Ize-Iyamu launched his manifesto, “The Simple Agenda”.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Edo State governorship candidate on the platform of PDP, who has chosen to run an issues-based campaign; outlined his agenda in black and white; circulated the agenda across the state for all to see today; and challenges the electorate and good people of Edo to refer to the Agenda in future and hold him accountable (when he becomes the governor) to everything printed on the Agenda. Shun all efforts calculated at distracting you and vote wisely for the best candidate – VOTE FOR PASTOR OSAGIE IZE-IYAMU.