By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—A member of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr Patrick Obahiagbon, yesterday, declared that the people of the state had witnessed what he described as a “developmental tsunami of socio-economic transformation” since the coming of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. He appealed to the people of the state to support the plan by the Governor to source for N30billion bond from the capital market.

The lawmaker, who is representing Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo State, argued that if those opposed to the N30billion bond, which government intends to source from the capital market “remove the political specks from their eyes, they would come to the inescapable conclusion that the  Governor has used the limited resources accruing to the state in the last two years maximally and judiciously.”

Obahiagbon, who spoke while addressing newsmen in Benin City, Edo State, stressed the need for the people of the state to give the Governor the maximum support needed to secure the N30billion, saying that it would help in completing on-going projects in the state.

According to him, “the Governor has been able to transform the ancient city of Benin to a modern one and we are all aware that over 10,000 people have been employed so far due to the opportunity he created. I have no doubt at all in my mind that the Governor will channel the borrowed funds into his on-going transformative socio-economic projects in the state.

“While the Governor has done so well, thus far within the available lean resources of the state, the reality on ground in  the state at this point is that the state government needs huge funds to construct more roads, build schools, create jobs, equip hospitals and revive  ailing public corporations,  establish new factories and invest massively in agriculture in the state,” he said.

Obahiagbon, therefore, appealed to “all well meaning citizens of the state to put politics aside for the time being and support the Governor to raise the N30billion bond from the stock market now  that God has given us a man, who has demonstrated economic capacity and talent for the socio-economic development of Edo land.”

We should not out of vacuous political divide and bickering, throw away this golden opportunity.
“ Edo people irrespective of their political differences must support Governor Oshiomhole’s efforts to transform Edo State into a modern city state. We must not allow the issue of paucity of funds to truncate Comrade Oshiomhole’s vision of reviving the economy of Edo state” he stated.