Edo 2024: Edo need a ‘homeboy’ as governor from the street– Shaibu

 

Edo 2024: Edo need a ‘homeboy’ as governor from the street– Shaibu

 

 

By Bello Jaspa, Abuja

 

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu has declared that what Edo state need as a governor in 2024 is someone with a street sense, a homeboy who knows what the people on the streets need so that their lives can be better than what it used to be.

 

Shaibu who is a front line aspirant for the governorship seat under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, noted that even though he is not desperate to be governor he stands shoulder ahead other aspirants jostling for the ticket. He made this assertions when he hosted Edo Journalists based in Abuja.

 

He reiterated that despite he is still consulting wirh the peoples before he will make his intention known, he added that he knows his peoples wish for him is to contest which remain a clarion call which he must give heed to. He said with the meager resources at his private disposal he has been able to add values to life since he became the deputy governor of Edo state.

 

According to him: ” I think among the people that show sign, I am still consulting, in the coming days, the outcome of my consultation will be made public very soon and just three or four days ago, I was in my ward and my ward asked that even if I say no they will go and buy the form, I must contest.

 

” So I can tell you, as I speak to you, the option I have is PDP and the second option is PDP and the third option is PDP because I know that PDP wants to win the election and if PDP must win the election as it is, they must listen to the voice of the people. My contesting the election is not because of Phillip, it is because certain Edo people are saying,

 

” I should come out and if they are saying I should come out, their dictates is what I will follow. For now, I have told them I am a member of PDP and I am sure that I will get the PDP ticket and they are also sure with me and are mobilizing with me for the PDP ticket. They have told me parties that I cannot go, on their own, but I won’t reveal to you but they have told me a particular party I must not go on their own.

 

” So, I listen to them, I am a grassroot person, I am a street man and even the governor will attest to the fact that while we are having our meeting, I always preach the street’s message, I’ll say look this is what the streets are saying about this.

 

 ” I am the only one that speaks for the street and when I say this is what the street people are saying, I mean this is what the average Edo person on the street is saying. I always bring that street perspective to all our conversation and if I officially declare and decided to be and Edo people allow it.

 

” They will see my street credibility in action because all my policies, all my actions will have to be bottom-up not top-down because the truth is that our people are suffering and the only way we can solve this suffering is to bring government to their doorstep. Nothing more. This is not the time for elephant projects, this is time for practical governance”, he stated.

 

He added: ” How do you convert our vast land to become economically viable? How do we make the people understand that behind their houses, a land that is there can economically empower them. These are the practical things we need to do. Our soil do not need fertilizer to grow corn so why are we suffering?

 

” When you have the street man that understands the people, sits with them, eats with them, that visits them while they are in the hospital, that in their houses they share in their burden, in their pain, in their successes, they will trust you with any policy that you bring that will help them to grow.

 

” So I can assure you that by the grace of God, we will do well, we will not be one of them and I am no going into Governor to build a house, not to build estate for my children. The only estate I have for my children is their education, nothing more. And people that knows me know that I’m not a friend to bankers because when certain amount is getting into their bank, they want to feel there is money, I convert those money into things.

 

” Recently you saw the palace that we built in my area, a lot of boreholes, a lot of schools renovated, with private money as deputy governor, because for me you have to just do things, is it religious bodies, mosque, churches, built houses for fathers. For me, putting money in the bank, and the people are suffering, I have conscience, I am a catholic and will never be the governor that keeps money in the bank because I want to go and build money for the children. No!”.