Obaseki bemoans neglect of Benin Technical College

APGA says Edo polls shifted in students’ interest
The All Progressives Congress (APC)’s governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday lamented the dilapidated state of the Benin Technical College.

Obaseki said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) abandoned the college when it ruled the state, despite the enormous funds donated to it by the Canadian government.

The candidate added that until the recent intervention by the Adams Oshiomhole’s government, the school had been in ruins.

He said the college was donated to the state by the Canadian government in the 1970s, but the structures had been destroyed, making it impossible to train craftsmen.

According to him, said good leadership is crucial to development, which is why it ought to count in the rescheduled governorship election.

“It is important that this election should not be about money but our future. In the last eight years, the APC has done something that the people can see. Why do we want to change what is already working?” he asked.

Obaseki explained: “‎As the next governor who already knows how to build roads and schools, we have a plan stretched over a period on how to ensure a continuity.” He said his government would focus on youth development, where at least 65 per cent of the population is under the age of 30.

Earlier, the candidate’s wife, Betsy, pledged that a vote for her husband would create jobs in the entertainment industry.

Mrs Obaseki made the pledge when she visited members of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre in Benin City.

“I still remember there used to be cultural troupes coming to the city from different parts of the state for dancing and other performances.”

‎The state’s president of PMAN, Maleke Idowu and music ambassador, Osayomore Joseph promised that the musicians would support Obaseki.

Meanwhile, the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Osaro Onaiwu, has explained that the shift in polls was justified, especially to enable students to write their General Certificate Examinations.

Onaiwu said his earlier call on the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to shift the polls was borne out of his love and desire to secure their future.

He added his position was well articulated, unlike his counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Onaiwu condemned the desperate and selfish interest of the other political parties, whose candidates had insisted on the conduct of the election at great inconvenience to the students.