By Joy Odor
The former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba has crow himself to be the Best Man to Govern Edo State in the forthcoming election, saying he is the most experienced and suited, based on his organized private sector background mixed with state level and federal level exposure as commissioner and minister of state respectively.
This is even as Agba also informed that Edo being the heartbeat of Nigeria required someone with experience, with the right competencies, has the knowledge of the organized private sector and public sector, worked at the sub-national level and national level, someone who has dealed with multilateral agencies and negotiations for government which he obtained to be the Best candidate to govern Edo state not someone that will come and experiment the State.
He gave the highlights shortly after submitting his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) National Secretariat, Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the former Minister, his vision for Edo State ‘Christianed: ‘TRUST’ affirmed that he is bringing to the table TRUST initiative to transform Edo rural urban spaces together, adding that if Edo urban areas are developed, you should simultaneously be developing the rural areas.
Agba maintained that if elected Governor, he would be providing access road especially around the agro corridors, so the sixty percent harvest that goes to waste, which is a low hanging fruit will be recovered not mechanization.
He was of the opinion that until they deal with the issue of access to market for the farm products, ensuring that there are roads, either for the farmer to get to the market or the market to come to the farmer, ensuring that there is captive power, you would find that cottage industries will begin to develop around the farm settlements and people will set up storage facilities, while others will set up processing facilities.
Agba mentioned that other aspirants who are from the private sector lacked in social welfare and empathy to govern Edo State unlike him.
“Abraham Maslow talks about the hierarchy of needs. So a man cannot be talking about self actualization or self esteem. When he has not put food in his stomach. He cannot talk about self actualization or self esteem when he has no shelter, when he has no shelter. For me, what I’m I bringing to the table is what I call the TRUST initiative. Some people call it the TRUST agenda, but whatever you want to call it, we want to transform our rural urban spaces together. That’s what TRUST means to me.
“If you’re developing the urban areas, you should simultaneously be developing the rural areas. You should be providing access road especially around the agro corridors. So that 60% that goes to waste, which is a low hanging fruit will be recovered not mechanization, I hear people talking about tractorization. You buy more tractors, you get more improved yields, you increase the acreage and the result will be that you are increasing the percentage of harvest losses.
“Until we deal with the issue of access to market for these products, which has to do with ensuring that there are roads, either for the farmer to get to the market or the market to come to the farmer and ensuring that there is power. I’m not talking about the national grid. I’m talking about captive power. So once you have captive power available, you’ll find that cottage industries begin to develop around these farm settlements. What will happen is people will set up storage facilities, others will begin to set up processing facilities.
“The National Development Plan also talked about the micro. That’s micro small and medium enterprises currently in Nigeria they employ 70% of our people. But they are the most marginalized because there are so many binding constraints. The state government will tax, federal government would tax. We have multiplicity of taxes. So what it ends up doing is killing the small scale industries. It is also going to be a major area of target for us to deal with when I become the governor of Edo state.
“I think in a nutshell one has captured it. You know, as Edo is the heartbeat of Nigeria and they do require someone with experience. Someone with the right competencies. Someone who has the knowledge of the organized private sector and also the public sector. Someone who has worked at the sub national level and also at the national level. And who has the connect today between the sub national government and the national government and the opportunities that avail themselves. Someone who understands and was dealing with multilateral agencies and doing all the negotiations for government, someone who handled all the donor aids that were coming to the country.
“Would that not be a right man to govern estate? Do we need someone that will come and experiment some will say that they have been in the organized private sector or their life. But like I said, in the public sector, the scenario is totally different. You’re not looking at the bottom line. So you’re gonna take 2,3,4 years to begin to learn and treat people like machines, there will be no empathy. The governor requires empathy. You have to feel your people. It’s not about projects that you do. It’s about the impact of the projects that you are doing. It’s about doing NEEDS analysis. Even if you have PhD, or you think you know it all. You really don’t know what the community’s want except you engage. And that’s what we’ll be coming with, engaging the people to know their pain points. Yes, they need road, they need water, they need light, but which one do they need the most. That’s what will be given. So thank you very much for listening to me.
When questioned about marginalization of Edo Central, Agba decried the wrong narrative, stressing that Edo North has not gotten a fair deal in both elective and appointive positions.
“You know, when you are going to equity, it is always good to go with very clean hands. Edo South has produced four governors. Edo Central has produced two governors. The first governor, the university he founded AAU, I got two degrees from there. One is my Bsc in Economics. And the other one is PhD, my wife. Edo North has only produced one governor in the person of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“So, who is marginalised? Let me tale it a little further. Because it doesn’t just start and stop with governors. The issue of ministerial appointments. Edo South has only produced three ministers. Edo Central has produced five ministers. I was the first minister from the Edo North. And I was the Minister of state. So, who is marginalised? What is important now is that we are in opposition, and we need to rescue power.
“And if you have to rescue power, you have to put your best foot forward. Someone who has the experience and he is competent. But if a relationship and where one comes from is what is important, I belonged to the three Senatorial Districts. My parents are from Edo North. My wife is from Edo South. I had my tertiary education training from the Central. But that is not where my Edo Central connection starts. My elder brother, his wife, is from Yromi, which is Edo Central. So, the children have a connection with Edo Central. Am I going to abandon them? My wife immediate younger sister is also from Uromi. The children they come to me and also spend Christmas with me. Am I going to abandon Edo Central?” He said
Also when asked if he is the anointed son of Adams Oshiomhole, the former Minister said “If I were the anointed, do I need to go about campaigning? I will sit at home and wait for the coronation. But I know I have to sell myself to the people.
“And because our people could be forgetful, I had to remind them the things that I did. I know I am the best among them. And in all the parties. I am not talking about APC now. Because I see all the contenders across the parties. Why do you think I am the only one under attack? Why am I the only one that is the godson? It is because no one throws stone at a tree that has unripe fruits” he noted
