The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has promised to create more than 200,000 jobs if elected governor.
Obaseki made this pledge at the official flag off of his campaign at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Saturday in Benin, the state capital.
He assured Edo people that his team would consolidate on the solid foundation already laid by the outgoing administration of Adams Oshiomhole.
The governorship election is slated to hold on September 10.
The APC flag bearer said the focus of his administration, if elected, would be job creation, entrepreneurship and industrialisation.
He explained that most of the jobs would be created through agriculture and skills acquisition, adding that agriculture would be moved from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
He further pledged that his administration would make Edo the agriculture hub of the country.
Mr. Obaseki said that if elected governor, his administration would make power available and entrepreneurship a way of life as well as recognise the role of technical and vocational training.
The APC candidate said his administration would give prominence to women empowerment and ensure that some investments training were specifically tailored for women.
Obaseki noted that the APC anchored its campaign on the establishment and furtherance of good governance through institutions, infrastructure, investments, enforcement of law and order, increased production capacity and socio-cultural development.
On women and youth empowerment, Obaseki promised to provide access to Medium and Small Scale Enterprises financing for young entrepreneurs as well as focus on the development of the youths through investments in sports, arts and crafts.
He said access to low interest rate financing for Women-in-Business would be improved upon adding that over 20,000 affordable modern shops would be developed across the state by renovating existing markets and developing new ones under Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
Obaseki promised to implement a pocket friendly tax regime to grow the tax base and noted that his administration would commit itself to a transparent management of tax payers resources at all times
Earlier, Mr. Oshiomhole, while introducing the candidate to the mammoth crowd at the stadium, said the APC in the state was gathered to present the party’s agenda to consolidate on what had been started.
He stressed the need for his administration to hand over to a competent, resourceful and intelligent successor, hence the choice of Mr. Obaseki.
He noted that while the state was still basking in the euphoria of the achievements recorded by the administration, there was the need for all to rededicate themselves to the aspiration of the candidate.
The governor stressed that the candidate was not an apprentice but a committed person concerned about the development of the state.
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, received defectors from other parties.
Mr. Oyegun also presented the governorship candidate with the party’s flag as its flag bearer. (NAN)
