A former Executive Director of Finance and Administration at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), General Charles Arhiavbere (Rtd), has promised to collapse the structures of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State in the governorship election scheduled for September 21.
While promising to deploy technology, robotics, cameras and drones to fight insecurity, Airhiavbere said he would go through the State House of Assembly to pass a Bill for the establishment of Edo State Infrastructure Development Commission.
He also said he would be contesting the election for the fourth time, having done that both on the platform of the PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC).
Arhiavbere stated these after submitting his Expression of Interest Form at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja, saying he would liberate Edo from infrastructural decay to development.
He said, “This 2024 is my fourth appearance in the governorship race, I have done that three times on the platform of the APC and once on the platform of PDP. I was the candidate of the PDP in 2012 and I left PDP to join the APC.
“The race to Edo State in 2024 is to replace Governor Godwin Obaseki who has done seven years plus and by the special grace of the Almighty God he will hand over to me on December 12 2024.
“Two Local Governments in Edo South will swallow the centre. Why gamble with that? Whether you like it or not, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly is from Edo North, you cannot gamble with what you don’t have.
“Edo South is where the battle is, but I will work to ensure all is carried along. But do we want that to continue? I can assure you that I have the capacity to collapse structures of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
On security
Airhiavbere said, “It is not through vigilante, and putting arms in the hands of untrained people. I think we can do it differently, you have robotics, you have cameras. Today, we have drones, and artificial intelligence that can bring security to the people.
“There are some countries, they have operational rooms, anything happening anywhere it is known, these are the new technology that I will introduce that will make the people comfortable.”
On infrastructure
Airhiavbere said, “I intend to go through the State House of Assembly to pass a Bill to approve the new Edo State Infrastructure Development Commission. This commission will be empowered to go into agreement with development partners, those who are interested in satellite towns, those who are interested in moving people out of the railroad.
“In 2012, one of the things I was very interested in was dredging the River Niger from Idah to Agenebode. This project is still very fresh because as of 2017, I wanted to partner with Kogi State government to develop this bridge. Though we couldn’t raise funding, we didn’t have the necessary muscles to make it work. These are some of the things I intend to do in Edo State. Infrastructure will give you money, if well arranged and there is no what I can call political will to work.”
Friday Olokor, Abuja
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