The Labour Party national chairman, Comrade Julius Abure, has advocated for a shepherd governor ahead of the 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State. According to Abure, only a servant leader can liberate the state from her man-made affliction and regrettable poverty.
Abure made the assertion while delivering a speech on the occasion of a Colloquium and Hall of Fame Award in his honour by Edo Policy Round Table in association with Mudiame University, Irrua which was held at Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre on Thursday.
While appreciating the organizers of the event for the award bestowed on him, he said the challenges facing Edo State and Nigeria was self-afflicted and man-made as a result of poor and bad leadership and which has had resultant effects on the citizens.
He urged Edo citizens to make use of the next election in the state to elect leaders who will bring democracy dividends to the people. He called on the electorate not to repeat the mistake of the past when voting during next year’s governorship election in the state. “The numerous challenges of the country and of our dear state is, no doubt, a result of poor leadership. This is the consensus amongst scholars, academia and even the politicians themselves.
“Generally, in Nigeria, the sources of our strength are paradoxically the basis of the country’s challenges and albatross. The discovery of oil for instance, which ought to have a multiplier effect on the existing agriculture and other sectors unfortunately made us a “Resource cursed nation” because of bad leadership. Luckily, democracy as a form of government gives us an opportunity to periodically elect those who will run the affairs of government. Hence, we cannot afford to make another mistake in Edo 2024.
“We have just concluded the so-called 2023 general election which again failed to meet the general expectations of the people of Nigeria. Edo State governorship election will hold in September next year based on the timetable released by INEC.
“As a people who have suffered bad leadership and mismanagement, we must make the right choice this time around in order to have a better state that we can all be proud of.
“I believe Edo people need what I can call or term a shepherd governor. Then, who is a shepherd governor? A Shepherd is a person who is committed to the flock and one responsible for guiding them and attending to their needs. Similarly, a shepherd governor is one who will be committed to the people, guiding, leading, attending to their needs and providing for them.
“He must be selfless and ready to take risks and make personal sacrifices at all times in the interest and well-being of Edo people. He must be ready to be in the front to find solutions to the plethora of challenges confronting the state. We no longer want a governor who would lament like the followers over the challenges of the state.
“Labour Party is ready to provide such a governor for next year’s election and we expect our people to do the needful. We need a Bridge-Builder governor to be elected next year. He must have the capacity to bring all shades of persons together in order to achieve the objectives of developing the state. He should be a unifier governor.
“The task of rebuilding our dear state and repositioning it for effective service delivery to our people requires the support of all Edo people. The person must have innovative ideas and openness to harness our resources and create wealth for the state. We cannot afford to vote for a governor who will sit idly and wait for only federal allocation without harnessing the resources of the state to create wealth.”
The Labour Party chairman further emphasized the five cardinal goals of the his party towards societal stability which includes wealth creation and poverty eradication; security, proper local government administration; productive education, healthcare delivery system as well as infrastructural development which he said are the only panaceas to reclaim Edo from the precipice.
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