Basking in the euphoria of the massive votes for candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Assembly election, on Saturday, March 9, Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, says he will continue to put the interest of ordinary Edo people first in the development of the state.
Obaseki said this at the Omega Fire Ministry International Church Benin Branch 1, when he led members of his cabinet to a thanksgiving service for the violence-free election in the state.
According to Obaseki, it is God that gives power through the people and that is why I have chosen to serve the ordinary people, even if I am going to be governor for one day.
The people will remain his priority despite the fact that some people want him to do otherwise, he said.
“Many people are not happy with me but I don’t care because if you, the ordinary people are with me, they cannot do me anything. It is you, the people that matter. It is you that will keep me in power. When God decides to keep me in power, it is you that will make it possible, even if it is one day I have left to spend in office, I will use it to serve you because governance is about the people,” he said.
The governor expressed gratitude to God for the violence-free election in the state, and emphasised that though victory was important, “it is not as important as the violence-free election record we have achieved.
“Under my watch, I have run three successful elections and we have not recorded the death of any soul due to these elections. We are happy for this success.”
He assured that his administration would continue to work with the church and religious leaders who know and feel the pulse of the people.
“As a governor, I want to work closely with the Church because it is difficult to sit in Government House and feel the pulse of the people. Men of God are the right people to work with because they are always with the people and know what they pass through daily.”
He explained that the Edo State House of Assembly election had shown that Edo electorates are appreciative of the effort his administration has made to make life better for them.
He promised to improve on the lives and standards of living of Edo people and added that he will be more focused now to develop the state further and make life better for them especially the youths.
“The youths are the future of this nation and as a government, the bulk of our resources must go to the young people. The youth have the energy, they have the intellect, all they need is direction to succeed and this government is ready to give that direction,” he pledged.
He noted that his administration was not about building roads alone but also focused on affecting lives through empowerment programmes for the citizens, particularly women.
Head Pastor of the Church, Azemhe Azena, expressed appreciation to the governor for his developmental strides across the state, which according to him was the reason for the people’s support and prayers for his administration to succeed.
