I am in a better position to govern Edo state… Barrister Eboigbe.

By Prince Sunny Ebhojiaye.

He is ever an interviewer delight. Barrister Monday Eboigbe believes that for anybody to be anything on earth, God is always and will ever remain the deciding factor.

Who is afraid of Barrister Monday Eboigbe?

Barrister Monday Eboigbe told City Express News in an exclusive interview in Irrua, how he is going to be the Governor of Edo State, in this maiden edition of interviews of aspirants for Edo state Governor.

This maiden edition is to bring a common position on their political future, Esan Agenda 2024 and how to make a representation to the government. This celebration is going to be an annual event which will bring Esan sons and daughters together to celebrate and thank God Almighty for his grace, protection and articulate issues and have a common goal

.Esan Speaking Community in Nigeria will showcase Esan Cultural heritage, Acrobatic dance, Igbabomrin Asologu dance and comprehensive lecture on Esan Agenda 2024. Why many people in Edo State, Bini, Afema Agelegbode and Etsako Local Governing are afraid of Esan people.

. Barr Monday Eboigbe, an indefatigable and charismatic legal luminary is ready to serve his people in next year Governorship election 2024 .

When did you notice you have ambition to become Governor of Edo state? First, I want to thank you for the platform to speak to the Edo people. My governorship dream is not an ambition, in the human sense of things, but an assignment by God. I tell people that if not for the calling of God, I would have no business with politics. I heard God’s call to go back to Irrua on September 29, 1996. I was in Warri at the time and he said clearly that he was going to make me a governor. With that mandate, I came back to Edo state with nothing and started farming in my village, in obedience to the call. I was in farm when a man came for me to fabricate a certain machine for him.

After the fabrication, he informed me about law admission going on in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. I applied and was admitted via direct entry since I already had an OND in Mass Communication from Auchi Polytechnic.

Everything I have done since I got the call in 1996 has led up to this vision. It is a vision. I enjoy serving the people and have done so for as long as I can remember. For me, the most important element in life is hope and I try to give hope to others around me as much as possible.

What quality do you have to show to the people of Edo state to be voted for? One thing everyone agrees with is that I am a visionary leader without bias to action. I have the ability to plan, execute efficiently and forge the right relationships to take projects to the highest height. These things require patience, perseverance, a mind for change and a desire to promote socio-economic development. I am very competent and content with what I have.

I could have chosen to practice law in any part of the world but I have stayed here to show my people what is possible, to grow alongside them and to understand their needs so I can solve them. Whenever I travel, I think about how to bring home elements of development that we jealous in other climes.

I have handled several milestone cases for the people and live in this state for 40 years. I know the problems of our people and have felt their pains — from kidnapping to inflation and poor infrastructure.

The people deserve a governor who knows and understands their struggles; learned and informed enough to solving them.

Can you tell us your past political antecedent in Edo state? I joined politics in 1991, during SDP and was a ward PRO of the party. I was also a Local Government Legal Adviser of the All Progressive Congress (APC), when it was formed.I was the manager of the Senator Clifford Ordia campaign in the controversial primaries he won in 2007.

I was the chairman of Chief Francis Inegbeniki Campaign committee in the priImaries he won at Ubiaja in 2015.I was the Senatorial Coordinator to Dr. Pius Odubu in 2016 and the Senatorial Coordinator of BSO (Buhari Support Group) from 2015 to 2019.

I have also held one public office since I joined politics. I was the first Special Adviser to the Local Government in Edo State. During my time as special adviser, the office became attractive such that a committee was set up by the Edo state house of Assembly to review the law.

As special adviser, I ensure council funds are properly managed. When we came in, we met a debt of 19.5million in Bank PHB and contractors were owed 512 million naira. I blocked all the financial leakages, put financial management in place and ensured workers come to work promptly. The government constructed two roads within four months, continued the construction of the High court, completed the customary court, trained 100 farmers and I approached the Intercontinental Bank for a 100 million naira loan for the farmers.

We worked in Ehanlen Ewu and Opoji Junction that were no longer motor able, bought seventeen brand new cars for the Councilors, Supervisor, Secretary and special advisers to enhance their jobs, planned to construct a technological village along Agua, Benin Road where we were to send ten youths to China to train in what I called training the trainers course.

This was when the Court sacked that Government, because of the O and A crisis (Anehih and Osunbor). We left 10 million naira in Unity bank, 20 million naira in Oceanic bank and over 200 million naira in UBA.

All these are verifiable facts in Esan Central local Government Area. Till date people still ask they didn’t know the government could be that effective

. What is your vision and mission for Edo state?My vision is to create happiness for Edo people by advancing Technology, Health, Education, Agriculture, Commerce, Tourism and Security (THE ACTS). I am intentional about making Edo state a global reference for development.

Do you have a sponsor to Bank role your political ambition? God is bankrolling this vision through my career and my family.

Can you give us a 10 point agenda that will make the electorate vote for you? My agenda is to drive the program THE ACTS. As earlier explained, it stands for Technology, Health, Education, Agriculture, Commerce, Tourism and Security.I will make the advancement of technology a priority in the state. Today, We need to move as fast as the rest of the world. I will work to ensure that youths are pulled out of crime and harness their gifts in the area of technology. This is one major way we can get Edo state to the top. Health will not only be accessible but it will be affordable as a healthy percentage of the state revenue will go into health and Education. I will improve on agriculture and this I hope to do by moving our farmers out of ancient farming methods and introducing them into modern ways of farming. I shall improve commerce in Edo state and make it a gateway state in Nigeria.

This I hope to do by opening produce markets along our highways to the North, West, South and Eastern roads. Edo is a tourist center especially with our rich history. We should be as globally recognized as Israel and Britain. We shall develop our tourism centers to attract foreigners and grow our income flow into the state. None of our programs above will work without security. We shall ensure monitoring cameras are installed in strategic areas in the state. To make Edo a safe land, there shall be control rooms and stand by security agents for prompt attention for and security breaches.We shall all be subject to the rule of law, the law of the land will rule, rather the man. Our law shall be no respecter of persons. Our judiciary system will be disciplined, where cases will have a time frame and hard working judges will be employed with more courts to do justice.We shall establish a University of Technology, Convert some primary schools to vocational centers. Edo micro finance bank, to give loans to entrepreneur to build produces houses, food processing factories and farm equipment, construction equipment and set up quarry, bitumen extraction from Edo North and excavation of sand for road constructions and construction of housing estates. We shall have a food bank for the very poor in the society. Ours will be to change the act of governance from being a master to servant to the people.

Who is your role model or mentor in politics? Late professor Ambrose Alli is my role model.Tell us why Labour Party is having some misunderstanding in the party. On the issue of the national crisis in the Labour Party, it is as a result of political foundation. Before now, nobody troubled the party, now that the party is becoming Nigerian pride, the turbulence is expected.

Tell us why you want to become Governor of Edo state? I understand the issues we face in Edo state having experienced them myself; and I have spent decades studying, building and working towards fixing them because we need to move forward as a people. To build the state we deserve, as governor, I shall lead heavy investments in technology, health, education, agriculture, commerce, tourism and security.We need a state with developed infrastructure reflective of the needs of the people, where the law will be more powerful than any man, irrespective of his or her status; where quality housing and transportation are accessible and affordable. Our children deserve quality education with value and more scholarship opportunities to afford them varied options for growth. At the base of this, basic education needs to be compulsory and accessible to all. At the pre-tertiary level, we need to make space for solid vocational education as well as solid university and polytechnic education, which would be supported by funds for groundbreaking research and up scaling the learning experience for the students. A lot of the governance problems come from failure to uphold the rule of law. I

It is a big goal of my mandate to institutionalize the rule of law and make everyone answerable to it. For this to happen, we all must be prepared to be actors rather than just observers. It is no longer going to be business as usual, for the government to break the law, instead of enforcing it.We shall bring integrity into governance in Edo state and reduce all forms of crime and corruption to the barest minimum. It is an utmost priority. As we begin the journey to a better Edo State, I crave your indulgence to accept my mandate for it is our mandate — a call to building a prosperous and developed state where dreams are made and there is enough progress to go around. Let’s dialogue, mobilize and build people together.