Ize-Iyamu Campaign Raises the Alarm Over Use of State’s Fund for Campaign

The Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm over alleged disbursement of Edo State financial resources for the campaign of the All Progressive Congress’ (APC) governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Media Unit of the campaign organisation, it said the draining of the state’s fund by Governor Adams Oshiomhole for promotion of his candidate for September 10 governorship election was coming at a time when many local government councils were owed 15 to 17 month salaries.

The organisation said it was more alarmed as a result of volume of money the governor disbursed on Wednesday to the APC’s structures in all 18 local government areas for procurement of people and supporters to the kick-off of APC’s governorship campaign on Saturday.

According to the statement, ‘’We have received a solid evidence on Thursday that Governor Oshiomhole at a stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benin City, Wednesday, disbursed thousands of naira of Edo State’s fund to all APC leaders in 18 local government areas for procurement of people to attend the APC campaign rally on Saturday.

‘’We are worried because Edo State’s fund is being uncontrollably disbursed for promotion of APC’s candidate at a time Adams Oshiomhole is saying there is no money to pay local government council’s workers’ salaries for months.’’

 Requesting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies to investigate the use of Edo State’s fund to promote a candidate in the coming election, the Pastor Ize-Iyamu campaign organisation said that Oshiomhole had to resort to this panicky and sacred measures because of the swelling opposition the APC and the governor were receiving from all nooks of the state.

‘’It is shocking that at time Oshiomhole is  wasting the state fund for promotion of Godwin Obaseki’s governorship ambition, our people are languishing in abject poverty, the basic social and health amenities are not available in our local government areas. This is a crime against the people’’, the statement added.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, reiterated his promise to provide a system whereby sick patients could be transferred to secondary and tertiary healthcare systems —- provision of ambulances and motorboat ambulances especially for those in the riverine communities and effective prevention and control of locally endemic and epidemic diseases in all local government in the state, if elected.

The statement added: Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu would provide appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries; and provision of essential drugs. Provide an enabling environment and strategies to include community mobilisation and advocacy, service integration, health research, capacity building, and international and non-governmental collaboration.

‘’He will encourage important stakeholders —- NGOs, development partners, civil society, private sector, communities and International Partners) to provide free health programmes and services, and provide opportunity for community members to channel their inputs into the planning, implementation and evaluation processes.

‘’The PDP has observed poor investment in Edo health emergency and accident responses and Pastor Ize-Iyamu, if elected will turnaround Edo State Ambulance Service to ensure it is more functional and effective. We shall provide continuous professional developmental training and set a minimum response time of one hour to health emergency and accidents within our major cities and towns. This would be vigorously monitored to ensure compliance.’’