PATRICK OCHOGA in Benin City writes on the deft moves by General Charles Airhiavbere to be the next governor of Edo State in 2012.
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Retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere, gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was Director of the Nigerian Army Finance and Administration. He is currently bracing to dislodge Edo State Governor, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole, from government house.?
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He does not appear to be well-known in the politics of Edo. Yet, as a military strategist, he is optimistic of clinching his party’s ticket and going ahead to win the governorship seat.
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His opponents see the 57 year-old aspirant as the dark horse in the race to Osadebe Avenue, the seat of power. Airhiavbeve’s residence on boundary road in the government reservation area has become a mecca of sorts. Though, considered a neophyte in Edo Politics, his towering profile is said to be creating ripples in the camps of other contenders in the race for the 2012 governorship election. But he is leaving no stone unturned in changing this perception. One of his strategies is consistent visit to the rural areas. He recently embarked on a tour of the entire 18 local government areas of the state with a message to change the socio- political and economic fortunes of Edo State. Airhiavbeve’s residence on boundary road in the government reservation area has become a mecca of sorts. And his parley with the grass roots is believed to be shoring up his profile, a development that is already? creating ripples in the camps of his opponents.
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Observers however say what he lacks in grassroots support, he makes it up with his deep wallet. He is said to have earmarked N6billion to prosecute his governorship ambition. The ex-general also parades intimidating credentials ahead of the PDP primary election. Aside Airhiavbere, other notable PDP aspirants who will slug it out with him at the primary include: the immediate governor of the state, Professor Osarienmen Osunbor; Prof. Julius Ihonvhere, former Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Project Monitoring and Implementation; Barrister Kenneth Imasuagbon, an Abuja based educationist and Mr Jacob Idinye, a media Practitioner.
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He believes he would do better than the incumbent whom he accused of embarking on campaigns of calumny against his party while abandoning his core responsibilities of improving the lots of the people. At a recent interactive session with members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), he was quoted to have said the present A C N administration claims of transforming the state in terms of infrastructures only existed on the pages of the newspapers.
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Speaking at a recent rally in Benin, Airhiavbere advised “the state government to stop the continuous campaign that the PDP destroyed the state for ten years. I believe that government should concentrate on how to fix our roads, prioritize projects rather than the window dressing we see every day in the state”.
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While lambasting Oshiomhole for putting Edo State on motion without movement, the aspirant averred that “a PDP administration come 2012, will correct the mistakes of the past.’’ If elected governor, the aspirant vowed to ensure free education, free health care for the elderly, children and pregnant women.
‘‘We must find solution to the prevailing suffering in the state. The insecurity in the state is very alarming and we have to use our experience to tackle it because without security, there is no way people can come and invest in our state,’’ he added.
However, the retired army general may have to contend with the report that he was arrested over a ‘missing’ N3.7billion from the Nigerian Army coffers. The report stated that Airhiavbere “was placed under house arrest on the instruction of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika, over the fraud. The money was allegedly earmarked for the building of hospital in each of the three geopolitical zones of the Country.
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In spite of the allegation, the retired general is holding consultations with the national leader of the Party, Chief Tony Anenih and others with the sole aim of ensuring he picks the PDP ticket. However, speculation making the round in the State capital is to the effect that the Presidency may back former governor Osunbor to be candidate of the party.
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Airhiavbere served the Nigeria Army for 35 years. He is reputed to be the architect of electronic pay roll system (e-NAPS) which transformed the budgeting process in the Nigeria Army.
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However, the stakes are high considering that Oshiomhole, in three years has arguably done what PDP could not do in 10 years. Those who belong to this school of thought say the present administration has boosted her monthly internally generated revenue, IGR from a mere N300-million under a PDP government to N1.5billion, creating jobs, rebuilding dilapidated public schools and health centres, building new roads and rehabilitating old ones and changing the face of Benin City from ancient to modern.?
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