I will allow the Local government to get their money 100 percent; Serguis Ogun has said
CEM REPORT, GOVERNANCE | The race for the governor seat of Edo State ahead the November election is now in top gear with aspirants dishing out their manifestos. Awaiting primaries by the different political parties, aspirants spare no opportunity to speak on what they will do differently to advance the economic potential of the state.
A governorship aspirant and A former member of the Federal House of Representative from Edo Central, Honorable Sergius Ogun while speaking with CEM Television recently, said he will ensure that the economic development of Edo State is driven from the local governments.
Sergius Ogun was formerly of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but now in Labour Party. He spoke with CEM television at the recent reunion of the St John’s College Old Boys Association (SJCOBA) held in Lagos.
Sergius said he will ensure that Local government councils get their full allocation as at when due and also let them have 10 percent of the State Internally Generated Revenue when he becomes the governor of Edo State.
“Having served as state representative and having worked closely with the rural people, we need to go and start building our State from the rural communities and from the local government.
“I will allow the Local government to get their money 100 percent. Am also told that Local government is supposed to get 10 percent of the internally generated revenue of the state and that I will give them in full”; Ogun said.
While emphasizing the need for this, he said; “We are largely farmers, the subsistent farmers can take care of our communities, but people can’t go to farms (now). You imagine the local government chairmen gets their allocation as at when due, I don’t think anybody will need to go live in the forest. Just give the mandate, take absolute control of your local government, when that happens, there will be activities in the local government.”
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Sergius Ogun on Economic Potentials of Edo State
The economic potential of Edo State was emphasized by the aspirant citing the presence of Bua and Dangote in the state, status of the state in cultured oil palm production and the large deposit of on-shore gas deposit.
“The two industrial giants in Nigeria which are Bua and Dangote are physically present in Edo State
“Edo State has the largest on-shore gas deposit in Nigeria which is easier to deploy than the deep-shore gas present in other States
“In oil palm production Edo State is number one in cultured palm oil production while it is number 5 in wild palm oil production.
“Edo State has a strong economic potential; all we need to do is to harness it.
Honorable Ogun spoke passionately about is plan to keep the environment clean especially the drainages necessary to protect the roads from advance effect of flooding.
