Edo Poll: Ize-Iyamu Queries Obaseki’s 157,000 Jobs Claim In Debate

The two leading candidates in the forth coming governorship election in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki and Osagie Ize Iyamu, last night unfolded their programmes for the people of the state during a debate.

Obaseki is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Ize-Iyamu is flying the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The debate was an avenue for the two leading contenders to reel out their plans for the state ahead of the governorship polls on September 19th.

The two candidates countered each other on a wide range of issues, including agriculture, education, security, employment among others

While Obaseki disclosed that his government had employed 157,000 persons in the last four years, Ize-Iyamu countered him. .

Ize-Iyamu disagreed, saying the figure of employment bandied by Obaseki was bogus, adding that schools and hospitals in the state were without teachers and doctors.

Obaseki said: “In terms of human capacity and employment, that is one area we believe we have accomplished quite a lot. On the onset, I promised I will raise a minimum of 200,000 jobs within a minimum of a four-year period. And just before COVID-19 pandemic hit, we had created direct and indirect jobs for Edo people – as much as 157,000 jobs.

“And where did the jobs come from? They came from the way the government decided to address the economy. The government’s role is creating an enabling environment for people to come and invest so that the economy can thrive.”

Ize-Iyamu accused the governor of falsifying the data.

He said: “It is sad when the government that should be accurate with figures begins to falsify the figures. If it is true that we have been able to have the number of jobs that the Edo State governor claims, our IGR (internally generated revenue) will not be where it is; there will be a significant leap but I can tell you and they know, it has stagnated.

“I hope the governor is not going to mistake the appointments he is making now as jobs because I know that in the past one month, he has appointed over 200 people as SSAs on social media and the rest of them. Those are not jobs.

“So, when you are talking about jobs, where are the jobs? Who did you give them to? It is sad when government that should be accurate with fact begins to feed our agencies with bogus statistics in an attempt to give an impression that we are doing well when we are not doing well.”

But Obaseki said the data he gave was verifiable, adding it was based on a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The governor added: “You can’t just come to a debate and roll out figures, forgetting that everything you say can be googled. When you talk in general terms, understand that people can just google and find out the facts.”

Again, Ize-Iyamu fired back: “I think that in the past four years, the economy of Edo has been mismanaged, plundered and all the huge amounts that we receive at the inception of this administration has practically left our state without any serious project to show for it.

“We had the opportunity to diversify our economy. The governor made what I might call a very lame attempt and he failed completely and we are in a very sorry state. During Christmas for example, people were going to Abakaliki to bring rice; they were going to Kebbi to bring rice because there is no rice mill in Edo State.”

Reacting on the issue of Obaseki defecting to the PDP after the APC disqualified him, Ize Iyamu claimed the governor was disqualified over discrepancies in his certificates.

Obaseki reacted: “It is very ironic that someone who has no certificate can stand up and comment on someone whose certificate was issued by the premier university in Nigeria.

“In 1976 when I gained admission into the University of Ibadan, there was no JAMB; you could either go into the university through prelim or through Direct Entry in your advanced level examination. I finished my O’ Level and my Advanced Level. So, I gained admission into the University of Ibadan in 1976.

“I don’t know what has happened but for the University of Ibadan, the standard is still very high and they have come out to say that I graduated from that university. How else do you want to make that clear?

“It is very sad that in a country like Nigeria, some people who do not have the qualifications, have the effrontery to challenge the qualifications of those who went to proper schools. It is sad.”

The PDP candidate, on the economic agenda, also accused his predecessor, Adams Oshiohmole of reckless borrowing

He said: “My predecessor in office borrowed recklessly and the federal government had to restructure all the debts taken before I came into office. The federal government restructured outstanding obligations to Edo State to the tune of almost N30 billion and that is what was responsible for the debt stock, and not the borrowings from this administration.”

He also claimed that he had been able to reduce the state debt stock from N120 billion the state was in.

Ize-Iyamu again, countered him: “It is scandalous to attribute the huge debt to a predecessor that you were the Chief Economic Adviser to. “Sometimes you seem to forget the role you played in the past government.”

The APC candidate scored Obaseki low in areas such as security, health services and agriculture.