Dr Ernest Umakhihe, an aspirant for the 2024 governorship election in Edo, has vowed to revisit the abandoned Benin storm water project initiated by the Adams Oshiomhole administration, if elected.
Umakhihe, who is aspiring on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the pledge during the continuation of his pre-primary election campaign to party members at Oredo Local Government Area.
The aspirant, a recently retired Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the water project remained the best option in solving the perennial flooding problem in Benin City.
While noting that it was one of the legacy projects of the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration, he said it was disheartening that eight years after, the project had not been completed.
“The project initiated by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s government to solve the aged long-Benin City flooding and other environmental challenges seemed to have been practically come to a halt under Gov. Godwin Obaseki. Work on it has since stopped,” he said.
The retired senior civil servant sought the support of both the party members in the areas to vote for him during the direct primaries scheduled for Feb. 17.
Umakhihe urged APC loyalists to intensify efforts to ensure the success of the party in the Sept. 21 gubernatorial election in the state.
This, he said, began with nomination of a credible candidate like him.
According to him, retrieving the governorship position lost to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2020 should be uppermost in the mind of every right-thinking member of the party.
“All hands must be on deck to ensure the best candidate is nominated to win the state back to APC,” said the governorship aspirant. (NAN)
