OUR RECORDS MATTER 2 CONTINUATION OF THE DECLARATION SPEECH TO CONTEST THE BENUE STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION 2015 I have held elective offices and it must matter to everyone, what use I have put the essence of such offices. That history must guide on what use and what commitment I am likely to have in the exercise of another mandate. The regards I have had for my offices and how I have fared in the discharge of the powers and duties vested in those offices are all part of how I am assessed and imagined to perform in a new office. This, I belief, is a fair basis for assessment. Elections ought to be about our records as aspirants and what we bring to the table of governance. I come to this race spurred by an innate persuasion to unravel the puzzles of our times. I seek to address the puzzling ironies that the people are forced to live with. Very many times, I am asking myself: How is it possible for those in positions of authority to build beautiful hotels and tastefully furnish them in Makurdi but impossible to build and equip hospitals for the people? How is it, there is so much affluence among those occupying elective offices and yet our civil servants, seniors citizens, retirees and teachers are owed their pensions, gratuities and basic salaries? How is it, Dangote who makes so much money from Benue State through the Benue Cement Company is building a Fertilizer plant in Edo State when our State is the food basket of the nation? How is it we spend so much travelling abroad to woo investors when we have not wooed Dangote for example? We are the food basket of the nation but where are the big Benue farms? What are the returns to our farmers? When do they get fertilizers? Where are the access roads to the markets they sell? How is it, the token of support the State offers as Scholarship to our young ones in Universities hardly gets paid and is hardly ever increased while those in authority continue to invest in wine bars, yet they are themselves direct beneficiaries of subsidized public education? Ladies and gentlemen, there are several more of these questions exposing the very excruciating state of want and mind boggling distortions in what should be common sense priorities for a State Government.On the whole, my objective is to reverse this ugly and dangerous trend. Therefore, my vision is to create a prosperous, self-sufficient Benue in which all human and natural resources are mobilised and utilised for the greater good of all our people. My Mission: To work with the best ideas, solutions, and people in policy development and project execution along the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity. These shall ensure that governance is about the people. I have no doubt that the task ahead is daunting, I won’t stand here and make a huge task seem light. Tackling an alarming debt profile will be preceded by wrestling out the party that got us into this debt with nothing to show for it. We have a lot to do but it is not beyond us. In several States, an ill treated people have rallied round and voted out the ruling party. In Benue State, the PDP has continued to grow in arrogance and total disregard for public schools, for places of worship and men of God; workers are denied their wages; the PDP has grown in the belief that credible performance by elective office holders is not needed to win elections and that the people have no say in the matter. Therefore, except we vote them out, we make their beliefs valid. Today, as I declare my gubernatorial aspirations, I am acutely aware of the tendencies, the forces and devious tactics the PDP shall try to bring to bear but I say to them, not on valentine’s day! Not in Benue State because the people shall vote and their votes alone shall determine the Party that the people trust to lead them. As we approach our party primaries, I wish all of my co-aspirants in the APC a good outing. I wish all other aspirants of our Party luck. I wish our worthy Delegates God’s guidance to make the right choices and therefore good history. I certainly wish all our Party functionaries who will serve as umpires God’s grace so that they ensure a level playing field at all times and thus uphold good history. In all, may we not lose track of the big picture. The future of our party and the future of our State and her suffered people is what is at stake. Thank you everybody and God bless you. God bless the APC; God bless Benue State; God bless Nigeria. Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Jime
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 21:30:28 +0000
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