Governorship aspirant for the 2024 Edo State election, Prof. Sunny Eromosele, popularly known as Mudiame, has promised to transform what he called the state’s dire condition through people-oriented policies.
Eromosele, who is running for the office of governor on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), described the state’s situation as alarming, citing poverty, hardship, and backwardness as factors exacerbating the dependency ratio.
Eromosele highlighted the issue of human trafficking, stating that Edo State has the highest number of trafficked persons according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), with a significant number of Nigerian sex workers in Europe originating from the state.
This statement aligns with the concerns of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who has emphasised the need for good leadership in the country.
At the Edo Policy Round Table in Benin City, which focused on “Contemporary Nigeria Politics: The Way Forward for Edo,” Eromosele praised Dr. Julius Abure, the national chairman of the party, for his contributions to national growth.
The programme, which was held in honour of Abure, was conducted in partnership with Mudiame University, Irrua, an institution established by Eromosele as key initiative to develop manpower in the state.
Eromosele called for action to address Edo’s socioeconomic challenges, including rising debt, unemployment, and a worsening exchange rate. He also emphasised the poor state of infrastructure in the State, with disarrayed roads and lack of investor confidence.
He stressed the importance of forums like the Edo Policy Round Table, which prioritises policy formulation for desired results, and called for action to reverse the dismal state of the economy.
Eromosele also highlighted the success story of Mudiame International Limited, which he founded in 1998, and how their focus on local content significantly altered situations in the industry.
Eromosele said his government, if elected, would prioritise people, environment, and resources through the right policies and strong implementation plans.
With a ‘Move Against Poverty’ (MAP) programme, Eromosele said it was high time for Edo to be ‘Restored, Increased, Secured and Empowered’ (RISE).
He added that under his leadership, Edo would focus on collective efforts to address the challenges facing the Edo State while working towards building a prosperous and equitable society for all.
Recall that Obi had noted that the problem of Nigeria was lack of planning and good leadership.
“Before I joined labour party, I told Julius Abure that I was told that people have told me that you and your leadership are going to allow the primary to be free and fair and since them our relationship has been on that basis,” he said.
For his part, the national chairman of Labour Party, Abure, said the September 2, 2024 Edo State governorship election affords the people of the state the opportunity to elect the right governor.
According to him, the state needed a bridge-builder who must be selfless and ready to take risks and make personal sacrifices at all times in the interest and well-being of Edo people.
He stressed that such a governor must have the capacity to bring all shades of persons together in order to achieve the objectives of developing the state and must have innovative ideas and openness to harness the state’s resources to create for the state.
