Igbuzor vows to occupy Delta Government House in 2015

                                                                  

                                                   Dr. Otive Igbuzor

Dr. Otive Igbuzor has declared his intention to contest the 2015 governorship election in Delta State under the All Progressive Congress (APC). The activist cum politician made his intention known on Friday when he hosted a section of the media at the exclusive Elomaz Hotels, Maryland, Lagos. Igbuzor said he was offering himself to serve the people of Delta State because in the past 15 years, the state has been under inept leadership that has stagnated the state. Dr. Igbuzor who preferred to be addressed as Activist-Politician because of his indomitable activism that has brought succour to many Nigerians, went down memory lane to recount his achievements as an activist and private businessman. According to Igbuzor who goes by the slogan, “I am different” with a message of change, promised the people of Delta State a different leadership that would turn their lives around for better when he eventually took up the mantle of leadership of the state come 2015.

He unfolded his Seven Steps to Greatness which included Education and Human Capital Development, Health Care Services, Infrastructural Development, Security of lives and property, Agricultural revolution, Industrialisation, Culture, Arts, Tourism and Sports. Expatiating on each of the Seven  Steps to G

reatness as he began with education and human capital development, he said the education sector would be revamped to ensure high quality of education; the type he enjoyed during his education days. He vowed to provide free education to the girl-child from primary school level to university level. According to Igbuzor, educating the girl-child was tantamount to educating a nation as women took care of the family. He affirmed that women would be given 35 percent allocation in his government as it has been proven that women were better managers. On human capital development, he promised to subject the workforce to regular and quality trainings to equip them adequately to enable them perform their duties efficiently.

On health care services, he said that he would ensure the provision of functional health care system that would guarantee good health for the people of Delta State which would in turn stimulate high productivity among public and private employees. Igbuzor promised to pursue massive infrastructural development in a highly reduced cost compared to what currently obtained in the state. Revealing what he would do to promote security of lives and property in the state, the governorship aspirant under the APC said he would adopt community policing, in-depth intelligence gathering and off course not jettisoning the idea of state police if it would be approved by the Federal Government. On agricultural revolution which is also one of the items in the agenda of the man who wants to occupy the Government House, Asaba, Igbuzor, made a commitment to invest massively in the agricultural sector which is the greatest employer of labour in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. He promised to prevent post-harvest losses that have hitherto discouraged a large population of farmers from continuing with their business of farming. To achieve this, the aspirant said he would construct silos and preservative centres to accommodate farm produce across the state.

To industrialise Delta State, Dr. Igbuzor opined that he would turn the state into an industrial hub by encouraging and promoting small and medium scale industries through the provision of industrial funds that would enable the indigenes have access to funds with which they could set up cottage industries. As Igbuzor put it, it would not be a difficult task to create industrial funds for the people of Delta State considering the huge federal allocation accruing to the state on a monthly basis. In addition, he promised to exploit the tax system which is the greatest source of revenue generation the world over, to derive additional funds to prosecute the total industrialisation of the state.

On Culture, Arts, Tourism and Sports, the Activist-Politician noted that these were money spinning avenues that have been neglected over the years but would be given adequate attention to make them functional and also add value to the society. According to Igbuzor, the tourism sector was still a virgin sector yet to be tapped and when exploited would have a multiplier effects on the economy of the state.

Asked if he was prepared for the task of leading the state as governor, Igbuzor answered in the affirmative, saying that he paraded the most intimidating credentials above those who had led the state in the past and those who might likely contend with him in the governorship election in 2015. In terms of experience in management, he said he had a wealth of experience that would enable him lead the people of the state effectively having been involved in many Non-governmental Agencies such as Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Patriotic Youth Movement of Nigeria (PYMN), Women in Nigeria (WIN), United Action for Democracy (UAD) and Democratic Alternative (DA) and also the current President, Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria. He told Journalists that he was one of the persons that drafted the Rwanda Constitution. When he was further asked on how he would overcome the problem of toxic votes that usually characterise elections in Nigeria and particularly in Delta State that have over the years denied true winners of elections from being declared the winners, Igbuzor said he was a master strategist and would shatter many myths that would dismantle moneybags and render election riggers irrelevant in the state.

He called on the people of Delta State to support him in propagating this message of change that would bring genuine change to the leadership of the state which would in turn affect the lives of the citizens positively.