Prince Clem AgbaÂ
By Our Reporter
past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning and frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of the All progressives Congress (APC), Prince Clem Ikanade Agba has said that, once elected as Edo State governor, his administration would pursue a massive infrastructure and rural development in Edo Central senatorial zone.
Agba spoke while continuing his statewide consultations with political leaders and his loyalists in the local government areas. The consultation meetings saw his entourage visit Igueben, Irrua and Ekpoma in the Central zone on Tuesday.
He apprised the political stakeholders with his TRUST (Transforming our Rural and Urban Spaces Together) Agenda
Agba’s visit was characterized by pomp at every port of call, including the seven local government areas already covered by his team in Edo South Senatorial Zone.
Agba decried the infrastructure decay that had bedeviled the senatorial district and how it had affected the economic life of the locality, and the state in general.
Speaking on his TRUST agenda which he termed the panacea that would engender infrastructure rejuvenation, economic restoration and sustainable development in Edo State, he said it would be the thrust of his administration.
He said as governor, he would ensure inclusive government that would address the state’s development malaise, using the bottom-to-top approach that involved a comprehensive and simultaneous development of the rural areas alongside the urban space.
Agba appealed for the support of the leaders of the APC in the Local government to enable him emerge as the party’s standard bearer in the forthcoming election.
Leaders and LGA stakeholders present at the consultations, in their separate remarks, were united in their positive assessment of Prince Agba’s personality and his stewardship.
They agreed that he would make a fine Governor and prayed that God would grant his heart’s desires. They assured PCA of their support.
At Ekpoma, the administrative headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area, where he attended Bendel State university (now Ambrose Ali University), it was for him a homecoming of sorts.
Agba, who relished the nostalgic feelings of his studentship of the prestigious University, he expressed gratitude to the community for the training and character molding he got while` he was studying in Ekpoma which made him better equipped for the challenges of life.
He bemoaned the pitiable state the incumbent administration has plunged the once prestigious institution into and promised to restore it to the glory of the good old days and strive to even surpass it.
Speaking on his TRUST AGENDA, he said he was coming into the race for governorship very prepared as Ekpoma through his TRUST Agenda would become a metropolitan city on his watch as governor of Edo State. He, again, sued for the support of the leaders in the LGA, promising not to let them down.
The visibly excited leaders and party faithful, which included LGA women, praised the unique candor of Agba and commended him for all the incredible feats he was able to achieve as immediate past minister of state for Budget and National Planning.
They commended him for the projects he attracted to the Local government area and Edo Central as a whole, even as they noted that he had been tested and could be trusted, and assured him of their support.
The Prince Clem Agba team, despite the scorching Edo Central Sun rounded off the day’s tour with the last stop over at Irrua, the administrative headquarters of Esan Central Local Government Area where Agba also preached the gospel of his TRUST agenda.
He stated that he had fond and indelible memories of the senatorial district, and reiterated the fact that he was educated in Edo Central, bagging his Higher School Certificate (HSC) at Advanced College, Igueben, now College of Education, Igueben and a first degree in Economics from Bendel State University.
He added that as a local government with predominantly agrarian communities, Esan central had not been able to harness the full potential and benefits of agriculture due to failed and insufficient infrastructures, especially access roads.
This, he said, had resulted in a sizable percentage of their agricultural produce perishing without getting to the market, thereby affecting the economy of the district.
He said as a full-blooded Edo Man, his administration would be all-encompassing, with development in infrastructures, healthcare services and the restoration of the educational sectors in Edo central as major priorities for him.
He promised to align the State developmentally with the federal government so that all federal highways that pass through the senatorial district would receive the deserved attention.
Agba emphasized that the TRUST agenda was the vehicle that would birth the Edo of our dreams.
The people of Irrua and the APC leadership in the locality welcomed the aspiration of Agba, noting that he was very qualified for the job and assured him of their support.
They prayed to the Almighty God to grant his heart desires and help him to fulfill all his promises when he becomes the party’s standard bearer and eventually become governor.
