Prince Clem Agba
By Our Reporter
A frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the governorship election holding in the state on September 21, 2024, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, at the weekend, said he was going to free traditional rulers from the excessive power of the state governor to dethrone and/or suspend them, if he was elected governor of the state.
Prince Agba, who made the remarks at Ikpoba Okha local government area (LGA), during his continuation of consultation with party faithful and loyalists, said a situation where a governor could dethrone or suspend a monarch was not healthy for the traditional institution in the state.
“If elected governor, I will amend the law that gives such powers to the governor to dethrone or suspend traditional ruler,” he said.
Agba, who is a royalty and a son to the late Oliola (king of Uzanu in Etsako East LGA of the state), maintained that he would sponsor the amendment of the provisions of the Traditional Rulers and Chieftaincy Law of 1979. through the State House of Assembly.
He further said that the present situation where a governor would be in confrontation with the revered traditional rulers was a dent on the valuable culture and tradition of the state.
Agba had visited Ikpoba Okha, Oredo, and Egor local government secretariats of the party in Edo South senatorial district, for consultation with the party faithful, where he delivered to the crowded audience the message of hope, anchored on his ‘TRUST” [Transforming our Rural and Urban Spaces Together] Agenda
Agba, the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, intimated stakeholders of his intention to contest for nomination during the primary election of the APC.
He told his many loyalists that he was in the race to change the narrative of poor infrastructure development in the state.
At Ikpoba Okha, where a large turn out of women, men and youths welcomed him, Agba said as commissioner in the state during the administration of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, he was instrumental to the enactment of control measures of gully erosion in the area.
He said roads were also tarred during that period, lamenting that since then, nothing had happened.
He also noted that rather than add more infrastructure to the existing ones, buildings were being demolished by the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
He disclosed that data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the state inflationary rate stands at 26.6%, saying food shortage stands at 33.5%.
He said these were necessitated by poor road networks in rural areas, which makes the evacuation of farm produce near impossible with only about 40% getting to cities.
“These are things we want to deal with if elected governor,” he said.
He declared that he would not only build schools but also employ teachers, unlike the current situation of schools without teachers.
He said that if there were trained teachers in schools, pupils could compete with others at the international level.
“I want to produce students locally who can compete internationally like in our days. I am a product of local schools. If the education I had took me to the international stage, why not now? I will revisit the state of roads, schools, and hospitals in the state when given the opportunity.
“We will also revisit the urban renewal of Oshiomhole’s administration, which has been abandoned by the present government,” he said.
At Egor, Agba reiterated his desire to see to the development of the state from the grassroots to the top, away from the current situation every segment of the society had been abandoned.
At Oredo, the immediate past minister cleared the air on the allegation that he did not award contracts to indigenes of the state during his tenure as a minister.
He declared that his hands were tied because he was a junior minister who was not in a position to award contracts.
He explained that as a Minister of Stste for Budget and National Planning, he was not in a position to award contracts, but through his connections, he was able to attract projects to the state.
He said that because his mother died of cancer, he now operates a foundation – The Clem Agba Foundation – where women can be screened for cancer-related diseases free of charge and free vaccine to boot.
He said the foundation was in the memory of his late mother.
