2023 Polls: My Work Will Speak For Me, Says Edema

Niyi Olutunde, Akure

According to Robin S. Sharma, Leadership is not a popularity contest; it’s about leaving your ego at the door. The name of the game is to lead without a title.

My attention has been drawn to a publication in vanguard newspaper dated 26 January 2022 with the headline 2023 Election: Ilaje leaders tackle Ondo deputy governor over alleged imposition of Rep candidate.

The Ilaje leaders under the auspices of the llaje Patriotic Youths Movement, IPYM in Ondo state stated that “the Deputy Governor, who hails from Ugbo decided to support the immediate past Chairman of OSOPADEC, Hon. Gbenga Edema is from Mahin in the same council area because of his 2024 governorship ambition”. (sic)

The statement jointly signed by its President, Comrade Edamisan Agbudeloye and Secretary, Benjamin Ajimuda says the group has been monitoring the movement of the Deputy Governor to prevent any Ugbo son or daughter from getting elective federal positions in the APC government, saying that this will shut out the Ugbo Kingdom.

I want to say this is fallacy cooked by some cowards who are afraid of Gbenga Edema’s rising profile.

The contest to represent the people of Ilaje/Ese-odo at the National Assembly should not be based on sentiments but capacity, competence and acceptability of a candidate by the people to be represented.

All things being equal, Hon. Olugbenga Edema is eminently qualified to represent the people in the National Assembly.

A man who has taken many political responsibilities for over 20 years with good delivery. He is tested and trusted.

Since 1989, as a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo university, Ile-Ife, Gbenga Edema has been active in different political activities since he joined the Peoples Solidarity Party, PSP, one of the 13 political associations abrogated by General Ibrahim Babangida and later Social Democratic party, SDP, one of the two Political parties formed by General Babangida as well.

As a young man, Hon. olugbenga Edema was a key player in the aborted Third republic of the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime. “He was one of the five national delegates of the social Democratic party, SDP in the Jos 1993 national convention that produced Bashorun MKO Abiola as the standard bearer of the SDP for the June 12 annuled election.

With the return of Democracy in 1999, Edema joined the PDP and was made the personal assistant to the commissioner representing ondo state on the governing board of NDDC from 2001-2004, a position in which he performed meritoriously.

He was thereafter elected in 2011 on the platform of LP to represent the good people of Ilaje constituency 2 (Mahin, Aheri and Etikan) as member Ondo state House of Assembly from 2011-2015.

As a member of ODHA, he was the chairman house committee on Osopadec.

It is worthy of note that he brought to limelight the agitation of the people of ilaje local government area for the linking of Ilaje local govt to Lagos through the Araromi sea side – Lekki road by influencing it to be captured in the federal ministry of works 2014 budget.

The said road has now attracted the attention of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN Governor of Ondo State, who has been working assiduously to have that road constructed and delivered.

Due to his sterling performance, he was appointed by Arakunrin Akeredolu as the Chairman of Osopadec in 2017.
As the chairman of Osopadec, Edema was responsible for: the renegotiation and award of the Aboto- Atijiere road; Asphalt laying of the Alape junction to Araromi sea side road; Construction of over 90km walkway within the communities in Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas.

Completion of the water treatment, distribution and reticulation of the water project at Aboto; Award of Scholarship and bursary to students of ilaje and ese-odo local government area consistently for four years; Supply of customized exercise books to all the public primary and secondary schools in Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas; Registration of young girls from Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas into the BEMORE program of the wife of Ondo state Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, where they were trained in various vocational skills alongside the distribution of laptops to aid their learning; In the area of employment, Edema facilitated the employment of over 170 able bodied men and women into Osopadec during his tenure as chairman. (A feat that was last performed in 2006.); He created the investment portfolio for Osopadec through the incorporation of the Coastville Global Resources Limited and Memphis Micro Finance Bank. These enterprises are going concern and have also given lots of unemployed youths the opportunity to be gainfully employed and financially independent.

Gbenga Edema is an asset to Ilaje/ Ese-odo local government area and Ondo state as a whole.
The desire to represent the constituency is Borne out of the quest and burning desire to continue to give hope to the hopeless and help facilitate development in all ramifications to the people of Ilaje/Ese-odo federal constituency and by extension the people of Ondo state.

Therefore, it will be out of hand to think Hon. Olugbenga Edema will be riding on the back of a particular person(s) to win a seat in the National Assembly.

There’s no need for any form of imposition of Edema on the people because the little contribution he has made to Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency in the past years is enough to earn him the trust, needed support and votes of the people to represent their interest in the National Assembly.

Skill and confidence are an unconquered army. Hon. Olugbenga Edema has the skills to turn things around positively and has the confidence that Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency will be positively represented if given the chance.

E-signed

Ayokunle Adumashi

Media Consultant to Hon. Olugbenga Edema.