Edo 2020: Coalition of traders, artisans endorse Obaseki, Shaibu
By Busola Samuel
In a carnival-like event at the weekend, a coalition of various trade unions and artisans in Edo State stormed the Edo State Government House in their numbers, to give their support to the second term bid of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, ahead of the September 19, governorship election.
The group led by their President and Chairman Mr. Collins Ohis, and the leader and grand patron Pa G.O. Ojo, paid glowing tributes and showered encomiums on the Governor Obaseki, Comrade Shaibu administration and pledged their unflinching loyalty and resolve to deliver them for a second term.
According to them, “We are here today to show our solidarity and support for you, our amiable and performing governor. We promised to deliver votes for you during the 2019 House of Assembly election and we performed accordingly, as all the candidates won their respective elections. We are also here today to assure you of our support in the forth-coming September election.
“Your Excellency, it is because of your generosity and kindness towards the traders, that we have come to say a very big thank you. We are also praying and hoping that you will even do more in your second term.
“When the local government levy was as high as N50,000, for small shop, we cried to you and you reduced the money to N8,000,” they praised the Edo state Governor.
The Chairman of the Association, Mr. Collins Ohis said: “These are the coalition of traders and artisans in Edo state. As you see them, they are over 37 associations represented today by their chairmen each.
Your Excellency, we thank you for the peace and progress the traders enjoys and we are here to promise you that we will work with you to achieve your re-election bid.”
On his part the President of the traders and the leader of the coalition, Pa G.O. Ojo, expressed gratitude to the Edo State Government for their commitment to humanity. His words:
“You have created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state. The delay of host community is what is dragging the construction of the standard market as pleaded by the traders association because the government has granted C of O already.”
Pa Ojo maintained that: “Since the inception of Governor Obaseki’s administration, the traders have enjoyed smooth running in their businesses as agberos(thugs and touts), no longer harass us like they did before, hence our decision to work with the governor.
“We are not politicians, but we appreciate good leadership and that is why we are here today to say, wherever you go, we will go. This group you are seeing today is the engine room of voters in Edo South,” they insisted.
While thanking the traders for their endorsement and massive support, Governor Godwin Obaseki said: “Politics/governance is not about money sharing, it is about putting the interest of the people first Like the saying goes, it is only when you work, you will eat..
“The Government of the people must serve vthe interest of the people and not the interest of any group or individual,” he said.
Benjamin Atu
senatorbenatu@gmail.com
