- I’m the best candidate for the job – Charles Airhiavbere
Ahead of the September 21 Edo State governorship election, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary and an All Progressives Congress aspirant, Ernest Afolabi Umakhihi, has sent a strong warning to any corrupt inclined civil servant in the state even as he seeks to occupy the state’s number one seat.
Umakhihi said he has what it takes to stamp out corruption as a man who rose to the highest Civil Service position as a Permanent Secretary.
The former Permanent Secretary who was at the APC National Secretariat Abuja on Tuesday to submit his nomination and expression of interest forms, said while addressing journalists that he will implement strategies to ensure Edo State civil service is ridden of corrupt practices.
“If I was corrupt as permanent secretary I would have left the public space for now, you wouldn’t have been seeing me. But I’m coming out because I’m clean.
“I know what it takes to have a civil service that is corruption-free and I will implement those strategies to ensure that the state is without the blemish of corruption.”
He said he is the best man for the Edo State governorship position and added, “My resolve to govern Edo State is borne out of the need and desire of my people to experience real governance that will touch every Edolite.
“I am one who has served at the top echelon of the Federal Civil Service; I have served as a Director in several ministries from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to the National Sports Commission, Federal Ministry of Sport, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“I have had extensive diplomatic interaction because my oversight then covered over 116 diplomatic missions as at the time I was serving there.
“So having retired from service now is the time for me to concentrate solely on Edo State and my slogan has always been if I could do it without making any electoral promise, now I want to make one which I must fulfill.
“But I want to tell you that as it stands, I am the best man for this job.”
While reacting to the issue of an anointed son, Umakhihi said, “I will say I am the anointed candidate of God and everybody will follow God’s will and design.”
In a related development, another APC aspirant, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) has said he has what it takes to collapse the structures of the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party in the state into the APC in the forthcoming election.
Gen. Airhiavbere, who was at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday to submit his nomination and expression of interest forms said the party needs a candidate with the capacity to face the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki.
The retired Army General said, “The governor took our mandate to PDP, so we are ready to take it from him. The man with the capacity must face him to make sure we return this mandate to the APC. That’s why I’m in the race.
“I can assure that I have the capacity to collapse structures in PDP and LP to add to what we already have in APC.
Airhiavbere who was PDP governorship candidate in 2012, before joining the APC, said he’s the best candidate to face the Godwin Obaseki-led Edo governorship election train.
“We are going to work tirelessly to make sure that APC will present the best candidate, and I can assure you the best is the one standing right before you. That’s why I have said in my slogan that it’s my turn,” he said.
