The Edo State PDP Governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, said on Wednesday that he is with the Edo workers at their moment of discomfort and suffering over non-payment of their salaries running into 18 months by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, assuring them that he would stop their weeping when by the grace of God he assumes office as governor of the state in November this year.
The candidate of PDP stated this in a press statement issued by the Media Unit of his campaign organisation, while reacting to a peaceful protest by the local government workers over non-payment of their salaries, which crippled the entire economic and social activities in Benin City on Wednesday and sadly claimed the life of Murphy Ayewoh 53, from Esan North East.
Dressed in black attires, hundreds of staff members of different local government councils across the state, stormed Benin City on Wednesday in sorrowful and mournful moods and blocked major roads in the city protesting the non-payment of salaries.
The Edo State government had repeatedly lied that workers, including local government council workers, were not being owed salaries in Edo State.
Expressing solidarity with the workers and sympathy with the family of the late Victim, Pastor Ize-Iyamu described the action of the state governor as ungodly, absurd and inhuman for subjecting the good people of the state to untold hardship, especially at a time Oshiomhole induced some selected innocent women with N120 million for the purpose of election, when pensioners and local government workers have not been paid 10 to 18 months salaries.
According to Ize-Iyamu, ‘’It is only a wicked, insensitive and irresponsible governor that will deny the workers their salaries, especially when Oshiomhole just donated N120 million to some selected market women at the Dr.
Osaigbovo Ogbemudia Staduim, Benin-City, imploring them to support his anointed candidate .
‘’How did he spend the $225 million loan he took from the World Bank, which he said would improve the investment climate and increase the internal generated revenue of the state?
‘’How can the governor justify the N18m he pays to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Channels Television at every rally for live coverage — when workers are being owned salaries?
‘’Is it right and just for Oshiomhole to be giving each local government council N18m anytime he goes for campaign, spends millions of naira hiring touts and hoodlums and yet, the welfare of government workers means nothing to him?’’
The statement added that the situation in the state today is so pathetic that many workers have resorted to begging from the general public as result of non-payment of their salaries.
Ize-Iyamu reiterated that a vote for the ‘’continuity’’ on September 10 — as being canvassed by the APC, will be a vote for never-ending abject poverty, unemployment, insecurity and stealing of public fund in the state.
He therefore advised the people to completely reject the APC and its candidate in the coming election for subjecting them to indefinable suffering in the past seven and a half years.
