LP, ADC gov candidates woo voters with free education, others

The candidate of the Labour Party for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, Chief Sola Ebiseni, has promised to implement a free and compulsory education policy if elected.

Ebiseni also promised to execute programmes and projects that would positively impact the people.

The candidate stated this during his campaign in the Akure South Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.

Addressing the people, Ebiseni listed free education, which comprises mega schools, payment of the West African Examination Council fees for final year students and provision of free buses for movement of students to and from schools throughout the state and free health services, including free delivery for women in the mother and child hospitals, as it was during the Labour Party government of Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

He said, “The state has a comparative advantage in the abundance of coastal and forest resources, including minerals dotting the landscape.

“On education, our administration will ensure free, qualitative and compulsory education till the end of secondary school such that, from day one of our administration, no child of school age will be out of school, while tertiary education will be greatly subsidised.”

Ebiseni also promised to prioritise security by ensuring the safety of farms in the 18 local government areas of the state.

Also, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the Ondo State governorship election, Mr Myson Nejo, has declared that his party would win the election.

Nejo hinged his optimism on the response from the people during the party’s electioneering, which he said had been reassuring and positive.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, he said he thought his party would win the election without taking the option of buying votes.

He said, “I’ve visited many towns and villages in the 18 local government areas. One thing I’ve noticed is that money is a huge part of the issues we face.

“Everything revolves around money. People won’t take action unless there’s money. They shouldn’t need money to vote. What matters most is breaking away from that cycle (vote buying). If we do that, we’ll see the real changes we desire.

“Everywhere I go, people say, there’s no money, there’s no food,’ and it’s heartbreaking. This is happening because of bad leadership in our state.

“By bad leadership, I mean that leaders don’t manage the resources we already have. There is money in this state, but it’s not spent where needed.

“For instance, the governor receives about N1.5bn monthly, and in sectors like agriculture, funds are allocated, but no impact. If we managed resources well, this state could afford a minimum wage of  N100,000. The problem is the wastefulness of leaders in this state.

“Just in the last eight months of this present administration, over N100  billion has been collected, yet people don’t see the benefits.”

Speaking on the areas to focus more on, if elected, the candidate said he planned to prioritise the security,  agriculture and health sectors of the state.

“People need to feel safe going to the market or their farms. With quality healthcare,  everything else will follow, including education and infrastructure,”  Nejo said.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders to ensure free and fair elections.

According to him, if the elections were free and fair, the ADC would defeat the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and other parties in the poll, going by the love of the people of the state for him.

“I’m not afraid of APC or PDP; I don’t care about them. If the election is conducted fairly, the people’s choice will prevail, the people love it and we shall win the election,” he said.