HoRs: Half Of My Earnings Will Go To The Poor, Needy If Elected— Edojah

-Promises To Simplify The Recall Process For Non-Performing Legislators

-Says Igbakpa Would Have Learnt The Ropes, Not A Threat To His Ambition

By Daniel Dafe

The House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ethiope Federal Constituency, Chief Solomon Edojah, has promised to use 50 percent of his earnings to cater for the needs of the poor and needy in his area on a monthly basis, if voted in to represent the people in the Green Chambers, come February 16, 2019.

Chief Edojah spoke to Oasis Magazine (OM) during an exclusive chat at his Kokori residence in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State.

According to him, empowerment is more than buying Keke Napep, sewing machine or motorcycle for people, adding that the needs of people vary.

“Imagine what N20, 000 or N50, 000 on a monthly and sustainable basis will do for the poor and needy,” he said.

Continuing, the House of Reps hopeful said: “I am in the contest because we are yet to have a role model from Urhobo Nation in the House of Representatives.

People just wake up, look at how much money they have and decide to run. Those that have gone there before now have actually mismanaged that precious opportunity to showcase the kind of people the Urhobos are and what makes them special. Rather, they showcase the negative aspects and now we are like suspects everywhere we go.

“I want to change the narrative so that whosoever wants to represent us in the future will examine his or her conduct and pedigree if they are befitting for that high office before they decide to join the race.”

“During my time as the Special Adviser on Mass Mobilization to the Governor in Delta State, I introduced town hall meetings in the state. So, voting me will bring about an uncommon collaboration between the people and government.

“I am into real estate and if I sell a property and make up to N5, 000000 or N10, 000000 million, I organize grants for the needy every quarter. I hope to begin this again when I am elected. There is no community that I have not touched. Go and ask the Emudainohwos of Abraka. Many have come to this compound to collect their grants.

“As a former House of Reps member, if when I was elected in 1992 the military did not push us out, people would have been coming here to beg me to run now because of my performance then.

“When I win now, I will be able to keep my covenant with God to help the poor and needy; not the greedy. You can satisfy people’s needs, not their greed.”

Talking about his manifesto, Edojah opined that the people of Ethiope East should expect adequate representation, adequate feedback in form of regular town hall meetings and adequate benefits, coined as the ‘AAA’ agenda.

He continued: “I do not like people coming around me for monetary benefits. Rather, it should be an issue of them investing to reap the benefits later from my representation.”

Speaking about his mission to the House of Reps, he said: “One of the things I will do in the house is to simplify the recall process of legislators. It is too tedious. When you are fed up with your legislators you are harmless and do not have the power to recall them. That process has to be simplified. I will join any team or group of persons that would want to make that change so that when people are fed up with their legislator they do not have to go through a cumbersome process to recall them back.

“You saw the case of Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Melaye. Despite all the resources deployed by him, he could not recall him because when an aspect of it failed he could not remove him. Recalling a legislator is too cumbersome.”

Edojah who sounded optimistic and sure of his success at the forthcoming polls, said the feedback from his unit to unit campaign has been very encouraging.

His words: “We interact and interface and not just gather crowds to campaign grounds and start speaking from a podium. I ask them during my unit to unit visits what their needs are and after my victory I would go round again to write the needs of my people which will be a social contract between me and the people.”

Chief Edojah debunked speculations that Igbakpa was a threat to his victory in the coming elections, adding that the PDP candidate “would have waited and learnt the ropes.”

“He was a commissioner and I am sure he never knew that one day he would decide to go and represent his people. I was told that during his time as commissioner he destroyed the motorcycles of many okada riders.  There are two lines of stories. One narrative said that he burnt them another said he carried them to Onitsha and sold them.

“So for someone who wants to represent the poor and the needy in the society to have done that beats the imagination.

“I am an importer of okada and know what it takes to get an okada. He burnt them without compensating them. In advanced society that is enough for an individual to commit suicide or do things that are terrible. With what he has done to the poor, he should not be able to walk freely. I am still the patron of the okada riders in the state. They thought if they ban it, I will not have any means of livelihood.”