As the race for the 2015 election hot up, the race for Edo Central Senatorial District promises to be battle royal as Egheomhanre Eyieyien has thrown his hat into the ring to challenge the incumbent Elder Odion Ugbesia for the seat.
Eyieyien who said he is contesting the position to help restore the confidence of Nigerians in key sectors of the nation’s economy, described corruption as the single biggest threat to Nigeria’s prosperity, deadlier than the dreaded Boko Haram.
The politician who said his aim is to help clean up corruption from the country, vowed to use his office to make public all the monies being illegally paid to a Senator. “The present pay which is reportedly about N29million per month (no one knows the actual sum because of the opaque manner in which legislators handle their salaries and allowances) is scandalous, obscene and repulsive,” he said.
“It is a shame that public funds are doled out in that profligate manner in the midst of the dirt poverty in which about 70 percent of our people wallow.”
The aspirant promised that when elected he will only receive the remuneration duly approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission or other statutorily empowered authority and publish same accordingly.
While enumerating his three point legislative agenda for Esanland in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, which include; “Zero Tolerance for Corruption in Nigeria, Free and Qualitative Public Education up to Tertiary level for qualified Nigerian students and quality Public Health Care, Eyieyien vowed not to use public office to illegally enrich himself, his spouse, his children, his sibling, relatives, friends, associates and allies.
“I have made bold to declare my commitment to integrity here in unmistakable terms and I invite all of you to hold me accountable for what I have said here publicly when I am in the Senate by God’s Grace.”
He also promised to as a matter of priority, sponsor a bill in the Senate for “the reform of our educational system to ensure that Nigerian children are given free and qualitative education up to the university/polytechnic level and that Nigerian teachers are both well trained and well paid for the great task they are burdened with: the education of our posterity.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, I want to make clear that the new education policy means that school fees would be abolished and made illegal for Nigerians in all public schools.
“I will initiate an amendment of the Nigerian Constitution to make funding for education a first-line charge on the nation’s consolidated accounts and to ensure that it represents at least 10 percent of the Budget of the Federal Government.
“As a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will advocate and push legislation to ensure that at least 20 percent of the annual budget of the Federal Government is devoted to the health sector,” he assured.
