Claims And Counter Claims Dominate As Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu Debate
Strong disagreements over approaches to governance and records took centre stage during the governorship debate between the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday.
Viewers who tuned in for the two-hour debate between Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC and Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP witnessed first hand the disagreements and issues that have seen the state witnessed one of the most controversial campaigns in recent years.
Both candidates, widely believed to be leading candidates for the September 19 election, disagreed on virtually every issue – job creation, debt profile, governance, qualification, and the facts that they built their plans on.
Beyond a handshake at the start of the debate, they would only agree on the need for community policing and the importance of a refinery project, the latter still sparked some disagreement.
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19:00 pm: Both Candidates, Godwin Obaseki and Osagie Ize-Iyamu arrive for the debate.
19:05 pm: Everyone rises for the national anthem.
19:07 pm: Both candidates talk about why they want to be elected governor.
19:30 pm: On Taxation,
Ize-Iyamu: We need to Abolish multiple taxation.
So many people are not in the tax net. We are going to support businesses to grow.
Obaseki: Pay as you earn accounts for the largest amount of taxes. What we have done is to try and expand that net.
We have also used technology to ensure that for the low income tax payers, we make it easy for them to pay their taxes.
19:37 pm: On Economic Agenda:
Obaseki: My predecessor in office borrowed recklessly and the Federal Government had to restructure all the debts had been taken before I came into office. The Federal Government restructured outstanding obligations to Edo State to the tune of almost N30 billion and that is what was responsible for adding to the debt stock not the borrowings from this administration.
Ize-Iyamu: It is scandalous to attribute the huge debt to a predecessor that you were the Chief Economic Adviser to.
Sometimes you seem to forget the role you played in the past government.
In the agricultural sector, the loan that the governor has collected is staggering the failed SUBE Project, two million went down the drain. The Agenegbode Rice Project, five billion went down the drain.
The oil-palm project, he collected N69 billion from the central bank and the money has been shared to cronies. No Edo person has benefitted from that money.
19:43 pm Is the Civil Service Over bloated/Will you cut down on the workforce?
Obaseki: No, but the problem is that it is overbloated. we need to bring in more people to work for government, smarter people and we need to train them.
Ize-Iyamu: No. I think the model that the governor has tried to adopt, is to reduce the workforce to the barest minimum. but unfortunately, whatever savings he thinks he is making, is not seen in capital projects.
The only vote that has been recorded is his security votes which has increased by over 100% but yet, there is no serious investment in the security sector.
