Mr Kenneth Imasuangbon, a lawyer, popularly called Rice Man is a leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the Labour Party, LP, in Edo State.
He has over 20 years experience in politics and says, in this interview, that he has street credibility and popularity, and is the right person to defeat the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the main opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the September 21 election. Incidentally, he had been a member of the PDP and APC at different times.
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What is your vision and mission for the people of Edo State, if elected?
First, by the grace of God Almighty, we will quickly and swiftly reduce the hunger, pain and disappointment that the past 20 years have visited on our people. For example, Edo State is landlocked now, you cannot enter because of bad roads. We will quickly, with direct labour, move resources to fix the roads entering Edo.
The greatest evil you can do to a people is for them not to have access to their state capital. We need massive infrastructural work and development.
We will proceed quickly, partnering with security agencies to secure Edo because we need investors and we have Edo Diasporans and other foreign investors that we need to come and invest in Edo. The state will have an industrial hub where youths and others will be engaged and Edo will be an attraction again.
We will open our tourism potentials which have not been exploited enough to open up the state.
I can assure you that agriculture will be a massive concern for attraction. We will have farm plantations, we will no longer share rice, what we will have will now be rice farms and plantations across the state. We will develop rice plantation, rubber plantation, palm oil plantation, cocoa plantation, and get our people back to the farms. We will take the products out for the country to earn income. We will not wait for allocation from Abuja alone, we will develop our economy, jump-start it with patriotism and blocking leakages, because when the people know that you are sincere they will follow you. we will not speak English, we will take our development to the street because it is the street that will vote for us. By street, I mean the people.
The Labour Party is crowded with so many aspirants, what is your reaction to this?
I am happy that we have a crowded race, it is good that we have that, it shows how appealing and acceptable our party is to Edo people. Don’t forget Benin is the headquarters of the Obidient Movement so the crowded race is better, no problem at all, whoever emerges, we will all work together because what we are seeing now is unacceptable.
Do you think you can get the ticket the way the party is crowded?
I am the most experienced, and consistent, I have the capacity and consistency, I know the game, the people know me because with the PDP and APC, you need a very popular person. The party needs a very popular and credible person to win the election that is known across the state and country and has the appeal of the voters.
I am the person that is known because you can’t go to war with the APC and PDP with a new person, you need somebody who is known not a stranger from Lagos or other parts of Nigeria, strangers will not be able to win for us, if you want to win, it is the Riceman. He is the man who knows the people, giving hampers for years, he is the man that can give victory to LP, you can’t push APC and PDP back if you don’t have the people, the battle is going to be between the godfathers and the streets and the streets will definitely win.
Mr Peter Obi is not going to be on the ballot, will that not be a minus for your party?
I am the Obi of Edo State. I am very popular, loved, and I am the victim of godfatherism. With me as the candidate, we will defeat the godfathers.
