The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Friday, met with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN), and the Tippers Drivers Association (TDA) to canvass votes for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday, March 18 House of Assembly elections.
The governor, while addressing the various groups, urged Edo residents to accept and trade with the old N500 and N1000 notes in line with the Supreme Court judgement on the matter as they remain legal tenders till December 2023.
Obaseki, accompanied by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Comr. Philip Shaibu, among other top government functionaries, visited the State Headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Upper Siluko Road; the Secretariat of the Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN) at 2nd East Circular Road, and the State Office of the Tippers Drivers Association (TDA) at Ikpoba-Hill, all Benin City.
He charged, “Please, continue to use the old naira notes as it’s still a legal tender in the country till the 31st of December 2023 as declared by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Just let us know of any petrol station that fails to accept the old currency notes as such filling stations will be closed down. It should also be used in the market for trading and doing business in the State.”
Commending the people for coming out en masse to vote during the February 25 presidential election, Obaseki said the result of the elections was a revolt by the people against bad leadership, suffering, naira and petrol scarcity, high prices of food, among others caused by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He added, “The election of Saturday 18th of March 2023 is our election. I appeal to you to vote for PDP candidates to occupy the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) as this will be a vote to support our developmental strides in Edo State.
“You people helped us before to have 24 out of the 24 seats in the State House of Assembly but they all ran away, following their godfather, and only 10 remained in the House. They are now planning to come back to cause trouble for us in the State.”
Speaking with RTEAN members, Obaseki, “Edo is a transportation hub in Nigeria as it connects all regions in the country and as such, it becomes important and necessary to organize our transportation here in Edo State.
“We need peace, security, and progress in Edo and to have these, we need the State House of Assembly to achieve it.”
He further told the tipper drivers, “We are compiling the various roads to be constructed in the State to aid development and growth. In some weeks’ time, we will invite you here to help us inaugurate the construction of the Temboga Road.”
Assuring security of lives and property during and after the polls and urging voters to come out en masse to vote for the PDP, the governor said, “I heard that those enemies of the State were in town and are recruiting thugs to disrupt the election. Please, for those who know them, please warn them to stop all their plans so that they will not regret their actions.”
In their separate response, the Chairman of NURTW, Chief Odion Olaiye, Chairman RTEAN, Comrade Charles Momoh and that of the Edo Tipper Drivers Association, Comr. Austin Nosa Uhumwangho, hailed Obaseki for his developmental strides in the state, pledging to come out on March 18 to vote for the PDP.
