I am compelled yet again to write this piece on our precarious economic situation which is evidently in the cold hands of malignant fate.
Investors have been increasingly worried and closely watching our weak fiscal position engendered by mediocrity and poor planning over the years.
Our team back in Europe made up of technocrats have also been worried about our state”s stagnant economy which has impacted abysmally on the economic lives of our people.
The resultant effect of this has been unprecedented increase in government borrowing, bout of political instability, appalling credit growth which has dampened business sentiment and triggered a prolonged economic slump. Our state debt overhang speaks volumes for this.
This ugly scenario has killed the enthusiasm to invest in our state which gave it the infamous acronym CSS – ‘Civil Servant State’
Edo has the potentials to be another Turin, an industrial heartland in the eurozone if proper and enabling economic policies are formulated and implemented to attract local and foreign investors.
As far back as my memory can take me on Edo economy which is pitiably in comatose many invigorating reforms were discussed extensively by our team of technocrats at the historic 2018 Turin Declaration which bordered on monetary, fiscal and structural reform policies to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.
We are not prophets of doom and should not be taken for one but genuine game changers to lead our people towards economic prosperity in the coming years.
Our people have been brazenly shortchaned and starved in the midst of plenty and this breaks our spirits which informed our interest and desire to throw our hats into the ring.
Part of our plans to resuscitate our ailing economy is to carry out massive fiscal reform to drive growth and reinstate our state’s GDP on a sustainable path.
My administration shall vigorously and resolutely increase spending on education for a higher skilled workforce to increase productivity.
However, it needs no gainsaying that our state’s treasury has been serially raped over the years without contraceptive shealths and billions of Naira carted away.
Our state has times without number received financial aid from foreign governments which has not been put to proper or judicious use.
It is not only heart-breaking but nerve-wrecking that such monies were diverted by our self-styled ‘perfect masters’ to give themselves a life of wealth and comfort in sprawling financial empires and republics while the bulk of our people live in rodents-infested tents!
Against this background, our team of technocrats shall embark on structural reform policies.
No effort shall be spared to boost infrastructure, entrepreneurship, investment, job creation, innovation geared towards productivity and potential growth as part of our burning desire to give our people better lives.
These, I assure you, will be painstakingly tailored, sequenced and prioritized.
We crave your active support to enable us implement to the last letter the resolutions of the historic 2018 Turin Declaration in Italy.
Iyoha John Darlington
Edo State Governorship Candidate Designate
Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN)