By Francis Onoiribholo / Bureau Chief, Benin
A Professor of Political Science and Secretary to Edo State Government, Julius Ihonvbere, has again said he was in politics to render service to the people.
He also announced his readiness to serve the Afemai people in particular at any level.
Ihonvbere, who was in the Etsako Central Local Government area to inform the people of his readiness to serve Edo North as a Senator come 2015, said, “When the Comrade Governor called me to serve in my present position, people said I won’t last one week as Secretary to Edo State Government and that how can a professor who has worked inside the (Aso) Villa and have travelled round the world with President Olusegun Obasanjo and have ran for governorship twice come down to be SSG.
“I said to them that if the reason to be in politics is to serve the people, you can do it at any level including being a councilor, council chairman, permanent secretary, SSG among others.
“I have dedicated my entire political life to the struggle to empower people, to liberate people from poverty and to fight injustice.
“It is that fight against injustice that took me to exile. I will continue to fight against injustice, poverty, oppression, maginalisation, corruption and abuse of power till I die”, he stated. Ihonvbere, who went down memory lane said: “I am a political scientist of international recognition and I have published political science books more than any political scientist in Nigeria and Africa. You can find out on the internet.
“Anywhere I have worked, my credibility, my integrity, my commitment to transparency, accountability, and social justice has been respected.” he added: “I am an Afenmai man, the Governor is an Afenmai man. Even if he calls me as an Afenmai man to come and serve as a Permanent Secretary, I will do it for him because his success is my success and our success.
“To the glory of God, the Comrade Governor and myself have never had argument one day because we have the same background of activism of opposition to the status quo, of revolution against the status quo of fighting oppression and injustice. So, we understand each other well. “Remember too that our brother the Governor will leave office in two years and some months, you will need a Senator who is a proud Afenmai man, a Senator who has a voice that people will hear, who can think and do research and analyse in a way that will impress his colleagues and the people who are watching to know that Afenmai people are not pushover,” Ihonvbere said.
The post I can serve Afemai people at any level – Ihonvbere appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper.