Former Buhari Minister formally join Bayelsa Guber race .Decry over alarming rate of abject poverty, insecurity

                                                                     
 Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the immediate past minister for Agriculture for state in President Muhammadu Buhari’s first tenure on Saturday in Yenagoa, has formally declared to contest the November 19 governorship election in Bayelsa state under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 Senator Heineken Lokpobiri

                                                                                           
                                                                            

   Making his declaration, Senator Lokpobiri decried over the alarming rate of abject poverty and insecurity in the state, stressing that he would address the scenario if given the mantle of leadership through overwhelming endorsement of his candidature.

   Lokpobiri, who expressed pleasure over Ogbeh’s support, described his former boss as his mentor and father adding that Ogbeh was the brains behind his ambition to rule Bayelsa.

His words“One day I was talking with him, Chief Ogbeh said to me, ‘Heineken Lokpobiri you have to go and rescue your people’. I didn’t know what he was talking about because he said it about three years ago. But on another occasion, he repeated it. So, the person, who actually started this rescue mission, is chief Ogbeh”, he said.

   He described as amazing the level of insecurity and hunger in Bayelsa saying it was a testimony of the government’s failures in its primary responsibility.

Senator Lokpobiri and his entourage visited the state working committee of the party led by the APC Chairman, Jothan Amos at the party’s Secretariat in Yenagoa before the formal commencement of the event.

   The aspirant informed members of the state executive committee of the party of his intentions to contest for the APC ticket saying he was the only one with the seriousness, commitment and preparations for the governorship ticket of the party.

   

   Inaugurating the campaign office of the aspirant along Isaac Boroh Expressway, Biogbolo,Yenagoa, to fly the flag of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the November governorship election in Bayelsa State, the Former Minister for Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, endorsed the aspiration of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri , who served under him as a Minister of State for Agriculture, pointing out that he was  most qualified to seek the governorship ticket of the party.

Chief Audu Ogbeh

        According to him Lokpobiri having served in many capacities including working under him for about four years deserved the support of the people of the state to form the next government.

   He said: “Heineken is like a son to me. We worked together in the ministry of agriculture for three and half years. You know his history. You know him and he knows you. He has experience, knowledge and intelligence. When we were in the ministry, we were always discussing the big problems of Nigeria today, the problem of unemployment.

   “We realize that what we need to do is to create jobs. If you give Lokpobiri a chance and I believe you will, he will not let you down. So, please work hard for him and give him all the support and make sure he gets into the government house.

  “You will be grateful to God at the end of this exercise that you brought somebody in who has capacity and understand your problems. Give him a chance and support him. He knows your problems and I can assure you that from the rest part of the country, we will give him the support he needs to make sure he wins.

   “I am talking to you as one of the founders of the APC. I was one-time chairman of the PDP. When I saw that things were going wrong, I wrote a letter to the then President. He didn’t like the letter, I resigned.

   “We formed the APC. I was the chairman of the manifesto committee in APC. It took us four months to do the merger and we won the election. I am assuring you that with the kind of friendship Heineken had gained at the Centre, with his intellectual capacity as a lawyer, I assure you that you will live to enjoy it”.

In his opening remarks, the Director-General, Heineken Lokpobiri Campaign Oraganisation (HLCO) said following the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) it was not yet time for campaign.

   “We invited you here to be part of history-making occasion, a process to enter the Government House of Bayelsa State. They said we are not popular in Bayelsa but we proved them wrong in the last election. As we commission this campaign office, the process of our journey to Government House has started”, he said.