Bayelsa Polls: Mrs Eradiri Launches Campaign For Husband

 

Mrs. Teslima Abubakar Eradiri, wife of the Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa State come November  11, Udengs Eradiri has officially launched  campaign to mobilize women to enable   her husband to win.

Speaking in Yenagoa  on Monday after a meeting  with the LP women leaders in the eight local government areas, Mrs. Eradiri appealed to the women to begin grassroots mobilization in their areas to support her husband.

She said there was a need for the women to familiarize with themselves, understand her husband's vision for the state and take the message to their various communities.

She maintained that the LP candidate remains the best for the job adding that Eradiri would  transform Bayelsa from a spending state to an income-generating state for a better life for residents.

Mrs. Eradiri lamented that Bayelsa had been plagued with bad leaders adding that it was time to issue them a red card.

She  stated  "My husband wants a better life for children. He wants a Bayelsa State where people will come to, a state that has something that will attract people. We are not going to be a spending state, by God's grace, we are going to be an income generating state. 

"There must be something bringing people to Bayelsa State, where people will, 'say there is this hospital in Yenagoa, if you are looking for the best cancer doctor, it's in Yenagoa'. If you are looking for the best Orthopedic surgeon, it's in Yenagoa. If you are looking for a rice factory, it's in Yenagoa, if you are looking for a sugar mill, it's in Yenagoa. 

"That is the kind of dream that my husband has for the state. Oil is our major revenue in Nigeria and Bayelsa is the centre of this oil. But now when somebody comes into Bayelsa for the first time, you will begin to wonder if this is the Bayelsa. Is this the Yenagoa? Is this that wealthy state?"

"Then you will realize that Bayelsa State has been plagued with bad leaders, with greedy people who only wants to come in and fend for themselves and their families. They will come and marry ten wives while they are in office with state resources, living lavish lifestyle. 

"Udengs is well exposed and well travelled. He is not coming to empower himself. The truth of the matter is that If we don't do our best in supporting capacity for this state, we may end up leaving a legacy of shame for our children. 

"A lot of these our leaders in the state, their children cannot come back to this state to speak. What are you speaking on? Did you go to school in Bayelsa? 

"The parents are here but their children are abroad, in different schools. You cannot put children in schools here because even you cannot make it conducive enough for your children to school here. You don't even believe in the educational system, so why are you in government? 

"It is these things that have caused deep pain in our heart that has made Udengs come forward and say this is what he wants to change in the state. He wants a state that will be better for all of us, it may not be for us today, it will be for the generations coming. It will be for our young children and your grand children."

She also advised the women on the need to continuously sensitize the electorate especially at the rural areas on the processes of voting to avoid unnecessary mistakes that would lead to cancelation or voiding of votes on the election day. 

"Another thing we suggested was to have a sheet of what the ballot paper looks like and make it available to these people in the rural communities because if the people don't really understand how it looks on the ballot paper, they may make mistakes. 

"I noticed many people were making this mistake. They don't even know the political parties' logos so they just thumb-print on anyone and go. Some will come and thumb-printed and fold their ballot paper and the ink spill on another place.

"So that vote is completely invalid, it will look as if the person thumb-printed in two places. This is the kind of sensitization we should be doing in our rural communities".