Rice man returns: Says I’ll restore old glory

 
 Lawyer, educationist, and philanthropist, Barrister Ken Imansuagbon yesterday became the first to pick the Edo State governorship nomination form of the APC vowing that he would also be the first in the race to Government House, Benin. Accompanied by a huge entourage of supporters Imansuagbon, famed as the Rice Man and lately as the i-pad Man for his seasonal distribution of rice and recently i-pad to the less privileged said he would restore the lost glory of the state if elected into office.


Imansuangbon picked the Expression of Interest form at the APC national secretariat in Abuja. Affirming the primacy of the APC in the state, the aspirant said the state chapter of the party is united to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is not returned to power. “I am the number one person to pick the form and God willing I will be the number one person throughout the general election. “I have been consistent since 2004 because I believe that the people of Edo State need an experienced person to create jobs and address other issues. All my life I have been committed to creating jobs. Since 25 years ago when I left university, I have been creating jobs, and that is my cardinal objective when I take over from Adams Oshiomhole. “Secondly, my duty would be to strengthen our school system. Our school system is very weak. Gov. Oshiomhole has done his best, but that is not where we want to be as a people. I am well-equipped as an educationist to make schools work and give teachers hope and restore their pride. When I come in, schooling would be very interesting to students in Edo State.

“Thirdly, we would go back to till the land. I will boost agriculture. I will be the chief farmer in Edo State. I will take everybody back to the farm. We will create farm industries. There will be rice plantation in Auchi, Agenebode to be precise and other riverine areas across the three senatorial districts. “Rather than arm the police, I will arm our young ones to be in the farm,” he said. He promised to send at least 1,000 youths to Thailand to understudy their rice farming system with a view to replicating same in the state and exporting the produce back to Thailand. Asked on how he would source the finance for his programmes if elected, he said his administration would plug all revenue leakages and that having been in the private sector for years, funding would not be a challenge to him. He said his mission is to improve on what Gov. Oshiomhole has done “so that we would have a better state for our children and grand-children.” On the issue of zoning, Imansuangbon said he is not an apostle of zoning, but a believer in the need to get responsible and credible people into political offices. He hailed the leadership of the party for providing a level-playing field for all aspirants, saying if that continues “I will become the governor.”