SHALL WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY? – Jude Idehen
Hon. Jude Idehen is contesting for the seat of House of Representatives Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
We have consulted widely across all 20 wards of Egor and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas and analyzed the challenges facing our nation and constituencies. We have a robust blueprint based on the PDP manifesto to serve as a springboard for our constituency, placing her on a sunlit path of holistic development and material prosperity, and our Nigeria into a land where truth, justice and liberty reigns. These ingredients will satisfy our thirst and quest for unity and progress that for far too long have eluded us.
I shall be part of those that will use the chambers of the Nigerian National Assembly to prepare a new bed for our country.
Ours is a genuine road map, within which are enshrined precise foundational, yet indispensable principles that are key to peace and progress in a pluralistic society like Nigeria.
We must transform our constituency and protect her citizens from the present unacceptable condition.My cardinal principles are enshrined in an agenda code-named the “RESCUE” mission. The “RESCUE” mission offers measurable commitments that will be implemented with passion, single-mindedness, incisive competence and experience. The RESCUE mission is an acronym for:
R– Rule of Law
E– Exact True Federalism
S– Secularity
C– Constitutionalism
U– Unity
E– Empowerment and Constituency projects
Rule of Law
It is no news that successive administrations have made attempts to forcefully unite Nigerians employing centralism and coercion. It is also true that the repeated failure to do so implies the necessity of a new strategy to unite our nation. Justice is the most potent instrument with which a nation can stay glued and in perfect harmony and co-existence. Unfortunately, we are citizens of a country where justice is often denied, sacrificed, continually perverted and habitually mocked. It is almost only in Nigeria that because of the lack of accountability, nepotism, and gross impunity, giant camels, even if they are carrying hippopotamuses on their backs, easily pass through the eye of a needle. There can be no lasting peace or progress in any nation until its public officials are fully accountable to the people and answerable to the law.
Hence, we must wage a peaceful revolution for the supremacy of the rule of law in all facet of our polity. I will be one of the arrowheads of this peaceful revolution.
Exact True Federalism
As dictated by our constitution, the Federal Government is a monstrous octopus; its tentacles will continue to be a clog on the progress and unity of our people. Our constitution must devolve far greater power from the central government to the federating units of Nigeria. Dispersing power will help secure our freedom, increase citizens’ participation as well as structural, functional and institutional effectiveness. We must wake up and summon that uncommon courage and creativity to err on the side of subversion and on the compulsion to rule a multi-ethnic country in a militarist unitary fashion. Restructuring is key.
Secularity
Theology is the mother of all philosophy; people ultimately become whatever they theologize. Nigeria is a heterogeneous nation and Nigerians must be free to believe or not believe in God. Those who choose to believe in God must be free to worship Him or Her in whatever way they choose so long as their own freedom does not impinge on the freedom of others. Religion should not become a contrivance for heating the polity and sowing strife as it has for far too long strained our politics and divided our people. Nigeria is a secular nation and I will work hard to enforce this.
Constitutionalism
Forged and foisted on us by a cabal of military adventurers, our present constitution is incoherent and inapplicable in several regards. Conscious effort must be made and deliberate steps taken to replace it with a testament that emanates from the sovereign wishes of our people. The present arrangement, having been sown on the winds of certified fraud, has had us embroiled in endless controversies and turmoil. We must summon the courage and ingenuity to provide for ourselves a constitution that will reflect our hopes, assuage our fears, and minimize our conflicts. Such a constitution must be freely negotiated. Hence, I will work hard for a freely negotiated constitution emerging via a Sovereign Conference like that of 2014 and any other.
Unity
Truly, Nigerians are trapped in ethno-religious sentiments. In addition, a ‘them-versus-us’ dichotomy is a nagging thorn in the Nigerian flesh. We often fail to listen to and empathize with the anguish of one another. Why is it so difficult for all of us to see the flagrant injustice inflicted on our oil-producing areas, the incessant terror and killings in many parts of the country? We must not all be Bini, Ogoni, Ijaw, Yoruba or Fulani before we can identify with a just cause. Let us stop perishing or stagnating together in the floods of needless conflicts. Let us bring down fences of segregation and invest in constructing bridges of understanding. We can collaborate to hasten the infrastructural development of our Northeast; we can terminate the injustices meted to our south-south, and accelerate the educational development of our Northwest. Southwest and the Southeast can be structurally unchained and thus, develop at whatever pace that suits them. As a legislator, I will work hard to sober reflection, gentle persuasion, robust analysis and essential compromise in the National Assembly.
Empowerment and Constituency projects
Youth empowerment is a process where young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives. They do this by addressing their situation and then act to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness through their beliefs, values, and attitudes.
Achievements of Hon. Jude Ise-Idehen as member, Edo State House of Assembly Representing Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area 2007-2015
EDUCATION:
He renovated over 6 blocks of classrooms in Oregbeni Primary School in ward 2
He provided tables and chairs in Ogbesun primary school in ward 3
He built 3 blocks of classrooms with headmaster’s office in Ewomodu Primary School in ward 4
He built 3 classroom blocks for Umelu Secondary School, Umelu in ward 5
He built 3 classroom blocks at Evboriaria Primary School in ward 6
He renovated 6 classroom blocks in Enikaro Primary School in ward 7
He provided tables and chairs for Urura Secondary School in ward 4
SECURITY:
He renovated the Police Station in Ologbo. Over the years, Ologbo has been the bedrock of crime and violence, and this made the community volatile and insecure. By renovating the police station, he motivated the police officers and spurred their enthusiasm to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
ELECTRICITY:
He provided over 10 transformers across the 10 wards in Ikpoba-Okha constituency.
At Evbomoma Village in ward 9, the indigenes sought his intervention in assisting them with street lights, which he promptly provided.
SOCIAL WAREFARE:
While at the state house of assembly, he sponsored a bill for hospitals to always treat bullet wound victims without prior requirement of a police report.
He also renovated several health centres in Ikpoba-okha Local Government Area.
He also supported orphanages and the homeless indigenes with shelter, books, clothes and finance, powered by an NGO (IYOBOSA HELPING HAND) that was overseen by his wife, Mrs. Gabina Ise-Idehen.
He has managed to create a relationship with the Muslims and Christians alike by providing beverages, food stuffs such as yam, rice, and rams for the Muslims during their fasting seasons.
He gave small scale business grants to the women in Ikpoba-okha Local Government Area.
He also empowered the youths by giving them resources like cell phones and recharge cards to start call centre businesses as well as capital for other start-ups.
WATER:
During his first and second year in the state house of assembly, all the wards were provided with borehole facilities, from ward 1 to ward 10.
Over 25 boreholes were sank in the various communities
BILLS OPPOSED:
Land Use Bill: As member Edo State House of Assembly, he strongly opposed the passage of the Land Use bill introduced by the then state government to oppress the poor.
Iyamho University: He also opposed the establishment of the Edo state University Iyamho stressing the need to first upgrade and standardize the current tertiary institutions in Edo State such as the College of Education Ekiadolor, College of Agriculture Iguoriakhi, Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma, and the Michael Imodu College of Physical and Health Education, Afuze.