SENATE DEP. WHIP, ALIMIKHENA STORMS EDO NORTH, EMPOWERS CONSTITUENTS; Better Days Ahead, He Says

Among the political elites and office holders including representatives in the National Assembly in the nation's capital, some have taken the responsibility of providing empowerment schemes that would be beneficial to their constituents.

In Edo state, one gentleman stands out due to the empowerment programmes and schemes he has put before his people.

By Benjamin Atu/Emmanuel Onotevure

That is the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and the Senator representing Edo North Senator Francis Alimikhena.

In a show of appreciation to his people the Distinguished Senator stormed his constituency for the Phase 2 empowerment programme with a promise that "better days are ahead of the people of Edo North".

"We will accommplish all we set out to do, once the 2017 budget is implemented Edo North will not remain the same", he assured.

In the Edo North Senatorial Constituency, the Distinguished Senator has provided Educational Scholarships and the facilitation of employment opportunities including the provision of necessary assistance to those who do not fall between those categories.

In his desire to empower his constituents, Senator Alimikhena strove to ensure that Market Women, Artisans and petty traders who are mostly deprived, need more financial support and empowerment materials to enhance their businesses.

This necessitated the presentation of Keke Napep, Motorcycles, Grinding machine and generator set for saloon owners by the Senator but then, such a commendable gesture, should not be undermined.

As usual with critics, some have already taken over the social media space to condemn the empowerment program which is slated for today, 03rd June, 2017.

The physically challenged in the society are also, beneficiaries of the largesse as a good number will be provided with wheelchairs.

As a grassroot personality who was born into hardship and faced with the challenge of trekking miles to fetch water and attend school, Francis Alimikhena understands the language of poverty than anyone else.

His passion and concerns about the less fortunate in his constituency today, was due to his poor upbringing and struggles in life. He knows the pain of the poor than the poor themselves because himself was born into a life of struggle.

It is therefore, curious that criticisms, and hate speeches from certain quarters  against the Edo North Senator in some online publishing medium criticising the empowerment program as a misdirection, is indeed a reckless statement by the author and sponsor of such publication.

However, it is not unexpected because even Jesus was disowned by his own people.

Of course, people have been heard from other states who lamented that their Senators and representatives have never shown up in their senatorial district two years after election. Yet, here, we are not having value for our performing Senator.

Alimikhena may not have met our individual expectations but that does not mean he has not fulfilled our collective needs.

These sponsored thugs and critics who refer to Senator Alimikhena as a (Ghost) Senator representing Edo North are purely not from the Edo North Senatorial district. Their media statement has shown how absent they have been from the current realities of performance in Edo North.

Today, even the blind can feel the impact of the ongoing road construction in various local government within Edo North. The Fugar/Ayogwiri/Agenebode road and the Akoko Edo Township road are not hidden projects from the public to behold.

It is therefore a display of ignorance for some individual to refer to a Senator who has come to brief his constituency of the journey so far as a ghost Senator.

The Edo North Senator is the most accessible and available Senator who picks calls and sends replies to messages. Email and phone number were made available to the public who desire to get across to Senator Francis Alimikhena. senate429@gmail.com has been in the public domain for corresspondence purpose.

While we have resolved never to reply critics in order to maintain our focus, I want to make it clear here that, Senator Alimikhena would have done all he is currently doing even though it was one year he was going to stay in the Senate.

It is wrong for any individual to link his kindness to 2019 election. There were Senators in Nigeria who never visited their constituencies for the first time for four years yet, many of them came back for second tenure to the Senate. I feel it is too early to judge the intent of a man who has not made his intention known to you. Those accusing the Senator for sharing Keke and Okada should have a rethink.

The effort of the Edo North Senator in building a Skills Acquisition Centre cannot be made public until such effort yields the desire result. As a noiseless achiever, it would would be unfair to him if we keep attacking his performance. It is not the character of Senator Francis Alimikhena to go to the media and say things he cannot do. He rather prefer doing things before saying it. That has been the reason for keeping silent in the youth Skills Acquisition Centre.

I had earlier asked those who condemned the empowerment whether it was human head that Senator Alimikhena was supposed to give to artisans and traders who also voted for him but not within the employment category.

It was wrong for these critics to focus on only employment without considering those who are not employable by the government.

As I end up this appeal, I invite the people of Edo North Senatorial District to come out tomorrow (today) Saturday 3rd of June as the Senator hopes to unveil his youth employment effort and achievement both at the Red Chamber and in his Constituency.