A street trader who was simply identified as ‘Mama Osas’ has cried out to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo and a former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole for help saying the Obaseki-led government left her in penury after she was sent to prison for three months over alleged street trading offence at the Benin kingsquare.
The woman alleged that the taskforce working on instruction of the Edo State Government arrested her for street trading and sent her to prison.
According to her, she had no money to pay to get a shop and was not into petty trading when she was arrested, taken to prison, and served three months at the Oko correctional facility in Edo.
Responding to the distraught woman plea for help, Oshiomhole said he was touched by the story of the helpless woman and gifted her N1m.
Oshiomhole gave the woman a lifeline during the APC governorship Edo South Campaign Flag off ceremony roadshow at the Kingsquare popularly known as Ringroad in Benin City, Edo State.
The former governor was supported by the APC candidate, Okpebholo, who also gifted the woman additional N1m, making a total of N2m for the woman to start a business.
Okpebholo and Oshiomhole who made a stop over at the kingsquare while addressing women and other traders in Benin appealed to the traders to support and vote for the APC. He said their vote for the APC is to stop Obaseki and his godson, Asue Ighodalo in the September 21st governorship election from continuing.
Oshiomhole told the mammoth crowd to ask the government to tell them how he managed the state resources since 2016, saying the State Intra City Transit Buses commonly called ‘Oshiomhole or Comrade Buses” being used to carry Edo people at reduced transport fare were bought during his (Oshiomhole) tenure as governor.
Oshiomhole enjoined the people, particularly traders, to reject Obaseki and the PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, saying the APC will support women in business and not arrest and send them to prison.
Oshiomhole said the governor went to bring his friend from Lagos to contest the Edo governorship election because he wants to remain in power, noting that it is the reason he (Obaseki) wants to bring Asue Ighodalo
“We know why he wants to bring Asue Ighodalo . Make you all support APC and Monday Okpebholo. APC do many things for women and market women for Edo State under my watch. When I was governor, did I carry anybody to prison? Who gets bad mind, If he becomes governor, people must suffer.
“I know plenty of such women who suffer same .I know say, when the righteous is in power, the people rejoice.”, Oshiomhole said.
On his part, Okpebholo assured that the APC government if voted into power on September 21st, the people of the state, particularly the market women would have a sigh of relief from oppression and intimidation from the taskforce operatives arresting and sending women and youths to prison.