SENATORIAL MANIFESTO of 
HON. SYLVANUS IGBOGBO
APC Senatorial Aspirant for Edo Central District 2023

WHY I AM RUNNING FOR SENATE IN 2023
I believe that Legislature is the Bedrock of Democracy and provides numerous opportunities to make positive changes through people-centric legislation and effective oversight of the Executive arm of government that will enhance the rule of law, prosperity, equity, justice, progress, peace and true national unity. 

But the enterprising, vibrant, intelligent, resourceful and good-natured people of Edo Central Senatorial District (who are Esan) have not been well represented in the Senate since 1999. This is unfair and a disservice to our people. Consequently, by God's Grace, I am presenting myself to the people of Edo Central Senatorial District for election into the Senate in 2019.

My campaign will be based on issues with emphasis on economic development, empowerment of the people through education and economic opportunities, accountability and integrity in governance (zero-tolerance for corruption). We need a New Way of Politics in Edo Central. Sitting in the shadows and lamenting from the flanks will not bring the change we all yearn for. 


BRIEF PROFILE
Sylvanus Igbogbo was born on March 28, 1969. I was a Transition Chairman at Igueben Local Government Council, and Co-ordinator for Governor Godwin E. Obaseki’s Campaign Organisation Edo Central 2015 - 2017. He is from Ekpon in Igueben Local Government Area and an indigene of Edo State. I am happily married to Mrs Mary N.B Igbogbo and blessed with children.
Sylvanus started his earliest education at Ijeduma Primary School, Ekpon. I attended Ekpon Grammer School, Igueben, Edo State from 1982 to 1987, and Holbeak School, Denmark in 1995 for my High School Certificate. I proceeded to the Copenhagen Business School, Denmark in 2002, where I obtained Bachelor of Science (B.sc) in International Business. Being someone who has flair for education, Sylvanus Igbogbo approached Copenhagen Business School, Denmark where he obtained a Master’s of Science (M.sc) in Economics, Finance and Business Administration in 2007. Further search for knowledge made Sylvanus Igbogbo to take up courses on Taxation, Negotiation and Entrepreneurship.
Sylvanus Igbogbo started his career as a Sales Representative at IST A/S Denmark in West Africa and Europe (1998-1999), worked as Computer/Coding at Post Denmark (2001-2002), I was the President of Nigerian in Diaspora Organization Europe (NIDOE), Danish Chapter (2003-2005), I served as Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director (CEO/GMD) at Unique International Denmark (2003-2009), I am the Founder and CEO at Ositlechains Communication, Lagos Nigera (2005-2010), also Founder/CEO at Scopekey Nigeria Limited (2009-2011), I took leave of absence in 2011 -2012 from the above mention positions in order to assumed office as the Chairman (Transition) Igueben Local Government Council, Edo State (2011-2012) and currently the Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) at Cossy Hotel and Suites, Scopekey Nigeria Limited and Ositlechains Communication.
It is worthy to note that his charisma among his fellows got him elected the President of African Students Association of Copenhagen Business School, Denmark (2005-2006) and was equally elected as the pioneer President of Nigerian in Diaspora Organization Europe (NIDOE), Danish Chapter Denmark (2003-2005).  Sylvanus was eventually appointed Chairman Transition Committee in Igueben Local Government Council in 2011-2012. Due to his active politics, I was appointed as the Co-ordinator for Godwin Obaseki’s Campaign Organisation in Edo Central in the 2016 Edo State Governorship Election.
He is a loyal member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Under Sylvanus Igbogbo’s term as an interim Chairman, the entire Igueben Local Government Area witness massive infrastructural development as follows: construction and rehabilitation of roads across the council’s wards. Electrification of Idumodin Village in collaboration with the State Government, Building of Modern Primary Schools across the wards, construction of Modern health centre, counterpart funding of community halls, payment of outstanding arrears for some villages electricity bills, and buying of new bulk meters to correct electricity charges for communities in order to have constant light. Sylvanus changes the face of leadership in Igueben Local Government by regular payments of salaries/arrears of workers, provide new vehicles for the administrative staff to aid service delivery. It is on records that the completion of the abandoned Civic Centre project and furnished of 10 rooms of the Hotel in the Civic Centre in the Council was witness in his regime. All this achievements were recorded in a period of one year in office. 
While in office as the President of NIDOE in Denmark, Sylvanus Igbogbo in the spirit of patriotism hosted the Government and business officials visiting Denmark linking them to appropriate Authorities, motivate both Nigerians, foreigners and corporate bodies alike to invest and contribute towards Nigeria’s National Development.
  
Sylvanus Igbogbo has received several awards and honours. He was the best serving Chairman of Environmental sanitation as epochal by Edo State House of assembly. Best Chairman for recognizing and payment of pass political office.


INTRODUCTION
My fellow constituents!
Fate has brought us to another crucial threshold in the history of Esan Land! We have been at this crossroads several times before. The consequences of the choices that we made in the past are obvious for us to see today. Democracy is acclaimed the best form of governance because it places in the hands of the people, the power to choose who governs them. But posterity beckons on us to exercise that enormous power with maximum discretion, bearing in mind that we can either be liberated, or further enslaved by our choices.
It is against this backdrop that I humbly appeal to your conscience to take a critical look at our dear Senatorial District; can you say, from the depth of your heart, that you are contented with the pace of development? Do you see concrete indicators that Esan Land is on course towards attaining the lofty dreams of our fathers?
My dear constituents! I am communicating to you via this medium because I believe you have the intellectual capacity to decipher the salient messages that I am passing across, and that you share with me, the burning desire to see that things change for the better in our land and finally, that you realize that you have a pivotal role to play in the actualization of a safe and prosperous Esan Land. The problem with our senatorial district is that it doesn’t need eternity to tackle the challenges facing us as a people. It only requires visionary, dynamic and committed leadership to set the roadmap and vigorously pursue the accelerated development of our society.
Since 1999! One of the Chicaneries of PDP is that they will facilitate the development and well-being of Esan People. Recall that after 19yrs in the saddle of power in the Senate, nothing meaningful has been achieved! Are we still going to fall for that gambit this time around? If they couldn’t make any meaningful achievement in 19 years as Senators, then do we still believe or hope that they can perform that feat if given another four years to represent us at the Senate? What meaningful development have they attracted to our region and its people in the last 19 years? Believe me dear constituent, they have only largely used this office for their personal aggrandizement and the stupendous enrichment of themselves and few of their cronies and privileged family members, at the expense of the generality of the Esan people.
I realize that the time left to the general election is very short. As much as I desire to, the possibility that I will reach out to every constituent on a one-on-one basis before the polls is bleak! But what should be more paramount to us all at this moment is how we can usher-in the change that we seek. I am therefore using this medium to appeal to our traditional rulers, religious leaders, lecturers and teachers, youth leaders, women leaders, opinion leaders and the collective intelligentsia of our society to kindly educate all their teeming wards, subjects and constituents on the this crucial issue of the need for leadership change in Edo Central! A vote for me, Hon. Sylvanus Igbogbo of the APC, is an investment into the future of our senatorial district, and if voted into office, you can be rest assured that I will not renege on my commitments to my people.
It’s time to block the large conduit pipe. 

It may interest you to know that in the last 19 years, there have been a tremendous number of federal government constituency projects channelled to Edo Central Senatorial District in the annual budgets! These constituency projects were intended to address developmental needs at the grassroots level, such as access to decent and affordable healthcare, rural electrification, access to potable water, primary and secondary roads to boost investments in agriculture, social and recreational facilities, etc. However, the constituency development projects have become a huge conduit pipe which a cabal has exploited to drain the resources of our nation, while the projects mentioned barely see the light of day, or at best, are abandoned at the incipient stages of their commencement.
The responsibility to ensure that these constituency development projects are pursued to their logical conclusion rests squarely on the shoulders of the formal and current PDP Senators. Their failure to ensure that the projects are duly implemented, or that the defaulters are held to account, is indicative of their culpability in the massive fraud regime!
The way forward in succinct terms, the current leadership in Edo Central has failed the people and it lacks the vision and dynamism to bring about any meaningful development to the region. Furthermore, the PDP has become opposition party as evident in the current composition of the National Assembly, thus, if given another opportunity, they certainly cannot achieve in another four years what they could not in 19years. But we can still drive the development of our region if we are all prepared to make the necessary sacrifice. We must resist any attempt to sell our consciences in the forthcoming election, even if it means ignoring the groans in our stomachs until hunger itself becomes intimidated by our resolve! Rejecting money until poverty submits to us!
We cannot continued to be bully into their lies and self-centeredness! But I am sacrificing myself for the change that we need and to liberate us from incompetent and defocused leadership.
MY DEVELOPMENTAL VISION FOR EDO CENTRAL

RAPID INDUSTRIALIZATION
If elected Senator, I shall leverage my position and strong connections in the international business community to attract investments to Edo Central, especially in the area of agriculture and agro-allied industries which will utilise crops like cassava, yam, cocoyam, plantain, pineapple, oranges, banana, rubber, and oil palm which thrive well in our area.  The establishment of agro-allied industries will be a major avenue for job-creation for our people; thereby limiting the rural-urban drift of our youths.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Education is the bedrock of the society, and still remains the inalienable right of every citizen, by the Charter of the United Nations, which Nigeria is a signatory. If elected, I will strive to ensure that every child, every youth, and every parent who desires formal education, has access to affordable, functional and qualitative education at all levels.

AGRICULTURAL ADVANCEMENT
Being a predominantly agricultural communities, my focus will be on how to improve farmers’ yields through sourcing fertilizer and improved crop variety. Similarly, I will focus on how to reduce their harvest losses, improve storage and bulk purchase of farm products. 
INFLOW OF INVESTMENTS


HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
Health, they say, is wealth! The construction of a World class Health Care Centre to cater for our people is long overdue! I intend to see the actualization of this vision if elected Senator in next year general election.
All of the above visions and more, I shall achieve through effective collaboration with the federal government, international agencies and by efficient performance of my oversight functions as a Senator.

YOUTHS DEVELOPMENT
I intend to initiate youth development programs that will provide an alternative to the social vices currently ravaging our land. The sport and entertainment industries will be given priority and serious attention to create opportunities for individual’s self-realization. Also, there will be platforms to showcase the diverse talents of our great youths.
We can also help to ensure a successful poll by adequately educating our people on the proper way to cast their ballots. They must be practically thought how to vote, so that they will thumb print or place their marks within the space provide on the ballot papers, so that their votes will not be voided. Finally, I urge you all not to depart from the polling unit immediately after voting, but to wait patiently until the votes are counted and the results announced.

CONCLUSION
Having worked meritoriously in my capacity as a Local Government Chairman and as a successful Businessman, I am therefore webbed with vast experience in the Executive arm of Government, and the ability to work with other Arms of Government i.e Legislature and Judiciary. Also, for successfully coordinated the Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Campaign in Edo Central 2015-2017 and as an experienced politician that is loved by my people, for my diligence, accommodating spirit, knowledgeable in the field and understanding of the entire senatorial district, I therefore, have what it takes to deliver when elected. We should bear in mind that the wind of development is currently blowing across the country, and Edo central cannot be an exception! We cannot afford to lose out of the Central Government, as our land will stand to suffer for it in the end. 

Thank you very much dear constituents, 
May God Bless You!
Vote Wisely, 
Vote SYLVANUS IGBOGBO