Dr. Elishama Rosemary Ideh has become the second woman to officially join the race to run for President of the country in the 2019 general election, with a vow to challenge the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari and other aspirants.
According to SaharaReporters, Ideh, who formally declared her ambition to run for the exalted office, on Thursday, told a mammoth crowd of her supporters in Abuja that she would give every Nigerian a sense of belonging in the running of the country’s affairs.
She promised to reform Nigeria’s revenue generation and allocation structure, including federal tax regimes, if given opportunity to become President.
She noted that country is at crossroads, poised uneasily between two destinations: the prosperity, power and greatness that its enormous natural and human resources should rightly guarantee, or the very real prospect of a continuation of the present decline in its economic fortunes to the point of her collapse.
“As President I will reform the country's revenue generation and allocation structure, including our federal tax regimes,” she said.
“We will strive to strike a balance between making sure that nobody evades their financial obligations for the amenities government provides and ensuring that our tax regime allow business to take root.
“My administration is determined, from the very first day of our assumption of office, to work towards reducing the cost and simplifying the processes and procedures of doing business anywhere in Nigeria, so that local and foreign investors to thrive.”
She added that if voted in as President, she would ensure fair remuneration for workers in terms of wages, welfare packages and retirement benefits within the limits of our means.
“Periodic wage increase will be carried out, not on sentiments, emotional or even humanitarian grounds, but always according to the production capacity and corresponding revenues,” she said.
Ideh vowed to confront the monster of corruption not only with utmost vigour, but also with a different mindset from past and current efforts.
She explained that she had seen phases of Nigeria’s past, present and future, adding that she would strive to achieve workable solutions to the problems and challenges peculiar to the country.
“I am a firm believer of the values, vision and mission of this great party, and I’m committed to the actualization of its ideology and its innovative road map for the regeneration of Nigeria and the creation of the material and social wealth that will secure the present welfare and future security of Nigerians living today and generations yet unborn,” she said.
Ideh is seeking nomination under the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN), one of the newly-registered political parties.
She hails from Ewohinmi Village in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.
She had her early education at the legendary Mayflower Primary School, Ikenne, Ogun State and at the Federal Government Girls School (FGGC), Onitsha Anambra State.