BENIN CITY – Edo State Deputy Governor has appreciated Publisher of Midwest Tempo for voting him ‘Man of the Year 2019″, calling on the society to be mindful of its choice of role models.
In his acceptance sperch at Prestige Hotel, Benin, venue of the event, Shaibu stated, “I was discussing with the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Osarodion Ogie Esq, I told him that I was meeting for the first time the Publisher of Midwest Tempo.
We never had a one-on- one interaction before now. I just met him when I walked in here today. Nobody would believe that. As a person, I don’t people should purchase awards to be recognized. I want to thank you very much for this award purely because you never came to negotiate with me for money before this recognition.
On behalf of other awardees, I thank you for the award. When i listened to all the citations on all of us that got awards, there is something about us; we all have given back to society and also contributed our quota to the development of our state and country.
This is what an award should be; not awards where you have to go and buy tables, awards where they sell proposals to you for millions and thousands to be paid before you are awarded. I never got such proposals. That is why I accepted to receive this award.
On behalf of the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, i also want to thank you. Some of the qualities you saw in me that led to this recognition today have to do with the fact that we have the opportunity to be in government. All through these years, we have to make a difference on how politics and governance should work in our contemporary society.
Lamenting the dearth of genuine models in the society, Shaibu said “I have been holding back from making public statements, especially as it relates to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
But there is an adage in my place that says ‘when you push a goat to the wall, it fights back’. That is the level we have gotten today.
When a father wants to destroy a house we have been trying to preserve, we will protect it by ensuring that he does not destroy it.
But the general public has to be reminded of the role we played for Comrade Oshiomhole to be governor of this state and to also sustain him in power for eight years.
He stands on the other side as one superstar that just came from nowhere, ruled and did everything all by himself. None of us is born a superstar. It is the collective cooperation and collaboration of all Edo people that is sustaining all of us.
When we want to now turn ourselves to superstars, it means that we heading for self destruction. That is why I needed to speak and remind the people of Edo State that the governor is doing very well and he is not playing the role of a super star.
And if he is doing very well just like Comrade Adams Oshiomhole did, the same principle we adopted for him, should be adopted for Governor Godwin Obaseki. We cannot shift the goalpost when the match has started. It is very unfortunate that the man that set the rules is the same man that is breaking them and disobeying the rules.
It is time for Edo people to remember what happened in the past, relate it with what is happening now and also relate it with what the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike said recently, he told the youths that – ‘we must check and be sure and pray to God to open our eyes to choose our role models.’ It is time for us to practise what we preach.
Speaking on the choice of Shaibu as their Man Of The Year 2019, Publisher, Midwest Tempo, Mr. Emeka Ogbeide said, “He is somebody we have been watching for a long time. He has remained consistent in his brand of politics. He has also displayed firm loyalty to the governor since assuming office.
Ogbeide observed that the awardee has shown he is a God fearing person and a good family man. Though not everybody would agree with this choice since they have their own way of looking at politics, they want to make insinuations to such.
If a person is good and is doing good to people, I appreciate it because I am a beneficiary of a lot of peoples kindness. I understand what oppression means, I have been a victim of that too. He was picked unanimously because of his antecedence. He has been in the struggle all his life.
He has done well. We need to encourage him. He has a long and bright future ahead of him. His honesty is what I personally like. He tells you the same thing no matter what.”
