Hosa Okunbo: What Manner Of Love For His People?

Although, the 2015 general elections have come and gone, the dust and ripples generated is yet to settle. Again, it’s no longer news that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State was in alliance with the newly registered Social Democratic Party, SDP to return President Goodluck Jonathan for second term in office with a vote of 58. 34 per cent. Unfortunately, that was not enough to deliver him. However, the Lion of Uromi, Chief Tony Anenih, was able to hold his ground once again, as he delivered the three national assembly seats in his Esan land to his party, two House of Reps and the Senator for Edo Central.
The PDP leadership in Edo South also gave bulk of their votes to Jonathan in that election. They “captured” all the federal seats but one. That is, three House of Reps and the controversial senate slot for Edo South. However, for the April 11 state election, it was a different ball game. The PDP lost all the seats for the Edo State House of Assembly in the South and North senatorial districts. The only consolation in the 24 -House of Assembly seats was the three it managed to win out of the six in Esan land. Again, courtesy of the Lion of Uromi.
Surprisingly, there have been syndicated opinion, analysis and advertorial in the media since last weekend projecting the Benin business mogul, Captain Hosa Okunbo as the one with the magic wand who delivered the votes of the Benins to his “friend” in Abuja in the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections and also claimed to have “galvanized his people” to vote for the APC in the subsequent elections. With striking similarities, the syndicated articles painted Captain as the new Messiah of the Benins with unparalleled love for his people, a man who places his people far and above business consideration. The publications further said that if not for the love of his people, the PDP would have swept the state assembly polls of April 11. According to the hired image launderers, Captain wanted to protect the interests of the Benins by making sure they belong to the main stream politics, hence, he “galvanized” them to vote for the APC.
I beg to disagree with all these postulations, they are nothing but the Biblical voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau. Captain cannot claim to love the Benin people more than the palace. If he so loves his people as claimed, placing them above business interests, he should point at any visible company established anywhere in the state where his people are employed. I wish to humbly call on our dear Captain to go beyond handouts. Give the people hooks and nets, teach them how to fish rather than giving them fishes. I make bold to say that our Captain merely embarked on that media voyage to protect his business interests and wealth acquired over the years. He only latched on the gullibility of a section of the media and attempted to soften the ground and walk his way into the emerging power at the centre so as to continue to oil the wheels of his business empire.
He knows very well that if he had emptied his account to bankroll the state assembly election of April 11, he would have lost everything including the “deposits” because he would have been contending with legion of forces. Aside the determination of the Benin leaders to queue behind the APC in the spirit of reciprocity for the monumental development strides in the South, the whirlwind of band-wagon effect would have been too strong for him to confront.
It must be said here too that the March 28 election was lost by the APC in the South out of sheer greed and betrayal on the part of some of the party leaders. By that selfish action they had embarrassed their son, John Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman of the APC. They made the former governor and authentic Benin leader appear like someone who is rejected by his people. They also betrayed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who has done so much in the state, especially in the Benin Kingdom. In fact, the highest single project costing 25 billion naira, the Benin storm water project is sited in the South senatorial district aside other projects which have made the ancient Benin City a befitting modern state capital.
It’s however never in doubt that the Benins are appreciative of the modest contributions of the APC government to the development of the ancient kingdom as against the inglorious era of “share the money”. Hence, some of the leaders were not too happy with the outcome of the March 28 polls. They quickly restrategised and mobilised their people to right the wrong. This is why it was a clean sweep for the APC in the April 11 polls, clinching 21 out of the 24 seats in the state House of Assembly. So, it is uncharitable for any man to lay claim to that collective victory of the Benin leaders. This is unfair to the highly revered palace, the Enigie, the Odionwhere, opinion leaders and the voters who defied the element and waited patiently to do the needful on that fateful day.