As the September 10 Edo governorship election approaches, I find it disturbibg that many of the candidates, particularly the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, have thus far failed to put on the front burner of political discourse the issues which will shape and colour governance in our state should they win the election. While many of the candidates may just be pretenders seeking to thrust themselves into the consciousness of the people for future reference, a few others are contenders whose hope to getting to government house appears to be fading each day. To these few contenders, clutching or clawing at the front runner keeps them afloat, even if tentatively. I have noticed that of late the PDP, reeling from the loss of majority of its followership to the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the state, seems to be clawing at anything to keep the rickety campaign train on track.
For instance, the PDP seems to place much premium on the issue of alleged missing educational certificates of Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Godwin Obaseki swore to an affidavit detailing his educational attainments certificates accompanied with photocopies in the physical absence of the original certificates as part of his declarations to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He has since informed all and sundry that he has now found the originals of his certificates. Even then, the state party chairman, Dan Orbih, has raised the issue of certificates at campaign rallies exactly the same way he did with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the build up to the governorship election in 2012, an indication that the party, at this crucial point in the campaigns, still takes serious issues of a mundane nature while leaving the serious issues of progressive governance. Instead, the PDP has conducted its campaign with focus on the character of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his government.
Indeed, there are issues which should dominate discussion at this time of campaigns. Why have other candidates shied away from issue-based campaigns? Is it that they believe Governor Adams Oshiomhole has covered all ground that they do not think there is any issue requiring improvement or reversal? In these hard times Nigerians find themselves, are there not serious issues with education, water, electricity, health, taxation, civic duties, employment, transportation, industrialisation, security, salaries and pension, infrastructure and sanitation? Why are the parties and their candidates not speaking out on these issues rather than engaging in obviously failed attempts at Obaseki and Oshiomhole bashing?
Comrade Oshiomhole had, a few months ago, listed the qualities a candidate should possess to expect to be governor of the state. According to Oshiomhole, the candidate must be someone who believes in the state as well as have the capacity to manage it. He said: ‘’From my inner insight of what this job entails, I believe we should look for people who believe in the state and have the capacity to run it’’. This is coming from someone who should know what governance of development entails. Having served the state for almost eight years now, Comrade Oshiomhole knows the state and its people so well as to seek to bequeath to them a government that can reasonably be expected to sustain the tempo of development in the state. There is no doubt that Edo state has, under Comrade Oshiomhole, witnessed a high tempo of infrastructural development thereby setting a standard which must not only be maintained but be improved upon by succeeding administration.
It is in the area of sustaining and improving on what has already been achieved by the Oshiomhole administration rather than shadow chasing, that Edo people must scale the candidates jostling to take over from Comrade Oshiomhole. How many of them have a demonstrated and acknowledged capacity not only to sustain but improve on the many legacies of the present administration? How many have told us, for instance, what they will do in the area of road rehabilitation, construction and reconstruction or in improving on the ‘’red roof’’ revolution and the attendant leap in the standard of education in the state? In the face of dwindling oil revenues, how do they plan to generate additional revenue to meet basic responsibilities of government? What will the candidates do with the massive erosion control projects commenced by the present government in Benin City, Auchi and elsewhere in the state? What plans do they have for the generation of employment opportunities for the youths?
It may not be enough for Edo people to pray, as Comrade Oshiomhole admonished us recently, ‘’for God to give us a governor that will put Edo people first, respect the traditional institution and that will work for the unity of our people across the 192 wards’’. Edo people must look at the contenders, sift the serious from the pretenders, shun sentimental and primodal interests and focus on the serious issue of passion for development of our state and the ability and capacity to harness and utilise most creatively the resources available to the state. Edo people must choose their next governor from among the many candidates based on proven capacity to tackle these multi-faceted issues confronting our state and her people.
It is clear that Godwin Obaseki and the APC represent the new direction pointed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the progressive, sustainable development of Edo State. This is because Godwin Obaseki, as chairman of the state economic and strategy committee in the last seven years, conceptualized, incubated and midwifed the policies and programmes for which the present administration is being applauded in the state and beyond.
NASAMU JACOBSON, POLITICAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, LIVES IN BENIN CITY.
