By OBOH SYLVESTER
When Comrade Philip Shaibu, out of personal conviction or otherwise, decided to serve the people of Edo State as Deputy Governor in partnership with an acclaimed erudite technocrat, Mr. Godwin Obaseki in 2016, it immediately sparked off a lethargic mixed feelings from different people.
While some felt it was a political design to unsettle the governor, i.e. Godwin Obaseki at any time or in the event of any potential political intrigue in the future, others believed that he was the next political chess nut to represent his immediate political constituency after Comrade Adams Oshiomhole or at best, be the eye of Adams Oshiomhole in the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
While the mixed feelings were rife and several permutations pervasive, especially at the beginning of the Godwn Obaseki-led administration; many desired the need to pollinate governance verve with Comrade Shaibu’s kind of zest and youthful energy for the purpose of democratisation and elevating the socio-political dynamics of Edo politics.
Yet again, others equally saw in the partnership, the need to combine a proficiency of economic statistician and policy expertise as well as the positive gait of boardroom politics of Godwin Obaseki with the desired grassroots political suave Comrade Shaibu could bring to the table to enable enduring progress and development.
Together, the duo has really achieved a lot for the state in this regard.
Firstly, critical stakeholders have attested to the fact that Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration has started an enviable policy to continue to institutionalise governance that will certainly outlive his administration and remain enduring to the growth and development of the state. A good example in this regard is the computerisation and digital screening of workers and pensioners which now takes less than five minutes to do.
In other words, the workings of governance in Edo State have been digitalised with greater efficiency and ease of doing government business.
The administration has without doubt, laced governance with human face.
For instance, the administration has responded with greater sensitivity to infrastructure and conditions of service of the labour force in Edo State. It has reformed the educational sector in the area of digitalisation and teacher’s proficiency, training and competence.
Progress reports abound, about the revamping of parastatals like Edo Broadcasting Service and Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, publishers of The OBSERVER titles, as well as silently creating ultra modern central motor parks for ease of transportation in the city centre and rehabilitation of roads across the state like the dualisation of Ekenwan and Ekosodin Roads, to mention a few.
Before the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, the preparation and mobilisation of human and resource materials of the much awaited National Sports Festival (NSF) to be hosted by Edo State was at its crescendo
While the people of Edo State were savouring these developments and indeed the good relationship that was unravelling between the Governor and his deputy, there ensued a bitter disagreement in the style of governance between the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the present, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
In the face of this reconcilable underpinnings however, some observers were beginning to revel in their prediction that the ultimate reason while Comrade Shaibu was unanimously selected as Governor Obaseki’s deputy will soon begin to manifest, emphasising that Comrade Philip Shaibu will certainly betray the Governor when the chips are down.
For the period the disagreement of the style of governance lasted, up to the present moment, Comrade Philip Shaibu has undoubtedly proven pundits wrong with his formidable loyalty and through personal action, conviction and body language, that he has a positive date with posterity by standing on the side of trust and steadfastness.
This cumulatively created the height of emotion on June 16, 2020, when the Deputy Governor, told the whole world that where ever Godwin Obaseki go, he will go.
Comrade Philip Shaibu at the risk of losing it all resigned his membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the sake of dependability and trust and stood stoutly behind his boss to sustain a collective promise.
With this kind of testimonial, Comrade Philip Shaibu has shown to the people and the political class that he is a dependable ally at all times. He has proven to all that he is an exceptional student of developmental politics which transcends personal interest. He therefore, has certainly graduated into a unique style of leadership that can be admired by both friends and foe.
