The Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih has been entertaining people of the state, playing the comedian during Prime news hour on the local TV stations in Benin. I had a good laugh as the chairman feigned pitty and tears for a mortal he referred to as “the whole son of the highly revered Oba of Benin, Prince Epken Erediauwa”. He was addressing newsmen over the alleged revocation by the Edo State government of the property of the former chairman of Credo Local Government and a supposed member of the All Progressives Congress, APC but hobnobbing with the PDP. Orbih cannot claim to love the royal family more than the Oshiomhole. I challenge Orbih to tell Edo people what his party and the government did for the royal family in his 10 wasteful years in Osadebey Avenue. The revered royal father was also denied his monthly stipend by the heartless PDP whose swan song was “no money” while busy sharing the state’s allocation under the table. The APC government headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole assumed office and cleared the backlog. Need I say that it was part of the PDP mess the government has to clear and it’s still clearing across the state. So, Orbih cannot be weeping more than the bereaved. No amount of crockodile tears from Orbih will sway the Edo people’s support for his party. The 10 years of locusts of the PDP in the state can never be forgotten a hurry.
I wish to say that nobody is above the law. Both the royalty and the commoners are guided by laws of the land. This is why a member of the royalty cannot commit crime without facing the full weight of the law. I challenge the prince to produce the official documents showing that he is the rightful owner of the land.Orbih cannot be crying.A mere request to be allocated land anywhere in the state cannot be taken for approval by government. The Prince erred by saying that the land in question belongs to the Federal government. He should know that the Land Use Decree vested ownership of all lands in states government. Even the Federal Government has to formally request from the state government whenever its in need of land anywhere in federation. Unfortunately, Orbih wants to play politics with everything. He has become notorious for addressing press conferences at the slightest flimsy excuses, inciting the people against the state government. Good enough, Edo people can nolonger be deceived, they are too enlightened for any Orbih to pull whool over their faces.They are used to his antics over the years, so, they now take him to be one of the comedians in town. Even during the on going campaigns across the state, Orbih does not tell the people what his party wants to do for Edo people, rather, he relishes in discussing the government and the person of the governor. Yet, the party prides itself as the “new PDP.”
If the PDP in Edo is truly born again as professed by its leaders, it means the era of sharing the money under the table, the era of godfatherism, the era of imposition with impunity and above all, the era of do nothing and say nothing are gone for good in our dear Edo State. These are some of the ills of the PDP which some of us considered unacceptable, neausating and decided to pitch tent with the ACN that later methermophosed into APC. However, this is not to say that some of these vices are totally absent in the APC, they exist but in a tolerable level because the same human beings manage the party and run the government. They are not from the outer space and because most of them are from the PDP, they are bound to infect the APC and the government with the PDP virus.
I must confess here that some of us have sentimental attachments to the Comrade Governor, but for the fact that he sometimes does certain things which betray his human nature, some of us would have taken him to be a special being from another planet. Without mincing words, Oshiomhole is a special blessing to this generation, especially Edo State. Whatever anybody cares to say, Oshiomhole is a man with a clear vision of what he wants for his people, a man with an uncommon energy for work, a man who is so passionate about the Edo project, a man who is in a hurry and hungry to return the state to where it rightly belongs amongst the comity of states in the federation. His footprints will surely remain indelible in the state even generations yet unborn will see and appreciate them. His signature of time-tested developments dot the state like stars in the galaxy.The rate at which corporate bodies and organizations throng Edo state for meetings, workshop, seminars and other programmes is a clear testimony to the confidence they have in the security and socio-economic developments in the state. To say the least, Oshiomhole has raised the bar of governance in Edo State. This is why he should have a deep reflection and listen more to his inner voice and allow God to guide him instead of relying on gossips and side talks in anointing a successor who has the capacity, maturity and strong will to sustain these monumental legacy. Some people may not fully appreciate him now until after November 2016 when he would have completed his eight years in office as governor of Edo State. People like Orhih who are very critical of his performance in the state are just insincere and blind folded by dirty politics, a common phenomenon in this clime. I am however convinced that deep down their hearts and in the closet of their abode, they know that indeed, Oshiomhole has transformed Edo beyond doubts. In the advanced democracies of the world, the opposition will gladly applaude government in power whenever it does well, this is part of the ingredients of a matured and robust democracy. Unfortunately, we are still light years away given the behaviours of some of our so called political elits who see nothing good in whatever the opposition does . This ugly trend manifests itself at all levels of governance, national, state and local governments.
Given the rate at which Oshiomhole has transformed Edo stste within the spate of six years, I believe collectively Edo people should celebrate him in and out of the state. We have never had it so good as a people. Despite this modest efforts, given the financial contrains, some Edolites still believe he should have turned the state to an Eldorado within this period . These blind critics have forgotten that the very first budget prepared by the governor aimed at laying a solid foundation for the proper take-;off was thoroughly frustrated by a hostile house of assembly populated by the PDP. In fact, the budget was said to have been taken to the Abuja private residence of then lion of Uromi politics, Chief Tony Anenih for scrutiny. At the end of the day, the meat of the budget, all the people- oriented projects that would have wiped out the tears, 10 years of the long suffering people of Edo State were yanked off. Did I hear you say original bad belle? Well, with the support of the good people of Edo Stae, coupled with sheer determination, Oshiomhole had to ruthlessly uproot the cabal and dealt a deadly blow on the enemies of progress. Six years after that bloodless revolution, the cabal are still nursing the wounds inflicted on them.
WIth shrewd and prudent management of resources, Oshiomhole has been able to turned around the fortune of Edo, making it the envy of other states.From a criminally low monthly Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of #250, 000 Oshiomhole has been able to shoot it up to an all-time high of #2billion and still rising. This is unprecedented in the history of the state. From a meager federal allocated revenue that hovers around #3billion, Oshiomhole has been able to turn the state to what some public commentators refer to as a huge construction site. The teasers: The red roof revolution complet with alumilium doors and windoors, vittrified floor tiles, white boards, ceiling fans and modern one-pupil-one desk furniture for schools across the state, the ambitious #30billion Benin storm water project, the massive construction of roads complet with deep rainages, and sidewalks, procurement of state of the art industrial borehole drilling machine capable of going as far as 250, 000 feet deployed to the three senatorial zones of the state to bring water to all the rural communities, health centers stocked with drugs with free medicare for the aged, children and expectant mothers, capacity building and job creation drive through EDOYES and Neighbouhood Watch, It’s endless.
From a legacy of 10 years of decay, bad roads, dilapidated schools, empty hospirals and health centres, unpaid salary arrears of civil servants and backlog of unpaid pension, Oshiomhole has been able to breathe life into the state that was near comatose. For this and more, I believe Edo people should celebrate Oshiomhole party affiliation notwithstanding.