Edo Political Conundrum (4)

By Prince Kassim Afegbua

Yes, democracy is a demonstration of craze, betrayal, contradiction and sinfulness, yet you hardly get punished for it. Just ask yourself, in the gale of suspension and counter-suspension of officers of the All Progressives’ Congress in Edo State, including the purported suspension of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, just two days later, those who played the antagonists role were seen scrambling to get into the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting presided over by the National Chairman, who was presumed suspended.

Does that not tell you that there is some madness oozing out from the cocoon of Osadebey Avenue? What do we call this; illogical, contradiction, ostentatious foolishness or a piece of political idiocy? You declared the National Chairman suspended, passed a vote of no confidence, then 48 hours later, you started scrambling for space to gain entry to attend the NEC being chaired by the same person you presumably suspended. This is a graphic representation of the political maladies and obtuse reasonings that have become the permanent feature of Edo political narrative.

In the last one week, I have received calls from concerned Edo citizens who have expressed willingness to intervene in this political imbroglio between the APC main actors, but like I told them, Governor Godwin Obaseki is not willing to end the onslaught until there are enough casualties. Following the outcome of the APC Executive Committee meeting which recorded some mild dramas, it is obvious tempers are simmering on the part of the Edo oppressors, who have now devised the use of thugs to beat up anyone who does not sing the Obaseki anthem. Some of these bootlickers won’t stop at nothing to drum it loud into our ears that Godwin Obaseki has delivered on promise. They told me his nickname is “wake and see”, whatever that means. But from interrogation, I was made to understand that Governor Obaseki works at night when the people are asleep, and once they wake, they would be saluted with a new project to their consternation. That exactly is the problem of the Obaseki administration. Any project that takes 10 hours of the night to get completed, gives credence to its poor quality. It is obvious the Edo Government is delivering on quantity, little wonder the roads that were hitherto fixed, have been swept off by agents of denudation and erosion within three months.

In 2017, I had written a prognosis of what to expect from Governor Obaseki having listened to him explain the rubrics of his policy agenda. He told me that a 10-lane road will connect Gelegele seaport to Okpella industrial hub, as part of targeted measures to open up the Edo economy. He mentioned huge investment in the area of education, teachers’ capacity building, healthcare delivery and huge investment in rural roads and agricultural renewal. His policy framework and direction were quite irresistible. On paper, Edo was already wearing the architectural derring-do of London or another Dubai. Imagine the huge investment a 10-lane road network cutting across the state from the seaport to Okpella industrial zone, would bring to a state that depends largely on monthly allocation from Federal Government. Two years gone, Godwin Obaseki appears to be at sea trying to translate what is captured in his imagination to practical benefit for the people. Federal roads in Edo State under the APC-led Federal Government are the worst in the country. State government roads in some communities are also in terrible state. Okpella township roads, are reeking in outright neglect. Despite promises by the state government to continue the construction from where Adams Oshiomhole left them, it has been a matter of empty promises. 

Someone had asked me barely a week ago if I was not convinced that Governor Obaseki has surpassed the expectations in terms of performance. I told the fellow that it all depended on what aspect of his intervention one is dissecting. I am aware he is trying to rehabilitate the old, abandoned secretariat buildings on Sapele Road. I am aware he has almost completed a new building for the courts, as well as another building for offices just beside the Government House. I also saw the empowerment village along Sapele Road which formerly housed the State Government Press. I saw the Technical College nearing completion, and also Ekpoma township roads, which were started by the Oshiomhole administration, also nearing the asphalt stage.

I saw the industrial court and the refurbished Ogbe Stadium, Benin City. Beyond all these, Governor Obaseki has not really touched the heart of the needs of Edo people in terms of improving their living standard. Education, security, human capacity development, healthcare delivery system, investment drive and a vibrant civil populace that easily buys into governmental initiatives. Investment in education is still crawling. The desire to promote an agro-allied business initiative to diversify the Edo economy remains a pipe dream. The Sobe Maize Farm which guzzled billions of naira is a poor investment initiative that was programmed to fail from the outset.

I visited the location on my way from Okpella through Ifon in Ondo state last week and what I saw there confounded my imagination. I also visited the abandoned Benin Industrial Park along Sapele-Warri interchange, given the zeal for the foundation laying ceremony by Vice President Osibanjo, one would have thought that by now, business would have commenced. Also, the Gelegele Seaport which almost became a legacy project of the Obaseki administration, has been abandoned for reasons best known to the government. College of Education, Ekiadolor, which was renamed Tayo Akpata University of Education has been jettisoned by this administration. Since the Pro-Chancellor, Rt. Hon. Thomas Okosun resigned his appointment, another Pro-Chancellor has not been appointed and the gradual phase of transforming the college to a University of Education has been stalled. The College of Agriculture Iguoriakhi that should be a training ground for skilled manpower to drive agro-allied business has been shut down. The Edo University, Iyamho has not enjoyed any investment in the last three years from the state government, ditto for Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. Only recently the state government promised to complete the dam in the school for ease of water supply.

Barely a week ago, the Honourable Minister of state for Budget and Planning, Mr. Clem Agba, visited the Oba of Benin and used the opportunity to draw the state government’s attention to the deplorable flooding situation in Benin City and its environs. The Honourable Minister had appealed to the state government to commence further works on the Benin City Storm Water Masterplan to mitigate the perennial flooding and erosion across the City. The state government, rather than swallow the phlegm of such an advice, which would help address this very salient issue, decided to raise dust over nothing, cautioning the Honourable Minister that he would soon be invited to answer questions bordering on the project. The Edo government has suddenly become paranoid to issues that stare it in the face. It is hypersensitive to criticism no matter how constructive, and ready to unleash its army of mobile thugs on anyone who raises queries about its lacklustre performance.

For the past three years, I am yet to see any legacy project that can outlive this government. This is not to say the government has not done anything, as that would be uncharitable, but the fear of the unknown pricks its conscience on a daily basis, such that attention is now shifted away from governance to the politics of 2020, 4+0 or 4+4 depending on who is singing the chorus.

Insecurity in Edo state has assumed an all-time high, no thanks to the near-zero investment in that sector. The number of check-points on Edo roads is better imagined than real. Call them exploitation points with POS in some cases used to extort money from hapless transporters, the inner sanctuary of the security architecture in the state has finally crumbled. The narration by the recently released Court of Appeal Judge, Mrs Ihime-Nwosu who was kidnapped in broad day light in the heart of Benin City is a lesson for us all in a state with porous security network. Her description of the manner of her kidnap coupled with the fact that the kidnappers had a field day without confrontation by the Police, was enough testimonial for a failed security system that is poorly funded by the State and Federal governments. Often times, the operational vehicles which the Obaseki administration handed over to the Police are refurbished Hiluxes that serve mere cosmetic purposes. Before long, they park up helplessly at the point of operation where they had been deployed. These are regular sites when you travel on major roads in Edo State.

I thought when the government talks about EdoBest in the area of education, I was looking forward to seeing some sort of eldorado in the education sector. At best, Edo schools, both primary and secondary schools are still at the level that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole left them. Before tenure expiration of Oshiomhole, about 2,520 teachers were interviewed and screened by the Professor Agbonlahor-led committee which comprised seven other Professors of education from the University of Benin, ready to be absorbed into the state teaching service. This figure was to cater for the shortfall in terms of teachers population in the state’s secondary and primary schools. Three years after, most Edo schools are without sufficient teachers. The four Secondary Schools in my community suffer similar fate. None of the four schools can boast of 6 teachers. At best, what you find are four, three and two teachers in that order, and further augmented by communal effort to make up for the discrepancies. The schools in the other villages in the Local Government are also victims of this insufficient teachers. This is why I find it curious when I heard the claim that 157,000 jobs have been created in the last three years. How can government claim to have created 157,000 jobs without recruiting at least 4,000 additional teachers to make up for the shortfall, especially in an enlightened state like Edo.

But when you realise that Edo now export thugs to other states, you will understand why government has deliberately neglected the educational sector. Only last week Friday, 22nd November, 2019 did we witness another demonstration by exported thugs at the Abuja National Headquarters of the APC, where they were sweating profusely under the scorching sun, asking for Oshiomhole to take a bow. I did not know governance has collapsed in Edo State until I saw hitherto able-bodied young men, chorusing the intemperate verbiage of a nun dimitis for Adams Oshiomhole. Typical of a man who is both vertically and horizontally challenged, he glided away with effortless awe, as those thugs occupied the space on Blantyre Street.

Those who purportedly suspended him were under the mango tree making phone calls to reach out to their godfathers-in-training, some borrowed entry tag to put up a comic show, all in a bid to assure their followers that all was well. How does one feel sitting in a meeting presided over by a man you reportedly suspended. What figure of speech is that? ………

To be continued….

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