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My eyes happened to light on Sunday Vanguard’s Political
column; page 38 entitled: ‘‘the tensions in Edo ’’. My
exclamation was with that word ‘‘TENSIONS’’!, even though I
knew the grammatical wrongness of its usage. What TENSIONS?
The piece was against Edo people who thought that it was far
more dignified to confront the creatures of hell than to
exist in a fool’s paradise.
It becomes more anomic on a second look when such analytical
enterprise falls within the prism of a group or individual
who have actively collaborated with the PDP government,
throughout their rampaging years of the locust.
Okharedia Ihimekpen was a special assistant media to
Governor Lucky Igbinedion from 1999 to 2007, while the
administration lasted uninterruptedly, in a clog of
corruption, for eight years. He did not tone a word against
the government he serviced when that regime appropriated the
people’s dreams.
A High Court in Enugu has since dubbed that administration
as corruption personified. But Ihimekpen fell out of favour
with Igbinedion’s administration at its twilight as a result
of his rampant curvature for the rapacious godfather from
Uromi.
The Uromi born chief as always, wanted Governor Igbinedion
to continue to deposit state treasury, wholesale, at his
door step any time the state subvention arrives. The
resistance from Igbinedion brought Ihimekpen on collusion
course with the factionalized PDP at the time.
When Governor Osarheimen Osunbor blundered into governance,
Ihimekpen again gaffed into the torrid arena of speaking for
the legitimately deficit administration; using pseudo names
and all kinds of subterfuge to manipulate the peoples’
resolve to wrestle power from the power drunk powerless PDP.
While Ihimekpen was beating the drum, Osunbor asserted
himself with the desperation of such usurper of our
political will, one that had produced monstrosity in the
form of godfather, which in turn resulted to the decent of
Edo State into a state of economic regression.
Miraculously, the judiciary, after a long drawn legal battle
between Oshiomhole and the forces of darkness that the PDP
represents, the stolen mandate was returned to the rightful
proprietors – Edo people!
Thus was the death of PDP in Edo State , but the
consequences of their actions or inactions remains with us
till today – in spite of the fact that the instigators of
that past are once again clambering onto the political
arena. The sum of it all, amazingly, is that Oshiomhole’s
coming has forcibly aroused the fact that Nigerian people
can demand their electoral rights, a subject that appeared
to be taboo or fearsome for questioning.
By that token the people whose civic rights have been
circumscribed in previous elections found their voices in
2007. The legitimacy of Oshiomhole governorship is grounded
in the antecedent of the nation’s democratic quest to
restore the people to their franchise.
Today, Ihimekpen is the publicity secretary to a PDP
faction, led by Dan Obih. He has raised the issues of
miss-governance, non-completion of road projects, the decade
of health care delivery system, dilapidation of schools,
non-renovation of public institutions, lack of portable
water, planting of flowers within and the outskirt of the
city centre, corruption, and host of others by the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) administration. In his claims,
Ihimekpen alleged that Edo people did not vote for
Oshiomhole, that he is the product of the judiciary.
To start with, one can say on the basis of prior validity
that Ihimekpen must be suffering from psychiatric torment
since the rustication of Osunbor’s administration. ACN’s
performance under Oshiomhole speaks for itself. Thank
goodness that Ihimekpen admitted, albeit scornfully, that
several road projects are on-going, but failed to point out
others that have been completed – like Liberty Avenue,
Stadium Road, Second West Circular Road, Oba Market Road,
and 6 completed Roads at Costain Isonoro Avenue, now
christened Gani Fawehinmi Layout.
I’m wound up too that he went further and listed the about
to be completed ones Akpakpava Road, Sokponba Road, Sapele
Road, New Lagos Road, Dawson Road, Airport Road, Siluko Road
and Aruosaghae Road. He also shied away from listing some
other roads under construction outside Benin City across the
18 Local Government Areas of the state which include:
Ayogwuri-Apana-Imiegba-Imiakabu (29.56km), Ekperi-Anegbete
Road and Bridge (30.3km), Jattu-Afowa-Iyora-Apana-Ayowiri,
(15km), Evboeghae-Ugo-Urhonige (62km), Jattu-Ibie (4.425km),
Jattu-Ayua (6.4km), Amedokhian-Ugboha (8.9),
Isua-Uzenema-Ebele (3.23km),
Auchi-Jattu-Afashio-Ikabigbo-Ojio (13.6), Otuo-Ihivbe-Ogben
(18km), Igueben-Ewohimi-Ewatto-Ohordua-Emu-Okhuesan (32km),
Igueben-Udo (5.5km), Iguobazuwa-Uzama-Siluko (23),
Uhen-Olumoye (10km).
Undaunted with the state’s wiry resources, Oshiomhole went
ahead to embark on the construction of ultra-modern Women
and Children Specialist Hospital in North and Central
Senatorial Districts to compliment the already existing one
in the South, called Stella Obasanjo’s Women and Children
Specialist Hospital.
While that of Edo North is located at Otuo, Owan East Local
Government Area; that of the Edo Central is situated at
Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of the State.
The government has also embarked upon total reconstruction
of General Hospital at Sabogidda-Ora, Owan West Local
Government and Agenebode, Etsakor East Local Government
Areas respectively.
Aside from these, Oshiomhole-led administration has
renovated and upgraded several public schools across the
state to ultra-modern standards. Among which are: Saint
John’s Boys Model, Fugar, Etsakor Central Local Government,
Our Lady’s of Fatima, Auchi, Etsakor West Local Government,
Anglican Grammar School, Igara, Akoko-Edo Local Government,
Saint John Bosco’s Grammar School, Ugboha, Esan South East
Local Government, Saint Maria Gorrotti Girls Grammar School,
Ikpoba-Okha Local Government, Niger College, Ikpoba-Okha,
Idia College, Oredo Local Government, Adolo College, Egor
and Western Boy’s High School, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government.
Ihimekpen re-echoes PDP sing-song at the beginning of this
administration that all that Oshiomhole has done for nearly
one year in office was to plant flowers, even though the PDP
lacked the courage to do same while in office for 10 years.
He’s oblivious of the charge by Eco warriors all over the
world, who are calling on every inhabitant of the earth to
replenish the depleted ozone layer through trees and flowers
planting.
Ihimekpen commented on the trail blazing efforts of
Oshiomhole to redefine governance in Edo State without the
needed commendations and accolades, even though a great
number of these roads are near completion and some of them
already completed. It tells more of PDP’s searing memories
of the scenes of confrontation than the actual re-appraisal
of governmental intervention towards the achievement of the
much talked about Millennium Development Goals, MDGs for
which every right thinking nation or person must give
subjective thoughts.
Now this: Edo people will proudly role out drums amidst
clinking of glasses with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as he
marks 2-year in office on November 12 as the governor of Edo
State . It will be a time for our people to loathe their
past with agonizing hatred and glaze their future with
relishing comfort. They will be celebrating themselves for
showing maturity and practicing their democratic rights in
the face of tyranny – defending their mandate in the face of
repression; along with Oshiomhole’s commitment and respect
for the desire of the people.
It will be a moment of truth; an era not only dreamt and
imagined but now splendidly experienced. It will be one of
the beautiful sights to witness ever; as a people of
dominated space in time past by godfathers, who now elected
and voted for freedom. It would be a sign of growing
democracy in the hands of its people. Oshiomhole has truly,
truly delivered on his electoral promise to take governance
to the door steps of both friends and foes alike.
For two years running, the mass of Edo people have seen the
elimination of graft and misuse of public till. Oshiomhole
has disapproved the cynics that labour leaders the world
over are lay-bye administrators. He has also proved that
one-man show is abhorrent to genuine democracy.
As we leap over the past to address the issues of political
principles in Edo and elsewhere, we can avoid calling
attention to culpable individuals like Okharedia Ihimekpen,
the unconscionable breed that makes bold to feast on a
banquet on which he has trampled; but to call memory to our
aid – now that they are thrusting themselves again for
power. Edo people must not let down their guard.
Erasmus Ikhide is
The Senior Special
Assistant (Media Affairs
To Edo State Governor,
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
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By:
Erasmus Ikhide,
Published
October 22nd, 2010
