By Kassim Afegbua
If I wasn’t around when Godwin Obaseki ruled and ruined the state, I would probably have thought there was a silver lining to his administration. A man who was never at peace with himself, and is now a rolling stone, hither thither and yon by the day, in between his pandiculation dares to open his filthy buccal cavity to throw shades on a humble citizen fixing Obaseki’s mess! When Obaseki was Governor of Edo State, his leadership style crippled productivity, and demolished the surviving infrastructure he inherited. Everything about his contributions to growth and development was superficial; for eight solid years, he never de-silted the drains, plus, he abandoned the Benin City Stormwater Master-Plan which ought to have addressed the perennial flooding and erosion in certain parts of Benin City. The singular reason for this? Adams Oshiomole his predecessor would have taken credit for it. He found that to be a good enough reason to abandon a viable project into which billions of naira has already been spent; the proper foundation was already laid, and all that was needed was further digging into the mould; but Godwin Obaseki shunned this brilliant project, and his gang of fellow money grubbing party members were too either blind or too daft that they didnβt raise the issue.
They deployed propaganda to ridiculous height, immersed themselves in poisoned chalice, over bloated egos, and threatened Edo citizens with Oko prison every now and again. Deceit was their creed in their vainglorious adventure to create a season of anomie that would stymie opposition. On the cusp of election in 2024, they boasted about their hyenas, tigers and lions, and threatened to unleash mayhem on Edo people if they refused to vote for them. Those eight years were a season of emptiness that ended with empty boasts, “Nigeria will burn if any of my boys is arrested” according to Obaseki. The election came, and Edo people humbled him. They got rid of his emptiness and deceit. He set up Edo to go to the dogs. Edo people knew by that time that they had been taken for a ride. He and his army were routed! He was a wicked leader. One who couldnβt provide means for his people to even survive, yet channeled their funds into a recondite hub for entertainment; to impress who? Or was it the easier way to siphon money out?
A home boy, Monday Okpebholo, trounced him and his candidate, at the election and now the chicken has come home to roost. Once Obaseki knew his game was up, he took to his heels to save his face. He was reported to have gone to Rome to seek absolution for his follies, sins and foibles. Later, he was sighted at a palm wine bar in Edinburgh, wearing the visage of a man visibly troubled and haunted by his inadequacies and misdeeds probably yet unable to forgive himself. From those distant lands, he dares to denigrate the good works of Senator Okpebholo, who is altruistic and well meaning for Edo people in his governance. I wish it was Obaseki that Wike lashed with his tongue early this week. It would have been fitting! Everything Obaseki did in Edo State was for his pecuniary benefit, without a lasting plan for the state. Technocrat my foot! As he forces out a smile these days, his overall look begs for pity. He needs to come and tell Edo people who owns this museum he built, and who it was that funded it. Okpebholo is not a fool; he has employed adroit forensics to do all the necessary tracing and vouching to obtain evidence with regard to Obasekiβs assertions about this museum. The truth is unfolding and what is right will be done. The state government won’t bow to blackmail.
Often, when some men handle raw power, they think there will be no end to it. Obasekiβs is a tale of conscienceless power paired with powerless conscience. For eight years, he breathed down the throats of the helpless citizens, and applied draconian machinations to implant fear in their hearts and the society, while plundering the state kitty. He hired praise singers, housed in some IDP camps, equipped them with pittance, and a simple directive to fire anyone that says anything about the conquistador. From Benin City to Auchi, to Igarra, Uromi, Ekpon and Ebele, Edo state under Godwin Obaseki was a happenstance, shrouded in pretense, otiose policies, and grandiose economic pronouncements. His time was dominated by buccaneers whose brigandage was undoubtedly the article of faith. As Nigeria is a country of sins without sinners, it seems easy to him to attempt to metamorphose from a failed Governor whose profligacy was eternal, now much like a nun on the run in foreign lands. But he will soon learn that this administration is not frivolous, and it is poised to right all his wrongs. We see and hear his destitute foot soldiers in Benin when they come out like helpless members of Internally Displaced Persons in search of hope and charity. To Okpebholo, they are all jokers!
Edo people now know better. They have seen the difference in governance. Obaseki’s vuvuzellas declared that they are blind to the present interventions in critical sectors of the Edo economy; the flyover under construction in Ikpoba slope and Adesuwa, the numerous schools being rebuilt: New Era, Oredo Girls, Irrua Girls, Army Day Secondary, now revamped with tables and chairs for conducive learning and several schools numbering up to 68 across the state. As I watched their factional leader dishing out their warped thoughts about Okpebholo’s achievements, I felt a tinge of sympathy for them. It was clear that the man did not believe in what he was saying. In fact, Godwin Obaseki their leader, appears as a man under a spell, or a curse has been placed on him without his knowledge. When a child is badly behaved, all kinds of possibilities could be at play.
That Obaseki is on the run is a mild drama of accessible creativity; that he’s on the run without anybody chasing him, adds to the melodrama. Listening to him speak about Edo, one might be tempted to conclude that he turned Edo into an el-dorado but the reality belies his efforts. He is very deceitful. He used all manner of terminologies to whip up incoherent verbiage to score points. Obaseki’s artistry in this guise is exceptional. He knows the art of obfuscation, how to chew without biting his tongue, and how to concoct figures without smiling. In the final analyses, we have seen the rot and decay of Obaseki’s time in office, and we are unpacking them on a daily basis. Okpebholo means business and he will right Obasekiβs wrongs. Edo people are no fools!
Prince Kassim Afegbua
Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Edo state.
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