WHEN, on two occasions – 2007 and 2012 - the good people of Edo State trooped out en masse to cast their votes for a man they believed had the Magic wand to lead them into a fresh dawn, they were playing their roles in a divinely orchestrated drama. Both were historic occasions when Edos spoke out objectively, passionately, and vociferously in concord, an accord that gave two separate mandates to a proven gladiator whom they knew was ready to fight to the death for their freedom; a battle-tested Spartan warrior in every sense of the word, the quintessential former “President of the Masses”, His Excellency, the amiable Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, of the All Progressive Congress, the architect and lynchpin of the new democratic order. The exhilarating fanfare that accompanied the two swearing-in ceremonies that followed the electoral victories that gave Oshiomhole his two successive mandates were quite understandable. They were practical demonstrations of the general euphoria that pervaded the whole of Edo land, as the people anticipated better lives for all during the period covering both tenures - the scenarios of a people boisterously enamored in anticipation of the good things to come from a man they had given the go-ahead to chart a new course for their violated land. So, when they converged at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on those memorable dates, it was to say resounding “welcomes” to their illustrious son, and to wish him “good luck” in his future assignments. On the international front, Oshiomhole has served two terms on the executive board of the International Labour Organization, representing African workers; served as a member of the executive board of the African Regional Organization of the International Confederation of free Trade Unions; served on the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU); and the Committee on Freedom of Association of the ILO, the world’s only tribunal on workers’ rights. Oshiomhole won his first term as Governor of Edo State in 2007 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (now All Progressive Congress). This was consequent to his court appeal against the results of a massively rigged April 2007 election in which the candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor had initially been declared the winner. He assumed office on 12th November 2008 after winning the appeal. In July 2012, he won another landslide victory for a second term on the platform of the same party. When he assumed office in 2008, Governor Oshiomhole had plethora of challenges to contend with: a dearth of functional infrastructural facilities and basic amenities that had turned the state into a living hell; a completely scruffy political system where graft had become a pastime; a dejected populace in dire need of purposeful leadership; a decapitated public service staffed by a disgruntled workforce; a stone-age educational system that was turning out ill-equipped individuals without the required productive capacities to contribute to the development of the state; a lethargic health sector that left the infirm at the mercy of charlatans; a regime of joblessness that had bred a high degree of hopelessness, helplessness and desperation in the psyche of the youths; a state of mind-bending insecurity spurred by widespread disenchantment within a section of the populace against the system and its operators; to other equally formidable challenges. But since assuming his hallowed position six years ago, Oshiomhole has striven to correct all the systemic incongruities that had bedeviled the state since its creation, performing feats that have confounded even his harshest critics, proving once and for all that governance is not just about talking the talk, but walking the walk as well. A sprinkling of Oshiomhole’s outstanding achievements – which are legion -within his six calendar years in office includes: Road projects in Benin City - completion of the Gani Fawhinmi Layout comprising six roads, complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; Oba Market road complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; stadium road complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; Sokponba road, complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; 2nd West Circular road, complete with covered drains. Walkways and street lights; Akpakpava road, complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; Sapele road dual-carriage way, complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; Siluko road, complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; Airport road dual-carriage way, complete with covered drains, walkways and street lights; Upper Siluko road, complete with covered drains and walkways; laying of a brand new FIFA turf at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, with refurbished dressing rooms; completed street lights at Upper Sokponba; completed street lights at Ramat Park-Agbor road; Oro street, Uwa Lane, 3rd Cemetery, Ihenyan, all completed with covered drains, street lights and walkways; the Kings square at the city centre, rehabilitated and beautified with a modern water fountain. The schools refurbishment projects in Benin City includes: rehabilitation of Adolor College, St Maria Goretti, Niger College, Idia College, Agbado primary School, Ohonba Primary School, Payne primary School and Olua primary. Mention must be made of the ongoing 5-Star 120-bed hospital Complex at the Central Hospital, and the Benin City Storm Water Master plan. Several other roads, schools, and beautification projects – completed and ongoing – are scattered all over the Benin landscape. In Edo Central, some of the completed projects include: Roads - the Isua-Uzenema road, Igueben road, Amedokhian-Ugboha road, Irua-Usugbenu-Ugbegun-Ujogba roads et al. Some of the completed schools include: Ewu Junior Secondary School; St John Bosco, Ubiaja; Annunciation Catholic College, Irua; Ibhedu Primary School, Ohordua; Okaigben Primary School, Ewohinmi; Eguare Primary School, Ekpoma; Our Lady of Lords, Urhomi; and Our Saviour Primary School, Iruekpen. All these roads, schools and water projects are in tandem with several rural electrification projects in many hinterland communities. Some of the completed road projects in Edo North include: the Ewan-Ojirami-Makeke-Dangbala-Lampese road; Otuo-Ihievbe-Ogben road; Ayu-Jattu road, completed with side drains; Iyamo-Iyora road, completed with side drains and a bridge; Apana-Jattu road, completed with side drains among others. The completed schools projects are: Oghomere Primary School, Etsako West; Iyereku Primary School; Evbiobe Central School, Sabongida-Ora; Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongida-Ora; Emai Primary School, Afuze; Ohobo primary School, Afuze; Uokha Juniour Secondary School, Uokha; Erevhe Primary School, Utuo; Etuno, Model primary School, Igarra; and others. Together with these roads and schools project are: Borehole, rural electrification and hospital projects across the three Senatorial Districts, extending to all the local governments in the state. Also worthy of mention are: the massive reformation of the public service, which has turned this once lethargic Dinosaur into a fluid working machine; the job creation scheme that has created reasonable means’ of livelihood for a large pool of unemployed youths in the state; Criminal Justice Reforms, which aims to check acts of crime and criminality in the state, and speed up judicial processes; and support for security agencies – Police, State Security Services, Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Army et al – in their efforts at checking insecurity in the state. Oshiomhole’s achievements are legion. It is pertinent at this juncture to note that despite all the evil arrows that have been shot at the governor and his people-centered reform programs by the trouble slingers in the state, since the onset of his cleansing exercise, he has forged on unperturbed. Like a moving bullet train, he has continued to outpace his pursuers. In the same manner the Jamaican sprint sensation, Usain Bolt, has continued to re-define the face of athletics, Oshiomhole has continued to reform the face of governance in the state, forcing the naysayers in the opposition camps to chew and swallow their noxious words. From one colossal step to another, he has consistently conquered every Everest in his path – their sizes not withstanding - demonstrating in full public glare that mere theoretical postulations can be translated into practical realities by those who are not intimidated by the sheer size of life’s many challenges. Any objective, non-partisan, informed, and impassioned observer of the evolution of Edo politics since - the state’s creation - August 27, 1991, will agree without much ado that Adams Oshiomhole has succeeded – where others have dismally failed - against all expectations, in creating a fluid working machine out of Edo State - a state where there is no fever of speculation; where there are no inflamed desires for sudden wealth among government officials, as had been the tradition in the days of the ousted regime; where the poor have no fear of the future, and the rich live and act within the ambits of the law; and where governance is in the hands of only the capable, altruistic and patriotic – a state founded on the ideals of freedom, opportunity and progress. He has activated in the minds of Edos the belief that if they continue to stand on the side of progressive change, by remaining steadfast in their support of his administration, then, they, their children, and children’s children will be better off in the long run – politically, economically, and in other significant ramifications. There is a saying that “most people don’t value what they have until they lose it”. In the same vein, Edos might not appreciate fully what they have in Oshiomhole until his stewardship in Government House ultimately comes to an end in 2016. I dare to add here – without fear of contradiction - that whether anybody wants to accept it or not, Adams Oshiomhole remains unarguably the most outstanding governor in the checkered history of Edo State – just check the records. He is in a class of his own; a Janus – the double-faced Roman god - whose ability to look into the past and future before making crucial decisions, sets apart from the crowd. His god-like achievements within just six years are practical testaments to his divinely mandated winnowing mission to Dennis Osadebey Avenue. He is a man mandated by divine oracular fiat to “transform past dreams into contemporary realities”, and take Edo State and its beautiful people to “The Next Level”. That is what he has been assiduously doing since 2008.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 20:33:18 +0000
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