Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and spurious publication by a one-man blog (nurajos.blogspot.com) on alleged schism in the board of OMSL over alleged mismanagement of $18m (Eighteen million dollars).
In the said write-up, the faceless hack mischievously alleged that our chairman, Capt Idahosa Wells Okunbo, had taken possession of the said sum from NNPC, and squandered it in alleged bribery of National Assembly members and presidency officials over the squabble with Nigeria Ports Authority on the SAA issue.
Ordinarily, we would not have dignified the faceless writer with a reply, but in the interest of unsuspecting members of the public who may be swayed by deliberate falsehood and for record purposes, we are constrained to put out this press statement
1. The write-up is totally false in every material particular.
2. No payment of $18m dollars or any such payment was received by OMSL or our Chairman, Capt Hosa Okunbo
3. No bribe was paid to National lawmakers or presidency officials in respect of SAA issue with NPA by OMSL or our chairman.
4. The concocted story could only have been in the warped imagination of the writer and his sponsor(s)
5. We believe the write-up is politically motivated to smear the reputation of our company and our chairman.
6. There is no division whatsoever in the directorate and management of OMSL.
SIGNED
1) Admiral Ameen Ikioda (Rtd)
2) Mr Garth Dooley
3) Admiral Joe Aikhomu (Rtd)
4) Mr Kunle Oyekunle
The evil of the modern slavery that has seen many Nigerian youth end up as slaves in foreign countries, serving wicked and cruel masters is a big concern for the federal government, it is even worse as many of those responsible for such devilish transactions are still on the loose and are still luring others in the name of oversea employment.
Activities of this human trafficking racket is making genuine international employment organisations in Nigeria looks like slave trade channels and it is this notion that Rex Bamidele Jacob who is the President of Association of Recruiters, Licensed Placement Agents of Nigeria (ARLPAN), an association serving as the umbrella body of Private Employment Agencies (PEAs) is working in collaborations with relevant government agencies to clampdown on the activities of those selling Nigerians into slavery under the pretext of international employment.
The ARLPAN president who is also the Managing Director of Jj Central Capitals Ltd International Manpower Recruiters, while fielding questions recently agreed that the racket that engages in human trafficking only feeds on the gullibility of some Nigerians to sell them into slavery, he explained further that these only falls into the hand of illegal and unlicensed recruiters and that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in an effort to curtail this terrible incident had created a Labour Migration Desk to address the associated problems with the movement of skilled and low skilled persons within and outside the country by ensuring that there are employment opportunities for Nigerians to work legally abroad without fear of molestation, exploitation or any form of inhuman treatment or being subjected to unfair labour practices.
Bamidele Jacob is of the opinion that human trafficking is a war that must be won stating that the perpetrators are illegal and unlicensed agents who are only after the money and have no care for the lives of their victims, while refuting allegation that members of ARLPAN are involved in the heinous crime, Rex Bamidele Jacob says his members are never involved and that they have been working with the government established Labour Migration Desk to make sure no Nigerian ever fall victim of the racket again.
He stated further that his association in collaborations with Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria (HuCaPan) are working tirelessly to make sure the Code of Conduct for Private Employment Agencies in Nigeria jointly developed by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other social partners are adhered to strictly and that it is based on this that the Labour Ministry and HuCaPAN cleared the Licensed Private Employment Agencies of all sort of involvement in human trafficking.
Speaking on how to recognize authentic agencies, Bamidele stressed that all 35 members of the association are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), HuCaPan and are introduced and known as an association to every government agencies, he also explained that all members of his association are issued membership certificate every year which can be withdrawn on suspicion of involvement in questionable transactions.
In other no to fall victim of human traffickers, Rex Bamidele Jacob implore every international job seekers to always demand to see the labour license of their international job facilitators after which they can confirm the authenticity from HuCapan secretariat or directly from ARLPAN.
The volume, velocity and variety of campaigns of calumny against Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, in the last few weeks, underpin the consensus among the elite and the average electorate in Edo State, that having wilfully taken on some of its illustrious sons, Governor Godwin Obaseki is an ill wind that blows no one any good and should be voted out of Government House by September 19th. Obaseki does not deserve pity of any kind, really.
He self-destructed by scrapping with well meaning apolitical but wealthy Edo sons, who are now all out to see his back. A statesman like Capt Hosa, for instance, is the centripetal force of the governorship election with just one mandate: chase Obaseki out. Prior, he would have remained in the background, because of his professed non-political stance.
But the governor and his administration had mindlessly and serially besmirched him and his businesses. For Capt Hosa, the September 19th governorship election is a battle he is committed to helping Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, win, not for any ulterior motive but the need to rescue Edo from the impostor in Government House.
Fighting needless battles with people especially those that have impacted the lives of the people for decades remains one of Obaseki’s mortal undoing. He sadly and patently epitomises and embodies the biting aphorism that no man is wise enough or good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.
Pre-2016, Obaseki was dutiful, loyal and meek; virtues that won him over to the Edo State elite, notably, Capt Hosa. For any right-thinking government, whether state, national or international, Capt Hosa is an ace in the hole – an effective adviser and sounding board for economic policies and directions that Obaseki failed to capitalise on his hand of fellowship is one of the major indicators of his administrative and governance ineptness and ignorance.
Yet, in the early days of his administration, Captain Hosa was one of Obaseki’s cheerleaders – supporting, rooting and collaborating with him to make Edo work for the generality of the people. He contended that if Obaseki succeeded, it is the people of the state that would be the greatest beneficiary and if he did otherwise, it is still the people that would bear the brunt.
Knowing Captain Hosa means knowing a man at peace with himself, humanity and his creator. Undeniably one of Nigeria’s most successful and humane businessmen with interests in diverse sectors of the economy spanning petroleum, marine, construction engineering and agriculture, Captain Hosa has given as much to humanity and his native Edo State nay Nigeria as much he has been blessed by God.
Over the years, much as he is not a partisan politician, he has always supported progressive politics and those with the passion and devotion to better the lots of the people.
Because of his commitment to making Obaseki and his administration succeed, Capt Hosa, in 2016, had a meeting with the new governor on how to make the state an investment hub to expand revenue base, drive economic growth, and lessen the financial burden on the public purse so the state government could spend even more on public works.
Believing that he and the governor were in sync, Captain Hosa sponsored him and his officials on an investments pathfinder’s trip to China, because of his firm conviction in private sector-led participation as being the key to the economic and industrial development of the state.
On another occasion, as a guest of the governor at the Edo Convention in Toronto, Canada, he announced the donation of five houses valued at N50million to support Obaseki’s housing project and earn him the goodwill of Edo people at home and in the Diaspora. Capt Hosa did all of these and more without necessarily expecting any patronage from the state government.
The eventual point of departure between him and Obaseki, according to Capt Hosa, was when he started an avoidable fight with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the then APC National Chairman.
“At a time, I spent almost three hours of my precious time in the governor’s house, explaining to him the need to build synergy between him and in the best interest of the development of our state. He was blunt that he was not interested in any peace talk and that he was embarking on a fight to the finish with Comrade Oshiomhole,” Okunbo recalled, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Edo people.
A man, who holds firmly that politics is about morals and values, and that nobody needs amoral friends with shitty values, Capt Hosa said he decided to hands off the matter, having done all he could do to engender a peaceful atmosphere for governance and development of Edo.
At the time also, it had become apparent that Obaseki’s style of governance was anti-people and divisive while his strong suit is demonising those who don’t share his base political beliefs. Worse, Obaseki and his rapacious crew pandered towards venality while he made a botch of the state’s economy.
They deified and enrobed him in transcendent garb without commensurate achievements or substance and he believed his own hype and turned a deaf ear to voices of reason. He did virtually nothing to assure the populace that people can stay connected and respect each other even if they differed politically.
Then, Obaseki began a reign of onslaught against Captain Hosa. First was the sponsored and sustained rumour that he was interested in the governorship seat. Despite his strong rebuttal, the Obaseki camp feasted on it. Later, Obaseki, in a press statement, blatantly accused Oshiomhole and Captain Hosa of plans to recruit thugs to disrupt the September 19th election.
Subsequently, an aide of the governor, one Marvellous Zibiri, wrote an incendiary article wherein he described Capt. Hosa as a ‘drug baron’ because he was investigated by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 1995 and given a clean bill of health.
It bears recalling that after the NDLEA absolved him of any crime, Capt Hosa instituted legal proceedings against the agency at the Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal, Lagos, where it was established that the prosecution had not made a prima facie case against him that would warrant the tribunal to ask him to defend himself.
Thus, Hon. Justice Tijani Abdullahi, who presided over the tribunal, discharged and acquitted him on a ‘no case’ submission. It was this case that Zibiri referenced and caused to be widely published and syndicated. The article was one of many calculated attempts to bring Capt Hosa into disrepute.
Although Captain Hosa fought back, got Zibiri arrested and the young man, who realised his mistakes, openly apologised. For a man with a large heart, Captain Hosa forgave him and brought him like a son. Zibiri had since written a few articles, doting over the manner of man that Captain Hosa is.
In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the people of Edo, Capt Hosa stated bluntly: “This spate of coordinated attacks, with their attendant mode of vicious execution, can best be described as the unconscionable actions by attack dogs and hirelings of the desperate Edo State Government on the watch of Governor Godwin Obaseki.”
According to him, as a good-hearted Edo son, he did not deserve the embarrassing treatment even as his pedigree will never let him to deliberately concoct any wrong against his state and Obaseki.
“I am, however, shocked, bewildered and pained to observe that despite my very sincere, robust and stated commitment to support the anticipated pace of infrastructure development, progress and other social investment initiatives through the deployment of my modest goodwill and network of capital, for which I am eternally grateful to God, alas, the response has been to paint my person with a brush of public odium that verges on mischief.”
Well, the die is cast now. The skunk at the garden party in Edo State will be marched out in September. But the honour, respect and reputation that Captain Hosa had built over the years remain immutable, no matter the antics of detractors. What more, Okunbo is set to be honoured soon on September 11 for the Best of Africa awards, a few days to the governorship election. You can now understand why he remains the ace in Edo’s hole.
– Taminu lives and works in Abuja, the nation’s capital
It is trite to say job creation is crucial for a healthy economy to fire growth and improve the lives of the citizenry. And since the importance of creating jobs is to ensure a stable and progressive society, the electorate and the general public are always keen to know what an intending public office holder/seeker has in stock for them in terms of jobs/employment creation. Therefore, as September 19 approaches, Edo State is also not left out of that consideration.
The level of enlightenment among voters in Edo State ahead the coming governorship election has increased significantly. People are more interested in who governs them and what benefits are available through the various choices as revealed in their manifestoes.
This is where the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his handlers appear, to be ahead of their main rival, incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki. They must have learnt this all-important fact, because his contract with the people, simplified as the ‘SIMPLE Agenda’, which has long been presented to the public, clearly indicates his readiness to tackle the menace of unemployment head-on.
Manifestoes are the ideas or plans of what a candidate projects to do to address societal problems and the SIMPLE Agenda presented by the APC candidate in Edo State comes as one, which understands the problem of shortage of gainful employment, the right measures for its alleviation and possible eradication.
One way to generate employment is to create enterprises that are self-sustainable. Corporations and governments must be innovative as they seek to solve the hydra-headed problem of unemployment. Reasonable government will achieve so much in doing this with corporate engagements that can justify investment and ensure returns on investment.
Though governments like that of Edo State are different from other conventional profit-oriented entities, and this seems to have prompted the approach that Mr. Ize-Iyamu and the Edo APC have adopted in their blueprint on how to move the state forward in respect of employment generation.
The SIMPLE Agenda reveals that, Mr Ize-Iyamu, when elected governor would embark on the maximisation of every government engagements towards creation of gainful employment for the Edo people. In other words, governments will generate jobs from every programme, project and activity in each of the 18 local government areas of the state.
The “SIMPLE AGENDA”, an acronym for SECURITY, INFRASTRUCTURAL development, MANPOWER development, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, LEADERSHIP and EMPLOYMENT creation, is an action plan with the potential to transform lives of the people if followed to the letters.
Ize-Iyamu promises over 75, 000 direct and indirect job opportunities in a well-calculated projection based on job creation through policies and programmes enumerated in his SIMPLE agenda within a period of fours years.
As revealed in the document, every government undertaking aimed at generating revenue would also provide opportunity of gainful employment to the teeming masses, and as well, solve socio-economic problems of the people.
Every policy will serve the dual purpose of wealth creation and economic empowerment and amelioration of the sufferings of the masses.
Not only that jobs will be created in sectors such as education, agriculture and rural development, housing, electrification, fire service, industrialisation, waste management system, employment creation and social empowerment as well as water supply; the promise of the sustenance of existing jobs contained in his manifesto have endeared Ize-Iyamu the more to the electorate.
Government retrenching or downsizing the workforce would no longer be acceptable to the people. They desire a government that would guarantee existing ones and as well create more jobs.
The highest point for the majority observer is the well thought-out Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme through, which the administration will seek counterparting with stakeholders, banks and financial institutions to resuscitate the moribund state-owned industries.
He listed a few of them to include the fertilizer plant, Auchi; Cassavita industry, Uromi; Ava cement factory, Akoko-Edo; fruit juice factory, Ehor; Bendel Brewery, Benin City and Ewu flour mill, among others.
In this, financial institutions, industrialists, Chambers of Commerce, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other stakeholders will partner the government on resuscitation of failed and failing industries – all in a bid to generate revenue, create employment opportunities and by extension, improve upon the lives of the citizens.
This is undoubtedly a great way to improve on people’s lives. Industrial clusters in the three senatorial districts namely Edo South, Central and North. Each of the senatorial districts will directly mop up at least 10,000 able-bodied men from the streets in direct engagement.
This means at least 30,000 employment opportunities for the Edo people. Edo State is reputed to having 21 per cent unemployment rate as at 2019 and this means that out of about 600,000 job seekers in the state, not less than 30,000 will be gainfully engaged through the Public Private Participation to revamp government-owned ailing industries alone.
The SIMPLE agenda recognises the importance of education and provision of power supply to the continued sustenance of national livelihood and is set to give this proper attention to guarantee a living economy. The agenda will characteristically preserve existing jobs, as well as create additional opportunities.
Any policy with the capacity to create 2000 direct jobs in the electricity-dependent industries and additional 1000 small scale businesses to be aided by the government among rural dwellers is a good bargain for the Edo electorate. 1000 newly found businesses will in turn create at least 2000 direct and indirect job spaces.
In the area of water supply, the document promises to make shortage a thing of the past as existing jobs will be safeguarded while an additional 10,000 construction-related employment opportunities will be created, while the government seeks heavy investments in the sector.
The SIMPLE agenda is clearly a product of many experiences of Pastor Ize-Iyamu after many years in the service of the Edo people in different capacities since 1999.
As a former Chief of Staff and later Secretary to the Edo State Government, he would certainly bring his wealth of experience and knowledge in the various sectors of the state’s economy to bear.
From Education to waste management, the APC manifesto for Edo State will generate more wealth than any past government. The government will partner the private sector to provide a better living standard for the populace in a counterpart arrangement that would also create sustainable employment from emerging corporations while generating the needed revenue for the government.
Labour, Civil Society want National Water Resources bill trashed. The groups made the call at a media briefing in Lagos on Friday, 21 August 2020, stressing that “the bill is anti-people, repugnant, suspicious, obnoxious and intolerable” while urging Nigerians “to be vigilant and to rise to reject, resist and refuse to go along with the evil bill”.
National president, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Benjamin Anthony said there is a hidden conspiracy behind the bill, adding that it is fraught with contentious sections and with no iota of public interest.
“They must withdraw the bill because we are going to adequately mobilise the civil society and the entire country to resist it. We can’t take it, it is evil, and the bill is not even good for amendment and should be thrown away.
“There was no stakeholders’ engagement, and it is tailored to make Nigerians miserable. We must collaborate, unite, and engage to take our right back. Our water is our right, it is our human right, we will dare government if they do not jettison this bill because they cannot contain what they will see. There is no transparency in it, it has a lot of flaws” he warned.
The activist said that the surreptitious plot to ram it through the legislature speaks volume for some hidden agenda but vowed to mobilise the entire well-meaning citizens in mass unrest that the government would not be able to contain.
Also, Akinbode Oluwafemi of Corporate Accountability Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) noted that the bill was arbitrarily reintroduced in the Green Chambers, just as he called on Nigerian “to rise up and defend their human right to water”
“They arbitrarily reintroduced it in the Green Chambers, in breach of its rules, legislative convention and the provisions of the 1999 constitution before the House adjourned for a two-month recess on Thursday, July 23, 2020. We think that the National Assembly would do well to once again trash this detestable bill in the public interest to save the country from avoidable disaster.
“Our so-called representatives of the people should better let the sleeping dog lie to avoid another round of crisis in our already volatile polity because we cannot accept it and the patience, as well as the good nature of the Nigerian people, should not be tried. They should remember that when Nigerians are mobilised to fight for their right no government power can stop them. They fought the military and we are ready again if the government continues to show insensitivity”
Also speaking, Comrade Musa Ukpo, said the National Assembly “must trash this bill or be ready to face the consequences of their action with massive protest and revolt from the people. Enough is enough of this nonsense”
It will be recalled that when the bill was first introduced in the 8th Senate, it generated intense controversy across the country and was rejected in 2018, due to its desire to have the federal government take control of lands and water resources in the country.
Were debates a constitutional requirement of every election in Nigeria, it would have been interesting to watch Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) square up to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his main rival in the September 19th governorship election in Edo State.
As governor for the past three years, such a debate would have availed Obaseki, particularly, a veritable opportunity to let the world into his achievements and sell himself to the people for re-election. But, as yet, there is no such plan.
This election is pivotal on so many fronts. It is not just about the direction that the state would take after the end of Obaseki’s current administration; it is more about its future and essence; how it would rally from the doldrums and compare on all fronts with other big states in Nigeria.
It is a contest between light and darkness, literally; between a rudderless incumbent and a major opposition figure that had long prepared for the seat; and most importantly, a contest that determines whether the people are genuinely committed to making a complete break from a dreary past and destructive party that had underdeveloped them in the past; or reinvesting their hope in the party that had come to their rescue since 2008.
Will the people allow the prodigal Obaseki to take them back to that ugly past?
This is why there should be a debate to know the mindset and mission of the standard-bearers of the two leading parties, not just lap up their ringing sophistry and colourful manifesto that cannot be critically questioned or dissected. Edo people cannot afford a gamble any more. But, even if there were a debate, would Obaseki have shown up?
His absence would not be for want of eloquence. Far from it! Obaseki is luckily blessed with a luxuriant, accented drawl that would be a draw in the boardroom. The well-founded assumption that he would not attend is predicated on his sudden imperious predilection, which would see him wanting to control the ground rules, determining the moderator and being confident that he can avoid probing questions about his alleged maladministration in Edo State.
If he were perceptive enough, however, he should have, by now, reconciled with himself that there is a distinctly palpable and pervasive lack of enthusiasm for and confidence in his ability to discharge his duties very well as governor.
And, given his unconstitutional handling of the Edo House of Assembly’s inauguration, there is a belief that Obaseki might resort to yet, another round of filibustering to avoid a debate knowing that he would be in grave peril of getting called out for not answering questions appropriately; being fact-checked real-time and finding no place to hide, when asked about his serial failures that have become even more obvious as the local economy has gone into a tailspin.
Interestingly, the buoyancy of the Edo economy was the strength on which he was piggybacked into the Governor’s Office in 2016. Upon his inauguration in 2008, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had embarked on and implemented an ambitious, highly successful statewide programme of road construction and repairs in Edo with a view to re-jigging the economy.
True to his vision, within eight years of his stewardship, over 25 major companies had set up in Edo State with the concomitant provision of jobs and reinvigoration of the local economy. There is notably the $1billion Azura power plant, a Chinese steel and ceramic industries, and the Okpella Cement Company by the Dangote Group also valued at over $1billion among others.
Though blithely Nigerian, the nation’s foremost industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, would probably not have considered Edo State to site such a monumental project, he however did, because, according to him, “It is a friendly state to invest.” Dangote said at the groundbreaking ceremony of the cement company in 2016, that this was attributed to the economic reforms of Oshiomhole especially, in the area of tax, innovations in rural finance and investment in infrastructure as factors that necessitated an enabling environment that has further provided a platform for future growth.
While attributing the influx of investors to the favourable business environment and government policies among others, Oshiomole had noted then that more indigenous and international investors have indicated interest to invest in the state. This stance explained his plunging headlong into the Obaseki for Governor Project in 2016.
Desirous to make Edo even more economically viable, Oshiomhole swore by Obaseki as his successor, vowing that he (Obaseki) would consolidate on his achievements and do even better and the people believed him, because he under-promised during his electioneering and over-delivered.
Who’s better to take the state economy to Nirvana if not Obaseki? Rather, after being entrusted with power, he plunged the entire state into the Nadir. Now, his story is insipid and tedious and deserving of a better ending than this self-induced ugly turn.
For the records, there was no encumbrance on his ascension to the governorship and the people, who made it so did not expect any during his administration. But Obaseki threw every sense of purpose, of governance and logic to the birds as he embarked on a purely anti-people government – fighting every phantom foe rather than working; commanding rather than consulting, and unearthing the worst impulses of the people and wrecking the fabrics of the local economy.
Yet, Obaseki’s story was once beautiful. With a background in investment banking, he was appointed the Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team inaugurated by Oshiomole in March 2009. He served well and to the best of his ability and was an integral part of some of the economic reforms initiated and implemented by the Oshiomhole administration. He was unassuming, yet, very efficient and loyal. Indeed, a part of the Oshiomhole success story.
So, during a potential debate, the economy will prove decisive, specifically, how large-scale unemployment and underdevelopment were inflicted on the state as a result of his seeming incompetence and directionless administration?
Where is the Edo economy now and from where did Obaseki take it? What has he done with the allocations coming into the state in the last three and a half years? These are questions he might not be able to answer.
Unfortunately, his MEGA (Make Edo Greater Again) Agenda, which teed-off to a false start, because the name itself was stolen from President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential slogan, Make America Great Again, does not elucidate how he hopes to revive the economy he asphyxiated.
Also, ironic is that the MEGA Agenda claims that, it is focused on a modern and progressive Edo State, where every citizen is empowered with the opportunity to live life in its fullness while his mission is to achieve economic prosperity for Edo State. This particular point rankles. Why does Obaseki need another four years to achieve this? What did he do with the first four years of his administration?
He would also describe the MEGA Agenda as a mass movement of campaign for popular participation of the Edo people for development, yet, his few rallies have been boycotted outright or sparsely attended if not defined by violence; and if you did a headcount, attendees are only members of the party, who had come to feast on their common patrimony.
Shall we have the debate now, please?
The attitude of the average electorate to a candidate can be easily measured by how they respond to his or her political campaigns and that simply explains why some politicians go the extra mile to invest hugely in ‘crowd purchase’ for their rallies.
So far so good, everything seems to be working in the favour of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the September 19 election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. This is because the feedback and the crowd that have been attending his campaigns only suggest that the people are in need of a change and that he is the change they have been waiting and praying for.
Ordinarily, quite a number of Edo State citizens hold the view that as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2016 governorship election, he defeated the incumbent governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki but was rigged out.
Ize-Iyamu got the PDP ticket defeating his closest rival, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen with a wide margin of 584 to 91 in the primary held on June 20, 2016 in what indicated how acceptable he was and still is among the people.
From the outset, after the kick-off of his campaign, Chairman, State Media Campaign Council for the Edo Governorship election, Mr. John Mayaki, described the August 9 APC kick-off campaign for Ize-Iyamu, which was attended by several APC governors, ministers and party leaders, as a display of the party’s unity and consensus to ensure the victory of its candidate.
“For Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the sail has set, and the winds seem aright for sure victory. Through a modern and inclusive engagement so far, he has obtained the favour and love of the people, and by the significant flag-off event yesterday (Sunday, August 9), the APC will no doubt reclaim Edo State,” Mayaki said.
He posited further that by the peaceful nature of the rally, Ize-Iyamu has obtained the favour and love of the people and that his victory in the September 19 election was reassured.
Governors Mai Mala Buni (Yobe State), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Babajide Sanwoolu (Lagos), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Deputy Governor, Chief Edwin Onoja (Kogi), Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, the 17-pro Oshiohmole Edo State House of Assembly lawmakers, Minister Rotimi Ameachi, Minister Timipre Sylva, and Minister Uchechukwu Oga were few of the dignitaries present at the event.
It was not just about the APC leadership alone, there were a lot of respectable persons from the traditional institutions, religious circles, business world and most notably, the huge crowd was ecstatic – they were so jubilant and they participated effectively in the programme of event in what showed that the people had taken possession of the APC candidate’s ambition as theirs. It is now a movement.
The APC was particularly elated that the kick-off recorded remarkable success at the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, where, after he fulfilled the necessary traditional rites of obeisance, Ize-Iyamu got the royal blessings, which Governor Godwin Obaseki, did not receive during his turn, which turned violent.
Identifying some of the “necessary ingredients” needed for such important event, Miyaki stated that Obaseki missed it due to the “usual sloppiness and disorganisation that rendered his administration impotent and a complete failure.”
Later, on Wednesday, at Etsako West and Etsako Central local government areas, the APC campaigned at Ekperi and Auchi and as seen at the kick-off, witnessed large crowds, who vehemently affirmed their support for Ize-Iyamu’s bid to become the next governor of Edo State.
The APC candidate also used the opportunity to promise to empower women in the state. He was particular about traders working in the informal sector. He said he would assist them with microcredit schemes to enable them grow and revive some businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 restrictions.
Ize-Iyamu told the ecstatic crowd that if voted into office, he would be different from the “non-performing” administration of Governor Obaseki and assured the people that his well-thought-out plan and documented manifesto tagged the SIMPLE agenda, contains realistic policy programmes and plans to move the state forward.
He also vowed that he would find a lasting solution to the security and flood challenges of the state, with emphasis on both councils, and equally create an enabling environment that would attract investments and provide job opportunities for the youths.
Former APC National Chairman and former governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke in Ekperi and Auchi, criticised Governor Obaseki for not continuing the construction of a link road between Ekperi and Anegbette, which he started. He said the governor betrayed the trust of the people and abused the powers of his office in pursuit of selfish goals.
“The APC will restore good governance and not use propaganda to deceive the people,” Oshiomhole assured the people.
The story was the same at Esan land, Edo Central Senatorial District, where thousands of residents stormed the venues of the campaign in support of Ize-Iyamu.
It was a very impressive outing for the APC candidate at Igueben, Ubiaja and Uromi, the administrative headquarters of Igueben, Esan South-east, and Esan North-east local governments. He told the crowd that his SIMPLE Agenda would attract investments and development into Edo Central senatorial district.
Ize-Iyamu again received royal blessing at Igueben from the traditional rulers of Edo Central, who gathered at the palace of the Onojie of the Igueben Kingdom, HRH Ehizojie Eiluojerio I.
He harped on his plan to partner the traditional institutions in addressing insecurity and non-aligning policies between the government and the citizenry. He also promised that he would promote cultural values and tradition that are beneficial to the state and the people.
He told the multitude that were at his campaign in Ubiaja that he would continue Oshiomhole’s development programmes that were abandoned by Governor Obaseki in the areas of road construction, schools, health centres and others, while at Uromi, the APC governorship candidate inaugurated a borehole donated by a community leader in Ward 8, Efandion, Professor Steve Iyayi.
Ize-Iyamu gave the message of hope to the people. He said his government would protect and secure their farmlands, invest in tools that would aid productivity and market their produce to foreign buyers. He also assured the people that he would tackle erosion and lack of basic amenities.
Curiously, as though a man, who has secured the Grace of God upon his life, Ize-Iyamu is getting the support of the people of Edo State. His campaign, which is now a movement, is attracting genuinely enthusiastic voters and a reflection of how the outcome of the election will look like. The die is cast.
In his quest to get a second term, Governor Godwin Obaseki has made some new friends in his new party, the Peoples Democratic Party. Among them is Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State. For a name associated with avoidable controversies, pundits fear he could employ his cantankerous nature into the Edo State governorship election on September 19.
The governorship election in Edo State is just about four weeks away but as each day passes most of the stakeholders in the election are dead scared – they are worried that the process would be marred by violence – it is more like the state is heading for a war than going into an exercise to elect a leader.
Judging from the drumbeats of war coming from the state and the persistent threat by Governor Godwin Obaseki to unleash violence, if necessary, it is easy to agree with those already on red alert, but there are other factors on the ground that point to possibility of violence.
One main issue that the people of the state must be wary of is the involvement of Wike in the Edo election campaigns. Though a strong PDP chieftain, his new job as the chairman of the party’s National Campaign Council for Edo 2020 election has put the task of trying to win the election on his lap and with palpable desperation.
Anyone familiar with the Rivers State election, particularly the 2015 election would recall that Governor Wike only knows one language and that is politics of extreme violence. In his state back then, he freely used inducement and politicization of anti-social groups to undermine the integrity of the election.
Residents of Obio/Akpor, Khana; Gokana; Degema (Bakana); Akuku-Toru (Abomena); Asari-Toru; Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni; Emohua; Port Harcourt; Omuma; Ahoada East and several other parts of the state touched by violence will not forget their experiences in a hurry.
Deploying the federal might, which was maximally at his disposal it birthed an era for unprecedented political thuggery, assassinations, abductions/kidnappings, destruction of property, clashes during rallies, intimidation of perceived opponents, ballot buying, ballot snatching and dubious claims. It might not have been his direct instruction, but his body language instigated.
Those familiar with Governor Wike’s antics will surely be wary that he is already cooking up a winning strategy that might entail violence as seen in his state, where he recently paid N450 million as compensation to victims of electoral violence.
While it is obvious that the biggest challenge ahead of the election is providing security so that the electorate can make their choices without fear or Favour, he had alleged that the APC plans to use security agencies to rig the September 19 election in Edo, threading to scuttle it.
“It is now apparent there is no fight against corruption in Nigeria. We would scuttle the plan of the APC to use security agencies to rig the September 19 election in Edo State. The APC is confident about winning, because they want to rig,” Wike tweeted.
He further claimed that the PDP had gathered enough intelligence about “the unholy plan” and would scuttle it at the appropriate time.
Assuming without agreeing that he was right, if truly the APC has sinister motives to engage the use of the security agencies for election purposes, how does Governor Wike intend to scuttle that? He probably hopes to equip hoodlums under the guise of security agents to wreak havoc during the election and blame it on the APC as he did in his state.
Just as his godson, Obaseki, who recently stated that, “If they want violence, we will show them violence”, Wike said, adding, “I Do not fear anybody; you only die once.”
In yet another statement, he stated that, “We consider the comment by INEC to cancel or suspend the election, because of violence as succumbing to the antics of the APC.
“All they want is violence, because they cannot win the election. If the election is suspended, the implication is that Obaseki will serve out his tenure without an election in November,” he threatened.
The violence poise of Obaseki and Wike should get all well-meaning Nigerians worried, because they are both openly threatening violence and alleging that it was the opposition that plans violence. Then, when the electoral umpire said it would either suspend or cancel the election if there was violence, they started crying foul!
What would they have the INEC do? Already Wike has assured the people that he was prepared to battle with the security agencies, and so, if he does that, shouldn’t INEC cancel the election?
There is no better interpretation to Obaseki’s statement that “We will show them that we are in government. And I am governor; Philip (Shaibu) is deputy. We are the only two people, who have immunity in this state today. And I am saying it in a very clear warning,” that he has a sinister motive and is certain that the law could not catch up with him while he is still enjoying his protection from legal actions as a sitting governor.
Looking at INEC’s position as expounded by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the threat to suspend the election or cancel it was borne out of concern about the escalating levels of violent actions and incendiary statements by political parties, candidates and their supporters.
The electoral body fears that the activities of the political actors are capable of leading to a breakdown of law and order and such situation could easily be evaluated by the media and the general public, so one will wonder why that is also unacceptable to the PDP arrowheads.
The commission is sensing possibility for violence considering that parties are destroying opponents’ campaign materials such as billboards, violent campaigns and use of offensive language.
The Chairman, Edo State Media Campaign Council of the APC governorship election, Mr. John Mayaki, said Wike’s allegations were baseless, saying Wike, like Obaseki, should rather address the allegation of violation of human rights against them.
“Let him (Wike) provide proof for anything he said. He cannot. How does the party that is not in power plan to oust the police in Edo State? He meant to accuse us but ended up insulting the Nigeria Police Force. I think they need to address the disrespectful and sickening way he spoke about them.
This is not the first time that the governor has demonstrated a pedestrian restrain in his words. The inane speculation cannot hold water, as we stand to gain no further advantage should Mr. Obaseki leave office.”
As things stand today in Edo, the main challenge before INEC in organising Edo election is to improve security arrangements and that can best be done by identifying and sanctioning politicians and groups using inflammatory statements, inciting violence or plotting to perpetrate it, ensuring order at campaign rallies, strengthening inter-agency cooperation, and protecting polling centres in a non-partisan and non-threatening manner.
Leading politicians at the state and local levels must, therefore honour commitments, already made to the campaigns and pursue any grievances peacefully and lawfully. It is only shameful that Obaseki claimed to have left APC, because of godfathers only to end up with god-demons. He deserves everyone’s pity. Honestly!
Williams-Fashoro lives in Wuse II, Abuja, nation’s capital
Like any competitive sport, politics is sustained by keeping to the rules and being gracious towards competitors. It also feeds on loyalty to leadership and followership. In this write up, it will be pertinent that I don’t address Osaro Onaiwu as an “Earl”. This is because with that name, which is associated with nobility in the great United Kingdom, Osaro Onaiwu had, for so many years, dressed himself in a borrowed robe.
The story of how he came by that name, to some of us who know his pedigree right from his Ikeja heyday when his reputation was suspect on account of his involvement in some sleazy deals, is blowing in the wind. And, because the name-“Earl”-was borrowed, Osaro Onaiwu has not been able to either exhibit the virtues of the name or keep fidelity to the nobility of it.
Having failed abysmally on several occasions to live up to the billing of that name, I am at no pains at all to just refer to him, in this write-up, as Osaro Onaiwu-the scoundrel. And, I challenge him to prove otherwise.
It is granted that the practice of denigrating opponents ultimately is a zero-sum game that nourishes desperation and a win-at-all-cost mentality; and, where losers resort to scorched-earth tactics, leading to an atmosphere in which governance becomes an exercise of trying to find a needle in a haystack.
I am saddened to see that Osaro Onaiwu, who failed awfully in business and had also contested for the governorship seat and failed on the number of times he did, and who was never castigated for doing so and had even benefited so much from very prominent sons of Edo, is engrossed in an odious pastime of casting aspersions on well-respected Edo leaders who tower above him in honour, dignity and integrity.
Specifically, Osaro Onaiwu’s recent outburst against my mentor and elder brother, Captain Hosa Okunbo, tantamount to crossing the line. He had also taken misguided swipes at respected lawyer and former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiogie West-Idahosa for no just cause. I have yet to see anywhere in which the recent activities of Capt. Hosa Okunbo and Hon. West-Idahosa had directly touched on the person of Osaro Onaiwu to necessitate his unconscionable assaults on these leading lights of Benin Kingdom.
These prominent and highly respected Edo sons have attained the zenith of their endeavours in life and deserve to be respected. There are many others who are also in that category. But my main concern is Capt. Hosa Okunbo that Osaro Onaiwu had gleefully clobbered for whatever reasons. I have taken it upon myself to respond to Osaro Onaiwu because he had not only shown how hateful and envious, he is of Capt. Hosa but also how ungrateful he has been to the man who had shown him brotherly love.
For instance, it is public knowledge that Capt. Hosa sponsored Osaro Onaiwu’s son’s wedding in 2015 and had also patronized his failed public relations company, RED CARPET, on several occasions. Capt. Hosa also contributed to the medical bills of his late brother, Dr Onaiwu, when he was critically sick. I challenge Osaro Onaiwu to debunk my assertions.
I am not done yet. Capt Hosa played a major role in Osaro Onaiwu’s father’s burial as can be attested to by his family and, in addition Etinosa, his brother had also worked for Captain Hosa during the construction of the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja for about three years. I am very much aware of what happened then and how Osaro Onaiwu came to beg Capt. Hosa on behalf of his brother for his misdemeanor for which Capt Hosa had to forgive his brother. I take personal responsibility for divulging these facts without recourse to my elder brother and mentor, Capt. Hosa, who keeps persuading us not to join issues with some of these fellows.
Could Osaro Onaiwu’s irrational attacks on Capt. Hosa just be about politics? Or could they just be an avenue to actually express his unmitigated envy towards a man that had consistently shown him love and compassion? Or could they just be that God has allowed forces greater than him (Osaro Onaiwu) to use him in propagation of acts of ingratitude to really show that he is indeed an ungrateful wretch, unknown to Capt. Hosa?
Having contested for the governorship position several times and failed, that Osaro Onaiwu would now go as far as attempting to maliciously malign Capt. Hosa, et al, these highly respected great sons of Edo whom he had, one way or the other, benefitted from, is completely unacceptable. Honor should be given to whom it is due. Capt. Hosa deserves honour. Other well-meaning leaders of the great Benin Kingdom deserve honour.
That a man of Osaro Onaiwu’s supposed standing would choose to throw caution to the winds over a political game in which he isn’t a player, let alone a frontline player or even the umpire is worrying. For a man who has been a beneficiary of the political system of the state and the eleemosynary acts of Capt. Hosa to begin to throw insults against him and other prominent Edo sons is a good reason for well-meaning stakeholders in the state to pause and reflect on the direction in which “the heartbeat of the nation” is headed. It shows that some persons like Osaro Onaiwu have lost their moral compass.
If the current situation in the State, characterized by a seemingly intractable progression in error by some individuals, including Osaro Onaiwu, continues, then, it does appear that the next election in Edo State could be a victim of desperate manipulation by those who want to hold on to power in spite of their abysmal performance in office in the last four years. But I am rest assured that the good people of Edo State, through their eternal vigilance, would put them and their collaborators, like Osaro Onaiwu, to shame.
Whereas, politics must be a contest of ideas to win the people over to the platforms that best represent their aspirations and paint a better future for them; the good people of Edo State deserve better leadership. It is sardonic of what they claim to stand for if persons, such as Osaro Onaiwu, are not taking the lead in elevating the quality of politics being played in the state.
In his supposed exalted position, Osaro Onaiwu ought to be calling erring youth to order instead of choosing to walk the path of maligning others for cheap points or recognition.
The people of Edo state do not need a heated polity ahead and after the scheduled September 19, 2020 governorship election. Persons like Osaro Onaiwu must consciously and consistently commit themselves to ensuring that the decibels of the drums of war are either drastically reduced or completely eliminated.
Elections will always have winners and losers, but the challenge before the people of Edo state is to unite across party lines to develop the state after the ballots have been cast and the new government sworn in.
A situation where elders of the state, in positioning themselves for personal gains and promotion of parochial interests, choose to act like bulls in a China shop at a critical political intersection in our State’s political evolution is unfortunate. We sincerely do not deserve it and the political shenanigans being promoted at the expense of our commonwealth and destiny of our teeming youth population must stop.
▪︎Prince Emmanuel Odigie sent this right of reply from Benin City.
By his actions, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State set up a war against his perceived enemies and yet, continues to cry foul the loudest. Since the supremacy battle between him and his predecessor and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiohmole, there had been series of assumptions, presumptions and conclusions, most of which were not even verifiable.
One very common belief is that Oshiohmole wanted to play the godfather role and apparently understanding the negative implications of such portrayal, Governor Obaseki played to the gallery, alleging that the friction between him and his benefactor was because he denied him the opportunity becoming a godfather. He mentioned it again during his campaign in Etsako.
In one of his press statements released by his special adviser on media and communication strategy, Crusoe Osagie, the governor categorically said: “In 2016 when Oshiomhole nominated and supported Obaseki, his hidden motive was to use Governor Obaseki, whom he thought would be a pawn in his game to defraud Edo people and enthrone himself as the ultimate godfather of Edo politics at the expense of the will and wishes of Edo people,” he said.
According to him, “However, Obaseki’s refusal to mortgage the interest of the majority of Edo people for the satisfaction of Oshiomhole and his handful of greedy followers is the cause of Oshiomhole’s bitterness, which has led him to bury himself in pursuit of an innocent governor, who is trying to do the right thing for his people.”
Not only has Oshiohmole repeatedly denied the insinuation, reliable sources close to the duo do not agree with Obaseki. For those who understood how it all started, the governor does not understand the game of politics, lacks the skills of give and take and does not listen to good advices, irrespective of where it is coming from.
The horse-trading, give-and-take and promises that gave birth to his emergence as a governor were contracted by those who backed his first term in office but after attaining the reins of power, it was easy for the governor to dump all those, who shelved their ambitions for his and worked for his success at the election.
As soon as he began governance, he quickly commenced a well-planned war against the political class, specifically against Oshiohmole and his loyalists while at the same time, claimed he was a technocrat and does not have room for politicking.
Obaseki, in his bid to take total control of the system and the political structure, started out by engaging in a fierce underneath battle over who produced candidates into the state House of Assembly.
Recall that the first primary election organised by the national body of the APC was cancelled and a new one ordered.
He did not eventually get as many seats as he wanted among the 24 members-elect in the assembly. Some 19 members-elect were loyal to Oshiomhole, while he had only six and among them Oshiomole wanted Victor Edoro as Speaker, but Obaseki preferred Frank Okiye, and in an aggressive manner, perfected the plan to not inaugurate 14 lawmakers loyal to Oshiohmole. Presently, 17 lawmakers have been shut out of the 24-member house.
Though Oshiohmole might be the reason politicians are protesting the ill treatment meted to them by Obaseki, the governor surely has a lot of other people to contend with for his abrasive nature in the political terrain.
Not only did he ban the political class from the Osadebe Government House, when he came into power, in a calculated move, he got rid of Oshiohmole’s supporters from the political system. The former Youth Leaders and an ally of Oshiohmole, Osakpamwan Eriyo was remanded in prison for about 12 weeks, and Tony Kabaka, a youth leader in the state was relieved of his business as a revenue collector for the state and his hotel maliciously demolished.
Osakpamwan was also a revenue collector and the state chairman, Road Transport Employee Association of Nigerian (RTEAN). He lost the two positions on the altar of Governor Obaseki’s quest for power and political supremacy.
There is nearly an endless list of persons grumbling over the governor’s inconsiderate manner of misusing powers and more than Oshiohmole, a lot of them are quietly waiting to express their disapproval of his leadership during the September 19 polls.
Buttressing the view that Obaseki has been the aggressor, revered Edo businessman and philanthropist, Captain Hosa Okunbo, in his letter titled: “An Open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Good People of Edo State: Please, Urge Governor Godwin Obaseki to Leave Me Alone,” did not only recall how he has been a victim of unprovoked attacks by the governor and his men, he also noted that efforts by him to get the governor to toe the path of peace was arrogantly rebuffed.
Talking about how he intervened between Obaseki and Oshiomhole, Okunbo wrote: “In the course of time, I heard he started having issues with former Governor, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole and, I was quite worried and vehemently pleaded with him to settle whatever the issues were and embrace the path of peace in the interest of the good people of Edo State.
“As a stakeholder in the state, I advised on the need to allow wisdom drive his decision-making processes. I emphasised the critical position of leadership he occupies. I further espoused the virtues of patience and sacrifice in public service as I considered these as sine qua non to achieving one’s vision.
“Following a series of complaints of abandonment by his friends and associates from the political class, who knew my relationship with the Governor, I recommended to the Governor to bifurcate between politics and Governance.
“I recommended the need to appoint a trusted and experienced politician to bridge the gap and manage his relationship with the political wing of his administration so as to avoid distraction as he faces the onerous task of steering the business of moving the State towards economic and developmental prosperity.
“He, however, rejected my proposal and insisted politicians were rogues and would not patronize them or see them in Government House. Governor Obaseki told me without mincing words. He emphasised he would not be moved an inch about their responses or feelings on this particular issue, reiterating he did not need their support either. He told me clearly that he was not interested in pursuing any SECOND TERM agenda.”
Lamenting his personal torturous experiences when the governor attacked him, he said if he could suffer “all this injustice for no just cause, so you can imagine how many innocent citizens of Edo State that Godwin Obaseki and his agents would have been standing on their necks that can’t breathe.”
It was not only Captain Hosa, who attempted to lure the governor to embrace peace, quite a number of other well-meaning Edo citizens made efforts but it was soon clear that Governor Obaseki meant to fight to the finish. He told everybody close to him that it would be fight to finish between him and Oshiohmole.
Obaseki only showed that he is not a good student of history. Just about eight years ago, similar scenario played out in Lagos. Former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is a technocrat. If left by himself, he would not have much to do with the politician, but after a little friction with the political class he came to realise their importance in the scheme of things and played party politics. That was what earned him a second term, Governor Obaseki’s undoing in Edo State is that while he claimed to be a technocrat, he is playing deeply into the political terrain and trying to edge out all the political forces that facilitated his emergence nearly four years ago. If he succeeds at doing that, he would actually become ‘the godfather’ himself.
Though no one knows for certain where the pendulum would eventually swing, however, away from the allegation that his agenda is to be a godfather, Oshiomhole has maintained that he is on mission to ensure Obaseki’s defeat in the September 19 governorship election, because he made a wrong choice in 2016.
He has been apologetic to the people of the state for supporting him to emerge as the governor in 2016 saying, “I have made a mistake by supporting a man, who has no vision for my people. So, I want to correct my mistakes by making sure a servant of God, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is elected as governor and kick the snake out of the government house.
“From now till September 19, I am here in Edo State, because a political lion that I am, I am not scared of anything. Now the snake that enters our family home, God has driven the snake to where he belongs.
“I have come home to join you and start the process of reclaiming the house back to the family of APC. So, now I have only one mission and I know it is our common mission: to bring Edo back to the part of sustainable development,” he said.
But the governor insists that the former APC national chairman’s plan was to use him to defraud the people of the state. However, he has not been specific about any issue of such nature.
Though the Oba of Benin, the Ewuare N’Ogidgan II, recently stated that the palace does not meddle in partisan politics and that he has no preference among the candidates, reliable sources within the governor’s fold have hinted that the governor does not really feel he enjoys any support whatsoever of the traditional institution, going into the election.
According to inside sources, “Governor Obaseki’s adamant nature and refusal to give peace a chance won him many enemies and he himself knows it. He fears he might not be having the support of the kingdom, because many of those he attacked had reported him to the kingdom.”
