By John Mayaki
Key players of the previous administration of Godwin Obaseki will, from this week till the third week of this month attempt to blame this administration under the guise of playing the role of the opposition. We know them, just watch out. But let me quickly remind them that nobody will take them seriously because they created the problems they now want to blame others for.
They will churn out partisan lamentations that is devoid of objective assessment. They will stylishly avoid the truth; the obvious and glaring developmental efforts of the governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Rather than the truth, they will discredit not minding if they spite their own face because of their nose.
For instance, I have watched them blame government whenever it rains. They say governor Okpebholo has not tarred all the roads in Benin city and constructed drainages within 10 months. The people who had the opportunity of governing for 96 months without addressing the problems confronting the state suddenly want to blame the man who came to reconstruct the broken city.
This can be likened to the story of the tortoise who desperately needed help from the pit but started complaining that the help wasn’t coming as swiftly and as expected. The tortoise saw efforts being made to rescue it from its self inflicted predicament but was in a hurry. Tortoise help yourself, if you can and stop crying, I said.
The above best describes the remnants of the supporters of Obaseki; the likes of Chris Nehikhare, Ogbeide Ifaluyi Isibor, Crusoe Osagie, Dan Ogbegie among others. I am calling their names to recognize them. They deserve the mention. But they need to learn that destructive opposition won’t lead them anywhere. Commend governor Okpebholo where and when necessary and also offer alternative solutions when necessary. Poor students of history.
The issues they would be dwelling on in their respective assignments during the period the governor marks his one year in office include local government administration. The one they collapsed before leaving. The one they rigged their cronies into office and stole the councils dry. The same that governor Okpebholo is struggling to clean up the ruins they left behind.
Another issue they would raise is in the area of education, roads, security, teachers, health care and hospitals, judiciary, employment among several others. Of course, it is not because they can’t see or feel the fresh wind blowing in town but they would pretend it is not existing or at best, not properly done. The ruins Okpebholo is confronting and addressing today did not appear overnight. It was created within the eight years of the abandonment Obaseki supervised in the state.
Did Okpebholo inherit Obaseki’s ruins? Yes, even the opposition agreed to that fact. Are efforts being made by Okpebholo to clear them? Yes, they are glaring. Are the opposition seeing this efforts? Yes, but they are not happy. Are there room for improvement and for more to be done? Of course yes, the governor is just about a year in office and not eight years yet.
In the administration of the ‘elitist’ Obaseki, was there anything known as bursary and scholarship? Never in their thinking. Has the opposition commended the governor for the N1 billion seed money for bursary and scholarship? No, they hate it when the state makes progress. Does Obaseki have a policy document? None to public knowledge. Has the opposition commended the governor for the gigantic project of a flyover in Benin? No, they hate to see progress and development. They hate to see real farms where harvest was made as against Obaseki’s agrimillionaire that became a scam.
Oh, why is the governor always blaming Obaseki for everything? No, it’s not a blame game. Tell them the governor is simply diagnosing the problem. And that to fix a problem, you must first name it. If the governor calls attention to the rot he inherited, what is wrong in that? Do we not deserve to know the system and rot Okpebholo met on ground and how he plans to build them? Why should anyone get angry when culpability is being fixed where it should be?
How can we sweep our past under the carpet? Should we forget how Obaseki invested millions and billions in publicity and slogans? Did you not hear of “EdoBest”? What is best about not having teachers in our schools? Or what is best when our educational infrastructure collapsed across the villages and local government areas?
We also cannot forget in a hurry how billions were invested in slogans like “Alaghodaro” and “Making Edo Great Again”? How can history not remember the noise of those who once ruled poorly but criticized loudly? Why should we not keep the opposition’s failures alive in our public memory?
In all of these, and for the people of Edo state, ignore the sore losers who now want Trump to come and rescue them, and let us prepare to celebrate our governor for surpassing our expectations within one year. Let us remember the man who is building quietly with calm persistence. Let us celebrate Governor Monday Okpebholo as he clicks one year in office.
