The fifth anniversary of the Adams Oshiomhole administration in Edo State becomes a platform for national leaders of APC to send a message to the PDP to prepare its handover note ahead of its defeat in 2015 presidential election
By ADEKUNBI ERO
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has a way of taunting and ruffling feathers in the camp of the opposition, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. To his pleasure and to the discomfiture of members of the PDP, Oshiomhole loves to flaunt his achievements since November 12, 2008 when he assumed office as governor of the state compared to the dismal performance of the once ruling party in its almost 10 years in the saddle before the table turned against it. The fifth anniversary of the governor’s administration, which climaxed with a mammoth rally in Benin City on Tuesday last week, was another such treasured opportunity. Five roads were commissioned before the grand celebration. These were the reconstructed 5-Junction area, Princess Ukpomwan Ezomo Street, off Airport Road, Ogba Market Road, Ogiesoba Road, Osuan Road (Vegetable) Market Road, and Golf Course Road, now Tom Ikimi Lane.
Expectedly, interim national leaders of the party and other party stalwarts from across the country were around to give their moral support and celebrate with the governor as well as formally launch the new party, All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. Among leaders who converged on Benin City were Muhammadu Buhari, former head of state and retired army general; Bisi Akande, interim national chairman of the APC, who was also former Osun State governor; Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State; Aminu Bello Masari, former speaker of the House of Representatives; Audu Ogbeh, former national chairman of the PDP; and Lai Mohammed, the interim national publicity secretary of the party.
Buhari who has never hidden his disdain for the Goodluck Jonathan administration whose socio-economic policies he has often criticised, said the APC was determined to come and secure Nigeria. According to Buhari, “We know the difference for five years now in Edo State. We are happy that the governor is coming along with the APC. The APC will ensure peace and stop terrorism and reconstruct the infrastructure for Nigerians to enjoy. It is important for you to pass the message to others that APC is determined to take over in 2015 and manage the country effectively. Nobody will ensure that the votes count except you.” Tinubu commended the people of Edo State for snatching victory from those he referred to as “election thieves,” and described the state as one on a shinning hill that brightens Nigeria.
The former governor said the destination of the APC was the government at the centre, adding that they came out with the APC to effect a lasting change in the country. While however not being unmindful that power is not easy to surrender, he said, “But we want it in an honest manner. We are tired of failure. How do you give statistics that the economy is growing and we are still suffering? You have GDP that is growing and we have an army of unemployed youth. We have to change this government.”
The national chairman of the party said the APC was happy that “since the beginning of time, Edo State people have always wanted to be counted among the progressives and this time again, we are happy to discover that the Edo State people are ready for the battle ahead that will lead the APC into the leadership of Nigeria come 2015.” Akande was confident that party faithful, particularly the teeming youths and women whom he described as the foot soldiers of democracy and who had fought against election rigging in the past, would continue to do same until victory was achieved for the APC. John Odigie-Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State, stated derisively that God had planted a grenade in the PDP and that the grenade was separating the sheep from the goats in the ruling party at the centre. Like Tinubu, Odigie-Oyegun admitted that the battle ahead would not be easy, even if the G-7 governors currently being wooed join the APC.
Odigie-Oyegun assured that “when we do that, the transformation that has taken place in Edo land, the transformation that is taking place in Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun states and the rest of it will be transmitted into the nation.” While hailing the performance of Oshiomhole whom he described as “our immediate redeemer” in his five years in office, he said he was the standard by which the nation is being measured as to what is right and what is wrong. Tom Ikimi, former foreign affairs minister, noted that Edo State was not what it was before adding that, “arising from the ashes of the burial of PDP is the APC. APC is what is happening now. With Oshiomhole, we have seen new schools, we have seen new roads and new hospitals. With Oshiomhole, we have seen democracy; with Oshiomhole, the environment is better; with Oshiomhole, corruption has been wiped out of Edo State.”
Giving account of his stewardship, the governor said, “We are delivering. We are walking the talk and not talking the walk.” He said apart from the number of roads he commissioned as part of activities building up to his five years in office, between now and December, more than 100 completed projects would be commissioned. He said the challenge now was to focus on the economy having spent so much to build infrastructure meant to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. “I am happy at the response we are getting. The private sector, from agriculture to palm oil, they are all coming to Edo State to set up businesses. We have people who are coming to Edo State to set up fertiliser plant. We are refocusing on security and appreciate the role of our security agencies. Our House of Assembly has risen to the occasion and has approved death penalty for kidnappers and Edo State is no longer safe for criminals because this governor will sign any death warrant as soon as it comes my way.” Oshiomhole said between November last year and November this year, “we have paid to major contractors about N36 billion in certificates generated from road construction, schools construction and hospital construction and we recognise that our allocation from Abuja is barely over N4 billion. Every month, we pay to contractors about N3 billion. Edo State devotes about 85 per cent of the federal revenue to capital projects that people can see. Our market women who were in the past used during elections and abandoned, we have empowered them by giving them cash to rebuild their markets.”
According to Oshiomhole, “from Edo South to the North and Central, our people are witnessing new roads, new schools, new health centres. In Esanland where they told us water is impossible, as we speak, they are fetching water in Uromi, Ekpoma and so on. All the things that the PDP said was impossible are being done. Everything they said was impossible, your steward, guided by you, our leaders, we are delivering.” The governor also disclosed that over 7,000 youths had been employed under the Edo Youth Employment Scheme, (EDO YES), while the ban placed on employment by the PDP had been lifted. He said electricity had also been extended to several communities.
But as far as the PDP is concerned, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium rally by the governor and his party was “a class act of political deviousness on the part of the governor” and “all noise and no substance.” Dan Orbih, state chairman of the party, started his press conference Wednesday last week by appreciating the people of Edo State “for their level of tolerance and patience in the past five years of the APC government in Edo State.” He said “the hallmark of the Oshiomhole administration is the elevation of propaganda as a tool for self-aggrandisement,” adding that “we have witnessed five years of failure, five years of fraud, five years of deceit and propaganda in Edo State.” Orbih said since the inception of his administration, the governor had received well over N300 billion from the federation account. He said with over N100 billion as internally generated revenue, the governor had received well over N400 billion as revenue with not much to show for it. The PDP also alleged that while the governor inherited a debt profile of about N4 billion from the government of Professor Osunbor as at 2008, “today, we are indebted to well over N250 billion.
He also carpeted the government for not fulfilling its promise of creating 10,000 jobs in its first tenure and for operating “very oppressive taxation.” While stating that, “the state is no longer investment friendly,” the PDP chairman alleged that “even his good friend, Dangote Group who initially indicated interest in investing on solid mineral in Edo North and also investing in rice plantation in Agenebode, has since relocated these investments to Ondo and Ekiti states.”
Festus Osawaru, a member of the Labour Party, LP, scored the governor 40 per cent. He said since the governor ceased recognising labour, he had derailed. A former councillorship candidate in Ikpoba Okha Local Government area, Osawaru said “he rubbished me; he promised me free and fair election but he did not fulfil his promise.” Many respondents however believed the governor had made a lot of difference but enjoined him to do more in other areas apart from roads and schools.
Reacting to the PDP’s allegations, Kassim Afegbua, the governor’s special adviser on media and publicity, described them as fallacious. He said it was not true that the government under Oshiomhole had borrowed over N250 billion. He said contrary to the opposition party’s claim, the state was the least indebted in the country. He advised the PDP to visit the Debt Management Office in Abuja to clarify its fact rather than mislead the public. Afegbua said, “Our debt is in the region of N30 to N35 billion. They should go and check the facts. In fact, when they published the list, we were the least of all the states owing and these were not acquired under Oshiomhole’s administration. These are carry-over debts as a result of PDP misrule in Edo State. The records are there. When they did the reconciliation recently, they were shocked. We welcome positive criticism; criticisms that are constructive, that speak to the issues, not the ones that will just throw up fallacies and want them to wear the toga of truism.” Debunking other allegations, Afegbua said the state government was doing something worthy of commendation. Also reacting to the PDP’s claims, Louis Odion, information commissioner, said in a statement that Edo people were already enjoying the benefits of the drainage projects as flooding has now become history in the Ugbowo axis, Teachers’ House, Five Junction, Mission Road and other quarters. In his words, “the people are happy but the PDP is sad.” On the allegation that the government was bankrupt, Odion said “I think it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It is the PDP federal government that is unable to fund the Federation Account. For the first time in our history, the federal government under PDP watch cannot pay states their statutory entitlements. But through prudent management, Oshiomhole has continued to pay workers and meet his obligations to contractors as and when due. So, who is broke?” The commissioner enjoined the people of the state “to continue their victory dance and ignore the latest tissues of lies by the PDP.”