Obaseki As Mission Impossible For Oshiomhole

tion’s challenge.

Against the background of his perceived belligerence and autocratic bent, it does not seem probable that Oshiomhole could muster substantial tacit support of various caucuses of the party in the country, talk less of the state governors.

Not that alone, having served complete two terms of eight years in office as governor before mounting the saddle as national chairman, the preponderant notion among Edo people is that Oshiomhole wants to transmute into a small emperor in the state.

The state secretary of APC, Mr. Charles Idahosa, who made that analogy, said the party’s national chairman was playing godfather in Edo politics, recalling how Oshiomhole introduced Obaseki as the engine room of his administration.

While noting that Obaseki has exceeded public expectations in his performance and track record of achievements in office, Idahosa said: “It was the same Oshiomhole that imposed a running mate on Obaseki, (the present deputy governor) and Osarodion Ogie, the current Secretary to the State Government (SSG).”

Apart from the reservations of politicians in the state, the Edo State electorate wonders what the former governor wants after eight years in the same office that Obaseki is occupying. Moreover, there is growing public resentment against the national chairman as the people accuse him of laying obstacles on the path of Obaseki to distract the governor from his developmental agenda.

Idahosa, who is a former aide to Oshiomhole declared that if an idea does not emanate from the national chairman, he considers it as rubbish, stressing that Edo people have had enough of his high handedness.

Otestimonial that Obaseki was the engine room during his own administration is on record. Now, the people are using it to evaluate the

incumbent. It is their evidence that Governor Obaseki cannot be dismissed without basis.

According to Monday Nosakhare, a native of Edo State, Governor Obaseki is seen as a man on rescue mission, pointing out that working tirelessly behind the scene as the chairman of the Economic Strategy Team (EST), Obaseki made sure that funds were generated to drive the programmes and policies of the Oshiomhole administration.

Nosakhare said it was regrettable that after describing Obaseki as the brain box of his administration and declaring that the state needed such a successor with financial expertise, should Oshiomhole turn around to be fighting him? He said it boils down to petty jealousy.

Insisting that Obaseki was actually doing miracle to keep revenues coming, Nosakhare remarked that the governor embarked upon aggressive revenue generation through the deployment of technology, “which enhanced revenue collection and minimised leakages.”

He disclosed that it was by plugging loopholes for revenue leakages that the governor earned criticisms from the very few individuals that were feasting on the state and corruptly enriching themselves.

While explaining that most of those badly hit by Obaseki’s reforms in the revenue generation sector gravitated towards the APC national chairman to wage political opposition against the Governor, Nosakhare said the effectiveness of the system became well known to Edo people, since according to him, internally generated revenue shot up by as much as 500 per cent.

Second term elections are usually a referendum on the performance of an incumbent in office. Some believe that Governor Obaseki has made a lot of improvement in governance so far.

Nosakhare said the Ogbemudia Stadium is one area the governor’s effort is being appreciated by the youth, stressing that on completion, “the stadium that was last renovated in 2002 for the National Sports festival will have a brand new tartan tracks, seats, swimming pool, boxing, lawn tennis courts, and above all, an all covered stand.” He added that Obaseki’s support and commitment to sports development led Bendel Insurance Football Club to gain promotion to the elite division of the professional league after 11 years in the lower division.

According to the public servant, “while majority of the people appreciates the governor’s strides, few however, are not appreciative and want the old order, where they will continue to line their pockets with state resources.

“It is this few enemies of Edo that have turned themselves into political agitators and launched the drum beat of war ahead of the 2020 governorship election that is still over a year away.”

Also a chieftain of APC in the state, Mr. Martins Osakue, said well-meaning politicians in the state chapter of the party are solidly behind Obaseki, insisting that only a handful of greedy politicians are against another term for the governor over his refusal to settle them with monies meant for the development of the state.

Osakue said: “There is no doubt that Governor Obaseki has performed wonderfully well. It is not only the quantity of project that he has delivered, but the quality. You can deliver 100 projects without having ten good ones. Obaseki has not only delivered so many projects within a short time, but he has delivered on the projects qualitatively,” he declared.

With the people voicing positive sentiments about Obaseki’s performance, the public sympathy and his initiatives in office could render the political mischief devised by his former benefactor incapable to dislodge the governor.

However, Oshiomhole has his die-hard crowd and it might be unwise to think he would surrender without a fight. That has made the political scene in Edo very interesting. In the days and months ahead, it would be clear who is the harder nut to crack between Obaseki and his former boss.