Bolivia, Oshiomhole and Politics of Stomach Infrastructure
‘Mayor’ Constance Bolivia Osigbemhe (a.k.a) Young Bolivia is about the most popular musician in Edo North Senatorial District , particularly among the Afemai-speaking people. He’s one of the many children of the late ‘General’ Bolivia Osigbemhe - a teacher and a folk cum highlife musician whose hit album- Obano- in the early seventies has remained unrivaled more than four decades after under whom he had his apprenticeship and tutelage.The senior Bolivia was like many of his ilk as famous as he was notorious. With his croaking but sonorous voice he churned out albums in which he praised to the high heavens those in whom he has found favours. For his so- called detractors he literally tore them to shreds with his caustic and acidic lyrics and for them the fear of ‘General’ Bolivia as he was fondly called was the beginning of wisdom . The senior Bolivia is not the subject of this write-up; his mention is only an insight into the topic of today. So we should allow his soul to rest in peace.
Young Bolivia is a chip off the old block, a reincarnation of some sort. The first time this writer listened to his debut album it was mistaken to be that of his father; the semblance in all respects was striking. There was no doubt that from that very first effort the young man would surpass his father in fame, but as for his notoriety it was a matter of ‘let’s wait and see’ .
From one album to another the Young Bolivia who could hardly look directly into people’s faces had garnered so much clout to evolve into an enfante terrible among notable Afemai musicians literally tearing into the flesh of the elite from the area , chewing their meat and spewing up the entire mass into the drains for not helping the less-privileged and the general development of the area. By this posture he assumed to be championing the cause of the poor, downtrodden and unemployed youth from the area. Those familiar with the genre of music of that area know that it thrives mainly on praise - singing and some abuses.
With the resuscitation of partisan political activities in 1999, some of the musicians acquired more weapons to their arsenal. With this, Young Bolivia has been terrorizing politicians, particularly political office holders with relish accusing them of a myriad of malfeasance. He’s been having a field day as many people seemed to be enjoying all the misinformation he’s been dishing out. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has destroyed the country to the extent that they believe that governance is all about sharing money, buying and distributing foodstuff to the electorate and buying motorcycles for the youth to maim and kill themselves and others. Only a mad man or woman would think that this is the only way to empower people. Are there motorcycles on the streets of Dubai, Hong Kong, Medina, Tokyo, London, California, etc where our modern- day elite have houses as the major means of transportation? We used to commute in taxis and buses to all the nooks and crannies in the country, but today you see children , old men and women clung onto motorcycles traversing urban and rural roads. How else does one explain the current state of anomy in the country
Mayor Constance Bolivia Osigbemhe , the self-acclaimed crusader against injustice, corruption and bad governance in his latest album titled ‘Last Tenure’ accused Governor Oshomhole of Edo State of lack- lustre performance and condoning corruption among some council officials alleged to be plundering their treasuries. According to Bolivia, Oshomhole’s tenure was racing to an end and very soon he would be deserted by people hovering around him now. Childish talk. How many people did Constance find coming to find out how his family was faring after the death of their influential father. This is not the cross for Oshomhole alone . It is the cross awaiting every person who holds public or private office or has favour to dispense. This writer used to have more than 40 calls a day from friends, relations, colleagues who needed assistance in one way or the other particularly at periods of deployment of fresh corps members. Today, not up to ten calls come in in a whole week. Where are the friends, where are the relations and where are the colleagues ? They are alive. But they have switched allegiance. And they will continue to do so in as much as they have nests to feather .
Young Bolivia lampooned Oshomhole’s provision of infrastructure such as roads, schools, water and electricity asking women to put coal tar into their cooking pots to feed their children if tarring of roads was an achievement. You don’t need anybody to tell you here that Bolivia is a paid agent of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) whose current chairman, Dan Orbih, is the son of the late foremost politician and owner of the once famous Hill Top Hotel where the late senior Bolivia plied most of his trade. You can therefore see the reason why human capital development and infrastructure mean nothing to Bolivia and his co- travelers.
The PDP in Edo State believes in ‘sharing the money’ which Ayodele Fayose, the incoming governor of Ekiti State has rechristened Stomach Infrastructure. In the same album in which Oshomhole’s landmark achievements were denounced, Young Bolivia sang praises of Zakawanu Garba, Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly on the platform of PDP. Who’s fooling whom? And what’s wrong in Afemai people sending a delegation to thank Oshomhole for tarring roads in the area? These are rural farming communities who for more than a hundred years had not seen a tarred road. Their produce perished yearly for lack of good roads to transport them to places where they are in need and so they remained impoverished . Now they can ferry their produce with ease and earn good incomes. This is the power of coal tar as a tool of development and empowerment; it’s not to be put into pots to be cooked as food. It’s true that the people having elected Oshomhole are his employers. For those who own businesses I am sure if their employees do well they motivate them with a pat on the back, give a pay raise, promote or even give a bonus. That’s exactly what the Afemai people did to a dedicated ‘employee’ and a son in whom they are well pleased. Does Young Bolivia not show appreciation to his dedicated bandsmen who slave for him simply because he pays them wages?
The great men who built modern Singapore and Malaysia -Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir bin Mohamad- particularly the former was being criticized by the opposition and Western media of being dictatorial and high handed just as Oshomhole is being labeled, but they remained focused and undeterred. Singapore’s infrastructure has been described by an American journalist, Professor Tom Plate, as the “envy of Dubai, public schools that put America’s to shame, international and math scores even higher than Japan’s and a national airline that reminds its passengers that flying needn’t be cruel and unusual punishment.” That’s the power of establishing solid infrastructure that can attract massive investment .
From the creation of Midwest Region in 1963 to date, no administration has performed as that of the diminutive but highly cerebral and ultra energetic Adams Aliyu Oshomhole, fondly called in Edo State Osho Baba. The unprecedented investment in human capital development by rehabilitating the schools and manning them with qualified teachers, and infrastructure would open up the state for entrepreneurship and investment in agriculture and industries. This would in turn create jobs and prosperity.
He who comes to equity must do so with clean hands and I am not sure if Bolivia has such clean hands. Does he scrutinize the invitations and reject money sprayed him? While some of the invitations to perform and money sprayed him come from persons who can defend their sources of income a lot come from questionable sources and he doesn’t resist them. What else is corruption ? Just as Bolivia rightly said no one can hold back the hands of the clock from ticking, but it should not frighten those who hold office or have any assistance to give to start doing the wrong thing in order to please a few insatiable persons. When the chips are down those hovering around will surely ‘ vaporize’. History is the best judge.
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