Oshiomhole’s Last Day in Office
Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, held a valedictory executive council session on his final day in office. It was an emotional moment deserving of the initiative, writes Adibe Emenyonu, who witnessed the session
If there is anything that is constant, it is the fact that in every sphere of life, there must be change. Change on its own can come in different ways. It could be though movement, transition or transformation. Whichever way, change must occur. This, in local parlance, signposts the saying that “soldier comes, soldier goes, the barrack remains”. In other words, nothing has ever remained constant according to Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher of Yore.
On November 11, 2008, Adams Oshiomhole retrieved is mandate to become the governor of Edo State after 18 months of legal battle at the tribunal and Court of Appeal. Eight years down the saddle, it is time to quit the stage and pave the way for a worthy successor.
In accordance with this axiom, the people’s general by virtue of the struggle in the labour movement, which he was privileged to have led as President, decided to call members of his cabinet to say though we are not leaving by reason of death, it is time to say goodbye as members of Edo State Executive Council.
It was a session full of emotions and nostalgia as Oshiomhole presided over his last State Executive Council meeting as Governor of Edo State. At a stage, the outgone governor broke down in tears when he was addressing his aides and Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu.
Two things, as was later learnt, precipitated his bursting into tears. One was the absence of his first wife, Clara, who died before the end of his first term and the death of his former Private Principal Secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde who was gruesomely murdered by assassins during his campaign for second term.
Oshiomhole looking back, recalled the love and attachment; how the late wife was always by his side during the labour unions days; that even when he was detained severally, Clara was there for him to the extent that he began to entertain fears that he might one day die, not knowing she would go before him.
On Olaitan, the Comrade Governor recalled how he brought him from Osun State to be his private secretary when he was sworn in as governor in 2008, and how the late Olaitan was dedicated to the struggle and governance before the cold hands of death snatched him away. At this stage, he broke down in tears and was joined by others who felt the pain of losing dear ones.
A minute silence was held in honour of these heroin and hero in Oshiomhole’s life. Thereafter, the governor picked up his voice again, commending members of executive council for their steadfastness, commitment, industry and resourcefulness, which contributed to the success of his administration.
“Let me thank each and everyone of you for what God has used you to do for our people, for our great state. Let me say publicly that I do believe the evidence is there, that members of this state executive council are the least paid and work the hardest compared to any other state that I know of. I also know that we have had to work long hours.
“I recall a meeting we had, starting at 9.00 am, no adjournment and staying all the way to 7.00 am the following day. No break, no adjournment. We all agreed that we would do that and we would not adjourn until we had addressed the issue of the viability of this state so that we can deliver on our promises.
“I want to thank all of you. May God bless you; may God reward you. And we must have a sense of collective ownership of everything that happened while we were here. I want to apologise to those I harassed, and there is hardly anyone I didn’t, but it can be both ways. I wanted everything to be perfect.
“The harder I strived towards perfection, the more I realise that it can’t be, and I am still striving. I was always afraid to fail; it has been in my nature. I didn’t design it. Thank you for tolerating a lot of that and for appreciating that nothing was personal. I am proud of each and everyone of you, and as Odubu said, let’s see ourselves as members of a particular class, like you have members of an alumni association, a particular class. May God preserve this class, and may the membership of this class continue to advance.”
Continuing, Oshiomhole had a word on his successor. “With Godwin, I think one of us is taking over. We have a sense that the man, who chaired our economic team with whom we had debates is going to continue. My prayer is that he will avoid our own mistakes and build on our strength and that the economic environment will be sufficiently enabling to enable him to do all of the good things I know he has in his heart, because what brought us together was the Edo project.
“I know he has passion; he has the commitment; he has the energy and he has the honesty of purpose, and above all, he has the competence. What he will need from us is the prayer for God to enable him to do so well that this club of which he was a member, will be an example of how members of this club are performing and growing from strength to strength. Thank you so very much.”
Earlier, Odubu, recalled with nostalgia, the very early days of his relationship with Oshiomhole when they met in Abuja.
According to him, “The very first time we met with regards to this project was in Abuja, and it was as if we had known each other for donkey years. We bonded as brothers. I recall again the trying moment, the trying period when our mandate was stolen.
“You provided exemplary leadership. Mr. Governor, sir, to say that you have performed beyond previously established boundaries will be to state the obvious. To also say that you began well and ended well will also be to state the obvious. Mr. Governor, sir, you have changed the Edo narrative.”
Odubu added further: “Before now, many of us were ashamed to identify ourselves as coming from Edo State. Today, we hold our heads high in various places to say, we are bonafide Edo indigenes. I want to thank you. My association with you has made me a better man.
“In you, Nigerians have found a man who is worthy of emulation, a man that is selfless, a man that is dedicated not only to the course of Nigerians but the course of the common man. You have proved that tough times don’t last, but tough people do.
“You have taught us to fight; you have taught us to fight well. Rest assured of your place in history because you did the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the shortest possible time. It remains for me, therefore, with blessed assurance to wish you a blessed future. I wish you all that you wish yourself.”
Another member of the council, Osarodion Ogie, who was Commissioner for Works, went back memory lane his relationship with Oshiomhole for 18 month at the tribunal and Court of Appeal before the mandate was restored. He spoke about how he worked with him as Chief of Staff for four years and Commissioner for Works till date, adding that in all these years, Oshiomhole has thought those of them who worked with him three virtues: loyalty, courage and humility.
Expatiating on these, he noted that working with Oshiomhole, they have learnt that no matter how difficult an assignment is, it is possible to solve it once there is courage. “You gave us that courage in the midst of challenges to keep marching on”, he stated.
He also remembered the episode of the widow whom the governor out of anger, told to go and die because she was among those defacing the urban renewal programme of government but out of humility, apologised to her and gave her job which to me “is the highest display of humility”.
The outgoing Works Commissioner also recalled how the governor prior to the primaries which threw up Godwin Obaseki asked him to collapse his structure for the new governor and he had to obey because Oshiomhole thought him how to be loyal.
Although other members of cabinet took turn to speak and also pay glowing tributes to the governor, he took time also to address some of them especially those who started the journey with him in 2008.
To his deputy, Odubu, he said in spite of the rough time they had together before, during and after the primaries, they were able to reconcile, an indication that they are from one political family.
He thanked Clem Agba, his Commissioner for Environment for the zeal he displayed leaving his lucrative job at Chevron to work with him and displace erosion and flood in the state as well as his administration’s urban renewal drive.
His gratitude was also extended to Didi Adodo, the unionist from Steel Workers’ Union for coming to join him in the task of rebuilding Edo state from grand zero.
Lastly to Ogie, the Works Commission, Oshiomhole described him as his political son though by age he cannot be referred to as a biological son. He said it will continue to remain a reference point, Ogie’s loyalty to him and the party.
He spoke of his closeness to him through thick and thin; how he asked him to forget his governorship ambition and as a loyal son, acceded to the call. “This I will never forget to reward you for being with me when it mattered”, he said.