Nobody ever contemplated that Governor Godwin Obaseki would be such a collosal failure when he assumed office on November 11, 2016. When he was to be sworn-in at the Ogbe stadium pavilion on that fateful day, you could see his hands trembling like parkinsonism, his prepared speech falling off him, with a cracky voice that showed signs of timidity.
His suit is the type they called “turncoat”, manifestly weather-beaten, and under-sized, sitting on a man who has just been given the mandate to lead Edo State. Those who never saw through his pretense were later disappointed when Governor Obaseki started to show his true identity. I had in mind, that even though I never supported him, his performance would humble me by the time he would be rounding off his journey of eight years. My predictions about Governor Obaseki’s persona were informed by two enabling factors. One, he didn’t come across as a brilliant mind because each time we discuss issues in the Exco, he waited for all to finish before advancing his points, often times a summary of what has been said. Two, he has an unfriendly look, immersed in a heart that is unsmiling. You could feel his dissonance for humanity as palpably as you could rationalise. No feelings, no qualms, all bare-faced.
Eight years on and coasting home to his exit date, I have taken a deep assessment of his leadership trajectory, and arrived at the crossroads of collosal and abysmal failure. If you compare what Governor Obaseki has received from Federation
Account and the Internally Generated Revenue, all of which runs into several billions, I least expected his record of performance to be such dismal.
And each time he dishes out his ego-defensive rhetorics, I wonder if he ever thought that there are rational minds out there that could decode his pranks.
At some point during the campaign for his election, I had mentioned to several of his supporters that Governor Obaseki’s article of trade will dwell so much on tokenism, but I didn’t know it would get to such unfathomable level.
It will be apt to describe him as a complete failure in terms of delivery thus far. His leadership is zero. His relationship with people nought. His ability to coordinate factors of production another zero, and his honesty of purpose utterly offensive.
His smile, a tapestry of lips service, nothing deep in there. No originality. No content. Just a matter of rehabilitation and papering of developmental challenges. I am yet to see his legacy project(s).
I didn’t know that Governor Obaseki would descend to this mindless bubble in his leadership emanations. I didn’t know he would display such obvious subterfuge in dispensing with leadership expectations.
When Dangote distributed Cars to all the states in the Federation, Governor Obaseki was silent about it, and presented those security vehicles as though he was the architect.
This was after he had refurbished about 10 Hilux Vans and donated them to the Police in 2017. During the COVID era, Dangote also donated a lot of palliatives, which the state never acknowledged.
Some of those palliatives were warehoused until they expired without sharing for the people they were meant for. Recently, between March and April, Dangote again distributed one million bags of rice to the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT.
Some states got 80,000 bags, Ogun for example, got 42,000 bags and profusely thanked the donor, Dangote for the assistance.
Edo state got her own share but typical of Governor Obaseki’s style, he remained silent, kept the bags of rice in selected warehouses, and rebagged them into sacks that carried the logo of the state, to make them bear a different address.
But curiously, he mentioned last week that the state spent N2.2b for purchase of rice and then one begins to wonder where that is coming from.
Only last week, I saw an advertorial on TV where a cleric was thanking Alhaji Dangote for the support and patronage over the donated rice.
This was a shock to me. You mean Dangote supplied thousands of bags of rice to Edo state, and Governor Obaseki was claiming ownership and even mentioning N2.2b as the cost of such intervention? Wonders shall never end.
Whilst this was going on, the 20 trucks of rice that the Federal Government sent to Edo state for.distribution to the poor of the poor were also hidden and rebagged by the state as if the government were the initiator and supplier. Edo state has become the home of Rice Executhieves.
As simple as that. They collect donations from philanthropists, from Federal Government, and implace her own imprimatur on the donations, and claim money thereafter. Where are Dangote’s donated Rice? Where are Federal Government’s rice? Ask the government of Edo state, they will turn it to name calling and outright abuse.
The discovery on August 1st was an eye opener. They received rice from Federal Government, maintained conspiratorial silence, and hoarded the items without a word. The protesters smelt a foul play, and finally discovered some of the hide-outs. Can someone help us tell the fat cats in Osadebe Avenue to come clean for once.
It is not all the time one deploys political theatrics to curry favour, especially when it has to do with public good.
Alhaji Dangote, we wish to thank you for.your generosity and philanthropy. We appreciate your support. We also want to thank the Federal Government for the palliatives. It was a needed intervention that the state government mishandled.
Just like they tell lies about court verdict, we will need Supreme Court to interpret a lot of these puzzles. They sneak to the Supreme Court to seek redress, but they deny any legal tangle around their neck. Double jeopardy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Afegbua former commissioner for information Edo State lives in Abuja
