Edo’s Political Alele’egbe-ism

Edo’s Political Alele’egbe-ism

 

By: Jeremiah Enaholo Kadiri

AUCHI BLOGspot

auchiblog@gmail.com

+234 806 9055 018

Many refer to politics as a dirty game and have marked the endeavor a no-go-area. Thus, they’ve refused to participate in any decision-making process that will determine who rules over them and how. Subsequently, they cry fowl whenever those they had no hand in bringing into leadership resort to not providing the necessary leadership.

However, there are others whose aim is to make ends meet by shouting “honor!”, “chair!”, “clear road!”, “rankadede!” They are here, there and everywhere on and off the internet of things burning data and t-fare to lend their unflinching support to politicians not necessarily to endanger good governance but to get some grains thrown at like chickens. For this very large group of persons comprising mostly of youths, oga-na-oga so far e dey power (even if he no get sense).

Then again there are those who are indifferent. To them it doesn’t matter who rules as long as their businesses and or jobs are not threatened. As long as they are able to put food on the table and make ends meet, they are unperturbed by all the hullabaloo. These too are in the majority.

Then comes those who are very passionate about leadership and are genuinely concerned about who gets what. Alas! They are the most imperceptible of them all. These are jeered at with scorn and their votes for or against, holds no water.

My very own Edo state has these set as mentioned above but this is not necessarily about naming them. It is more about how Governor Godwin Obaseki came into the Osadebe Avenue as Ogakpatakpata under whose supervision Edo was to be transformed by consolidating on the progress made by his predecessor and correcting the ills there are as well as the reality that has ensued politically.

I was in Enugu state serving out my compulsory one year when news filtered in about a man named Godwin Obaseki. That the name didn’t ring a bell was not as newsworthy as the fact that he was the preferred candidate of the outgoing governor, Adams Aliu Oshiomhole. Mixed feelings trailed this development as the then comrade governor forced his way through to foist on Edolites the man Godwin who as we were told won those who we saw as the very popular politicians of the time. Pardon my diction for this is not meant to appeal to your bias.

At no time in the history of Edo Politics has Godfatherism been at its peak like it was used in propagating the messages with which Governor Godwin was packaged and sold to Edolites. Both powers that be and scarce resources of the state were invested in making sure that ‘if no be Obaseki, e no fit be any other person.’The then Comrade Governor made sure he Oshiomholed Godwin into power by hook and crook to the extent that he brought in his very own brother (Hon. Philip Shuaibu) to deputize for GGO.

I don’t know about you but for me, that was the height of imposition there has ever been especially when it came from a man who was already a household name before he ventured into state politics and made his intentions known to govern. Yes, Oshiomhole had made his mark, carved his niche and paid his dues in all that brought him into the scheme of things. He has been fighting, he is fighting now and may continue but in all, I’ve never seen the man loss a battle.  Remember how he was robbed in his first attempt at manning the Osadebe Avenue? Remember how he fought till the late President Yar’Adua asked the Judiciary to independently grant the man his victory despite the grip of PDP over Edo at the time? Remember his landslide victory in the wake of the second term electioneering process? The man fought his way in, through and fought to bring in his predecessor no matter whose ox was gored and you know what? He never lost!

For those who saw politics as a dirty game, Oshiomhole justified their fears. Those who were indifferent saw nothing wrong as long as businesses were either boosted or remained the same. For the blind followers, all was well as long as their praise-singing ventures brought in the bucks. The very few oversabis who saw everything wrong with the process then could do nothing as life was definitely bound to go on.

I remember telling Abubakar Akpata, my MCAN brother from Kogi state, how unfair it was that the candidates were not allowed to prove their popularity to the people and fly on the basis of same like the then Comrade Governor had done to find his way through.

Life went on till interests switched places. Agreements were beginning to breach as peace sat on heat. Tension was brewed, served and Edo APC got high is an unceremonious ceremony that got both drummers and dancers off the same page. Again, never in the history of Edo Politics was there a house as divided amongst itself as envisioned by Prof. Chinua Achebe in his things fall apart.

After having successfully driven out House Members from other political divides and electingmembers of same APC, one would have expected a smoothly run Obaseki/Shuaibu regime from start to finish without a murmur but the gbos-gbas and gbas-gbos that have trailed Edo state government under GOPS and her citizenry metamorphosed into a flamed ember that has refused to cool down.

Remember the June 17 2019 inauguration palava? Remember how 14members of the house were out and called for a proper inauguration as against the midnight odumukasious situation that was run by the Governor? Remember how these seats were again declared vacant? Do you know that Hon. Seidu Oshiomhole, a brother of the former Governor was affected? Of course you do or maybe not.

Then came amongst other things, the move by GGO and his deputy to take off AAO from his office as the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress. One court case met the other as the divide widened within and between those we hitherto saw as buddies. To worsen matters, calls by the leadership of the National Assembly on the waring parties to mend fences met dead ends. Crisis rocked to the point that it became a direct altercation between the Edo state government and the Red Chambers.

Then came the issue of suspensions. Remember how Hon. Yakson was yanked off his office as the Chairman of Etsako West Local Government Council? Aha! A pocket of persons in elected positions thought to be loyal to the Comrade got the boots too. Then the issue of defection came in and it was time for the National Chairman of the APC to welcome amongst others, Pastor Osaigie Ize-Iyamu who he once referred to as a thief of unpardonable repute. What happened? Edo became famous once more for a heightened spate in the level of insecurity. Edo snowballed into a state that is better left for Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon’s grandiloquent expressions. Wanton destruction of properties held sway in a bid to stall all attempts at officially welcoming POI into the folds of Edo APC. Did you know that Adams Aliu Oshiomhole was at some point warned to stay away from his home and only resort to take permission before coming into his state of origin and place of birth by the very person he fought tooth and nail to bring into power? Well that’s no news and as usual, this is not to appeal to your bias.

And so, the Oshiomhole that we all knew and still know became mute. For many, it was a sign of defeat as he has been intimidated into absolute quietism by the ogakpatakpata of Edo people. For yet other others, he was loudly using his silence to communicate a comeback that would upturn the noises made so far. For me, I felt a bit of the latter and my own presumption of the fact that he is hurt as a result of the bite received from the teeth he once washed clean and fed power to. Even now, I’m positive he deserves all that he got and more but then he has been, is and will continue being a fighter who for now hasn’t recorded a loss.

Going forward, his silence was so deafening that, like a hunter waiting patiently on his prey, he kept his low and allowed GGO assume he had won to the extent of purchasing the APC Reelection form, travel to Abuja to report that PMB’s body language had given him the lead above all others, prepared a gazette in his personal interest against his party (the APC) and all, until when the prey felt he had become the hunter but was then snarled down by a leopard ready to pounce catching him off his poised spear.

Subsequently, our once upon a time cute cat, who was preferred and declared Edo’s Messiah by all means became enmeshed in a certificate scandal that Edolites knew nothing about since 2016, was named an anti-APC APC member and then became an Internally Displaced Politician _the first of its kind since the history of Edo politics.

We have now come to that time as intriguing scenes continue to unveil, when name calling hold sway. Now those who once felt unperturbed are irked in the scheme of things and have joined in the singsong. The ever irritated sector of the populace are more so resolved on the grounds that there’s nothing redeemable about politics and politicians and why the seemingly sane ones are bashed with a myriad of concepts that have played out, the die-hard belle-first followers split according to how and where the bills come from.

My pain in all is not how a named thief has become preferred for the safekeeping of that which should be kept safe. It is not about how the once upon a time best is now ruffled in the dusty dirt of azuku. My pain is that those whose collected future is being shortchanged by the personal interests that have carved out the unfolding plot are those who take sides with the seeming divides to further widening the gap. My pain is that even the few who hitherto-now seemed to have stood by what’s sane are now gradually slithering away from sanity to taking sides with politicians who will do anything to have their personal interests served no matter whose ox is gored. Alas! its not a lucrative to be sane in our country. One must pick sides and have bills paid or die out like sun baked leaves in the peak of harmattan. For the most, the former appears more appealing.

Is Obaseki as passionante about Edo people as he seems with all these dusts-raising and name calling? Should Oshiomhole be taken seriously after having served Edo what he now calls a snail? What is the agenda of the people of Edo state and how are these communicated in all this fracas? What is the interest of the Youths in view of what we want for Edo state and how are the Youths bearing on this to call out the political players?

Alas! The Youths have no dreams and it is sad how this is being communicated in their modus operandi. I have seen how those supporting Obaseki have asserted that “wherever he goes, they go” without giving a thought to the severity of the issues being raised by the APC Screening Committee. On the flip side, those who have pitched tent with Oshiomhole do so because there’s an axe-to-grind with his adversaries and have benefitted from him directly. In all, the needs of Edo state being the Heartbeat of the Nation is relegated to imperceptibility.

What is the Edo Dream? What is our project? What is our interest as Edo people?

Is Edo an all commers’ state, a playground for politicians to bask or are we a people referred to in my local parlance as enefialho’ebamhi?

Until we find answers to the questions raised so far, Egbe’alele!

Please Note

1.     Covid-19 IS REAL!

2.     That it is in your best interest to stay at home in order to be safe from contaminating this deadly viral disease.

3.     That it is important to observe safety/precautionary measures such as regular washing of hands, usage of hand sanitizers, cleaning of all surfaces regularly, observing social distancing, keeping the throat moist at all times with warm water, eating healthy/organic/homemade food and sleeping well.

·       Dial 112 or call NCDC on 080097000010 in case of any emergency or if you experience symptoms of Covid-19.

·        For regular updates of verified info about Corona virus visit covid19.ncdc.gov.ng or @NCDCgov on Facebook and Twitter

Auchi Blogspot goes LIVE on Wednesdays and Thursdays via her facebook page @10a.m and 3pm respectively.

Do well to like, follow and watch our live sessions as well as join our group on FB for engaging interactions.

Thanks!

 

 this is message is from AUCHI BLOGspot.