GOVERNOR OSHIOMHOLE: X-RAYING A TRUE FORTRESS OF CHANGE

By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City



 



Before the advent of the electoral victory in 2007 of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and eventual inauguration as Governor of Edo State, in November 12, 2008, Edo State challenges were peculiar and numerous, that in every street one could imagine a change. But then the questions were saddled with whom and when will the bastion of that change ever come to liberates the Edo Community from those cabals that have abducted and held hostage with coven of political godfathers who privatized the public treasury, treated the people as slaves and spoke with the magisterial certainty of a tin gods.

 Before long, the mandate of the people were defended through the Apex Court to retrieve their votes having won the elections credibly; hence, decreed and thereafter, came to pass and in clear terms, the people’s votes pitted against the then ruling People Democratic Party, (PDP), in Edo State.

That stirring feelings which makes thousands of Edo people readily join the practical procession of change saw the man of the moment Comrade Oshiomhole sworn in to pilot the affairs of the state.

On assumption of office in 2008, as democratically elected Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole made it abundantly clear that his administration will focus on making a great impact on the lives of the people of the state with a great demarcation from anything before that have existed perhaps after the legendary values of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.

In the light of the one man one vote mantra and subsequent change promises, the people were not sure,but rather, it became a tuvy-tuv decision to trust the new era of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by stakeholders in the state as subsequent government had made series of unkept promises and people had their own mind to doubt if any good thing could come from Bethlehem.

Evidently, Comrade Oshiomhole fondly known for his ability to confront the ugliest monster concomitantly aligned with the people who in their own rights, provided him the right ambiance not only to properly situate his developmental agendas for the people, but also, to prove beyond all odds, development that was almost impossible in some quarters whilst is indeed, now possible and today his signposts of his infrastructural-driven curriculum, are numerously scattered across every length and breadth of the entire State.

Together, the administration of the revered Comrade Governor in his quest to take Edo people through flight snags & hiccups was trusted to bring about needful project to better the life of the people he governs.

Today, the lion-hearted comrade can beat his chest with absolute vehemence that surely, the change has come and his vision accomplished to a large extent during his first four-year of his administration.

By and large, in our analysis and assessment, his administration has tackled and made some visible progress in various sectors under his watch, particularly in Education, Roads Construction and Maintenance, Health Sectors, Empowerment, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Art, Culture and Tourism, Lands, Survey and Housing and many more.
However, as the clock gradually ticks and his tenure in the past seven and half years draw ever closer toward the end of the tunnel, the historic significant of his performance has drawn applauds across the state and in general, the nation. We have thoughtfully streamlined how he has steered the governance of the people of Edo State with glimpses of his modest efforts in the direction of transformation.

On Education Sector, the government of Adams Oshiomhole has taken enormous steps to massively invest billions of Naira through a deliberate reconstruction, rehabilitation and re-equipping of a dilapidated and abandoned structures that looks like hovel fit only for pigs and reptiles habitations. But today, the face of Education in the state has changed considerably from the Old structure that beclouded the previous government to the Adams red roof buildings.

Notwithstanding, the larger society would agree with me that apart from the Red roofed adventure, stakeholders have also scored him low in blessing the renovated school buildings with qualified and committed  Teachers because what makes a building counts according to our local adage is the people living in it. The larger opinion would have adopted the fact that the governor pay more attention on employing more capable hands to bring to bear shortage of trained tutors to man the beautiful structure to complements his efforts. However, it was a better performance than his immediate predecessor though.

Away from Education, we have closely taking a look at some of the road network before the inception of Oshiomhole’s’ administration. Virtually, all the roads in the state were in deplorable condition and most impassably characterized by deep gullies, non-existent drains and serious flooding problems. Since inception of his administration, the face of our roads evidently has changed with walkways, double lanes, street lights, traffic lights, and well fitted drains to averts erosion challenges that has bedeviled the state.

In the Health Sector, the government has embarked on massive re-constructions of ultra-modern General Hospitals in the state capital, and in the 18 LGAs with clear cut emphasis on maternity wards to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. In this regards, I flurry of activities has been implemented in the health sectors that have driven the vision to free the citizens of Edo State from the heavy burden of communicable diseases, with a mindset of improving the quality of life thereby increasing the life expectancy of the people.

On transportation sector, it was a long way people went when they knew not where they were going, and they were headed for doom; difficulties in driving on the street of Benin City because of chaotic traffic situation brought about by indiscriminate parking and complete disregards for traffic rules and regulations in the state

But today, the story has changed, as we now have free flow of traffic on our roads with decongested King’s Square which has also been beautified with modern walkways flourishing flowers and ornamental plants
.
This analysis maybe compacted due to space available but then, whether
you like it or not, hate it or not, our Bastion of change has improved lives and he should be unreservedly celebrated for breaking evens amidst cabals who probed the state treasury for the selfish interest, and for the first time after Brigadier Samuel Ogbemudia (Rtd) era as a genus, hero and a role model for his astute contributions to the then dying Edo as to the now holistically revived Edo of our generations.