Comrade
Adams Oshiomole, former Nigeria Labour Congress leader and now Executive
Governor of Edo State is not a man to take for granted. As former labour leader, he staged organised resistance against unpopular Government policies in his hey days as labour
leader and succeeded although most of the “roundtable talks” ended in cosmetic
changes. He was to ride on the crest of that
popularity to political prominence.
As
Governor of the “heart beat of the nation”, the diminutive Comrade received
overwhelming encomiums in his first four years because of the stellar
performance he pulled up. Long forgotten
roads were overhauled and repaired.
Though he made media shows of them, the exercise was worth it: at least
he was working.
But
the story changed in his second tenure; all the laudable projects stopped and
stories emerged about diversion of State funds and amassing of debts to satisfy
personal greed. The man who insisted
that “godfatherism” was dead and should never be allowed resurrected it by
himself; he became autocratic, the defacto and imperial King Napoleon with
absolute powers leaving the State House of Assembly toothless.
To
cut a long story short, a recent Opinion Survey conducted by Smart Media
revealed no trace of the recently borrowed $75 million! But from available sources much of the money
appears to be traced to the Edo University many fear belongs to him! Records show that nearly 32 billion has been
sunk within 8 months to make the project a reality; that is in a State where
Pensioners and workers have been turned into glorified “walking corpses”!
Though,
no one can say it categorically, Oshiomole is believed to be building a
staggering empire – with tentacles spread across Europe and the Middle
East. An online media recently claimed
that the $630 million allegedly traced to him is but a tip of the iceberg. If anything, his massive complex in Iyamho,
said to be worth billions is a pointer to his overbearing “greed”.
However,
the wily Governor would not be easily trapped anytime soon. Little surprise then as his tenure winds
down, he has exhumed “trusted” aides in Godwin Obaseki and Phillip Shuaibu to
cover his tracks. Therefore, the outcome
of the September Poll may well be a “forgone” conclusion!
With
Aduwawa road, the Auchi – Benin highway, especially the Ekpoma, Iruekpen axis
in shambles, you want to ask yourself: what type of man is this Adams Oshiomole
that will prefer the State to drift into no man’s land?
He
has unfettered access to the President who is in the same Party with him; so
why wouldn’t he take advantage of these to fix the roads?
Meanwhile,
Maiduguri, Borno State Capital has far better road networks than Edo State,
despite the devastating effect of the insurgency war. Borno State does not owe staff salaries and
construction work hasn’t stopped either!
Their loan portfolio is minimal compared to the voracious appetite for
it in Edo State, where no thought is given to enslaving generations unborn!
This
is why not a few people questions Oshiomole’s management style. For a man whose table the bucks stops
something must definitely be wrong to allow Edo State to degenerate to this
sordid level. “He ought to have
sustained his first tenure tempo rather than withdraw”, said Johnbull
Erosonwan, a freelance Journalist in the State.
Can he make amends? It is far too late!
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