Gov. Oshiomhole

Godwin Obaseki

By Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Ahead of the swearing in today of Mr. Godwin Obaseki as the Governor of Edo State, the Catholic Archbishop of Benin Diocese, Arcbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze, last night admonished the outgoing Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, to live up to his words not to interfere in the administration of his successor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

The Archbishop who spoke at a special thanksgiving mass to mark the end of Governor Oshiomhole’s tenure, noted that the people of the state do not want a divided state where political leaders are constantly fighting themselves.

The clergyman also urged Nigerians to continue to fight corruption with good conviction so as not to depeened the gap between the rich and the poor.

According to the Clergyman, “We are sufferings because those who God has bless refuse to spread the wealth. If blessings of God are well distributed, there will be less suffering.”

Giving his parting advise to Oshiomhole, Archbishop Akubeze, urged him to be active politically as he (Oshiomhole) still has a lot to offer the country and to continue to fight for the poor and forgive those who offended his administration.

According to him, power “is most efficiently used to forgive than to impose sanction.”

In his words of advice for the incoming Governor Obaseki, the Catholic Priest also advised him not to try to be like Oshiomhole but to do things his own way, because his loyalty is to the people.

Akubeze, while urging Obaseki to increase private sector investment in the state as well as create employment, warned him to resist the temptation of working only in areas where he won elections.

In his response at the church service, the outgoing Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, commuted the death sentence on four convicted persons to life imprisonmen. He noted that his action was in response to call by Archbishop Akubeze, on him to forgive those that offended him.

The convicts whose names were not made available as at press time, were said to have served over 25 years in prison while waiting for the hangman’s noose.

He said he believed the four inmates have suffered enough but they need to remain in prison to know that murder is not fun, adding that he acted in line with the advice of the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

Governor Oshiomhole also granted pardon to two persons, a boy and a girl who impersonated the him and Clara, his late wife, on facebook in 2011

Both of them were arrested and the boy was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after confessing to the crime while the trial of the girl is still on.

?He said he has ordered the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Henry Idahagbon, to sign the necessary documents and get the boy released from prison.

He promised to send both of them back to school and make them become better citizens.

Governor Oshiomhole however refused to forgive the deposed Onojie of Uromi, HRH Anslem Eidenojie II, saying that those seeking forgiveness must confess their sins and that he would not allow a situation where the suspended Monarch asked his victim to apologize, adding that to forgive everyone is to compromise on corruption.