By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has contended Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s assessment of his six years as Governor of the State, noting that his performance has been below par.
Obaseki had on Tuesday, 22 March, 2022, at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA)’s Distinguished Lecture Series, titled, “Making Politics Work for Citizens, Governance and Development: The Edo State Experience,” recalled out a long list of his government’s achievements and said that Nigeria can adopt solutions from his government’s interventions to stem the slide of the economy.
But, APC, while reacting to the Lecture in a statement by its Assistant State Publicity Secretary, Victor Osehobo, advised Governor Godwin Obaseki to concentrate on fulfilling his re-election campaign promises to the people, noting that it was not yet time for self-adulation.
The party insisted that the major pillars of Obaseki’s administration which it said include “signing frivolous MoUs and entering into dubious partnerships with all comers” have all failed.
It says rather than this “exercise of a dishonest pat on the back”, what Obaseki should have given his audience is an honest self-appraisal, a plea for forgiveness from Edo people, for promising more than his capacity, and genuine willingness to retrace its faltering steps.
The statement by the APC reads:
“Following the Lecture that Governor Obaseki delivered at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, we are concerned with the feedback of chest-beating that his six-year-old administration has done well.
“Rather than tell himself some bitter home-truths that his policies and programmes are not working, the governor embarked on self-glorification of how well he has managed the Affairs of Edo State.
‘‘As it has become customary for Governor Obaseki to travel to Lagos periodically to whitewash his administration, we owe it to posterity to let the Governor know our candid assessment.
“The government entered its fifth year in office with an unattainable MEGA theme that will focus on how to use governance to support Edo people, create enabling business environment so that Edo people can do their business without being harassed. But the reverse is the case. Official thugs are all over Edo state, harassing innocent citizens, all in the name of collecting taxes.
“As it stands today, the average Edo person is tired of the Mr Obaseki-led PDP government because of its failed promises, multiple taxations including promotion of street trading with daily levies of all actors, inadequate funding of tertiary educational institutions and shutting them down, demolition of private and public properties, kidnapping of citizens and the violent activities of bandits masquerading as herders among others”.
“Edo state debt has more than doubled on the domestic front while on the international scene the state under Governor Obaseki has turned the state into the most foreign indebted in the country”.
“Public schools have no teachers while many of them lack basic materials like desks and chairs as government bandies its failed hype of an education programme it calls Edobest everywhere.
“The audience who are familiar with the scenario in Edo State must have been taken aback no doubt, as they listened to Mr Obaseki who has personalized governance in Edo state pontificating about a properly functioning democracy.
“It is funny that Mr Obaseki claimed that for him democracy should be people centred by providing basic social and economic goods, such as roads, portable water, and improved education, while providing the right of groups and individuals to hold their governments accountable, yet he crippled the State legislature, constitutionally charged with this duty.”
But in a reaction, the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Adaze Emwanta, described the APC as a jester party that lack the capacity to appreciate what is good for the people, and does not deserve to be dignified with a response every time they come up with their tantrum.
He noted that the NIIA Distinguished Annual Lecture Series is one that attracts people who have shown capacity in what they have done in nation-building which has nothing to do with party politics and does not create a playground for mischief-makers.
“From last weekend when Edo APC woke up from their year old slumber, they have being sounding as if they have broken an Olympic record in opposition politics.
“It is rather sad that they chose a subject they have absolutely no knowledge about. This holds true of members of a disintegrating political party, whose things have since fallen apart, and their centre have been unable to hold an event as important as their national convention for over two years now. So do you take such people seriously?,” he queried.