Edo Verdict 2016: Obaseki Ideals And The Succession Challenge
As the race to the Edo state government house hots up with months of horse trading, realignment and consultations, the permutations and the likely outcome is becoming clearer. Majority of the APC aspirant are ready to let down their pride and ego to pick a consensus candidate that will represent their collective interest as a governor to take over from the incumbent and monster their strength against the opposition in the state. The ongoing consensus arrangement will be possible due to the maturity and understanding that exist in APC unlike the PDP.
This will help to reduce the level of desperation and aggression in who becomes the next governor of the state. Governor Adams Oshiomhole is taking his time to get a candidate that would give PDP a run for their money. Those who are currently in the governorship race from the APC are Pedro Obaseki, Professor Osubor, General Chairles, and so on.
Among these aspirant the most talked about both in the electronic, social and the print media, is the chairman of the state economic team Mr. Godwin Obaseki. The choice of this humble and easy going personality could be because of his freshness of thought and ideas. He may not be rich in monitory terms but definitely not lacking in ideas, concept and vision. According to James Allen, ‘The dreamers are the savior of the world’ the current goodwill that is been enjoyed by Godwin Obaseki is due to his dream for the state. As a man who emerge from the co-operate business world who consult for world class international organization, you cannot doubt the debt of his knowledge and experience in rendering accountability and transparent service to the state. He brought his worth of ideas and experience to bear in the Oshiomhole administration and today, the result is everywhere for us to see. His thought and thinking as the chairman of the state economic team has been tried and proven to be working as the brain behind the blue print that has revolutionist all the nook and crannies of our state.
It was Samuel Johnson who said “Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified”. For us to gratified the wishes of Mr. Godwin Obaseki in the best interest of the state, effort must be made by leaders of the party in ensuring that aspirant did not sale their cars and landed properties to buy party nomination form. The spirit of desperation starts from the point of picking a form. Aspirant has a way of seeing themselves as the next governor merely by picking a party nomination form.
All aspirants are born equal but some are more willing to serve than others. Justice is the watershed of all virtues. Godwin Obaseki has brought pride and honor to Edo during his service in the financial world. For a man who kept his pledge and calling in financial institutions, he is not a stranger to government policies and innovations. “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets, even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or as Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep street that all the host of heaven and earth will pause and say: here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well” As a chairman of the state economic team, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has done his job well. In his years of service in Edo State, You cannot fault his counsel to the governor. He is fresh from on high. You cannot link him with Fraud or Money Laundry of misappropriation of public finance. Edo as a state should be fortunate to have such a personality as an aspirant in the midst of political jobbers in the opposition.
A polygamist is a self-made judge. These are tension soak times. Aspirant must break from the judgment of seeing themselves as the most qualified. Governorship election is beyond our personal opinion but the public perspective about our personality. The drag over who gets the APC ticket should be done with love and faith not desperation. Don Margins said “When chicken quite quarrelling over their food, they often find out that there is enough for all of them. “ I wonder if it might not be the same with human, particularly aspirants.
The key issue that should sharpen the party primary should be a party member that has been consistent with the party since the inception of the Oshiomhole administration. Political jobbers must not be considered for the continuity mission of the state. We all can at the same time serve the government but we all cannot at the same time be the governor. Jesse Jackson believes that “we must judge people according to their values and contributions.
I would rather have Roosevelt on a wheelchair as the president of America than Reagan on a horse” neither will the race to the Edo State government house be for the swift nor victory to men with political skill and calculations. The grace and wisdom of God will make it happen. The wisdom of men is sure to fail because calculation has never made a hero. We must all believe in a government that is a tool of our democracy and service to the people. Not a government that is an instrument of the aristocracy in search of private wealth.
Godwin Obaseki is a force to reckon with in Edo State and Nigeria. He is a crowd puller with his intellectual incline speeches. An avowed anti-corruption crusader who has dined and wined with world class leaders in the cooperate world. Among all the aspirant, he is a politician that is bless with deft touch, knowledge, the boldness of mind and courage in achieving whatever he sets out to achieve in life. As a gold fish that has no hiding place, Obaseki is an influential personality; he is at home in any part of Edo State due to his magnetic personality.
Surrounded by eggheads in his campaign organization, he is known for speaking the truth as matter of necessity. He is a man of conscience and highly principle. Obaseki is devoted to any cause he believes in, fight injustice to individual and the society at large, philanthropic and a man of taste. He does not discriminate on religion, ethnicity and gender. His greatest asset is his democratic mind. No matter how warped your argument is, Godwin Obaseki will listen to your views. He is a leader who is determined to meet the moral challenge of it days.
In politics today, everyone is compromising, everyone is selling his principle and it is only the price that is different. Edo needs a leader who has not sold his principle and integrity. Without money armed Oshiomhole was able to send PDP packing from Edo state government house. That shows that the integrity of the personality have much to do than the availability of resources. APC must have a candidate that is needed by all and is approachable by the market women. This is why Obaseki should be marketed to the public as the best man for the job.
Obaseki believe that true change must be purposeful and the driver of change must ensure that more is been accomplished for less. He does not behalf like the specie of Nigerian politician who practice politics without principle. Politics is not a profession and must not be adopted as one. Professional politicians are the godfathers who spend their life frustrating government policies and actions. But for Obaseki, Politics is a service point and not a profession to learn dubious skills.
As the most gender friendly aspirant in the state, Godwin Obaseki will key into the Millennium Summit in September 2000 in Beijing, committing himself to agree on the reduction of poverty and hunger, promote gender equality and the empowerment of women among other six objectives. According to Obaseki, the burden of poverty rests heavily on women and the MDG’s health goals all have implications for women; therefore garnering political will becomes an imperative to place women at the center of the development hub. When he emerge as the next governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has vow to uproot every political strongholds that has inhibits women from their political dormancy and ensure equality in the affairs of governance.
The ability to fulfill this gender equality is in his DNA. This was why Mahatma Ghandhi succinctly put it thus; “Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will” The level of inform decision that a man can make depended on the level of his exposure and association. He has the content in his brain and he has made Edo Proud as a successful individual. We must judge his competence as our next governor, not from sentimental point of view or political affiliation but his thought and thinking for the state.
Godwin Obaseki has not only made adequate inclusion plan for women but also for our children which are future of the state. In defence of the Nigerian Child and Edo Children in particular, Godwin Obaseki has mapped out plan against child abuse, particularly girl child molestation with dire consequence which expose victims to various form of health hazard and other risks. Child right will be vigorously be pursued with a clear government agency at the forefront to spearhead the crusade like in advance nation. Constantly organize dialogue session to broker awareness on child protection. In 1989, world governments promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN convention on the Rights of the child.
These rights, which apply equally to every child including those in Edo State are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfilled their potential. Edo state government under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Obaseki will ensure a free recreational center for kids across the state as well as provision of free health care and antenatal concern and care for pregnant women. Every child will matter to government and will return to the era where every single child becomes government business.
Re-invigorating of the Timber and Palm Kernel oil Agribusiness will take center stage of the industrialization plan that Mr. Godwin Obaseki has set out to achieve. Edo state was formerly known for wood work and that era will be revived again where dignity will be in Labour. Technological assistance will be given to our furniture companies across the state to enable them export their finished product and become a major marketer in the nation thereby growing our economy. Anambra and Lagos state generate internally generated revenue because government created an industrial friendly environment for them to thrive effectively. Under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Obaseki he has committed himself to industrialization.
He has pointed production as the only solution to the Nigerian economy situation. With increase production, price of goods and services will be brought down. Palm kernel production is one of such investment that will boost Nigeria’s production. We must take advantage of the availability of our natural resources for us to grow our own economy. The okomu oil palm will be encourage as a government that is hungry for fast and result oriented development.
One key planks of the Obaseki administration as the governor of the state will be creation of maximum employment across the state. With the establishment of modern technological plant, employment will be created automatically because palm kernel oil is in high demand by soap makers, vegetable oil refiners and paints industry. Cake is demanded by feed millers and exporters. Employment will be a thing of the past in Edo State because once the factories are established, customers will keep depositing in advance for production.
As a government, Obaseki is planning to hold meetings with key furniture owners and palm kernel industry owners on their major limitations in order to provide the needed support and encouragement to them while government established new once. Oil producing communities in Edo State will benefit from their natural endowment. Edo will not cede any oil well to any nebouring state. Government will make intervention fund available to assuage the complaints of small and medium enterprises. The impact of government will be felt on a daily basis by the grassroots because small businesses have a domineering presence in our state.
Big business is mostly service by small enterprise so we must encourage them to exist simultaneously. For us as Edo to enjoin the manifestation of all these brilliant thought and ideals of the APC administration in Edo State, let us make Godwin Obaseki our next governor. Let us join Martin Luther King who said “Let people be judged by the content of their brains. For now a successor is bound to take over from the incumbent and Obaseki is it in Edo State.
From Benjamin Atu
pulic affairs analyst
Wrote from Agenebode Etsako East.
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