Governor Godwin Noghegease Obaseki, the outgoing Governor of Edo State will hand over power in about 72 hours. This is a testimony that nothing lasts forever. It is will be foolhardy to say that Governor Godwin Obaseki, did not do any thing. He did some things. It was a privilege to meet Governor Obaseki in 2016, with 11 other young professionals. He gave a brilliant account of himself, reeling out his dreams with seamless articulation. I was swayed and just a woman fall in love, I fell for Governor Godwin Obaseki ‘s “vision”.
As he hands over in 72 hours, I feel hugely intellectually duped.This is because the grandiose of his dreams are at variance with the ruins of reality.
From one Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to another , Governor Godwin signed so much MOU that he got the sobriquet-the MOU Governor.
The MOU of Gelegele Port was prepared and there was an error, the two scenarios set Edo Government aback by some hundreds of millions of naira. As we speak, Gelegele Port remains a pipe dream.The first trajectory in situating the reality or lack it of a Sea Port , is the fact that Sea Ports fall within the confines of the exclusive legislative list of the Federal Government. There is no state in Nigeria that has a sea port and Administration of Sea Ports are done by trans national institutions. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), is responsible for the administration of ports worldwide with a synchronised standard. IMO deals with national institutions and not sub national institutions. So you do the maths, I say no more .
The Edo Malaysian University is another phantom project .The news was abuzz with the conceptualisation of this University, that exists only in the figment of imagination of the purveyors .
The Edo International Airport in Auchi. This is another audio project that set the internet abuzz. It is a funny and phoney scenario.There was nothing whatsoever to show that there was a brick even set in that phantom project.
The Edo Innovation Hub is another hub of the unfulfilled promises .Where exactly is this hub ? The word “hub” has been so bastardised in Edo State,that using it in this new administration will be an anathema.This even more so for me , as I run the Intellectual Hub .
The Benin City Outer Ring Road: This was another ruse that was used as a campaign promise for second term , but it never materialised .Benin City became a regional capital on the 1st of October, 1963, as the capital of the Midwest region, with Dennis Osadebey as the first Governor, that is why the road to the Edo State Government House is called the Dennis Osadebey Avenue .Benin City (City Centre )does not have a single fly over , but small towns like Warri ,which was a small town under Benin , now has several fly overs .
Edo Mass Transit Programme: Aside the Comrade Bus, there was not a single luxury bus added to the fleet of Edo City Transport Company (ECTS). Ironically those old buses were rebranded as campaign tools for Dr Asue Ighodalo. Edo Mass Transit System degenerated in the last 8 years. Having a car in Edo State is a big luxury.In Benin City , the “Tuke Tuke ” Mini Bus Drivers rip citizens off , especially when it rains or there is crisis. It is important for the new Governor in waiting, H.E., Senator Monday Okpebholo to change the Mass Transit System in Benin City. It needs a replication of the BRT in Lagos in Benin. They say Edo no be Lagos , but now they are gone, they have all relocated to Lagos. What an irony?
Reach Ogbankwa via douglasogbankwa@gmail.com
