In 2007, Adams Oshionmhole announced his intention to run for the Governorship of Edo state.



One particular man was highly disappointed by that decision.



According to the man, this was a clear case of misplaced ambition. He felt Oshionmhole should have aimed higher and instead vie for the position of the president of Nigeria.




This sentiment by the incomparable late Gani Fawehinmi was one that was shared by not a few Nigerians.




At the time, Oshionmhole was just fresh off being the NLC President. His reputation as the “Man-of-the-People” was staggering. He commanded a stupendous nationwide cult-following. His popularity stretched from the coast of Lagos to as far as the hinterlands of Bornu.



Arguably, Oshionmhole was Nigeria’s most influential social crusader – ever!
Indeed, some of us saw the wisdom in Oshionmhole’s decision. This is Nigeria. You don’t aspire to be the President with a meager political structure - or with very limited financial base. It would be patently delusional to even imagine it.




Of course, Gani ought to have known better. He once made an attempt at the presidency himself. It was a futile endeavour that was powered solely by his vast reputation as a Civil Rights lawyer.



And so, just like Rochas Okorocha - Oshionmhole saw the governorship as an incubation platform for bigger political aspirations.



And those of us of Edo extraction, who desired better for our dear state, campaigned for him the best way that we could. It was the only reasonable thing to do, especially after the calamity that befell our state in the form of a certain Lucky Igbinedion.




And fatefully, after an initial judicial squabble, Oshionmhole took over the reins of affairs in Edo state.




His first term in office was a bit eventful. He tarred some roads and reconstructed a few. He replaced the old and tired roofs of some primary and secondary schools in Edo state. He also gave the school buildings fresh paint jobs.




He introduced the “Comrade Buses”.




He installed a water fountain at King Square, Ring Road in Benin City. This scandalous project cost Edo state tax-payers a whooping N386 million. It was a fountain that also required N90million annually for its maintenance, etc.




Tragically, in Edo state, these accomplishments were enormously celebrated - no thanks to the abysmally low standard set by his predecessor, Lucky Igbinedion.




In any case, all these formed the basis for some of us to campaign for his re-election with the hopes that he would up the ante.



And indeed, he was re-elected.




Sadly, Oshionmhole’s re-election would turn out to be a state’s tragedy; a total betrayal of the hopes invested in him by the Edo people.




And so, in the nature of second term governors in Nigeria, Oshionmhole completely went to sleep upon re-election. He woke up only a few times in order to make news with episodes that had absolutely nothing to do with the governance of Edo state.




For instance, in 2015, in a desperate attempt to project a veneer of loyalty to the new Buhari administration, Oshionmhole installed himself as the official attack dog of the government. He attacked the real and imagined enemies of President Buhari.




One time, in a forlorn attempt to demonize the previous administration, he shamelessly fabricated an account of how a US Government official took him in confidence on how a member of the previous administration surreptitiously lodged $6 billion dollars in a bank in the US.




Of course, this story was hastily dismissed by the US government as a figment of Oshionmhole’s creative imagination, and a product of a delusional mind.




And then there was his inexplicably attraction for Okonjo-Iwealla and his numerous altercations with her.




And there were numerous cases of famous tantrums, notably the “Go and Die” episode.
And needless to mention how he unblinkingly blamed the climate for his failure to provide Edo state with public infrastructure in 7 years.





And only just recently, Oshionmhole openly and unashamedly accused his deputy governor of “witch-craft”. He went further to accuse the deputy of nursing an agenda to bewitch and kill him in order to pave the way for him to become the next Governor. This allegation would have made a whole lot of sense if Oshionmhole was running for a third term.




Simply, Oshionmhole degenerated to the status of a celebrated nuisance.




Today, the man is engaged in a frantic “Do or Die” campaign for self-preservation.



Ironically, this same man whose ascendancy to the office of Governor of Edo State was aided by the slogan "Say No to god-fatherism" is now desperate to institute a stooge at Dennis Osadebey Avenue.



This same man whose rise to power was fueled by lofty promises and ideals that he espoused but all these have been jettisoned having been consumed by the trappings of executive office.
And due to this man’s failure, he has effectively made PDP – a party that, not too long ago, earned for itself a pariah status in Edo state – to regain popular acceptance.




This is a very sad story of how one man frittered the mind-boggling and unprecedented goodwill he once enjoyed from the good people of Edo state.



Come September 10th, and baring any shenanigans by INEC, the Edo people are about to make an important statement: Unlike Lagos state, Edo state cannot become one man’s empire.




Edo state cannot be an empire where the state resources is privatized and used to shore up a god-father’s political equity.



Indeed, and by the means of the ballot, the sons and daughters of Edo state must rise up to oppose any agenda to produce in the state another version of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.





Copied from Facebook (by Job Nkeki)

The Mindboggling Corruption In The Oshionmhole Administration


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Just like Fashola - Adams Oshionmhole would be remembered for presiding over a regime of financial impunity, profligacy, bogus and over-inflated contracts and criminally-bizarre contracts awards.




It is on record that the Oshionmhole administration has enjoyed the highest revenue ever in the history of Edo State.




In the last 8 years, the administration has received over N1trillion naira in the form of Federal allocations and IGR. This amount is in sharp contrast with the total sum of N197 billion that the state received in the entire 8 year period of the notorious sticky-finger, Lucky Igbinedion. And tragically, there is absolutely nothing to show for it.




Oshionmhole’s stint as governor has been fraught with most questionable fiscal expenditures and strange contract figures.
Some classic instances.



He set off on his administration by installing a water fountain at King Square, Ring Road in Benin City. The project cost the Edo state tax payers a whopping sum of N386 million!



And here is what makes the episode even more painful: the fountain barely worked.


In the 2015 budget, N150million was voted for the maintenance of this fountain. The fountain still didn’t work.

Curiously, in the 2016 budget, another N100million was also voted for its maintenance.
At the end of his administration, over N636million would have been spent on a meaningless fountain. And to what benefit?




And then, there is the contract for the expansion of Airport road, Benin-city.




Airport road is a 6.7km road in the heart of Benin-city. It is a road that has long existed. It is not a new road. It was expanded at an atrocious cost of N17billion. Mind you – no bridge was constructed along that road.



Now, here is a bit of comparison. The Benin-by-pass is a 46km road. It has four (4) bridges, six (6) flyovers. It was built in a virgin forest. It was built by the PDP administration with just N10 billion.



Some other projects executed at very questionable costs by the Oshionmhole administration include:



N950 million for the beautification of the popular “Five Junction” near TV road in Benin-city. (that is N50 million shy of N1billion).



N600 million for the installation of street light from “Third Junction” on Sapele road to “Country Home” road junction.




N400million for the rehabilitation of Ekenwan road.



N70million to organize a Beauty Pageant - an event that is of no economic value to the State and that its sponsorship should have been outsourced to the private sector.




$225m World Bank loan that was purportedly spent on ICT consultancy and Website design.



N3.5 million and N4.5 million per trip for chartered domestic flights to Iyamho, Abuja, Lagos and Benin even in the face of dwindling revenue from the federation account.




N4 million regular largesse given to his close aides in the guise of medical treatment fees.




N11 million naira as the cost of each room of the hostels in Edo State University in Oshinmhole’s home town of Iyamho.




N3 billion naira on school furniture that were never delivered to schools.




Political appointees from who hail from the home town of Oshionmhole earn twice what their other colleagues receive in what has become known as "Iyamho allowance”.



N3.5 billion in the 2016 budget in the never-ending allocation of monies for the construction of the Accident and Emergency Ward unit at the Benin Central Hospital. Note that there had been previous allocations for this same project in the 2014 and 2015 budget.


And so on.



Now, Afrinvest is a company owned by the APC Governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki. Obaseki collects 5% for facilitating the N25billion Benin City water storm loan from the capital market.



Note that 5% of N25billion is N1.25 billion. This unhealthy arrangement is similar to the relationship between Alpha Beta Consulting (ABC) and the Lagos state government.

Hundreds of other companies that would have gladly done it for far less amount. Why wasn’t this contract better negotiated on behalf of the tax-paying people of Edo state?



In the 2016 Edo state budget, N10.65 billion was voted for the purpose of the welfare of Oshionmhole and his family.


That is 9.6% of the 2016 Edo State total budget of N111.50 billion.



That amount is what would be lavished on the First family of Edo state in a single year – a family that also enjoys N500million monthly security votes.



What a very high-maintenance family!
Or has Mary Kay become that expensive?



Meanwhile, key sectors like Water resources and agriculture were voted a meager N100 million and N300 million respectively in the same budget.



And painfully, not a single rural electrification project was embarked on in the entire eight ( years of the Oshionhmole administration.




Now, on the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state, here is my personal and unsentimental opinion and prediction.

Oshionmhole’s stooge is most likely to emerge the next governor.. Because someone is going through the most elaborate length to ensure that.
There are already signs to that effect.



The mind-boggling amount of APC campaign materials - billboard banners, posters, jingles, etc - that has inundated every nook and cranny of Edo state is simply unprecedented.



Indeed, someone is desperate.



With the way things are going, and with the postponement of election, the Edo people will have their say, but Oshionmhole will have his way.

Copied from Facebook (by Job Nkeki)

What a revelation. Now its becoming clearer why there is a sense of desperation by the APC to delay the election process in Edo state. All the while I was wondering why the tide appears to have changed against APC in Edo state. Now I know better. Now, people are beginning to see beyond the fake hype around this man. It only tells one that no matter how long, one day propaganda with meet with its expiry date.


At the end of the day, it just shows that we are cursed with bad leaders in this country.

All of them Na d same jare....#changemustbeginwithleaders#

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Ok

Rubbish