Edo State Politics: The Truths and Deceptions

The political landscape of Edo State has become a hotbed of raw politics as we move towards the July, 2012 governorship elections in the state. Unrefined politicking characterized by vicious propaganda, mudslinging, falsehood, make-believe, gimmickry and brutal assassinations has become the order of the day.

In the mindset of Comrade Oshiomhole the battle is not between him and the candidates of the other parties but a foe called Chief Tony Anenih. He believes Chief Anenih is the mountain that must be removed. Many have wondered if Chief Anenih is a candidate in the forthcoming July governorship election. Some have been compelled to ask if the Esan Chief was the immediate past governor of Edo – State. In short, the shadow of Chief Anenih haunts him right from his office to his bedroom. On all the roads renovated or in the schools re – roofed by the A.C.N government there is a bill – board erected with the message; “Tax payers money at work, no more for godfathers “. This seems an apostolic declaration; but the company belonging to the governor’s godfather in Lagos is renovating roads in Benin – City at a cost in excess of a billion naira per kilometer.

It is curious that the A.C.N. government has been unable to show any evidence that Chief Anenih benefited from a single contract in Edo State during the eight years Chief Lucky Igbinedion was governor. Had it been otherwise, the Comrade Governor would have blown it open. Similarly, there is no proof that any of Chief Anenih’s children has benefited from an appointment in any of the three levels of government.

The truth is that Comrade Oshiomhole has leverage in terms of support as a result of the woeful performance of the previous P.D.P. government in the state headed by Chief Lucky Igbinedion. The Comrade is also having the advantage of having emerged from the labor movement. The misdemeanor of labor activists especially the vociferous type who had won bargains for workers is often sheltered from public knowledge. Their wrongdoings are often discountenanced by the unintelligent who have made them cult heroes and who at all times see them as freedom fighters.

The most prized possession of Chief Anenih is the power of silence. He has not uttered a single word to the vituperations of the Comrade Governor. It is this that is putting the Comrade Governor on edge. This is very daunting especially when one is dealing with a master strategist like Chief Anenih. Unfortunately, Comrade Oshiomhole’s extravagant zeal to rout the P.D.P. has been his undoing. He has taken some actions and made unfounded allegations which many believe are demeaning.

Imagine the governor of a state running round the streets to protest an alleged sighting of INEC officers with election materials in a state where he is the Chief Executive. The Comrade Governor led the protest with okada and keke napep (tri – cycle) riders, street urchins and party lubbers behind him. Had the P.D.P. reported same to him (since he is the governor of everybody in the state), would he run round the streets with them? In the ensuing chaos, two A.C.N members fought and one died. Couldn’t he have remained in his office to deal with the problem? Since he renamed the street where Chief Anenih’s house is located after Mr. Oyerinde, his slain aide, he should have renamed the Osadebey Avenue where the government house is located after this dead A.C.N member. A similar blunder was committed when a dumper truck hit Comrade Oshiomhole’s convoy leading to the death of three people. The governor claimed the truck was sent by the P.D.P. whereas it was discovered few days later that the truck belonged to an A.C.N. member.

The Comrade Governor in his cleverness has renovated five major roads terminating at the center of Benin – City. He knows that all eyes would behold their glory. This political stunt has fooled many of my people, the Binis. They forget that Bini land does not start and end with Benin.-City. Bini land which is about 56% of Edo – State land is housing seven local government areas and more than a half of the state’s population. It is a tragedy that many of us know no other place than Benin – City. We have abandoned our villages which are now farm settlements with mud buildings many of which have collapsed. If the Comrade Governor should construct (not renovate) a road in each of the six Local Government Areas in his Senatorial District, he would have surpassed by a wide margin his achievement on roads in Bini land.

Some Bini leaders believe they owe the Comrade Governor a lot of gratitude. They have made him a patron of a Bini heritage organization, a gesture which I consider an abomination for the reason that he is not a Bini. There is no tribe that is superior to the other but we should not desecrate our most revered tradition. If there is a ceremony in Comrade Oshiomhole’s village and the governor is present, priority will be given to a Bini man (even if he is fifteen years’ old) to break the kola nut before the start of proceedings. By so doing they have honored the Oba, themselves and all Edo people. Edos who are not Binis obey the Edo tradition better than us the Binis. May God continue to bless them.

We should appreciate the governor if he has done well but not grovel at his feet. I felt ashamed when a friend told me my Chiefs had been bribed with jeeps and their children made Personal Assistants without offices. There is no wisdom in telling the Binis to vote against their son who is a candidate for reasons other than incompetence. I pray the Binis will not weep without tears when Comrade Oshiomhole will no longer need their votes.

It is unfortunate that we have over exposed our sacred palace to all manner of politiking. I thank God that our revered monarch has put a stop to all this nonsense. It is we, the Binis, who did the governor a favor by massively voting for him. In Nigeria, voting for a governor into office makes the governor an emperor and a billionaire. It should be noted that our governors owe us a duty of good performance.

The problem of Edo State should not be attributed to any imaginary godfather. All the hungry politicians who decamped from the P.D.P to the A.C.N. gave Chief Anenih as the reason for their action. Why did they not decamp when the P.D.P. was in power? If this man alone could shortchange all of them for thirteen years, then, they should be ashamed of themselves. It means they are all worthless.
It is pertinent to inform the unwary that the total length of all the roads renovated in Benin – City by the A.C.N government is not up to the length of the Benin bypass given to the city courtesy of Chief Tony Anenih. He also facilitated the construction of the Benin – Sapele express road and the completion of the Federal Secretariat in the city which had been abandoned since 1975. You are free to hate or despise Chief Anenih, but the fact remains that this is the gospel truth.

Someone once told me the bypass was done with federal government money. I asked him if the renovated roads in Benin – City were done with the Comrade Governor’s pension benefits from the Nigeria Labor Congress. Whichever way we look at it Chief Anenih’s reputation is safe in the hands of instructed people.

We should not be sentimental about the politics in Edo – State. There is nothing extraordinary the Comrade Governor had done. The people are highly taxed and school fees have increased. Few months ago, three female students of the state’s University at Ekpoma fell into a well and died while fetching water. This is a shame. For the four years the Comrade Governor had being in power, the Local Governments have been run using Caretaker Chairmen. He collects all the money since all powers belong to him. This is happening in a state headed by a self ordained apostle of democracy who chants at all time, “one man, one vote”. If we must praise the governor, then, we should make graven images of Governors Chime (Enugu) and Imoke (Cross River) that have performed wonderfully without oil money.

I accept the fact that the previous P.D.P government led by Chief Lucky Igbinedion failed woefully in Edo – State. He did not fail by virtue of his being a P.D.P. member. By the way, who can be more P.D.P. than the Comrade Governor? Didn’t he tell Edo people to vote as President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in an election his party, the A.C.N., had a Presidential candidate? Didn’t he support the federal government’s policy to remove fuel subsidy? It should be known that Chief Lucky Igbinedion financed his election to power. It is for this reason he has never one day verbally assaulted Chief Lucky Igbinedion. Most of the mighty men of the P.D.P. who ruined Edo – State in the previous government have decamped to the A.C.N. party. These include the two A.C.N. Senators in the state. They won their tickets for the Senate with money. They supplanted better candidates who had suffered with the Comrade Governor from the beginning.

We should not allow empty propaganda and noise making becloud our sense of judgment.

Mr. Osagie Jacobs – (A business man)
osagie_ jacobs@yahoo.com
No 321, Ilepa Street,
Ikare
Ondo – State.

Tsiya:

There is clear difference between Non Interest Banking and Islamic Banking and globally the Islamic form of banking is called "Islamic Banking" so why should Nigerian case be different.

The conventional banking system is not christain form of banking it is a banking system that evolve over time based principally on fundamentals of economics.

point45:

i think its just wrong for anyone to condemn what he hasnt tried to understand. arent there banks in nigeria who already offer islamic packages and accounts?so one bank decides to make this its own point of operation and people are shouting because it has islamic in it? im sorry for nigerians. islamic banking is a thing of choice,if you like it patronise em, if not take your money elsewhere, theres no compulsion. i am a muslim andi use regular accounts-my choice. theres shariah law in nigeria because muslims are in nigeria, civil law for others,do you see a non muslim being compelled to do islamic stuff? isnt it in the same country where the educational sector is littered with christian universities? does it stop muclims attending if they want? no!, now there are islamic unis who have christian students-again their choice!. how has the establishment of islamic banking in any way affected a non muslim? if christians can agree to the live and let live nature of things, then muslims (those who want to), should be allowed to bank in a way that doesnt violate their religious belief. would we be having this discussion if it was a catholic bank? hell no, i dont know how much an average nigerian has self that we are all shouting.for those who wanna know, the most significant difference in islamic banking is on the issue of interest! meaning you can take a loan and not be exploited by the bank, shouldnt this be a plus ? i tire for nigerians abeg

an academic qualification or possess necessary knowledge, expertise or experience in the sciences of the Shariah with particular specialisation in the field of Islamic Transactions/Commercial Jurisprudence (Fiqh al Mua'amalat); and, skills in the philosophy of Islamic Law (Usul al Fiqh); good knowledge of written Arabic; ability to speak in both Arabic and English, and exposure in the areas of business or finance especially Islamic Finance

chines4:

@Papadonkee

Prof. Dora can be anything but definitely not incompetent

Lobbying Dangerously,

Posted on 10 May 2011.

Editorial:
The night after President Goodluck Jonathan was given his certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lobbyist came knocking in drove on the doors of the Villa. It is highly anticipated that politicians across party boards and godfathers will take advantage of their closeness to the President to lobby for their candidate to have a place in his cabinet.

The current disagreement between the Presidential Advisory Councils and Politicians of the PDP extract on the quality of persons who should occupy a place in Jonathan’s cabinet is no longer news. It is very common to find politicians going against serious national matter that does not favour them. The only reason one can adduce for their attitude is free assess to power and funds.

The issue concerning the future of the current ministers is one thing Nigerians are quite attracted to. Who deserve to stay or go should be the subject of how much they have done to earn a reappointment (although, all appointment is at the discretion of the President). Should a performing minister be replaced by a failed governor because the latter was the chief executive officer of his state? This is another matter for another day.

If one is to judge from the performance of the current ministers, it is likely that less than 25 percent of them may come back. It is over a year now virtually all of them were appointed except for some few whose appointment came later on, but despite that, Nigerians are still wondering what impact or positive change some of them can hold onto to as having done well.

In some Ministries, it is pathetic to know that their ministers are fair weather politicians and opportunists who want to cash into the victory of the President in their State to bargain for a reappointment. Some of these ministers have for a year slept and failed on their ability and privilege to serve the country properly only to be jolted by the quest to get reappointed by flashing artificial programmes on the media to gain attention.

Across board of the current cabinet, it is very simple to hand-pick those who have performed and done the country proud. Nigerians know their own, but time will not permit me to treat their individual achievements in details but will chose to duel briefly on the achievement of just two current serving ministers; Prince Adetokunbo Kayode and Chief (Mrs.) Josephine Anenih Esq . There is so much to also admire in the performance of the Honourable Ministers of Petroleum (Mrs. Dieziani Allison Madueke), Honourable Minister of Education (Professor Rukayat Rufai), Honourable Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Odein Ajumogobia SAN, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, Hajia Salamatu Ibrahim), The Attorney General and Honourable Minister of Justice (Mohammed Adoke SAN., Honourable Minister of the FCT, Sanator Bala Mohammed.

For instance, the Ministry of Defence has within a year witness tremendous transformation internally and externally. The ministry and the force this time has been reengineered to take a bold step into actualizing concrete defence plan that enhances the professional well being of men and women of the Armed Force from bottom to top.

Apart from the total reengineering of the barrack rehabilitation project to fit due process and give a true sense of purpose to the welfare of men and women of the Armed Forces, recently, Nigerians were woken by the good news that qualified young women can now be enlisted into the Nigeria Defense Academy (NDA) which was never in existence before now. NDA was strictly a male military affair. This development in the nation’s defence sector is a welcome approach to give every one a true sense of belonging regardless of their sex in national security issues like it is done in the advance country.

Another achiever of note in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan is Chief (Barrister), Mrs. Josephine Iyom Anenih, the Hourable Minister of Women Affairs. She has earned a veritable place in the hearts of the general public, especially the women. The confidence and trust she has built for her self amongst women is what she has been able to readapt to favour the generality of the women folks and the less privileged. She has been nick named the ‘Women General’ because of her astute strategy in mobilizing and coordinating women across the country for developmental significance. In matters relating to the betterment of the Nigerian women, Chief (Mrs.) Anenih speaks it as much as she actions it.

She has a resounding history of achievement back in her days as women leader in the Peoples Democratic Party. Her rich experience is what she has brought to bare in the ministry of Women Affairs.

All the programmes the minister initiated, planned and carried out in the ministry of women affairs were remarkably successful. One of her outstanding performances is her ability of been able to forcefully and successfully bring women matters to the front burner of national discuss.

Nigerian women came out in drove to support the electoral process and as well mobilized for the 2011 election was the ground work of Chief Mrs. Anenih because of the trust they have for her. And the role women eventually played in the election of President Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria’s President elect found its root partly in the rich soil of Chief (Mrs.) Anenihs women farm yard; not only because she has a formidable women structure and contact built over the years but also for the simple reason of earning loyal followers across the country and the strategy of making them important.

Chief (Mrs.) Anenih brought a unique touch to women issues in the national political circle. No doubt, she brought women to the centre. She feels the constant acronym of addressing women always as mothers is a grand design and scheme to deny them what the society truly owes them. She feels ‘women’ is a better general terminology to be used in programmes than mothers. She believes that ‘women’ better covers the identity of all women folks, including mothers and that the burden of discrimination and other anti women matters or issues that deny them development and full participation in governance is hither to hinged upon how women are perceived generally, more so, when the society sees them only as mothers whose duties only ends at home, devoid of intrinsic capabilities necessary to manage governance.

Women Affairs Ministry, before the advent of Chief Josphine Iyom Anenih was more or less a dead-end; no innovations and creativity. Nigerian women did not have confidence in the ministry because of previous experience in leadership failure. Before Chief (Mrs) Anenih was appointed, Nigerians did not believe that any good things can come out of the ministry. But Chief (mrs.) Josephine Anenih’s professional touch, courage and homely strength saw the ministry through a lot of decisive programmes that have catapulted the women folks to a place of national and international recognition. This positive approach and achievement has opened a vista of partnership between the ministry and UN Agencies for women issues and other numerous international women development agencies.

Her achievement and drive was part of the momentum that galvanized the positive spirit that eventually created the platform that saw huge participation of women in the 2011 election.

As a journalist, we have been trained to balance issues, but that is not to say that when we see good things we should not speak well of them for others to know how good it is they are.

Nigerians do not anticipate that all the current ministers in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan’s will come back. Regardless of the role some of them may have played in ensuring that the President won in their respective state. The question is that, did they perform? What is their achievement that we warrant a reappointment?

In part or whole, the President’s four years in office must not be wasted by failed politicians; it is a very decisive period Nigerians are very hopeful to get close to their dreams and as such will not be ready to have failed politicians around to scuttle their democratic benefits.

It is a welcome development to gather that the President is angling his cabinet on technocrats and the private sector. With this approach there will definitely be a strong sense of responsibility in governance like we have not had in the past. The constitution of the President’s new cabinet, no doubt will indicate the direction of his government in the next four years.

As investigated from the streets of Nigeria has shown, the pulse of Nigerians is that President Jonathan should seriously consider retaining some of the current cabinet members, and let the renewal of their appointments be based on their achievements, but however, should not ignore the advice of the Presidential Advisory Council.

There is no crime in lobbying, and if achievers must lobby let their performance be the indices of considering their reappointment.

sleekmike:

Dr. Chris Ngige and Obi cannot be compared. Period.
Ngige is a Legend, a phenomenon, an idea and an era.
Obi only won the election because of the love we have for our father Dim ChukwukwuEmeka Odimegwu Ojukwu. Who would have voted Obi. He has no charisma, is not eloqeunt and all he claimed to have achieved are mere recycling of Ngiges achievements.
Ngige fought and won convincingly.
This is the begining of Dora's numerous failures.
I have an advise for Dorathy, just accept a United Nations job and zoom off. Ndi Igbo will never vote you. Have you finished working for your Otta landlord or have you have finished cooking soup for Turai, ?

ndu_chucks:

Anenih should be prosecuted for endangering the lives of citizens, vigilanteism, and other assorted crimes. Does he have a license to carry a deadly weapon and shoot the same?

Kudos to the policemen who did their jobs this time around.

Agency Reporter
Friday, 15 Apr 2011

It would have been tales of woes for members of staff and customers in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area, Edo State branch of UBA Plc but for the efforts of a former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, who led about 10 riot policemen to foil an attempt by bandits to rob the bank.


Eyewitness account said the robbers stormed the bank around 9.30am; shot sporadically into the air; to scare away people and in the process seized a vehicle belonging to the bank. It was gathered that while they were trying to gain entrance into the bank, Anenih, who was said to have received a telephone call of the attack, mobilised his police escorts to join him to the scene.


An eye witness told our correspondent, “Anenih, on arrival to the scene, shot into the air, while the mobile police men and other uniformed men attached to Uromi police station, attacked the robbers, while traders at the Uromi Market took to their heels following the exchange of gun fire. One of the policemen, who was said to have been shot by the robbers, according to the eye witness is presently receiving treatment.

Akainzo:

Yes I agree that our debt relief made more money available to the federation account and it was one of the selling points for the debt relief but saying that is the sole source of funds is stretching it too thin. You can check our budget since the debt relief and calculate how much have gone to education and other MDG goals.

That ACN needs 240 million on election days does not support your stance. Irrespective of whether a lady is contesting or not, PDP would still need polling agents on election day. Thus they need not provide special money for women except to help them in their campaigns. Example, for the NASS elections, I am a volunteer polling agent and would cover for all party aspirants on that day, we would not require an extra person just because one of the candidates is a woman, would we?

You believe she didn't embezzle because she gave out cheques to some people on inauguration day! Ok, let me give this illustration, if she was given 150M, and she gave out cheques of One Million to 100 aspirants, (note a 100 is quite a crowd), would that imply that she did not embezzle 50M? To clear the air, it would be a simple statement of accounts or a more transparent rejoinder stating how much was given and how many aspirants.

BTW, I noted that while you alluded to the funds being provided by UNIFEM (now UNDFW), she did not provide that in her rejoinder but only claimed that UNDP was not involved. She cleverly left out that another organ of the Un was involved, and note that UNDP and UNDFW are close enough for someone to juxtapose or mistake them one for another.

As you'd notice, I'd ignored your attempt to impugn my person. Stick to the discourse we are engaged in.

Akainzo:

The funds were given through the MDG, which is funded through the UNDP.

Akainzo:

So you agree that there was funds to be shared that she could have sat on or mismanaged?

Akainzo:

The only information I had was the pointblank report and her rejoinder. Note however, that my analysis were entirely based on her own rejoinder as I only saw holes in what she was saying. I have also not in anyway said she was guilty or innocent, I only pointed out that from her own rejoinder, she did not answer the pertinent questions that she herself identified to be the issues.

@papadonkee, I threw you a low blow but you absorbed it quite well unlike some weaklins around here. Since you are not ashamed to be associated with PDP, aren't you tired of hiding ya head since PDP messes up on a daily basis?  Would you be kind enough to give me an insider's explanation of what Jonathan used all the excess crude money to purchase? 

Na who dey actually rule naija as we speak, I no think say na GEJ at all, as per ya inside info, abeg tell me who dey control the remote