History has it that the then Mid-Western Region which was created in June 1963 from the Benin and Delta Provinces which was changed to State on 27th May 1967 and later renamed Bendel State on 17th March 1976, birthed what we now call Edo State, separated from Delta on 27th August 1991.
Since 1991 till date Edo State has had 10 Governors and Administrators altogether (incumbent Governor inclusive) of which had served in their various capacities and endowment in managing the State resources both humans and materials towards the realisation of the dream and vision, “The Heartbeat of the Nation”.
Edo State being a settlement of great resources is the home of the Bini people. A people well-known for ancient civilisation, coordinated traditions and advanced political administration. Edo State was the first kingdom/State in Nigeria to be exposed to civilisation being the first State to welcome the Europeans in 1472 though arguably to be 1485/86 and whose administrative organogram attracted diplomatic relationship with a European super power (The Portuguese). Therefore a lot was expected by Nigeria as a whole from Edo State.
Where is our Crude oil, our Natural Gas, Marbles, Limestone and Clay Chalk? Where is our Rubber, Cocoa and Palm? Where is our Bronze casting and where is our Tourism? Where are our Values, Morality, Patriotism, Courage, and Lion’s heart (Oduma), oh the great Bini!
Great salutation to Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, the revolutionary, visionary, tenacious, courageous, fearless, indefatigable, uncompromising leader and governor of the great Edo State. With your hallmark, you have my vote and support as well as the vote and support of every onward and forward oriented Edolites. You have stood and remain an outstanding Role Model to the youth in your courage and refusal to be oppressed despite the strategy of the oppressors, rather you took your destiny by your hands, within the ambit of the law and constitution, and you fight on and refuse to give up.
If and only if this personality trait is what you have, you have my support but in addendum, your dynamic and strategic developmental strive, and achievements over the last three years and few months especially in education, infrastructure, industrialisation, electricity, security, agriculture which being a modest man that you are, had failed to rant about, is crystal clear in the eyes of every Edolites who does not suffer refractive errors in eyes and hearts in the order of myopia and hyperopia.
For those who come to tell us they have all sorts of agenda and that we should hold them accountable if they fail to deliver, we are very sorry. We have not been able to hold accountable those that promise us constant power supply in six months, those with the agenda of one naira (N1) to one dollar ($1), when it was about N230 to $1 but today $1 is about N385. They promise to reduce pump price from N87 to N40 but today pump price is about N143. They promise to make the price of kerosene N50 but today is N334 per liter. They promise free daily school meal for every primary school pupils, they promise to ensure that no Nigeria will have a reason to go outside Nigeria for medical treatment, they promise to cut down the cost of governance, they promise that no force external or internal will occupy even an inch of Nigeria soil, they promise to fight corruption but today will have not even be able to hold them accountable and we will not want to promise anyone what we cannot keep. We know the kind of country we are and we are now very enlightened and standing to defend our wisdom.
I want to use this medium to further buttress that the Esan people cannot wait for another eight years again to have the baton of governor in the hand of their son or daughter. It is appalling that Ekpoma has remain almost the way Late Prof. Ambrose Ali left it in 1983, Uromi reduced to a castle, Irua relegated, Ubiaja a hamlet, likewise other Esan towns like Ewatto, Igueben, Ewohimi, Ebele, Ugborha etc, and this is causing every Esan born sleepless night.
The great Esan land cannot be so bewildered not to coalesce with the development on the shores of Benin, Auchi, Etsako and the others metropolis. We want to categorically state that any further move either politically or otherwise to delay Esan the governorship ticket by 2024 will amount to the great Esan Land resorting to becoming a State with an all holistic approach.
Finally, it is my plea to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), every Stakeholder, Agencies, Commissions, Groups and Individuals to remain unbiased in the Edo 2020 gubernatorial election and avoid the wrath of God and Edo kingdom. Even as the election remain a not “do or die affair”, the great Edo people are behind Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and Philip Shaibu and they must promise to maintain the developmental strives and focus more on security, infrastructure, education and the five major key macroeconomic variables, because we never put them to shame, the should not disappoint us.
God bless Edo State, God bless Nigeria.
