OFFICIAL dates marking a ‘100 Day in Office’ of the Edo State government had since elapsed. But, its elected governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, kept receiving torrents of tributes. From the cross-sections of the ‘Heartbeat State’ of the Nigeria’s nation and the widespread, it had been a cascading hailstones of applause for a supplied Okpebholo, son of a peasant from the pastoral community of Udomi, in Esan Central local government area (LGA) of the state. It is intensed testimonies that he has accomplished, within the period, in the terms of delivering on his mandate, preceding a keenly contested election, which had won him the coveted governorship seat.
At the backdrop, numerous political observer groups and individuals, obviously had given Governor Okpebholo a clean bill of health – that he had evolved some gainful reversals of the harsh policies by the immediate government before his, within a little 100 days in office, for he had begun to entrench an endearing government, with public-benefiting projects, like his predecessor had also failed to do. The testimonies assumed further that the governor had thrown off-balance his political opponents and sceptics, who earlier gave him no chance of doing well as the elected governor.
And from the strata of the state, especially the demanding non-state actors, that are inherently critical and self-determined, it had been generally assumed (and also communicated to the public by them), that the new government of Okpebholo, had actually laid a solid groundwork, in the spheres of governance, as an indication that the governor and his All Progressives Congress (APC), ruling party in the state, are out to give a better life’s deals to the people of the state.
Apart from stifled and negligible disapprovals citing that ‘Governor Okpebholo had underperformed’, on the said ‘one hundred days’, there appeared to be no resolute criticisms against his scorecard, by the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) opposition, known for its media hysteria and lop-sided propaganda.
Nevertheless, in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest democracy, many political analysts readily thump-down the notion of ‘One Hundred-Days-In-Office’. They say it is a mere and wasteful fad, which sprouted from the democratic practice of the United States of America, where the Nigeria’s presidential democracy got its pull. The concept is upheld by them as having impaired democracy cultures around the world, since 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 34th president of the Yankee’s nation, introduced it.
But, drums are usually rolled out; with calisthenics and media hypes on declarations of governmental performance scorecards, on 100 days in office. In Nigeria, particularly Edo, state actors and their political parties, would persuasively woo their voting public, ‘that they had started delivering electioneering pledges, on the route of specified years of official tenures.
Often than not, it’s a ping-pong duel, with ruling parties and oppositions trading tackles. Alas, the raging spats between Edo PDP and APC, on the veracity of a good performance by the Okpebholo’s led government, which was aforesaid to be applauded by majority of Edo public, ought not to generate such commotion. And when an opposition party criticizes for the fun of it that they must do so to spite or a ruling party reels out falsehoods, it would make itself a public jest. Whereas, it isn’t a bad idea that an opposition is noble by commending a political opponent where it has done well.
Mr. Osawaru Ehikue, a resident of Benin City, the state capital, somewhat corroborated the testimonies by numerous commentators. “Apart from the professional critics from the PDP, the main opposition party to the governor’s APC, most people of Edo State, without doubts, are happy with the development strides of Governor Okpebholo”. Remarked Ehikue, who he belonged to no political party. In the same vein, Austin Osaghae, a building engineer from the Ugianmwen Ward of Uhunmwonde local government area (LGA) of the state, retorted;
“There is always the need to compare the performances of political parties, governments and their elected officers. It was regrets by the Edo people that the Edo PDP and its ex-governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, couldn’t provide the basic necessities for the people, but only window-dressing projects that had no usefulness to Edo voters. Obviously, Obaseki didn’t take after the goodness and popularity of the Oshiomhole’s government, that gave him power. Now, what basis has PDP and Obaseki to accuse Governor Okpebholo of non-performance, within three months, when they wasted the eight long years they were in power for?”
In the widespread congratulatory message of His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, he stimulated a floodgate of tributes to Governor Okpebholo, on the 100 days’ cluster event. The revered monarch, who is circumspect with issuing public statements, in a rare written statement signed by Chief S.O. Obamwonyi, mused on the peace and public dignity the governor had brought to the state, which underscored the numerous bickering and misrule that infiltrated the immediate-past era of Mr. Godwin Obaseki. The statement insinuated that Obaseki had set the state backward to a belittling public image perception.
Even though Governor Okpebholo is forthright at leading Edo, there is still the need to rejig the deeds of most of his appointed aides, through inductions that could enhance their supportive duties. Also, the Edo APC ruling house shouldn’t be seen as incoherent and individualistic, but an ensemble, expressly in media and public affairs planning. The party should also know that it is obliged to an independent and true stewardship to the people, in periodic like 100 days in office.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the Obaseki’s predecessor-in-office and representative of the Edo north district in the Red Chamber, commended Governor Okpebholo as having carried out some policies and activities that are very insightful, in comparison to ex-Governor Obaseki. Senator Oshiomhole, who most pundits believe has the preference to judge whose performance is better of the duo of Obaseki and Okpebholo, having been a governor, praised the latter for carrying out numerous construction works, that are stronger and durable than the poor work done by Obaseki. He also praised Governor Okpebholo for reversing the accumulated anti-people moves of Obaseki, which included the swearing-in of high court judges, repositioning of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, reversing the downgrading of the Oba of Benin and his rights.
Whilst the state’s PDP rebuked Okpebholo’s government as directionless, fraudulent and inertia, it mainly criticised Edo State as the most insecured amongst the 36 states of the nation. Ironically, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, the chairman of the opposition party, who made the media assertion, was himself kidnapped and had had to stay days in captivity, in the peak of insecurity of his PDP’s government, where a huge ransom money, was said to have been paid by the Obaseki’s government aided his release by his captors.
Although the issue of insecurity, and Edo maintaining a top position in many Nigeria states that are most profiled with rampant occurrences of crimes, it is left to be seen that the accusation of the Okpebholo-led government, on that ground, is sophistry and sensational.
_Tony Erha, a journalist and activist writes from Abuja and could be reached at tonyerha@gmail.com
