On the 24th of this month, an unwarranted attack was launched by ex-Governor Godwin Obaseki against his successor, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who is determined to undo the rot his predecessor left behind. The diatribe has however, exposed the desperation of that administration by attempting to blackmail the governor for exposing their shady deals while in office.
Obaseki who spoke through his media aide, expressed worries over an alleged “attack” on the private sector, unregulated land acquisition deals by Presco and Okomu Plc, the issue of the Museum for West African Arts (MOWAA) Certificate of Occupancy, Edo Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), Radisson Hotel and the Benin City Mall, among others.
I think it is only proper to state that Obaseki’s alarmism and blackmail won’t halt Okpebholo’s reforms and to add that the days of government of ‘consultants, by consultants and for consultants’ are over. The earlier Obaseki understands this, the better.
Obaseki’s dubious status quo built on opaque, under-the-table contracts and arrangements that benefited only a privileged few while neglecting the general interests of Edo State people is under investigation and it is understandable why Obaseki, just as corruption must fight back. Governor Okpebholo is focused on restoring fairness, transparency, and justice in the state’s governance system and business environment – these among others, were the elements that were absent during Obaseki’s administration.
It is not surprising that those who ran a ‘government of consultants, by consultants, and for consultants’ are now convulsing because a governor who truly prioritizes the people has emerged, shedding light on the dark spaces of corruption and favoritism constructed by the last administration.
Today, Governor Okpebholo is cleaning up the mess left by Obaseki, making difficult but necessary decisions to restore transparency, equity, and fairness in how businesses operate in Edo State. Governor Okpebholo is not attacking any private company; he is simply ensuring that their operations are regularized to respect the interests of Edo citizens.
It is the duty of the governor to investigate, if there are irregularities in the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy and it is also his duty to resolve them. The much – touted Edo Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP) never benefited Edo farmers and the governor cannot be blackmailed about that. The Governor is focused on reforming the hostile business environment Obaseki left behind, and doing everything possible to attract genuine investors, not politically motivated ones.
The best disinfectant is sunlight, and Governor Okpebholo is drawing back the curtains to let it in, ensuring that the management of Edo State’s critical resources is now governed by transparency, accountability, and the principles of justice. This is a departure from the shady practices that undermined competition and enriched a select few while stifling the private sector.
The Senator Okpebholo’s administration is not waging war on the private sector but is, in fact, laying the groundwork for a sustainable, thriving business ecosystem. No government can succeed by attacking private enterprises. Governor Okpebholo understands this better than Obaseki, being a self-made entrepreneur himself. His administration is determined to act as a fair and objective regulator, ensuring that due diligence is followed and that contracts and policies are designed to benefit the people of Edo State, not a network of cronies.
An honest man has nothing to fear from accountability. The alarmist rhetoric coming from Obaseki and his allies only gives credence to public suspicion that there’s something to hide. Allegations of government positions being packed with friends, contracts being awarded to cronies without capacity, and other forms of corruption cannot simply be swept under the rug. The people deserve answers; be it on the unregulated land acquisition deals by Presco and Okomu Plc, the issue of MOWAA’s Certificate of Occupancy, Edo Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), Radisson Hotel, the Benin City Mall among several others.
If there was any administration that typified incompetence and lack of vision, it was the one led by Godwin Obaseki. He came with huge promises but left killing the joy of the people. He promised Edo people a seaport and budgeted money for it throughout his 8 years but left nothing. He promised an airport but left shamelessly without fulfilling it. Obaseki’s list of failures are numerous and deserves a book.
The people of Edo State have endured enough. They are fully behind the ongoing efforts to dismantle the structures of injustice and corruption that have plagued our state and stifled its growth. True progress demands courage, transparency, and a commitment to fairness; values that this administration is bringing back to governance. The administration of Governor Okpebholo is focused and a complete departure from the worthless MoU administration led by Obaseki.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mayaki is an Oxford and Cambridge University-trained entrepreneurship, leadership and sustainability expert.
