Hendrix Oliomogbe
IF Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki was to throw a quick glance at his back, he would probably be frozen with fear at the plethora of aspirants from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who are standing in the line, impatiently waiting to take over the reins of power from him, come November 2024. The cornucopia of wannabes on his left and right, angling to fly the flag of the PDP, mostly from the Central and North Senatorial districts in the forthcoming governorship election could be mind-bending.
Among them, however, would be the sturdy figure of Mr. Ephraim Aluebhosele, a member of the Edo State House of Assembly from Igueben Constituency.
Like Governor Obaseki, Mr. Aluebhosele took a degree in Classics from the nation's premier University at Ibadan (UI). Sounding upbeat, he gave reasons why he's seriously gunning for the governorship ticket of the PDP.
Why are you in the race?
Democracy is the best form of government. I am not in the race because I am from Edo Central; I am in the race because I am an Edo person and qualified to run. I am in the race because I am a very strong believer in diligence in public office. I am in the race because I see human beings as the focal point of development. I am also in the race because I believe that government, whether you are coming from another party or from the same party, needs to run ceaselessly like an engine that is well primed. What I mean is that when you come in as head of a government, whatever you meet on ground, you must build on it.
Life is about continuous change and improvement, about pragmatism. One needs to add value to whatever he meets on the ground. You can never hit the best on anything, be it project, programme or policy. There will always be room for improvement because our world changes on a daily basis, if not per second as new things come in. Some 14, 20 years ago, the internet was not as popular as it is now but now every school child is on the internet. You need to encourage that generation of people. Now, knowledge is at your finger tips if you are willing and ready to go for it. That amongst many other reasons are why I want to give it a try. I have been in government and to the best of my ability, work for our people. I deliberately chose not to go back to the House in order to concentrate on my governorship ambition.
What is your take on the clamour for power shift to Edo Central?
In politics, politicians will always have something to argue about; something to lobby about, something to say. That is what makes politics interesting. Even in my home little Local Council of Igueben, there are also talks of all this, why it is only one side that has been getting everything. People are saying that there must be equity. At the end of the day, those arguments will help to mould the opinions of those who take decisions at critical levels. That is not to say that simply because you are talking of power rotation and power shift, you will disenfranchise some people or you will limit the freedom of some other persons. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees people the freedom of choice, movement and even of decisions. That is why you see that despite all the hue and cry of power shift, equity and other things, there are still aspirants from other senatorial districts involved in the race. It is not restricted exclusively to Edo Central. But again, Edo State has very qualified persons from every zone. If you have such persons, they can come out and aspire. Those who feel that there should be equity, have their own reasons for going along that line. For fairness and equity, power ought to shit to Edo Central because it's the only district that has not had it since 1999. But then, we must work hard at it because power is not given on a platter of gold.
As far as I am concerned, I don’t want to be Esan governor, I don’t want to be Edo North or Edo South governor. I want to be Edo State Governor. You can say Edo State governor of Igueben extraction or Esan extraction or Edo Central extraction. What ever language, you want to use, that is your own limit of freedom. The point here is that the state is critical and more important. Whoever is aspiring to rule Edo State must rule the whole of the state and not just a part of it.
What is your agenda for the people?
On a global level, it is the problem of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment. We intend to do a lot in those areas. We intend to use agriculture to capture the unemployed. We will create a lot of jobs in the agricultural sector. When you come out and state everything, before you know it, people begin to tap from it. I will not want to rule Edo State if I don’t have plans. We have laid out plans in the areas of security, transportation, health, education and in so many other areas. For in stance, we intend to have the
free maternal health care from the day your wife conceives up till six weeks after delivery. The child enjoys free medicare till he is five. What about the pensioners, can’t we just add value to health care as far as it concerns them? I believe we can implement things like these.
Take education for instance. Making a first class can be quite hectic. If one has a second class upper, his prospects are bright and we can see how to help such a student attain his or her heights by giving them scholarship and bursaries. There are a lot. We have this novel idea of involving our people in governance. In a government like the one we practice in Edo State and Nigeria, every local council has a House member. Virtually every member has somebody that sits in the exco. Supposing I call the Commissioner from Igueben and the lawmaker representing Igueben and tell them to go back home to their people within one week, two, three or four weeks period and aggregate the needs of their people in terms of infrastructure, needs and all of that. Then, it is aggregated and brought back. Remember that our government will be coming onboard by November next year. It means that you have 19 months to gather this data and programme them into the budget for the coming year.
How do you intend to carry traditional rulers along?
Basically, I plan to run an all inclusive government. In the area of policing, I think that community policing is very critical. The traditional rulers will have a critical role to play. In every community, the members have a critical role to play. They know those who are criminals, thieves and do bad things. By the time, they are able to fish out the ugly ones amongst them and due process takes it due course and punishment is meted as at when due, I am sure the crime rate will come down. By the time, the traditional rulers know that a lot is required from them in terms of securing their environment and their communities, I am sure they will live up to that billing. We must find a way to involve them. If every community is secured, then the state will be secured.
Do you intend to cut down on large government as the cost of governance is too high in Nigeria?
Nigeria has a very large population. Nigeria in terms of land mass is not as big as Libya. Nigeria has more people than Libya. Are you saying that there are idle hands in Nigeria? What happens depend on the programmes and policies you want to run. That determines the size of the government, you also want to manage. I agree that the cost of governance in Nigeria is very high but some of these problems are rooted in our constitution which virtually guarantees every state a member at the Federal Executive Council. If you do it at the federal level, won’t those at the state level demand for commissioners from all the local councils? It goes like that down the line. Those who are planning to amend the constitution should also look at it. The cost of governance is high because Nigeria has chosen to run American style government where the lawmakers and members of the executive council are two different set of people. There are places in the world where a member of parliament is also a minister. One guarantee is that there will be prudence in whatever my government wants to do. It is not only through giving somebody an appointment that he can be empowered. It depends on what you meet on the ground and your determination to be prudent.
How do you intend to tackle the rural urban migration? Benin City for example is becoming over congested.
The rural feeds the urban. All the food that is consumed in the city comes from the rural. Whatever government makes in its investment in other sectors should be ploughed back in the rural areas to provide electricity. The government stands in the middle between the investors and the rural communities. We believe very firmly that if you take good care of the rural areas, most of the tension in the urban areas will be reduced drastically. If the government can pick the bill from the private sector man and do the electrification, let it be that it is only the light bill that the rural area man will pay. That will be like a middle point.
Oil may just disappear tomorrow. We should invest part of the money coming from oil in agriculture, tourism, industries and in other areas. All of these will not be possible without an effective power supply. Having been a key player in the government, one already has enough ingredients to cook the soup if you could say that. .
How do you weigh your chances?
My chances are very bright. PDP won resoundingly in Igueben during the last election. It shows that we are on the ground here. If I didn’t feel that I have a chance, I will not be involved in the first place. My chances are as bright as any other person contesting but I feel that I bring in something extra. I feel that as somebody who is on a global level, there should be a generational shift. I feel that I have the requisite training, understanding and patriotism to drive the Edo Project to a new height.
But people believe that there are too many PDP aspirants especially from Edo Central?
If you go to a market, for example, to buy tomato and there is only one woman selling tomato, you are in two types of trouble. Either you get there and the tomato is finished or you get there and meet the tomato at a very exorbitant price. The seller has a monopoly. All of us who are in the race know that it is only one person who will emerge as governor ultimately. I see it as a game. In any game or sport, there must be a win or loss. In politics, there is no draw. You are either on the winning side or on the losing side. When you are on the winning side, the question is how magnanimous can you be? When you are on the losing side, how humble can you be to support the winning side? The positive to take away from it, is that there are several Edo people desirous of helping to move the state forward. I don’t see it as they are too many in PDP.
For me, it is healthy so long as everybody plays it maturely knowing fully well that at the end of the day, it is your people and our state that matter.
Aluebhosele
Are you not rattled by the rumour of the governor anointing a particular aspirant?
I wouldn’t know about anointing anybody but all I can tell you is that in politics, there is name dropping. Some can even say that the Pope has anointed them as if we are going back to the Middle Ages when Popes anoint kings to rule over people, in all of these, what you take from it is the beauty of politics.
You don’t expect the man there now who is driving the ship of the state not to be interested in who succeeds him. I don’t want people to overheat the polity over endorsement and anointment. If somebody is anointing somebody, nothing stops you from getting your anointment somewhere. It is a big world, an open market. I am not sure anybody is cowed. If people were cowed, the number of people who went to purchase forms would have reduced. I think there is a gamesome spirit in everybody. We are in all this and are out to give it a trial and push. it has nothing to do with an anointment. I don’t see is as that. If I believe that somebody has been anointed, I would have quietly kept my money in my house. I think all of us would have done he same thing. Each and every one us in this race including my humble self have a chance to become governor of Edo State.
What is your assessment of the six years of Obaseki's administration?
Fellow Classicists: Obaseki, Aluebhosele
Because I am from Edo and part of the legislative arm of government, I will tell you in one simple word that the man has done very well. There is a mentality about governance. He has not neglected the provision of infrastructure. Several road projects have been completed in all the three senatorial districts. Some of the buildings at the state Secretariat which were started by former Governor Samuel Ogbemudia in the '70s have been completed while the old ones are being renovated. Edo workers now work in decent environment. This cost lots of money. Edo civil servants have been motivated with promise of 13 months salary.
Two modular refineries have been built in Edo State while the Ossiomo Independent Power Plant is up and running, providing power to both government and private offices. Work on the revitalization of Uromi Cassavita Factory at Uromi is on in full swing.
The governor has done well in the critical areas of health, transportation, agriculture, health and particularly in the areas of peace and security. Without peace, you achieve nothing. Crime is down. Kidnappers have been virtually chased out of the state with the help of the vigilantes working with the police. He has funded the police even though it is federal. This state government does not owe salaries and I think that is a miracle. So,ph if you ask me as a key actor to assess the government, I will score the government an A because I know the criticalness and the spirit behind those programmes that this administration had embarked on.
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