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Andrew Adaze is a former Commissioner for Information in Edo State and Convener of the Edo Generation X Movement. In this interview, he speaks on this weekend’s governorship election in the state and why the All Progressives Congress (APC) stands a better chance of winning, among other issues
What are the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning the Edo State governorship election?
I think the people of Edo are being hoodwinked to think that Godwin Obaseki as a governor has performed to the extent of producing a successor.
In terms of the three indicators of a growing economy, you ask yourself what is the state of our local economy. A situation where virtually all the contracts are given to foreigners; is that smart?
You want to organise an event like Alaghodaro and you take the printing jobs to Lagos. You need people to advise you as consultants, and you bring the majority, if not all of them from Lagos. All the consultants that operated in the Ministry of Communication and Orientation were from Lagos.
The consultants were even competing with me as commissioner. You saw all kinds of bogus amounts that they brought for projects that will involve Edo taxpayers’ money. There was the issue of huge capital flight. Under Obaseki, the local economy didn’t improve at all.
That is one. Then what of the health care system? I emphasize this because when you work in a place and you fall sick, you must use the healthcare system. The only standing hospital that we can point at that meets modern standard is the one at the beginning of Sapele road; Adams Oshiomhole built and equipped it.
The ultra-modern hospital, which was initially shut down by Obaseki, was later given to private individuals to manage. In terms of healthcare, I’ll score this government 10 per cent. It has performed abysmally in that area. Today, we talk of a road network without drainage and walkways.
As we speak, Benin City has the best network of bad roads. You go to Okhoro, Ewah Road, Medical Stores and other erosion-prone areas, there’s nothing to write home about. Even within the GRA, when it rains you need a speed boat to get to your destination.
Is it Ekenwan road that was started over four years ago, or Evboutubu-Mechanic road, or Uwelu in Egor? All these roads are in a terrible state. So, what can this government now showcase? Is it in the education sector? Private schools are closing because of excessive taxation.
Why do you insist that the Obaseki administration has nothing to showcase? The governor didn’t build schools but spent the last seven years organizing seminars on what he calls Edo Best. During Oshiomhole’s time, we were talking of the Red Roof Revolution.
How many schools have teachers as we speak? There are many communities in my local government without teachers. You will see where a teacher is teaching both junior and senior secondary school students simultaneously.
Which school in this state meets national standards? I went to Annunciation Catholic College Irrua; the old boys association of the school now funds it because the Edo State government under Obaseki abandoned it. So, for me, I don’t think Governor Obaseki has performed well to say he wants to produce a successor. Besides, Asue Ighodalo was part of his government from the start as a Chief Economic Adviser.
Is there any project in Edo Central that Asue Ighodalo can beat his chest that he has attracted to his senatorial district? What economic benefits did Edo Central people gain under this present government he is serving as chairman of Alaghodaro?
So, talk is cheap. Unlike Ighodalo, our APC candidate has touched the lives of Edo people in many communities within his senatorial district. Schools there have been impacted positively by him. During the time of the Red Roof revolution of Oshiomhole, he empowered young people with instructional materials. They talk about the fact that he is building boreholes.
There is no water in Edo Central and you know that is a major challenge for them there. When the Edo Central security network, Atalakpa was formed, he was a major contributor. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate was offered a place on the board of trustees, but he rejected it.
And I challenge him to list any significant contribution he has made towards the security network of the people of Edo Central, where they are still having kidnapping issues and all that. Senator Okpebholo prevailed on Mr. President for work to start on the Benin Auchi road leading to Okenne. As I speak to you, work on that road has commenced in earnest.
So, the incoming APC government in Edo State, by the grace of God, will give a human face to governance. We will give serious respect to our traditional rulers and institutions. We won’t compete with the Oba of Benin because this is a kingdom that has existed for centuries. Even before Nigeria became a country, the Benin Kingdom had existed.
So, you have to give great respect to our traditional institution. Instead of competing with them, we’ll collaborate with them. Our APC candidate as a deacon of the Winners Chapel Church enjoys the support of the majority of religious leaders in Edo State. So, Edo people will give the APC 18 over 18 votes at the governorship election this September.
I don’t think Governor Obaseki has performed well to say he wants to produce a successor. Besides, Asue Ighodalo was part of his government from the start as a Chief Economic Adviser
How will the candidate of your party achieve the cultural renaissance you spoke of?
Our candidate, if elected, will enhance the prestige of our traditional rulers by inaugurating the Edo Traditional Rulers Council, headed by the Oba of Benin, to see how we can strengthen and showcase our rich cultural heritage.
I say this because there’s no better way to market tourism than the culture of the people, which is also reflected in traditional treasures like the Benin artifacts.
I must commend the Swedish government for agreeing to return 39 of the stolen artifacts to the Oba of Benin. Sometime last year, under President Buhari, the Federal government had given full custody of the artifacts to the Oba of Benin through a gazette that was issued on March 23, 2023. Therefore, it was a complete misnomer for the governor to be struggling over ownership or the custody of the stolen Benin artifacts with the Oba.
The stolen Benin artifacts are cultural properties protected under the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties of 1954. Under this international law, only the Nigerian state can enter into negotiations with foreign countries for the return of cultural property like the stolen Benin artifacts acquired from conquest during an armed conflict.
Is it true that zoning of the ticket to Edo Central is partly the reason why you are supporting Monday Okpebholo as the candidate of APC?
Not essentially because he is an Esan man. My political philosophy on the topic is that instead of talking about zoning, we should talk about the three Cs, Capacity, Competence and Character. I’m happy that the PDP and APC eventually zoned their tickets to Edo Central but I am supporting the APC candidate because of his capacity to communicate with the people without the aid of an interpreter.
He also has the capacity to bring people together because I took time to study his character and his story of people-centered development. If as an Esan man, you cannot communicate with your people in Esan, it means that those of us from Edo South will find it hard to understand you.
So, at the moment, we need a homeboy, and I assure you that the APC candidate will govern the state without any ethnic communication barrier because he personifies the new barometer for measuring who a true homeboy is.
The way he will develop Benin City is how he will develop Uromi, Irrua, Auchi and other towns in Edo State because he sees the entire state as his constituency.
That is why he is called Akpakomiza. He is a man of the people. He is going to be a governor who will put smiles on the faces of all Edo people irrespective of their ethnic or religious background.
What is the purpose of the Edo Generation X Movement, which you are its convener?
The Edo Generation X Movement is an ideological group within the Edo political class.
I remember in 1999, when Chief Lucky Igbinedion came on board as governor of Edo State, it was people of his generation that formed the core of his government though some people from the younger generation were later included.
In 2019, when the present governor, Goodwin Obaseki, wanted me to work for him, he said that his generation has played their part and should leave the political scene with him in 2024.
He said the next government that will come on board will be people of my generation. He even told me to get people to work for him. Eventually, the promise he made of me about bringing people to work for him was unfulfilled as after he won the 2020 governorship election, he became a different person.
But, in fairness, I must thank him for appointing me as a commissioner in his government. When I later heard he was projecting his business partner and friend, Ighodalo, who he later made the PDP governorship candidate, I said this is not what he promised because Ighodalo and Obaseki are contemporaries.
We saw the deceit and it was that desire for change in the status quo that inspired the setting up of the Generation X Movement, which will champion the cause of those of us from that generation known as X, consisting of those born after 1964 and before 1980.
We have also incorporated Generation Y and those who we call Gen Z, into the Generation X Movement. Of course, those within the Generation Y category are those born between 1981 and 1996.
The underlying idea is to insist that it is not for us to argue along ethnic lines alone, but we must talk of zoning along generation lines too.
We must seriously consider the need for a generational power shift. Thankfully, the governorship candidate of the APC is 53 years old.
He falls within the Generation X age gap. The running mate is my contemporary. I’m even older than him, as he is 43 years old. These are the kind of people we need in Osadebe Avenue at this time and not those who want to stay in government house as a retirement package.
We’re presenting to the Edo electorate these two young men with vigour and confidence, not people who are struggling with their health and true identity, not people who cannot do the kind of work people of our generation can do because youths of Edo are saying they want to be the leaders of today and not tomorrow.
The tomorrow the generation before us promised is not sure. Like they say, if not now, when; f not us, who. So, we’re thanking the likes of Senator Adams Oshiomhole and other leaders across party lines, who have promised that they’ll allow us to have a free hand in developing our state. There is no doubt that turnout on elections will improve if these two critical issues are addressed
