Mixed reactions trail performances of Obaseki, Oshiomhole as Governors
Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State
Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie yesterday said Godwin Obaseki’s performance in three years dwarfed Adams Oshiomhole’s eight-year reign as governor of the state.
He was reacting to attacks on Obaseki by former a representative of Owan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Pally Iriase.
In a statement, Osagie said the crisis in the state was a battle between forces of good and evil, with one prioritising development and the other cronyism and hijack of state resources.
On infrastructure, he explained that over 2,000km of roads have been constructed across the state by the Obaseki-led administration, with over 70 per cent of them completed. This is a feat Oshiomhole could not achieve in eight years.
In education, Obaseki not only refurbished schools as Oshiomhole did, but also upgraded over 11,300 teachers and equipped them with cutting-edge technology to improve learning outcomes in classrooms.
Consequently, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) rated Edo the least state with out-of-school children in the country.
“The Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, which was abandoned for years, has been completely rebuilt, which has encouraged the Federal Government to schedule international matches in Benin City.
It has also secured the hosting rights of the 2020 National Sports Festival to Edo State on the back of reforms in the sports sector, among other accomplishments,” he added.
Osagie argued the crisis in the state was caused by the quest for control of the state’s resources, noting, “As a matter of fact, the political crisis in Edo State, which has forced the Iriases to address the press, was underscored by Obaseki’s performance.
“This was made possible because he (Obaseki) refused to hand over the key of the state treasury to Oshiomhole and his cronies.”
But in a swift reaction, a former chairmanship aspirant of the Oredo Council Area, Omo Osagie, said that there is no Governor that would not perform beyond expectations in the state following Oshiomhole’s achievements as governor.
He maintained that Oshiomhole laid a solid foundation for successive governments in the state and nobody has broken the record in the area of development noting, “The difference is that they will perform better than one another in some ways.
“We need wise counsel to continue whatever development that has taken place in the past and work hard to win the hearts of Edo people.”
Osagie, a former African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Oredo Federal constituency noted that, “When anybody becomes governor, local government chairman, President or any position, he could not do what others are doing. You have to understand the people you want to govern, their reasoning and beliefs.
Culled from Guardian.ng
