Facts are Sacred: Faceless Peter Ologun’s Infantile Attempt at Infamy and Obaseki’s Irredeemable Path to Perdition (Part 2)

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By Taiwo Akerele

I have read the very amusing, watery, childish, and senseless reply to my open press statement to Godwin Obaseki of Edo state to stop mentioning my name whenever he has nothing to showcase in his 7 years of been in power by one unknown Hon Ologun Peters.

Ordinarily, I have no business with an unelected officer of government who cannot be held liable or responsible for the action or inaction, performance or non-performance of the governor or the government – I insist on debating with Mr Godwin Obaseki directly and not with an overzealous, self-appointed spokesperson whose only interest is his daily bread from Edo taxpayers’ money by continuously massaging the ego of his failing paymaster.

It is apt to state that there is a difference between reporting cement production and distribution and reporting government performance around accountability and output, hence he can decide to descend into the gutters as he has nothing to lose, however, we the Edo people who have suffered the fall out of the ill-fated government of Godwin Obaseki has a lot to lose and we must fight even if we die in the process of fighting.

It is this sort of weak professional training, poor handling and lack of maturity of someone like the so called Peter Ologun that appears to have made the Governor Obaseki-led government to have been adjudged by Edo people as the worse government Edo state has ever had since the state was created.

This is a state that has been blessed with quality leaders and pro people governors such as Gen Sam Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, Prof Folorunsho Ali and of course Comrade Aliyu Oshiomhole.

I am yet to come to terms with the reality that I once served under this controversial, completely divisive, obviously cursed, self – serving and failed contraption. While I am excited that I realized on time and resigned voluntarily almost four years ago, let it be on record that the people of Edo state cannot wait for this contraption called ‘government’ to be over soon and another affliction wont arise again.  

In my earlier statement, I asked the Governor salient questions which include that aside from travelling to Akoko Edo on a quarterly basis to inaugurate a rag-tag set of appointees as SSAs or SAs whose salaries could at best be estimated at $95.00 per month or to hold factional meetings of the once peaceful, once virile and united PDP what has the government achieved in the following areas after wasting 7 years as the governor of Edo state? (see below)

Mr Governor, my point in conclusion is that next time when you visit Akoko Edo LGA, the people expect you to be reeling out data around the following thematic areas of development and stop REPEATING or regurgitating that your love for Akoko Edo people made you appointed your CoS from that area. That is crappy, manipulative and childish.

1.            List of initiated and completed projects under your government.

2.            The number of poor Edo citizens lifted out of poverty in the last 7 years.

3.            Number of loans given to local businesses and number of schools renovated with chairs, modern toilets and perimeter fencing and not inaugurating SSAs without specific terms of reference.

4.            How many doctors do we have in Igarra, Ibillo and Ososo general hospitals at the moment compared to what he inherited? When last were nurses hired to take care of poor patients?

5.            Where are the so-called one Primary Health Care (PHC) per ward promised the people since the 2020 elections?

6.            What is the situation with all the primary schools in Akoko Edo? Are you aware that 70% of these schools have one teacher on the average? Are you aware that most pupils learn under the trees and under the rain? We need to know why you failed to address this embarrassing state of schools in the LGA and it has become an issue of concern even within the development community. You can deceive people with fake data and PowerPoint presentation, but Edo people know better.

7.            What have you done with Igarra Cattle ranch as promised the people? How many jobs have your government created through the cattle ranch?

8.            What has your government done with the 46-year-old Igarra Technical College? This is 2023 and you have less than a year to go?  You promised to turn it around and remodeled it to a world class institution- another failed promise to Akoko Edo people.

9.            You promised to construct the Okpella – Ososo road since 2018? How many kilometers have you achieved as we speak? The people of ososo are still expectant that indeed miracle can still happen between now and November 2024 when it is your time to go. Same is applicable to Ososo tourist center.

10.          Where are we on the Ibillo market that you promised to transform to an international Garri export zone? Today the condition of the market is worse than your government met it in 2016.

11.          How come we no longer hear of Edo jobs and the fictitious 200,000 jobs your MD of Edo jobs Ukinebo Dare told the world she created within 2 years? It is on record that I disputed this figure in and out of cabinet and I still challenge Edo jobs till date?

12.          If any, assuming that you created 200,000 jobs, where are the physical beneficiaries from Akoko Edo? How much are their salaries? Do they have pay slips? How much tax do they pay to the government? You can fool some people some time, but you cannot fool everybody all the time.

13.          You promised to construct alternative roads leading to the local government since you don’t want to help rehabilitate the Federally owned Ibillo- Auchi road. Why have you abandoned the state owned Igarra- Makeke – Ososo roads. What is the situation with this promise? Mr Governor the time is running out.

14.          In the area of security your government is ranked very low in Nigeria due to poor handling of your so-called security architecture. The people of Edo state and indeed Akoko Edo people cannot sleep with their two eyes closed as kidnapping is now an active industry under your watch. This is completely unacceptable and yet you are the Chief security officer of the state.

1.            We have lost countless souls in the last five years including poor villagers, visiting tourists and businessmen and women due to insecurity, while you blame the FGN for this on one hand, you arrogate to yourself the nomenclature of the chief security officer of the state on another hand.

2.            Mr governor Edo state is not rated favorably when it comes to transparency and open government, we are one of the most highly indebted states in Nigeria, over 61% of your LGAs cant access Benin city by road and yet you sleep well?  Haba, there Is an end to wickedness.

You can gather court jesters in Akoko -Edo or a few others across the state to sing your praises and make you feel good, but the truth is that Edo people are not smiling and its better you rise above the court-jesting pen of your spokesman and wake up to the reality of failure.

In conclusion, genuine technocrats who are willing to join politics are now afraid and ashamed to be identified as technocrats because of the way you have discredited the word. This is like using a ladder to climb to the roof top and after which you take it off so others don’t climb. History will judge you very harshly.

Taiwo Akerele, writes from Washington DC.