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Opinion

2021 Alaghodaro: The Decomposed Ritual

By Isaiah Jesuobo
Let’s try to blame this on Chief Osi Dan Orbih and see how it will work, especially those of us in the old PDP that are being marginalized and our political aspirations are being endangered by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his new PDP.
The Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Asue Ighodalo will chair the 2021 Alaghodaro Committee.(Mr. Asue Ighodalo is said to be the favoured person to succeed Obaseki being an old reliable friend and who is not a state actor) Let’s not also forget he is not a PDP member or stakeholders and he was not physically present during the rigourous campaigns that have become an embarrassment to PDP since none of those promises made in the 192 wards have been met.
Osarodion Ogie Esq. will serve as the Secretary of the Committee. Other members include Oluwole Iyamu, Osayi Alile, Anthony Okungbowa, Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh, Mrs. Owen Omogiafo, Mrs Izuma Sophia Onyenkpa and interestingly, the COO of AFRINVEST, Mrs. Onoise Onaghinon.
We must construct the influence of Chief Dan Orbih in this since Governor Godwin Obaseki is using manipulative gaslighting to make it look as if the South South Vice Chairman is the problem, not himself.  I am wondering why Chief Dan Orbih will draw this kind of list of committee members without considering members of the old PDP when he is being seen as the alter ego of the group. Oh, he is the one that is making Edo State PDP and none PDP members to be angry with Obaseki. Is it that no member of the old PDP has the intellectual capacity to be in this Committee as drawn by Chief Dan Orbih or is it the governor himself that drew the list? Where is Hon. Serguis Ogun, Senators Ordia and Mathew Urhokhide? Are we saying there are no good hands in Etsako, Owan or even Akoko-Edo to be in the committee? What about the educator, Bar. Ken Imansuangbon or the Bulldozer, Dr. Mike Onolememen, who’s CV is very rich in terms of infrastructural development? Where is the construction magnate and philanthropist, Bishop Mathew Okpebholo, who is recently on his own managing some failed potions on the Benin Abuja Road around Ekpoma while the state government is playing dirty politics with PDP? Let’s not shout nepotism and family affairs first. We must be patient with either Chief Dan Orbih or the Governor who drew this list. Where are the overzealous old PDP members who lined up some days ago under the shouting orders of the governor having been given #50,000 each to go and dissolve their PDP Excos?
Aside the huge funds that has been expanded on hiring of marquee(large tents) and expensive boufetts from Lagos, no single investment has been attracted to Edo State since the introduction of this decomposed Alaghodaro in 2017. I will contest with anyone who can mention any investment that has.
As usual, all the panelists and speakers are all Lagos imports that was said to be ‘Edo nor be Lagos.’ All the companies involved, including the governor’s AFRINVEST are all located in Lagos when we have indigenous companies in Edo State.
Can the governor, and his handlers, specifically tell us so far what benefits therefore is this whirlwind investment to an average Edo State citizen that will not even be allowed to attend the elitistic summit that is so wasteful? Can the governor and his handlers tell us why the committee set up to organize this summit have no single Edo based VIP, or industrialist or even entrepreneur in it? Not even the diaspora groups that should be part of this has representives in spite of their remittances to Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki is the founder of AFRINVEST and still owns majority shares there. It is a public issue so I am not sharing a privilege information. And under the governor, the company has been given huge businesses in the state in the last 5 years which I think is a matter bordering on conflict of interest. It is also a public information that Obaseki was the CEO of AFRINVEST before Comrade Oshiomhole made him the chairman of his economic team (Oshiomhole who Obaseki later betrayed) The same Oshiomhole gave him the opportunity to raise 25 billion from the capital market for capital projects in the state and Obaseki’s company, AFRINVEST, allegedly made about 950 million as percentage then. There is hardly any major transactions in Edo State now that either Greenfield,  AFRINVEST companies or Sterling Bank is not a major participant. One Mr. Chris Osarumwwense, a retired GM in NNPC is alleged to be the owner of GreenField Consult, and it is alleged or believed that Obaseki has substantial interest in the firm which has practically taken over recruitment, training, general services and consulting in Edo State in the last 16 months and these run into tens of billions of Naira. And civil servants have been rendered redundant because of this.
In all these, where do you think we should be pointing our fingers at? Now you know why Edo State for the past 5 years have not seen any meaningful infrastructural development.  This is why schools don’t have teachers, why hospitals don’t have doctors and roads are not being constructed. This is why all you hear are reforms and MOU while the state is being raped by the technocrat and his group. Next time you see a politician called technocrat, run fast.

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