SAME goes for the State Colleges of Technology, Agriculture, and Colleges of Education Ekiadolor, Igueben and Afuze. Interestingly, and to the shame of Ihimekpen and his Uromi godfather, students of higher institutions in the state have endorsed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for a second term given his numerous achievements across all sectors in the state.

The welfare of teachers in Edo State remains one of the best in the country because there are several states where the Teachers Salary Structure, TSS, even the new national minimum wage are yet to be implemented. Oshiomhole was the first to implement all of these given his rich background as a labour leader.

To prove Ihimekpen’s desperation to run down a performing governor, in all his previous articles, he had always demonized former Governor Lucky Igbinedion. He never said anything good about his government but surprisingly, in his haste to demonise Ochereome Nnanna, he now had a catalogue of achievements of the Lucky Igbinedion’s administration he had always derided on the pages of newspapers.

For instance, he says: “In the days of Igbinedion’s PDP years, Edo people knew what was being spent on every project …Nnanna should help Edo people ask his friend, Oshiomhole, why there is no accountability in his administration”. This is the kind of warped and uninformed commentary one keeps getting from Ihimekpen and his sponsors.

Let’s face it, the Adams Oshiomhole administration has, on an annual basis since assumption of office, been publishing an audited account of the state. The audited account for 2011 financial year was widely published two weeks ago and surprisingly, Ihimekpen pretends as if he did not see the document.

A responsible opposition would take a closer look at an audit report and make informed criticism if there is any. Instead, Ihimekpen chooses always to embark on very pedestrian and blind criticism, believing that some persons might mistake his white lies for truth some day. But such a day would never come as Edo people can never be fooled again by political shenanigans and loafers.

In the same vein, Charles Airhiavbere, the controversial PDP candidate for the July 14 re-election of Comrade Oshiomhole in an interview with VANGUARD Political Editor, Emmanuel Aziken, published on Thursday March 15, 2012 claims that Oshiomhole’s desperation has made him the topic.

If one may ask: Who knows Airhiavbere in Edo State? It is funny that a man who was never in business or known to win a lottery, who left Auchi Polytechnic  in 1980 and only  enlisted in the Nigerian Army where he served in the Finance and Supply Corps now musters so much money to contest gubernatorial election. Haba Ihimekpen? Where lie transparency and accountability?

The PDP primary that threw up Airhiavbere is alleged to be fraught with irregularities and fraud. Some aspirants accused their party leaders of “handing accreditation cards to delegates in their homes alongside the ‘jeun jeun’ from the “anointed” candidate.

They have all dismissed the primary as a complete fraud, most of whom now back Oshiomhole’s re-election bid. Now, if power is entrusted to a product of such an alleged fraudulent process, what will the masses experience? It would be another round of darkness, harrowing years of sorrow, pains, blood and tears  because the pocket of the greedy godfather is a bottomless pit. What with the fact that the godfather when in need of blood cannot be appeased with palm oil?

Airhiavbere’s claims of insecurity as a problem in Edo is an acknowledgement of lack of knowledge of the state he seeks to govern when he comes to another world (Aria Vbere). Insecurity is a problem in Nigeria, not Edo State. There is insecurity everywhere because the PDP Federal Government has failed in its responsibility to protect lives and property as enshrined in the nation’s Constitution.

The Nigeria Police is a federal organ, everyone knows that the Commissioners of Police in all the states take instructions from their Inspector General, even though the Constitution recognises the state governors as chief security officers.

Is it Oshiomhole that is responsible for the Boko Haram that is tearing the nation apart today? Or is Boko Haram not insecurity? The Briton and Italian kidnapped since last year and killed recently, was that in Edo? All these happen in PDP-led states and the Federal Government appears helpless.

The ever-occurring highway robberies in Okene -Abuja road and Lagos -Shagamu road, is that in Edo? Has anyone kidnapped Ihimekpen or his Uromi godfather or Airhiavbere or their relations for that matter for them to always talk about insecurity in Edo?

Mr.  DAN OWEGIE is the ACN Publicity Secretary in Edo State.