BY  SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—FORMER Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), has said that he was not surprised by the rapid transformation in Edo State under Governor Adams Oshiomhole, adding that it was consistent with the governor’s antecedents.

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Also, former governor of Lagos State, and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said that the Edo State governor had impacted positively on the development of the state beyond empty rhetorics.

Speaking at Igueben, weekend, where he was Chairman of a ceremony to mark the 70th birthday of Chief Tom Ikimi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Babangida, said; “I want to pay special homage to my governor, Oshiomhole, who has been doing so much to transform Edo State.

“As a regular visitor to Edo State, I could feel and inhale the impact of good governance not only on the faces of the people, but also on infrastructure. I saw several red roofed schools on my way here. I saw well cultivated lawns, walk-ways and beautiful road networks. I saw expansions on roads that were hitherto narrow. In fact, the feeling of a transformed Edo State is palpable.

“I am not surprised that all these are happening in Edo State given the antecedents of Oshiomhole. With courage and strong political will, coupled with the support of political leaders like Ikimi, it is understandable why the infrastructural architecture of Edo State has assumed this enviable height.”

Asiwaju Tinubu also praised Oshiomhole for concentrating on development rather than dancing Azonto in the face of developmental challenges.

On Chief Tom Ikimi, Babangida said: “Celebrating Tom, to me, is a celebration of a man of humble beginning and of many parts, each part assuming a whole subject matter with anecdotes that explain his rich experience in politics, governance and foreign policy. His love for Nigeria, his country, is not in doubt. His commitment to national unity more often defines the rationale for his undertaking rather than any selfish consideration. He carries with him a style that distinctively distinguished him as a man of class.”