By AIYEVBEKPEN OSAKUE 

The ancient Benin Kingdom had far-flung and well-manned security posts created for the defense of the kingdom in all cardinal directions. The Kingdom could access other communities, territories and kingdoms for peaceful trade transactions and for military expeditions. The nature of these ancient roads connecting different territories could only be better imagined but they have overtime been transformed into modern highways.

These roads with fascinating historical backgrounds constitute the main arterial links into the capital city and has continued to serve the purpose of facilitating movement from place to place. It is an inherent part of the legacy of the political sophistication and economic dominance of ancient Benin Empire handed down from our forebears to serve as guiding light to generations of successors. The present generation of leaders are expected to have internalised a culture of infrastructure building and even more so, within the ambit of modern government. But the immediate past experience was uncannily uncharacteristic, weird and idiosyncratic in many critical respects. 

Education of any sort enhance thinking and skills development. But the education that produces learned monsters and skilled Psychopaths is worse than the nescience of the primitive man!

With infinite capacity for artifice,  illusions and subterfuge, the immediate past Governor unabashedly planted crying banners and billboards bearing: ‘This is Federal Government Road, please bear with us’ everywhere federal roads in Edo State had broken down and become practically impassable. But governance is a sacred responsibility that ought to bring out the greatest good in political office holders. When billboards replace sound logic and pragmatic action, acute character deficiency and disconnection from the people are most often responsible.

That brings to mind, the fact that successful leadership is not about toughness or cold hearted insensitivity. It is about good character. A well formed character is the firm foundation stone upon which compassionate leadership emanate and a poorly formed character will produce leadership that is self-conflicted, toxic, wicked and constantly embattled. Toxic leadership sits with vengeful magisterial authority looking for where to exert powers rather than where to productively provide solutions to societal challenges. The foregoing explains the politics of billboards planting which was essentially propelled by the desire to extenuate guilt on the part of the state government and to portray the federal authorities as irresponsible. Bad character produces hubristic vulgarity and bouts of power trip which solves nothing but ends up compounding an already bad situation for citizens. 

The current government in Edo State headed by Senator Monday Okpebholo has substantially lived up to his pre-election campaign hype which projected him as ‘a man of few words but deep and strategic’. Some others saw him differently, dismissing all the attributions. Six months into his first tenure, he has taken significant decisions that sent shockwaves through the polity. Okpebholo has promptly thawed the unwarranted cold war that had frozen intergovernmental relationship between Edo and the Federal Government by booting out the toxic politics of billboards planting on broken federal roads.

He immediately recognised the entire episode for what it is; an intergovernmental fiasco that should be addressed. He therefore, vigorously engaged the federal authorities with a couple well articulated options and successfully struck a deal that may henceforth be structured into a workable model for the country. Upon assumption of office, he immediately embarked on massive repairs and reconstruction of Benin-Auchi Road which degenerated and became a nightmare to commuters, thus eliminating the frustration and pain of travelling through that axis.

Within the same period, he facilitated the Presidential flag-off of Benin – Asaba Road and more recently, the Edo State Executive Council, EXCO, approved the reconstruction of about 23 kilometres stretch on the Benin – Warri Road. He has since commenced rehabilitation work on the road. Okpebholo has demonstrated that deft political and diplomatic moves motivated by compassion are immensely superior to grandstanding and self conceited battles of the immediate past. Edo citizens and other commuters can now reasonably hope for stress-free commuting on Edo State part of the Benin – Warri Road in the near future.

Let’s be blunt: if it was rational, logical and consistent with the principal purpose of government, which is, to promote public good, for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s administration to commit humongous state resources to fixing federal roads back then and then trigger the process of reimbursement from federal authorities, the precedent or model should have been routinised for the same people-centred reasons. The refund of a whopping sum of N16 billion expended on federal roads by Comrade Oshiomhole’s government to his successor was more than adequate incentive for the recipient government to reinvest the proceeds for the same purpose in the overall interest of the people.

But the then governor chose to do otherwise. Make no mistake about it, the party in government at the centre at anytime is immaterial to good governance initiatives. This was purely a case of poor judgement.  As always, the common man is the victim of relentless bamboozling. He bears the brunt with unrewarded resilience but sadly, he celebrates the same savage oppressors. The immediate past was governed without inner light, without clarity of vision and without emotional intelligence to brave the odds as duty calls, locally and nationally. 

Governors are elected to take decisions for the betterment of the society. The quality of decisions are determined by character, knowledge and exposure. Governor Okpebholo’s decision to initiate discussions with the federal authorities and the ability to negotiate a deal so quickly puts him on the high pedestal of a potential great achiever. 

He eminently deserves a measure of panegyrics and commendation from all quarters to nudge him on. The new administration has all the trappings of a new phase marked by people centered governance philosophy. Edo people have delightfully put behind them the narcissistic melodrama and hysteria that succinctly define the last administration. It was an era that someone with acute character flaws and a pure outsider was gifted with gubernatorial power and he had no qualms weaponizing every once of power at his disposal against the people with unprecedented fury and impunity.

But the practical governance style of Senator Okpebholo, which prioritises consultations and dialogue, has not only restored calm and tranquility but has renewed the hope and confidence of the people. There is a breath of fresh air in the state! Admittedly, some government observers prefer to suspend judgement for the time being on the ground that it is premature. While conceding that the signs are positive, they believe that good governance race was a long distant one. In Okpebholo, Edo State seems to have found a reliable and energetic bridge builder, a leader who invest in peace and stability,  not one that terrorizes the people with unending battles against perceived enemies! 

It is delightful to note that Governor Okpebholo’s conversation with the Federal Government on road maintenance and reconstruction has reinforced the need to establish an unambiguous intergovernmental relations policy and adoption of a model of partnership that works. A good partnership model will exert significant influence on road maintenance across the country. Governments at different levels have a common mandate, which is, to improve the quality of life of citizens. There is no doubt whatsoever, that dialogue and cooperation will deliver greater outcomes than hubristic grandstanding and undue sense of competition.

Therefore, state governors should step up and vigorously seek partnership with the federal authorities on how best to intervene on federal roads in a state of disrepair within their jurisdiction as this would project cooperation in the best interest of Nigerians. After all, road infrastructure is fundamental to socio-economic development and social vibrancy in the state. Federal roads boost business, commerce and social life in the states and cannot be allowed to broke down to the level crippling social and economic activities. With missionary zeal, Okpebholo has demonstrated that he is well motivated to provide pragmatic solutions to local and national challenges and thereby build a climate of mutual trust and cooperation. It is a viable template built on the unfailing raft of humanity and purpose that sub-national players of all hue should latch on as panacea to intergovernmental challenges. 

* Osakue, a political commentator,  wrote from Benin City, Edo State.