By CHARLES KUMOLU& GBENGA OKE
FOR Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, the just held Champion Newspapers’ Man of The Year Ceremony, would remain a milestone in his political career, given that his nearly four-year stewardship in Edo earned him the Newspaper’s Man of the Year award.

The event which took place at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers,  Lagos, last Tuesday was an occasion to celebrate Oshiomhole, who made a remarkable transition from labour leader to a politician.

Despite commencing two hours behind schedule, the forum attracted political heavyweights, former diplomats, industry captains, traditional rulers among others.

Amid musical interludes by an Edo cultural group, the ceremony commenced with an opening prayer at 7: am.

*Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Governor Adams Oshiomole, and Mr. Raji Fashola, Governor of Lagos State.

In his opening remarks, Anyoku, who chaired the event, expressed satisfaction on the manner of  leadership Oshiomhole is exhibiting in Edo, but regretted that such leadership is absent in most other areas of leadership in the country.

Anyoku said“I am delighted to be here for the eminently deserved award for Comrade Oshiomhole. I congratulate Champion Newspapers for the award on a deserving awardee. I first came in contact with him when we both served in committee for the bidding of UN seat for Nigeria.

“Oshiomhole has made himself a charismatic and celebrated union leader. He has made huge impact on the lives of Edo people. We are faced in this country with a situation that calls for leadership qualities which Adams represents and has shown.”

Fewer federating units

Linking the leadership failure  in the country with the system of government being practiced, he said Nigeria needs fewer federating units to function effectively.

“Nigeria can not function well under the existing 36 states . We need fewer federating units that have power for security, good education and infrastructural development. We can do well by reverting to six geo-political zones for good governance,” he suggested.

He also regretted the prevailing corruption, especially the revelations from the House of Representatives probe of the fuel subsidy regime.

Also reechoing Anyoku’s tone, the Guest Speaker, Esele, situated the leadership crisis in the country on the failure to learn from the mistakes that led to the 30-month Nigerian civil war.

Esele, whose speech was intermittently interrupted by applause from the audience, said, “Nigeria has a long history of bad leadership especially at the federal level since independence. No leader has emerged at the national level, who has become an epitome of all the overwhelming desires of all Nigerians, it is because no leader has been able to straddle all the interests and desires of the majority of the citizenry across the geographical divide that would enable such a leader stand as a symbol of the Nigerian state. What we have rather had are leaders at the regional levels, because they were able to grapple with the immediate interests of their societies.

There was a relationship between the society and the leaders, which built trust , confidence and sometimes reverence for the leadership allowing them latitude to function effectively.”

Despite these lamentations, the trade unionist expressed optimism that the nation, could still produce leaders, that would epitomise the overwhelming yearning of Nigerians.

An order to work more

Coming in the heels of Esele’s speech, was Oshiomhole’s citation and his acceptance remarks, which turned out to be the high point of the occasion.

The governor, who appreciated the honour given him, described  the award as a marching order to continue to apply the resources of Edo state to reflect on the living conditions of Edo people.

“when people start to appreciate your good work, it is an invitation to do more. I would not have been able to achieve moderate progress in the infrastructural renewal in the state if not that the leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria gave me a free hand to work. They accommodated a level of rascality from me and I believe that we need a level of rascality to make dramatic change in the country,” he stated

Acknowledging Anyaoku for chairing the event, he commended the elder-statesman for staying away from politics and showing  that it is possible for an elder  to be a role model, rather not competing for a small Akara, (Beans Cake).

“Many people who read my comments on Edo State or who read about our state from time to time wondered why I am fighting the Godfathers. To start with, I think to even use the word God is even wrong, the actual word should be the devil father because there is nothing godly in their acts.

“Some felt I am insulting elders, but I have no difficulty respecting elders, where I have difficulty is that whereas I respect the age of these people that are holding our dear state down but I have no respect for the age of their ideas.

It is the same thing that explains the paradox of a rich country whose people are being pauperised and it the same thing that explains why fewer people are buying jets and more people are getting poorer. Unless we reverse it, there are no miracles.

If we are to have a sustainable development, the starting point is to get rid of those forces that have held the country down and opposed its progress,”he maintained.

Elaborating further, Oshiomhole said, “my fight against the godfather started from his decision to veto what an elected governor had promised to the people of the state.

“As governor, I was compelled to go to Abuja and invited to a private living room of a man whose name has never appeared in the ballot paper and he had to interrogate me on why I wanted to build more schools, he was not convinced and he deleted the vote for mass transit, for education and other capital projects including security votes, with people like that in the corridors of power, there is no way this country can move forward.

“So I made up my mind that we will not only fight the godfather but we will defeat him in the interest of the people of Edo state. I believe 95 % of Edo people are appreciative of what we are doing because they have been denied these developments over the years. While we are busy mobilizing the people of Edo state, they are busy holding meetings with INEC officials, doing secret negotiations.”

In addition, he said, “My last message is to Abuja. I believe President Goodluck Jonathan has committed himself to one man one vote and I will like to encourage him to know that the business is not over, some of the old men around him do not believe in the slogan, while they are preaching one man one vote, the godfather in Edo is talking of the presidency’s support, that they will re-capture, not win.

“How will the presidency help them to re-capture? Are they coming to vote in Edo state? I know this president will not allow anybody to behave as if Edo state is a retirement benefit on account of his services to his party.

“To do that is to make a great mistake but in any event, our people are absolutely ready. I expect Abuja to publicly deny that Abuja is not going to support anybody contrary to the claim of the godfather,” he said.