By CEPHAS OZIOTU

As a reader of Nigerian dailies, I came across the name,Sufuyan Ojeifo, though I fell in love with him, because of  his critical views on national issues and societal ills. Also, one Chief Dan Orbih’s voice has been against his state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

These two Nigerians recently called for the withdrawal of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s national award of Commander of the Order of Niger (CON), and have petitioned the Inspector General of Police alleging a case of forgery or perjury.

As a Nigerian, I felt so concerned that with all the  ills, corruption and threats of war… which calls for a collective effort to stemming these tides, these two persons have concentrated their attacks on the Edo State governor.It was in August last year—2012, when Vice President Alhaji Mohammed Namadi Sambo celebrated 58th and or 60th birth day.

Two dates that belly-ached me about this fine Architect’s date of birth. That very day, two versions of advertorials were published. One bore two years above the other and the latter, two years less.

As a non conformist and anti-establishment, it was William Shakespeare’s titled that ran through my mind, “Much Ado About Nothing; a comedy about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero. One engaged in a very “merry war”; showing their disdain of love, like the one exhibited by Dan Orbih’s PDP against Oshiomhole.

Still on the Shakespearian contrast, Claudio and Hero were sweet young people who are rendered practically speechless by their love for one another as in the one that now exists between Oshiomhole and Edo people. But an attempt is made by means of “nothing”… gossip and rumour,  through the instrumentality of a Constable in Abuja, who is a master of malapropisms, and an engineer of evil trickery and treachery.Though, I am jobless,  why should I preoccupy myself with vain things and inanities?

I rather than ask for the resignation of the Vice President who incidentally is not the root cause of my present predicament but who coincidentally registered with the party that is undeniably our present albatross.

But some, like Orbih, Ojeifo and Urhogide will smart for it since Oshiomhole created a big hole in their pocket, rendered them jobless and caused them political pains. For there was never yet any among their ilk that could endure the tooth ache patiently—a party that hath had losers who are won’t to commit flat burglary, as ever was committed.

The Vice President has every reason to be one of the happiest man on earth every 2nd of August. It’s the birthday of the Nigerian number two man, and one of such days was Wednesday,August 2, 2012. So is Adams Oshiomhole on every  April 4. He was born in 1952.I had also say Hurray! to our dear Vice President however, I am truly confused about this Alhaji’s exact age but I won’t make a mountain of it.

Neither is resignation the solution to this conflicting dates of birth nor did affidavit surfaced to clear my doubts.It is the only document that can rubbish the claim in wikipedia, newspapers, birthday cakes, invitation cards and program of event.

So reading through some of our leading national dailies on the Vice President’s birthday got me puzzled about his true age.

Some messages stated that he is celebrating his 60th while others claimed the message of 58th birthday. I agree, totally that some information about our leaders need to be accurately documented for records and posterity sake but does not determine the eligibility for a public office if a case of forgery or perjury has not been established as in Oshiomhole’s and Sambo’s.

On the popular online resource site, Wikipedia, the Vice President age is confirmed to be 58 last year August. The questions of the day were: where did some of the sponsors of these messages sourced their information from? and which is the genuine age? And like one wise sponsor did; merely sent his wishes without the mention of the  age of Vice President Alhaji Namadi Sambo.

Only he, can say, when his mother gave birth to him. The issue is as trivial as those of the village market square.The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, GCON penned a beautiful advert to celebrate the Vice President at 60. Arc.

Mike Oziegbe Onolomemen, Minister of Works and Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, Minister of State for Works contradicted that of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. They both signed 58 for the Vice President. But, tactically, and capable of falling into the controversial age brouhaha, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representative refused to join the fray. He merely expressed his heartfelt without stating the age or the date of birth.

And life went on….even in the midst of my unemployment that the PDP led Federal Government inflicted on me.

When you juxtapose the date of birth controversies surrounding these two public officers, you would agree with me that the onus lies on the man at the centre of it, to correct history for  records purposes.

He had deposed to an affidavit that he was born April 4th, 1952 and equally, immediately corrected it, during the symposium organized for him by a committee of friends, as if he was reading the minds of those lurking behind to undo him.

The good people of Edo State must watch carefully, to ensuring that government is not derailed.

And that, a clear headed progressive takes the baton of state craft over from Oshiomhole because, this recent call of resignation and withdrawal of national award by the PDP raises a lot of concern. For it so falls out that what we have in Oshiomhole’s government we prize not to the worth, whiles we enjoy it, but being lack’d and lost, why then we rack the value; then we find the virtue, that possession would not show us whiles it was ours.

I am drawn into writing about Oshiomhole today in the hope that Edo people have learnt one or two things  about the mystique of political leadership and true relevance from the PDP days and to Oshiomhole’s present: two attributes so inimitably and so daringly.