Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly disown statements credited to a national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, that the outcome of the July 14, 2012 gubernatorial election in Edo State would be determined by Abuja, saying this would negate the President’s commitment to the principle of One man, one vote.
Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday night after being conferred with the 2011 Man of the Year Award of the Champion newspaper, Oshiomhole said Jonathan has an opportunity either to align with the masses or with a few who loiter around the corridors of power.
According to him: “Every leader must decide who he chooses to serve. Happily, President Goodluck Jonathan has committed himself to one man, one vote, but some old men around him do not believe in it. When the President is talking about one man, one vote in Calabar, the godfather is talking of capturing Edo State in Bayelsa.
“I’ll like to appeal to the President to publicly deny that Abuja, contrary to the expectation of the godfather, will not thwart the will of the masses in Edo State; and that Abuja will support that One Man, One Vote prevails, contrary to the words of the godfather.”
The governor said Nigerians must decide to move the nation forward.
He said “it can’t be business as usual, we can’t continue to do things as before. We don’t have another country.”
He said his battle against godfathers and godfatherism started when a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, whom he respects because of his old age, but whose age of ideas he detests, decided to veto his first budget as elected governor of the state, even when the PDP leader has never contested an election in his life.
“A godfather that deletes votes for mass transit buses, roads, schools, capital projects and puts them in recurrent does not mean well for the future of our state because he has no part in the future on account of his age. With that kind of man in the corridors of power, the nation cannot move forward,” he said.
Oshiomhole, who was elated on the Man of the Year Award, said he has not visited any newspaper house as governor and was pleasantly surprised when he got a letter on the award.
He dedicated the award to his slain Principal Private Secretary, Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, saying: “They killed my brother and comrade, but they cannot kill my fighting spirit.”
Chairman of the occasion and former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said what the nation needs is a true federation with fewer federating units where the 36 states will collapse into a few units.
Anyaoku likened Oshiomhole to a former Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Bob Hawke, saying: “Governor Adams Oshiomhole reminds me of a good friend of mine, Bob Hawke, who was President of the Australian Trade Union Congress for 10 years and later became Prime Minister of Australia. Both of them have the same style of speaking, relating with the people and commitment to their nations.
“There is a saying in my place that you hold on to what you have, and I’ll say to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, please continue with what you are doing.”
On his part, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State while noting the tremendous development taking place in Edo State, recalled that he lived for five years in Benin City and that the state capital has never had it this good.
While listing some of the projects, which have been executed in the state capital, including the six-lane Airport Road, six-lane Sapele Road, six-lane Akpakpava Road, 8-lane Ugbowo Road and others all with street lights, Fashola said: “All those things, which were impossible when the other flag was flying, are now possible now that the ACN flag is flying. I will close by saying the people of Edo should keep the flag flying.”
Guest speaker and President of the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Peter Esele, lamented the dearth of ideas by Nigerian leaders, saying they don’t dream because they don’t sleep.
Esele said President Goodluck Jonathan has an opportunity to reconnect with the people by prosecuting all those indicted in the ongoing fuel subsidy probe.
He noted that many people seek power without knowing what to do with it when they eventually get the power.
He said the labour movement is proud of the achievements of Oshiomhole.