Reverend William Anderson Scott, in his book Daniel- a Model for Young Men published in 1854, rebirthed a popular Greek phrase, “Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad”. In Latin, this phrase is presented as Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat; which means, “Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of reason”.
Out-going Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, represents the above proverbial phrase. His tumultuous eight years sojourn as the Governor of Edo State will undoubtedly be remembered by his few friends and his many foes. His lack of tact in handling the complexities of governance will reverberate for many years to come.
Obaseki’s ascension in November, 2016, started on a right footing. Touted as a technocrat and a cerebral boardroom guru, he came into the office with high hopes. He enumerated in clear terms how he would transform Edo, build bridges, create jobs, and engage the people positively. Eight years after, Obaseki’s lofty MoUs are gathering dust somewhere in Benin, Edo State.
Besides inflicting pains on his delusional enemies, waging unnecessary covert war on the Benin Palace, destroying tertiary institutions in the State, signing hundreds of non-implementable MoUs, and fleecing Edo State of its scarce resources, Obaseki has nothing tangible affixed to his name in eight years.
His inglorious years of locusts and cankerworms will need serious hard work to undo by the incoming administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo. Obaseki’s deliberate landmines and traps, set to undermine Senator Okpebholo’s administration expected to kick off on the 12th of November, will shock Edo folks when they are unearthed.
Obaseki’s Sins
Obaseki bypassed civil servants in Edo State for eight years, while he concessioned key projects to companies belonging to his friends and cronies. Unfortunately, the companies failed to deliver at the end of the day, despite the deceptive praises showered on them by the unpopular outgoing governor. The civil servants waited for the election to take a pound of flesh on Obaseki. He got his fingers burnt by opening up too many unnecessary war fronts, including the covert war he waged on the respected Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.
Besides disregarding the traditional institution in the State, represented by the Oba of Benin, the Governor was unruly, considering the manner he handled the judiciary, particularly the judges whose government treated like scrap metals.
The Governor’s delay in swearing in eight state High Court judges after they were cleared by the highest judicial body in the country for judges, the National Judicial Council, Obaseki violated his oath of office as the State Thief, sorry, Chief Executive.
The judges affected were Justices Ovenseri Otamere, Obayuwana Osarenren Mathias, Edoghogho Eboigbe, Ojo Maureen Osa, Bright Eraze Oniha, Ehinon Anthony Okoh, Godwin Jeff Okundamiya and Osayande Ikwuemosi Awawu. The Governor only swore in five of the eight judges, 11 months after they had been cleared by the NJC.
According to Umagbae N’Edo, “Edo State, the current host of the Benin Nation, is in a condition of decrepitude owing to the dictatorial tendencies, incompetence and unprovoked atrocities precipitated by Governor Godwin Obaseki which is at variance with the dictates of good governance.
“The current Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who happens to be a son of the Benin Nation and who ought to be a blessing, has become a burden, if not a curse to his own people. It will interest you to know that Godwin Obaseki has taken Edo from a state of developmental stability and growth to one of retrogression, bitterness, and general maladministration. He has been at war with himself and all others; turning governance on its head. Governance and power which ought to be tools societal cohesion and integration, cultural elevation, and the upliftment of the people, have been excessively deployed by the Edo State governor as a divisive weapon of acrimony, lawlessness and flagrant abuse of the rule of law and separation of powers.”
Below is the litany of sins, deliberately committed by Obaseki.
Non-inauguration of 14 members-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly.
Sponsored protests against the nomination of prominent Edo Sons for high office. Ex-Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Pius Odubu; Chief Victor Ekhator; and Hon. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN) are some of the mentioned people who lost public appointments after Obaseki allegedly sponsored protests against them.
Abandonment/destruction of critical State infrastructure. Benin Storm Water Project; Ekehuan Road (a road that connects Local Government Areas); Specialist Hospital (an age-long facility demolished to make way for a privately-owned EMOWAA museum); Edo State Library (demolished for a privately-owned shopping mall); vandalisation of House of Assembly Complex (so as to prevent the inauguration of the excluded 14 members-elect); costly but failed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) and Feasibility Studies for: Gelegele Seaport, Auchi Airport, Benin Industrial Park etc; closure of the renowned Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), etc.
Assassination attempts. Prior to the Edo State governorship election of 2020, Governor Obaseki allegedly overlooked the detonation of improvised explosive devices at the residence of two APC chieftains, the state secretary, Mr. Lawrence Okah and a former Edo State Attorney-General, Henry Idahagbon. There was also the sponsored attack on Senator Matthew Urhoghide at the Benin Airport in 2018 and the use of “dangerous weapons” by the Edo State Security Network and the Public Works Volunteers that intentionally murdered Inspector Akor Onu in July of 2024.
Attempted balkanisation of the Great Benin Kingdom. The most heinous of Governor Obaseki’s crimes was his sustained fight and acrimony against the revered institution of the Benin Monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II and the entire Benin Traditional Council (BTC).
Demolition of property at Oke-Oroma Community despite restraining Court Order. Governor Obaseki, “in the guise of repossessing lands that belong to the State Government for the construction of a new town, ordered a comprehensive demolition of hundreds of houses worth billions of naira belonging to ordinary Edo people at a time that they were passing through various forms of hardship, despite a court order against the forceful take-over of ancestral land. Likewise, Obaseki ordered the demolition of Comrade Tony Kabaka’s hotel in 2020, despite a pending suit at the Edo State High Court.
Official land grabbing by the Edo State Government. To ease the forceful grabbing of the vast forest reserve estates of Edo for single crop plantation owners, Governor Obaseki reversed the decision taken by the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in 2015 that revoked 13, 750 hectares of the high biodiversity concentrated lowland of the Okomu and the Owan Forest Reserve of the state, and handed same over to the local communities (Edo State of Nigeria Gazette No. 16 of 2015, Volume 1, Page 48 to 51).”
Malicious revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy issued in respect of the farmland acquired by the late Captain Hosa West Okunbor. Dr. Odubu, Chief Oseni Elamah, House of Representatives’ Majority Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu are some of the members of the opposition Obaseki allegedly selectively revoked their lands.
Refusal to reconstruct or rebuild burnt markets. The burnt Oba Market and Osa Market (Ekiosa) have been abandoned for years now.
Hoarding and diversion of palliatives. From COVID-19 up to #EndBadGovernance, Obaseki’s Government supervised the hoarding, rebranding, diversion, and reselling of palliatives given to Edo State by the Federal Government.
Gross misappropriations. The annual summit called “Alaghodaro” (which means moving forward in Benin Language) remains an unfulfilled mirage.
Indeed, Obaseki’s regime offended the gods, the people, both the living and the dead, and it will take deliberate moves to remedy his years of locusts and cankerworms.
Fred Itua is an Abuja-based journalist, a rights activist, and hails from Iruekpen, Edo State.