EDO… HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION
By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—BEFORE now in Edo state, the administration of local government councils in the state was like compensation for political loyalists and those who bear the brunt are the people at the grassroots.
Chairmen only paid salaries at the end of the month and shared whatever was left of the allocation with party leaders. Apart from few councils then, which were able to build one or two roads, amenities at the third-tier level were zero.
However, since Governor Adams Oshiomhole came into office in 2008 with his revolutionary zeal, changing the education landscape of the state with modern facilities and what is today popularly referred to as the “red roof philosophy,” he has given the chairmen marching orders to key into the agenda and reside in their local government areas.
His reason was that it will enable the chairmen understand the problems of their people better and in the event that they failed to perform, the people would have opportunity to vent their anger face-to-face.
Turning point
The governor’s directive changed the running of councils in the state. The fact is that unlike before when most of the council chairmen reside in Benin City, visits the council only when allocations come, the game has changed.
Governor Oshiomhole has so sensitised the people on the need to demand for good governance from their leaders that you see people boldly protesting and complaining about any leader they feel has not delivered.
Kudos for Ovia South-West boss
At Ovia South West Local Government Council, last Wednesday, motorcycle riders and farmers commended the chairman, Mr. Morrison Ogunrobo-Ovia, for putting in place projects that affected their lives positively.
The Iyase of Udo, His Royal Highness, Patrick Ekhoeutomwen Igbinidu, also applauded the chairman, saying, “I told him to renovate our dilapidated maternity, he has done that.
“I told him to help me build Udo market, he promised to do that and other promises he made and I believe he will fulfill them.
“All we are praying is for the Federal allocation to be steady so that we will experience accelerated development.”
The chairman, Mr. Ogunrobo-Ovia, who is also the public relations officer of the Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria, ALGON, in the state, expressed appreciation to Governor Adams Oshiomhole for giving younger people the opportunity to serve their people at the grassroots level.
Our challenges—Ogunrobo-Ovia
Asked if he resides in Benin City or Iguobazuwa, the council boss replied: “I stay in my domain. We try our best to stay as much as we can, even though there are challenges and pressures.
“The distance between Iguobazuwa and Benin is not much. I am from Iguobazuwa town. The challenges basically are that once you are at home, the whole place is flooded with people and they bring personal challenges to you.
“It is not everybody you can satisfy their demands. But in a rural community, once they come to ask for favour and you are unable to give them, it spoils every other thing.
“They will want to castigate you, they are not even interested in infrastructural development, and they are more concerned in stomach infrastructure.
”But we prefer to build projects that will satisfy the larger majority and not few people. So it is quite a very tasking job that is cash intensive.”
Sometimes, we dodge
He asserted, “Some of them will even turn your house to where they eat morning, afternoon and night food. After all, for them, you are the chairman of the local government.
“Honestly, sometimes you have to dodge when the pressures are much. Apart from that, you feel secured because you are in your community.
“The air you breathe is not polluted and of course, if there is electricity, the current is full in the village.
“You eat fresh food and hang out with your people. It’s fun if not for the problems associated with it.”
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