By John Mayaki
For eight good years, former Governor Godwin Obaseki fought everything and everyone, earning the dubious distinction of presiding over an isolated Edo State where nothing worked. There was no investment, no peace. The government and its officials had a singular focus: massaging the ego of the self-absorbed Obaseki. He sat on a throne in a crumbling building and demanded that its loud creaks be drowned out by empty praises.
Edo people had enough. They sent him into oblivion by rejecting his protégé and associate Asue Ighodalo at the polls in the last election. They voted to put tractors on farms, not bulldozers on the streets, tearing down homes and businesses for criticizing the governor.
They voted for a security apparatus that protects lives and property, not one that serves as an instrument of bullying and oppression. They chose a leader with the character, humility, and temperament to build beneficial relationships with critical external stakeholders, not a sulking man-child whose ego-driven conflicts left Edo in a state of abandonment.
More than 100 days later, the decision is yielding dividends. Edo is now back in the spotlight, standing toe-to-toe with high-flying states in the country, with strong connections to the center. Governor Monday Okpebholo confirmed as much in his recent interview, where he eloquently described his cordial relationship with the President and, by extension, the Federal Government.
This is crucial because development is a collaborative effort, and our system of government places the federal administration at the center of major infrastructure and economic initiatives. No state, no matter how independently ambitious, can afford to exist in isolation.
The federal government controls vast resources, oversees critical national projects, and sets the broader economic and policy direction. Smart governors understand this and leverage it to attract development to their states. Those who choose pointless fights over strategic alliances do so at the expense of their people.
Governor Okpebholo has wasted no time in ensuring that Edo reaps the benefits of a strong federal connection. Unlike his predecessor, whose belligerence kept the state on the fringes of national development, Okpebholo has embraced partnership and diplomacy. The results are already showing.
Just weeks into his administration, the federal government prioritized Edo in its nationwide infrastructure drive. The Federal Executive Council recently approved N4.2 trillion for major road infrastructure projects, and Edo is set to benefit significantly. Key federal roads that had been abandoned during the previous administration are now receiving attention, opening up the state for commerce and investment.
Where Obaseki spent years complaining and passing the buck, Okpebholo is delivering results. This is the difference between leadership that works and leadership that postures.
Development is not a solo act; it requires collaboration, negotiation, and a willingness to put the people’s interests above personal ego. Obaseki preferred meaningless conflicts that led nowhere. Okpebholo, on the other hand, is choosing the practical path, forging relationships that will bring lasting benefits to Edo State.
Edo is finally back in the room where decisions are made. Roads are being fixed, investments are flowing in, and the era of self-inflicted isolation is over. Edo, like Nigeria, is now open for business. The state has turned the corner from a navel-gazing tyrant to a mature leader driven by public interest.