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  • On Osagie’s hypocritical outburst

    On Osagie’s hypocritical outburst

    I did not have the chance to immediately read one Crusoe Osagie‘s attempt to spin entirely my piece on the shameless politics in Edo State where I had chided Obaseki for taking the posture of a godfather, one he had earlier rebuffed in 2020. The depressingly dull article with the title ‘Shameless journalism helps oppressors vanquish the oppressed’ was brought to my notice by a colleague who had read it on an online medium.

    My initial thoughts on reading the piece was to ignore Osagie who as an S A On Media Projects was merely doing his attack dog role for which he gets paid for monthly, besides I was busy with my last series which was on the recent scarcity of the Naira and wouldn’t have dignified Osagie with an immediate response.

    My reasons however for replying are two bit: First, Osagiie accuses me of writing the article without premise! How one can sit comfortably and scribble such when there is mounting evidence to the contrary baffles me but I understand ! Osagie has to earn his salary.

    Osagie states that journalists like me are the problem and I ask how? Is it because I brought to fore the dictatorial antics of the King Obaseki, particularly against the ambition of his deputy and his one time ‘Man Friday’, Philip Shaibu?

    Crusoe attempts to pass Emperor Obaseki as a democrat by referring to situations where Obaseki pays lip service to Shaibu’s right and freedom to pursue his ambition amuses me, it’s either he is a barefaced liar or naive as to the nature of politics and its art! One politician once described it as knowing how to change between ‘was’ and ‘is ‘in a moment.

    What other premise is the hapless Crusoe gunning for? Recently, the same deputy governor had told the world that his office had not received any allocation in the last six months, is Crusoe who is pretentiously passionate about the fourth estate playing their roles as watchdogs of the society oblivious to such a fact? Crusoe accused me of cooking up a rift between Shaibu and Emperor Obaseki his principal maybe this non allocation is a sign of a healthy romance between the duo. Matter of fact, the attack dog in Crusoe will have us believe that the non allocation is one way in which Emperor Obaseki showers his love on Shaibu and is pleased with him!

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    Here’s even the more bizarre, recently the Edo State House of Assembly passed the state’s 2024 budget, the house, typical of a number of state house of assemblies all over the country acts as a rubber stamp to Emperor Obaseki’s whims and caprice allocated the paltry sum of N345 million to Shaibu as against the N1.5billion allocated to the office in the 2023 budget. Compare this with the N19 billion allocated to the Office of the State Governor, N8bn to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government and N 968m to the Office of the Head of Service. In other words the office of the deputy governor has been reduced to a level that even the head of service now receives much more allocation than it, laughable! The likes of Crusoe may still attempt a  silly response as to the real reason why the office of the deputy governor is being starved of funds! However the Speaker, Rt Hon Blessing Agbebaku has already beaten him to the tape of such escapism by suggesting that the slash was due to the ambition of Shaibu to be governor as he wouldn’t have much then to do, now this reminds me of how a former First Lady, Turai Yar Adua had adviced the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce his role as number two man to reading newspapers in his office. Let me ask what was the budgetary allocation to Shaibu In 2020, while he was running alongside Obaseki for a second term? Was it the paltry amount at present? What is different now?

    Crusoe likewise accuses me of drawing a false equivalence between the rift between Obaseki and Shaibu and the one between Wike and Fubara in Rivers State, how? I am wondering where I did so or it seems Crusoe also has comprehension challenges which then should see me sympathize with his principal and the people of Edo. I will advice him to read that article again, or suggest that it be translated into Bini language to aid his comprehension.

    Who is behind the pulled down billboards built by Shaibu? Who has even directed civil servants posted to Shaibu’s office to report to some other official for clearance even after the deputy governor has given a directive? Haba? How then can this be a weak script to procure public sympathy for Shaibu as stated by Crusoe?

    Crusoe then does the laughable, he posits with hilarious arrogance that if there is any aggressor it is Shaibu! Whether this is veiled mockery or not only Crusoe knows but it is akin to that Esan proverb which says “That which we have not eaten, may it not be found in our mouth. “

    Lastly on the advice that i should spare my ink for the truly downtrodden, one can see Crusoe bare his hypocrisy in its thorough nakedness. For while he wants me to wash my hands off the maltreatment meted out to Shaibu he goes miles on the same route  to exonerate his principal who is the oppressor here, what then could be more shameless I ask?

  • Obaseki is not playing politics of accommodation, says Osagie

    Samson Osagie is the former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State. In this interview, he speaks on the often denied problem between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, TONY AKOWE reports.

    Could you shed light on the crisis between the National Chairman of the APC and his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki?

    For me, I think there is a general misconception and misunderstanding of the crisis bedeviling the Edo APC. It is far from being a crisis between the governor and the National chairman of the APC, Comrade Oshiomhole. Rather it is a crisis emanating from the conduct of the governor towards party members and party leaders. It is between the party leaders and the governor. Those mentioning Oshiomhole are only trying to use the man’s name to seek relevance. And indeed the administration’s pursuit of some of the policies that are considered to be inimical to some of the sectors in the state. For example in the agricultural sector and the educational sector and I will explain. Now here is a governor who became a governor on the platform of a political party, upon becoming governor he shut his door against party leaders and began to describe the party leaders as greedy party people whose only occupation is to make money from government. He is giving a toga on his own party members, giving the impression that the party members in APC are never do well and people who don’t mean well for the state. And whereas these are the same people who provided the platform for him to become governor. When he started these whole thing people thought that with time he could get to terms with realities to understand that you cannot deride a platform that brought you to power. However, in the course of doing this he has been able to buy the conscience of a few party officials who out of fear of what to eat are falling for his antics. But unfortunately it is not many people that will accept it across the three senatorial districts of the state. Party leaders in the state are quite disappointed in the way and manner the governor has carried on by demonizing the party and deriding party members and party leaders. So it is not a crisis between the national chairman and the governor. Rather even the National chairman of the party has even become his victim because he has further accused him of being responsible for the crisis through the state issued by the governor’s media Adviser. He is blaming everybody for the crisis except himself whereas he is actually the cause of the crisis. Even the National chairman that would have been able to step in he seems to be a man that will not take advise from anybody. He has an all knowing attitude, as if he is an omnipotent person, he knows everything more than any other person.

    But, the governor claimed some of the leaders are at war with him because he refused to share the state resources to them?

    That is hypocrisy at its best, he has been a hypocrite. Some of us have asked him to publish the names of the leaders who asked him for money. In any case, to demonstrate his hypocrisy, has he not been calling meetings in the last two months since this crisis started, where he shares N50,000 each to people. No body has asked him to share money that is another blackmail that cannot be sustainable. There are persons who are with him today that are speaking for him because he is bringing out the money, so if sharing money is the problem why is he not able to buy everybody with money despite the fact that money is flowing all over Edo state today due to his second term ambition. Some of us are genuinely concerned about his attitude towards the party and that it will affect the chances of the party. In any case some of the projects he is doing which makes people feel he is working they are not sustainable. Some of roads he embarked upon when he came they are already giving way due to the poor quality of job. Ask any person in Edo state today, he or she will tell you that the only projects still visible are those executed by Oshiomhole. So he is just being economical with the truth and just resorting to blackmail against the very constructive criticisms and genuine grievances of APC members. Nobody has asked him to share money, he should name them or keep quiet. Infact those who asked him to share money are the ones with him, not because he is sharing money for them it is because those ones have no principles. They depend on patronages from government and they are the people speaking for him today. How many people have he helped?  Can you look at the political horizon of the state today and point out one person to say this is the person this man has helped? Nobody. He has imported people from different parts of the world to come and superintend over Edo. He does not think that Edo people are good enough to handle any project, be it contract or governmental appointments. How does he expect us to feel when we have capable hands in Edo state and he is bringing people from outside to come and run the state, that is the major issue.

    What is the link between the 2019 general elections in Edo and the current crisis in the party?

    He was responsible for the colossal loss we suffered during the presidential and National Assembly elections. Do you know on the day of the presidential election, a governor superintending over election of the President and his National Assembly candidates went to play golf. Eventually he lost his unit and his ward, that will never have happened in Oshiomhole’s time. So the man did not galvanize the party members, he showed utmost disdain for the rank and file of the party because most party members were unhappy. Even his own unit in ward 4 Oredo, he struggled and that was why he lost his ward. So his attitude towards the party and towards governance generally is responsible for the failure of the party. And we are being told that because he does not bother and his naïvetés, he gave money to the wrong people and came out to start quarrelling with them. During Oshiomhole’s time, he will monitor election from beginning to the end until results are announced. He is 24 hours in the field, it has never happened that Oshiomhole will lose his unit in Iyahmo or ward in Uzairue. But this governor lost his ward, Local Government and senatorial district. It took the intervention of certain persons for him to manage to win his unit, a whole governor of a state will lose his ward in an election, presidential election for that matter. He should be ashamed honestly. Funny enough, this is the same man who came in as governor and made a law that those who lost their units and wards will not make Commissioner list or a councilor. Now we are saying that he should abide by that law by not bothering himself to run for a second term so that APC will not lose the state. He does not stand a chance within the contest of his own rules to ask for a second term ticket. Because he has lost the moral basis for it. Apart from that, the PDP guy, the House of Reps member in Oredo, Ogbeide Ihama, defeated the governor in Oredo, the meaning is that if Ogbeide Ihama emerges as PDP governorship candidate and Obaseki emerge as APC candidate, it means we have lost Oredo and to a large extent Edo South and that is the end of APC in Edo state. That is the danger of giving Obaseki a second term.

    How do you react to the incident at the House of Assembly, where nine legislators out of 24 elected the Speaker?

    It is all illegality. I have consistently maintained that you must develop and use the instrument of emotional intelligence to deal with people when you are in a high office, such as that of a governor. Develop inter personal relationship skill. Now the governor clandestinely issued a proclamation without making it public and decided to carry some loyal members who were elected to the House of Assembly for inauguration and because he does not have the numbers four elected members were kidnapped and they carried out the inauguration at night. Infact when you talk about the history of democracy all over the world from Greek speaking states of Athens, it was never heard that a matter close to this has happened. You kidnapped people in their short-knickers, took them to the assembly to take oath of office. What happened was that the governor could not manage 24 members of his own party the APC who were elected to work with him as legislators. These were people who became candidates as at September 2018. He could not develop a relationship with them, for them to trust him enough to accept whatever proposal he presents to them. Even after they became elected in March, between March and June he could not develop a relationship with them or at least majority of them to enable him have his way and elect a Speaker of his choice. You may have a person as your preferred Speaker, it is politics, it is legitimate but you have to do it within the context of the rules. You don’t employ under hand tactics just like they have done and I sympathize with my friend Okiye who is the beneficiary of this illegality. It is unfortunate that he is the one. And I know that if he was not the beneficiary he will take serious umbrages to this kind of tactics. So the state governor is responsible for all these because he does not know how to appeal to people, relate with people because he does not have the inter personal relationship skills with people. He thinks that as governor his words must be law and when anybody disobeys him the person must be subjected to the kind of treatment he is meting out to the legislators. So for me his inability to handle and develop good relationship with the legislators is responsible for this underhand tactics, at committing this illegality by inaugurating the House of Assembly at midnight with five members who are loyal to him and for other members who were kidnapped. The whole world has condemned it, every well-meaning Nigerian and democrat saw how the National Assembly was inaugurated and this same governor belongs to the same party with President Buhari who issued his proclamation two weeks before the inauguration of the National Assembly. And I think that all lovers of democracy must rise to condemn that action.

  • ‘No accusation of anti-party activity against Osagie’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Ward Six (Umagbae South), Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State have denied allegations of anti-party activity against a former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Samson Osagie.

    They said no committee was set up to try Osagie for any offence.

    Speaking at a press briefing, the Chairman of APC in Umagbae South, Mr. Godwin Obamwonyi, said they were disturbed that party leaders who should seek peace and broker reconciliation were fueling crisis in Uhunmwode.

    Obamwonyi said Osagie has always provided leadership that gave the APC victory in the area.

    He said: “After the election, there was no allegations of anti-party activities against Hon Osagie and no committee was set up to investigate anybody.

    “We stand by Hon Osagie in the ward and other respectable leaders of Uhunmwode who are being oppressed by the state leadership of the party.”

  • My suspension from APC is illegal, says Osagie

    A former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie, has said his suspension from the All Progressives Congress (APC) is illegal, ill-motivated and of no effect.

    Osagie and 29 others were suspended at the weekend for alleged anti-party activities.

    A former Edo State Information Commissioner Charles Idahosa announced the suspension while the party’s Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah, ratified it.

    But Osagie said the suspension was evidence of what he called the reign of impunity in the Edo State chapter of the party and allegedly done to massage Idahosa’s ego.

    The former lawmaker said the suspension was a fallout of the governorship primaries, adding that it was because of their support for the aspiration of the former deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu.

    Osagie said APC won the governorship election at his Umagbae South Ward whereas Idahosa could not deliver his unit in Ehor village.

    The former lawmaker said it was inconceivable for anybody to think that he worked against the APC while he was a member of the Presidential Inauguration Committee set up by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

    He said: “The State Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah, who illegally ratified the notice of suspension, knows the truth in the matter. It’s the fallout of the last governorship primaries in which I played a prominent role in supporting former Deputy Governor Pius Odubu against the incumbent governor.

    “For him and his cousin, Charles Idahosa, it is payback time for daring to disagree with them on who Uhunmwode delegates should support in the primaries. After the primaries, together with others, we worked for the party’s victory in Uhunmwode.

    “It is important to let the public know that neither myself nor any of those allegedly suspended with me was ever invited by any organ of the party for trial on the alleged anti-party activities.

    “I am confident that reason will prevail and the right-thinking leaders of the party in the state will see through the hollowness of the action of these people and lay it to rest.”

  • PVC’s collection, a criminal act, says Osagie

    Former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Samson Osagie, has condemned the alleged purchase of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) belonging to would-be delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it is criminal. He said those involved should be prosecuted by law enforcement agencies.

    Osagie said desperate politicians have resolved to manipulate the electoral process by dispossessing delegates of their legitimate property. He alleged that the manipulators are claiming that many delegates do not have voters card, because they want to hurriedly issue party cards to touts.

    The APC chieftain warned that democracy is seriously on trial, if the national headquarters of the party and security agencies do not insist on due process during the primary.

    Osagie wondered why an aspirant will mop up PVCs when same will be required by their owners to vote in the general election.

    He advised delegates to beware of giving their cards to agents of aspirants who are now on the prowl, looking for PVCs to buy.

    He said: “The national leadership of the APC must resist this undemocratic practice, as it portends grave consequences for a free, fair and credible process of nomination.

    “When I contested the APC senatorial primary on December 14, 2014 neither those who contested the primaries nor their agents collected PVCs from any delegate.

    “Similarly, when the National Convention held in Lagos to nominate a presidential candidate on December, 20, 2014, none of the presidential aspirants or their coordinators demanded and collected PVCs from the delegates. Why is Edo State in the news always for the the wrong reasons and yet, they expect people not to talk. Enough is enough of this political rascality, which is tending to undermine the hard-won battle of one-man, one-vote mantra championed by the ever-dogged and  ever-rugged Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.”

  • Why I lost senatorial election, by Osagie

    Why I lost senatorial election, by Osagie

    The Edo South senatorial election ended, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for last year’s Edo South senatorial election, Hon Samson Osagie, has said that he did not lose because of lack of popularity. He said he lost because his election was conducted the same day as the presidential election.

    The former Minority Whip in the House of Representatives was reacting to a statement by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that he lost the election because he was unpopular and that could not win his constituency.

    Osagie, who is now backing the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, in the race for the APC governorship ticket, said he lost to former President Goodluck Jonathan. He said: “Everybody knew that if that election was not combined, there was no way I would have lost.”

    He said the implications of his loss to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Matthew Urhoghide was grave for the Edo APC, pointing out that it has become imperative for him to set the record straight.

    He described himself as a popular politician, who twice won elections into the House of Representatives, promising to ensure that the APC wins the September 10 governorship election.

    “For some people to say that I lost that election because I was not popular is to be economical with the truth. Everybody knew that if that election was not combined, there was no way I would have lost.

    “The point is clear that those who have continued to echo the loss of that election to my candidacy remains the sycophants they are and they are not telling the world the truth.

    “For those who want to give the impression that I lost that election because I was not popular, they just want to sweep under the carpet the various issues that accounted for the loss of that election.

  • Shell appoints Osagie as MD

    Shell appoints Osagie as MD

    •Sunmonu bows out after 36 years

    Shell Petroleum Development Company has appointed Mr. Osagie Okunbor, as its managing director.

    He has assumed office, succeeding Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, who retired on Saturday after 36 years of service.

    Okunbor’s appointment had been announced in January while he was serving as a senior adviser in Shell’s Upstream International Operated business in The Hague, Netherlands.

    The new Shell helmsman, who is also assuming the role of the country chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, brings over 28 years of industry experience and expertise to his new role.

    Okunbor is the third Nigerian MD of SPDC and country chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria.

  • Fed Govt, please listen!

    THE Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) is on strike over a number of issues. The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) is threatening strike to go on from May 31. Ironically, both unions have similar grievances they want the government to address.

    Their demands border on an institutionalization of how the institutions are run – including a system to the appointment of provosts, governing council members, extension of retirement age to 65 years, among others.

    Two among the demands that interest me are the ones that deal with appointments of people that manage the institutions – the principal officers, and the governing council.

    Management slots in our educational institutions should not be used to reward party loyalists or godfathers. The appointment on governing councils of our tertiary institutions should not be viewed as an avenue for appointees to eat a portion of the national cake but to serve. That is why I think the Federal and state governments should listen to workers in our institutions who are demanding that seasoned academics, educationists, administrators and business men who are not hungry should be appointed on the councils. It is a call to serve, not one to extend ‘tunnels’ from the institutions to their private bank accounts.

    I will always remember the likes of Chief Afe Babalola and Chief Wole Olanipekun, both learned men, who served as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the Universities of Lagos and Ibadan. They gave of their resources to improve both institutions. Chief Babalola donated his sitting allowances to the University of Lagos as part of an endowment fund for scholarships. He sponsored the construction of an auditorium, and attracted people to give to the university. Chief Olanipekun was bold to challenge anybody at the University of Ibadan to stand up and point out areas of corruption during his tenure.

    We need people like them, who seek the best for their institutions, not people that will award contracts to themselves. We need people who are literate, not those that need interpreters to participate in intellectual discourse that hold during council meetings.

    Regarding the appointment of rectors and provosts, we need qualified people, astute administrators, not yes men of the government.

    Our institutions are struggling already under the burden of under funding and other challenges. We should not add to their woes by appointing enemies of progress.

     

     

  • Oba of Benin honours Giwa-Osagie, Sam Loco, others

    The Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa yesterday honoured some Benin indigenes for their outstanding performance in their various fields.

    Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos was commended for his outstanding performance in the health sector especially in the area of obstetric and gynaecology. Prof. Osayuki Oshodin, Vice- Chancellor, University of Benin was honoured for his academic excellence.

    Chief Osayuki Obaseki, the Ohe of Benin kingdom honoured as sports administrator of the year, Sam Loco Efe was given post-humous award for his outstanding performance in the entertainment sector.

    Soni Irabor was also honoured as a media icon, while Chief Joseph Alufa Igbinovia was honoured for his great master piece sculptor works the IDIA MASK- FESTAC 77.

    The Oba of Benin said the reason for the award is to encourage son and daughters of Benin origin to do well in their various fields.

     

  • Osagie’s work permit ready next week

    • Tipped to lift Red Bull Salzburg

    Former KVC Westerlo youth ace Bright Osagie is on the verge of launching himself with a bang in the Austrian league, following his successful completion of a medical to facilitate his 4-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg even as his Belgian-Nigerian agent Klay Ekeocha has confirmed that his work permit will be ready next week.

    Ekeocha expressed optimism that Osagie will be a major hit in Austria describing him as a bundle of talent

    ”His work permit shall be ready early next week. This boy is a special talent and I am predicting he will be the next big thing in Nigerian football,” he told allnigeriasoccer.com.
    The 18-year-old known for his ability to use both feet coupled with breathtaking pace with or without the ball, is seen as a major boost for Red Bull Salzburg who currently occupy the 3rd position in the 10-team Austrian Bundesliga and eager to shoot into the first position.
    Osagie had initially signed a preliminary contract with Racing Genk in June but the deal hit the rocks after Westerlo failed to reach an agreement with Racing Genk on the player’s transfer fee.