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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Salifu Othman Usah has congratulated the new governor of Edo State Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa as they assumed office.
Isah, a former special adviser to the then attorney- general of the federation and minister of justice said in a statement he issued in Abuja yesterday that he had dreamt before the victory of the APC candidates that the two former legislators now leaders of the executive arm of their state, would spring the state to a higher pedestal in the country.
He opined that their emergence to the leadership of the state was a story of perseverance and patience.
The former minister’s aide likened the new governor’s journey to the leadership of Edo State as only comparable to that of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Nigerian presidency and the recent victory of Donald Trump of the United States of America.
“I dreamt that Okpebholo will re-engineer the decayed and rusty state left behind by the immediate past governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki who to me had a mission to bury the state.
“You can see he achieved nothing concrete for eight years except signing MoUs which were never transformed into reality.
“Obaseki came with a mission to decimate the camaraderie amongst Edolites and had no regards for anybody including those who worked assiduously for him to be elected in the first place.
“Those who helped him to office the first time, he pushed them aside when he assumed office. He picked up fights with individuals and institutions and occupied himself with controversies which distracted him from offering the desired leadership.
“And those who helped him get reelected, both internal and external influences, he fought them dirty and he was fulfilled doing that. Tell me. What manner of a leader is that?”
He said, however, that the new governor came fully prepared and hoped he would learn from Obaseki’s mistakes and carry everyone along in the state.
Isah reminded the former governor that he should be prepared to account for his stewardship as he would be called upon to render account.
“But in the case of the former governor and his cronies, it is judgement day. They have to account for their stewardship. There is a time to assume office and a time to exit and render account to the people who trusted you with leadership,” he added.
It would be recalled that, already, the report of APC transition committee has indicted the outgone PDP leadership of misappropriating a whooping N420 billion of state resources.
Isah, also a former Vice President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), the umbrella body of Nollywood, described the new governor as focused, resilient, and capable of delivering on the onerous task of governing the state, adding that he came fully prepared to render leadership.
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