OPEN LETTER TO PASTOR OSAGIE IZE IYAMU FROM HON COMMISSIONER FOR COMMUNICATION AND ORIENTATION, REPRESENTING ORHIONMWON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN EDO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

My dear brother,

Domor sir,

I hope this letter meets you well. It is with a great sense of concern that I have decided to pen this letter.

I watched you on ARISE TV and frankly, I was shocked to hear you make allegations of marginalization and the state of development in our beloved Local Government Area, Orhionmwon.

I am sure your supporters would have informed you and congratulated you that you were very articulate but I regret to inform you that you seem to have misplaced self interest for Orhionmwon/Edo interest. I bet that unlike the State Government that has commissioned many independent opinion polls, you or your party haven’t but you were on international Television to make categorical statements on what Edo people want or how they feel. Let me inform you that in Today’s Edo, Government works with data not hearsay and innuendos. For us, it’s Edo First! Always!

The truth is that Orhionmwon has been unlucky over the years with the quality of leadership it has been saddled with; over the years,

1. Orhionmwon has produced a Chief of Staff under Chief Lucky Igbinedion between 1999 and 2003 in the person of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu

2. Orhionmwon also had a representative in Government as a Secretary to the State Government between 2003 and 2007 in the person of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu

3. Orhionmwon produced a deputy governor between 2008 and 2016 under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the person of Pius Odubu

4. The LGA also has Patrick Aisowieren sitting on the board of the NDDC

Orhionmwon sons, H.E Pius Odubu and Hon Patrick Aisowieren represented the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency in the National Assembly for sixteen straight years before being rewarded with the positions of deputy governor and NDDC state representative respectively.

Before Hon Aisowieren, another Orhionmwon son was the immediate last state representative in the person of Hon. Saturday Uwuliekhue

The truth is we’ve also had a minister. You claimed that we had not.

Curiously, all these people are members of the opposition party in the State, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Yet you, my brother, claims that the LGA has been marginalized, when all these people have held critical positions in Edo State before now.

One would wonder if it is until they become governor before they are able to make a positive impact in the lives of their people and the local government, because, as it is often said, ‘he who is faithful with little is most likely faithful with much.’

Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki has barely served for eight years and has brought so much development and impactful projects to the local council which is currently benefitting our people and improving the lives of thousands of residents in the LGA.

It is on record that the Governor facilitated the setup of Duport Midstream Company Limited (DMCL) facility in Egbokor, in our own Orhionmwon, which is the second refinery in the State, after the Edo Refinery. The facility boasts of a 2500bpd modular refinery, a data centre, gas processing facility and a power plant, providing ample infrastructure to drive industrial growth in its host community, Orhionmwon.

Is there a tertiary institution at Orhiomnwon? Yes.

At one time, Esigie Teacher Training College was a foremost institution for training teachers in the Western/Midwest regions. The school over the years became moribund. But leaders in the LGA, including yourself, kept mute. It became a campus of Ekiadolor. And by the time Governor Obaseki came into Office in 2016, that campus had become moribund.

In 2017, the Governor began work on the facility, renovating, revamping and revitalizing the campus. Today, it is fully operational as one of three campuses of the Edo State College of Education with a focus on training teachers for Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and various Basic Education certificate programme.

Also, the Federal Govt Smart School for Basic Education is located in Abudu, Orhionmwon LGA, and this is contrary to your narrative on national television.

Leveraging on the huge gas deposits which you mentioned, Governor Obaseki has turned Orhionmwon into a gas and petrochemical hub. Today, over four oil and gas companies currently have major installations in Orhionmwon. Let me use this opportunity to call on more of our people resident in Orhionmwon to take advantage of these to build economic mobility.

Does Orhionmwon have the largest land mass in Edo? Yes. Tapping into this huge asset, Governor Obaseki introduced the Edo State Oil Palm Programme, which today has transformed Edo State as the largest producer of oil palm in West Africa with Orhionmwon as the host community to majority of these oil palm investments.

In electricity, whether you like it or not, Edo has become a frontier State in electricity reforms in the Country. While we acknowledge that electricity supply is a huge problem across the country, especially in rural areas, Governor Obaseki has taken bold steps to address this issue in the State by opening up the space for more actors to provide electricity. The first success story is the Ossiomo Power Plant which currently generates and distributes 24hrs/7days a week uninterrupted power. The project is currently being expanded across the State.

It is precisely to address rural electrification that the Edo State Electric Power Sector Reform Bill was passed in September 2022, creating two statutory bodies — a regulatory commission to establish a framework for a state electricity market and an electrification agency, which today implements the state electrification fund in unserved and underserved areas.

It is incontrovertible that Governor Obaseki has continued to blaze the trail, embarking on bold and transformative projects that have benefited millions of Edo people, including the good people Orhionmwon, our Constituency.

The governor’s track record of inclusivity and good governance speaks to his sincere intentions over the past seven years that have translated to the progress recorded across all sectors of the State, from agriculture to education, health and technology, among others, and Edo people and Orhionmwon people are aware of these facts.

It is clear that Obaseki’s legacies cannot be blemished. Edo people know the truth and will not be deceived.

I urge you to go about your campaign with the understanding that the dynamics of politics have changed. Edo people are sophisticated and strategic in thoughts and action.

Of course as a brother, I always wish you well.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Osa Nehikhare,
Honourable Commissioner,
Communication and Orientation,
Edo State