By: Utako Thomas
The annual Alaghodaro summit, chaired by Asuelime Akintunde Ighodalo, epitomizes a grandiose yet wasteful celebration of mediocrity, a striking symbol of failure.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, driven by an insatiable desire for acquisition, has turned to politics and governance to further his capitalist ambitions. With a carefully crafted public image, he initially gained the trust of the people, only to leave them disillusioned. A glorified technocrat turned out to be nothing but a cooperate gangster deft in the act of divide and rule. What was once perceived as the ascent of a technocrat has revealed itself to be the machinations of a corporate opportunist skilled in manipulation.
Governor Obaseki alongside his co-travelers have been excellent on paper having achieved so much in unfulfilled promises warehoused in MOUs fraudulently procured with billions of our collective patrimony. Obaseki’s administration has excelled in creating impressive documents and virtual achievements. Yet, in practical terms, his tenure can be summed up as a series of failures. One glaring example is the annual Alaghodaro summit, chaired by his protégé, Akintunde Asue Ighodalo. This summit, which has been held for seven years, is nothing more than a superficial display of empty rhetoric.
The summit purports to be a platform for attracting direct investment to Edo State’s economy, bringing together stakeholders to discuss economic growth. Akintunde Asue Ighodalo has claimed that the state’s economy grew by over 140% from $10.6 billion to $25.8 billion in the past seven years. However, these figures exist only on paper.
As the saying goes, “The reward for a job well done is more work.” Conversely, the reward for failure should be the absence of further opportunities to fail. Despite presiding over a failed project for seven years, Ighodalo now claims he can transform the state’s fortunes, even though he couldn’t improve the fortunes of Nigeria Breweries PLC as its chairman. Under his leadership, the company suffered significant financial losses, shaking it to its core. Now, he seeks to offer what he does not possess, using grandiose language to build castles in the air.
It is time to show Governor Obaseki and his protégé, Asue Ighodalo, the exit through the ballot on September 21st, 2024. It is time to end the heartless exploitation of state resources by these unfeeling and unpatriotic businessmen who are strangers to the land. They have been tested and found wanting and it is time to show them the exit door and usher in a new dispensation of true progress with Senator Monday Okpebholo.
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UKATO THOMAS (APC NEW MEDIA)
