save edo language
Aigbeodolevbo “No one can undermine the Will or resolve of the people’s Apostle”. Being the title of a speech presented by the President of Benin National Congress at a cultural reception organized in honor of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at Saidi Centre on Wednesday 17th September, 2008.
May I respectfully acknowledge the presence of the Chairman of this August occasion, Rtn. Hon. Agharese Idubor; the Secretary of the BNC’s board of Trustees Comrade Orobosa Omo-Ojo JP; our indefatigable guest-His Excellency Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, party men and women, members of Benin National Congress, Gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen. I want to use this medium to appreciate the role of the Press in the socio-cultural pursuit of this Organization, I recall with nostalgia the encouragement they have been offering us in such struggles like the Benin Artifacts; Edo Oil Wells which intrinsically include the Bight of Benin; The annual Benin National Merit Award. We are immensely grateful. Please let it be known that i did not write or approve the publication purported to be supporting the Benin Youth Council over its face-off with the State House of Assembly. I have since forgiven the author however; i wish to place it on record. Thank you.
Edo State and the anxiety of the seat of Governor
Most of us are aware that Benin National Congress has been at the forefront of populist advocacies, evidence abound as to the relentlessness of this body in the pursuit of free and fair elections before and during the 2007 elections. Even our socio-cultural mandate has never restrained us from making rationale contributions to the day-to-day administration of our State and the processes for a sound democratic Order. It is a known fact that the search for patriots to deliver our dear State from years of directionlessness prompted us to endorse Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (the man whom we are celebrating today) as a recipient of Benin National Merit Award amongst other distinguished Edo sons and daughters in the year 2006 at the Urhokpota Hall, Benin City
A curious and critical observer may be pondering on the reason behind this ceremony, please ponder no more because the title of this piece is insightful enough to draw an indisputably rationale deduction. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole demonstrated the love for his fatherland (Edo) in the count down to the governorship election when against all criticisms on why he chooses to run for the seat of Governor when a vast majority of Nigerian masses rated him a Presidential material. This fact is much alluded to when one reason the vehement and undiluted advice of Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN to Comrade Oshiomhole, which were well published by a cross section of the press. Again, we appreciate his unrelenting faith in the Judiciary that has proven itself as the last hope of the oppressed and the victimized- a case in point is the Tribunal Judgment of March 20th 2008.
By the grace of God Almighty, we were not surprise by the pronouncement that our Guest- Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was the dully-elected Governor of Edo State by the State Election Petitions Tribunal because we consulted widely in the year 2006 before pronouncing him (Comrade Oshiomhole) as the recipient of Apostle of Good Governance (A.G.G.) Award during the 2nd Benin National Merit Award.
NIGERIA’S DEMOCRACY-ENDANGERED BY ANTI-DEMOCRATIC FORCES.
Democracy as a political phenomenon evolved from two Greek words “Demos” and “Kratein”. While the former refers to the masses who are the majority in any society, the latter refers to the system. Put together, Democracy from radical point of view refers to a system of government that is propelled and determined by the expressed aspirations of the masses. Ironically, Nigeria’s democracy is governed by the intrinsically deceptive disposition of the oppressive class. This accounts for the imposition of the least qualified persons as candidates and victors of electoral contests. However, determined to frontally address our collective problems, some patriots and patriotic organizations (of which the BNC is a prominent constituent) have vowed that steps must be taken to evolve an ideal political order through non-violent reorientation of our people. One of the visible evidence that our democracy is endangered is the systemic ploy to terminate the Freedom of Information Bill by the House of Representatives. We expect the House as the closest branch to the masses to take a bold step at cleaning the Agues-table and setting the pace for the evolution of an ideal democratic Order for Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development and as a prominent player in the comity of nations, paradoxically, this is not the case. The “improved” machinery of looting of public treasury; the perpetuation of do-or-die-politics (as exemplified by the violent and mindless rigging of elections and a reformed rigging of Court ordered re-elections); and the selective arrests and prosecution of opportunists cum fraudsters are testimonies of an endangered democracy. We call on Nigerians to be more vigilant to safeguard our democracy from anti-democratic elements. As a proactive stakeholder, the BNC articulated and forwarded a memorandum to the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform panels. We particularly advised that those who benefits from a rigged election be barred from participating in a re-run elections. This because, the beneficiaries are the ones who actually instigates the rigging or on whose behalf the rigging or electoral malpractices are made.
As a socio-cultural organization, we are restrained at pronouncing who won the April elections in Edo State on less as expressly stated by election petitions Tribunal and whose fate rests in the hands of the Court of Appeal. We urge Comrade Oshiomhole and others at the Court of Appeal to continue in their very peaceful disposition and abiding faith in the judiciary, surely the Will of God must prevail at the end.
Once again, I thank you for coming and God bless you all.
Rtn. Comrade Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, President.