Money and power are two toxic and very inflammable elements that can usher a man from a supposed humble background into a world of mouthed recklessness, super bloated ego, over damning pride and inexcusable foolishness.
No wonder there’s a local saying that one can’t readily predict a man until he’s handed a money vault and at the same time, robed with power and authority! Such is the case of Comrade Philip Shuaibu, a once upon a time adopted kid of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; erstwhile governor of Edo state and immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
I watched disgustingly for the umpteenth time on a national television station wherein the Deputy governor of Edo state; just like an ostracized ostrich attempted to downplay and devalue the immeasurable roles and qualitative inputs of his former mentor in his uninspiring life. The heart of man is indeed very wicked!
Firstly, let it be stated in clear terms that I have never been an antagonist of the Deputy governor, but when men of goodwill and strong character continue to conceal truth and turn blind eyes to facts and realities on ground, lies and falsehood will abound. This is the sad reality in the political dismemberment and superiority fight between the disowned father and the disowned son!
Many of us grew up to know Oshiomhole as a social crusader and a dogged fighter especially in his days as the NLC boss when he was even referred to as an alternate President to former President Olusegun Obasanjo because of the absolute trust Nigerian workers and a larger percentage of the voting masses reposed in him at the time. He was resilient, dutiful, vociferous, fearless, dependable and not an easy nut to crack at all! His voice has always been heard by anyone who cared to listen both locally and internationally.
That was the reason why people like us stuck out our necks, and campaigned vigorously for him when he indicated interest to contest the number one political seat in our dear state of Edo, and the testaments of his stewardship abound in all nooks and crannies of the state even up till now as against the infrastructural emptiness and governmental decadence that now pervade the state due to Obaseki/Shuaibu’s hollowness, shallowness, cluelessness, callousness and incongruous recklessness. Edo is on a reverse gear as we speak!
Philip Shuaibu on the other hand; an acclaimed adopted son of Oshiomhole, whose true identify and biological linings have remained grossly unknown and one whose chromosomal circle and genetic history have been a subject of research, is sadly now the privileged child priding himself as the political Lord of his foster father and one who pressurized him to contest the governorship election in 2007 instead of the latter taking a shot at the number one seat of the International Labour Organization (ILO). What a fallacious inuendo!
Let it be firmly stated that Shuaibu’s voice was not at anytime a resonating voice in the political affairs of the state, neither was he also relevant in the minutest term whether politically, socially or otherwise in the period under review. Apart from his uninspiring stint as the former partial President of The National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), he was just a random guy like me, until Oshiomhole decorated his life and gave him a platform!
How this funny character has now claimed to have brought Oshiomhole into the political firmament of Edo state remains a cartoon series to me.
There’s an addendum that I call consequential retributive justice; and such a weighty consequence awaits Philip Shuaibu and his
likes, no matter how long it takes! You cannot wish a good man evil and expect to reap sweet berries.
Conclusively, let me even accept the fact that oga Shuaibu brought Oshiomhole into politics, and sacrificing so much for him thereafter; while his new found lover and boss; Governor Godwin Obaseki also contributed immensely by organizing a fundraising event for Oshiomhole in the months leading to the gubernatorial election. The question then is; Did he, Oshiomhole repay the duo with ingratitude, wickedness and interloping distrust? None that I know of!
REASONS:
- For the eight years Oshiomhole served as governor, Philip Shuaibu was never left idle! As Majority leader in the House of Assembly, he was more powerful than even the Speaker of the House because Oshiomhole created that avenue. He boasted of so much powers and privileges which saw him having loyalists here and there. From the House of Assembly, Oshiomhole catapulted him to the House of Representatives to represent Etsako Federal Constituency. He had barely done two years in the Green Chambers when Oshiomhole withdrew him back to fly the deputy governorship ticket, with Obaseki as the governorship candidate then.
- For the eight years Oshiomhole served as governor, Obaseki served as Special Adviser to the governor on Economic matters as well as the Executive Chairman of the State’s Economic team; a position that was more lucrative than the office of the Secretary to State Government even though he was a coopted member of the State Executive Council. His new office saw to the resuscitation of his hitherto bankrupt Afrinvest Ltd, an investment company which he served as a major shareholder.
That was the consultancy firm that Oshiomhole engaged throughout the duration of his administration in executing some of the major contracts that he undertook including the Edo specialist hospital, all in a bid to patronize his friend and supposed (benefactor). Fast forward to 2016, the unknown taunted technocrat was favoured by this same Oshiomhole to succeed him even though he was the least on the party hierarchy as a possible successor, where we had the likes of forceful governorship materials like Oshiomhole’s deputy at the time, Dr. Pius Odubu and his super commissioner for works; Barr. Osarodion Ogie.
All entreaties and advices to Oshiomhole by political pundits and future readers for him to see reasons why he; Obaseki was a very terrible, unreliable, untrustworthy and rotten product to sell to the larger populace, fell on deaf ears as Oshiomhole was hell-bent on making him his successor after all, at least to pay him back for the kind gesture that was rendered to him by the accidental economist if there truly existed any. The rest is history!
Philip Shuaibu has now hurriedly forgotten his base, pitching tent with Obaseki to continually denigrate and assassinate Oshiomhole’s character with the hope that Obaseki in return will support him to become the next governor after their uneventful and failure ridden administration!
With too much money and governmental power at his disposal, Philip Shuaibu is now ‘The god of war’ who’s ever ready to crush his former father and render him voiceless as far as the politics of Edo is concerned. The real betrayers have therefore been exposed! And the corresponding consequences are very dire…..
Nelson Iyore writes from Lagos, Nigeria