By Eben Enasco Kingsley Benin City
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has commissioned an ultra-modern 160-shop market in Uromi, built by the Esan North East Local Government Area Chairman, Mr Sam Oboh.
The Governor said it was a thing of joy that at a time that some local Government Chairmen were giving excuses on why they could not pay salaries, the Esan North East Local Government Chairman was able to pay salaries as well as execute projects which had direct impact on the lives of the people.
Speaking at the project commissioning, weekend, Oshiomhole said: “I feel we should all salute the Chairman for a very competent, honest and resourceful leadership. As they say, sometimes, good things don’t makethe headlines, bad things do. “Across the country, North and South, East and West, many Local Governments, many State Governments are not able even to pay the salaries of their workers and here today, we are commissioning an ultra-modern market built from the resources of a Local Government by the visionary leadership of the Local Government Chairman.
“I want your applauds for the Chairman to be loud enough so that the people in Oredo in Benin can hear the sound of what is happening here in Uromi, that while some of Sam’s colleagues are busy explaining why they cannot perform, Sam is here celebrating the outcome of his resourcefulness.
“There is no government anywhere in the world that has all the money it needs to do all the things it desires. There is poverty everywhere, but the real dangerous poverty is the poverty of the brain. When you are afflicted with the poverty of the brain, you cannot think, you are not resourceful, you are not imaginative, you are not creative; you will be there lamenting why you are not moving.
“For men and women with ideas, that are not afflicted with the poverty of the brain, the poverty of the pocket can be compensated with the creativity of the brain and the outcome is this kind of edifice that we are witnessing the commissioning this afternoon. “So, Sam Oboh I am very proud of you, you are an example of what is possible and you confirmed my philosophy that leadership is not and must not be about lamenting. If the people are lamenting, the leadership should inspire them to have hope because life is driven and sustained by hope.
When the led and the leaders are united in lamentation, then there is no hope. “So, I am extremely happy to be here and I want to congratulate His Royal Highness, the Onogie of Uromi because as they say, ‘when the righteous reign, the people rejoice’. I believe sir that you should be proud that it is under your reign that all of these good things are happening in Uromi.
It must be that your prayers are heard by your ancestors, by God Almighty and he has brought blessings to add to the pleasure, wealth and the prosperity of the people of your kingdom.
“When I came here last time, things that were tough but I said nothing would stop me as a privileged person who has been elected to support, to help and to create the environment for Edo people to create wealth and prosperity for themselves and their families, that when people are in distress, Government must identify with them.
“That was why, even at the peak of our revenue crisis, I said we would find some N25million to support the Local Government to complete this project and as Sam Oboh has told you, we have since delivered it just as we delivered our previous promise to support the women whose wares were burnt sometimes last year.
“Let me assure you Sam Oboh and the great people of Uromi in the presence of His Royal Highness, the Onogie of Uromi that Edo State Government will continue to support this Local Government in every way possible. As Abiola would say, ‘you cannot clap with one hand, no matter how big your hand is, you need two hands to clap’, so with the support of Edo State Government, working side by side with Esan North East Local Government, I believe the sustained development of this community, of this Local government will be guaranteed.
“We will build more schools. Over the next 12 months of my tenure, we will build more red roofs in this Uromi community, we will deliver more modern furniture to ensure the comfort of our children so as to attract them to go to school and to stay in school, to learn and be impacted with knowledge so that we can produce future leaders who will be more creative than our current leadership.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman, Esan North East Local Government Area, Hon. Sam Abhulimen Oboh said, he was challenged to perform by the many landmark projects of the state government.
“I have seen the landmark projects being executed by the State Governmentand these monumental projects which adorn the nooks and crannies of the state challenged this Local Government to replicate in our own way, the same in Uromi town.
“Sir, if you will recall, during my electioneering campaigns, I did promise to reconstruct the Uromi Main Market. Today, I am glad to inform you that, that solemn promise has been realized. Today’s event is a clear demonstration of the fact that electioneering promises are social contract between the elected and that electorate that should be strictly adhered to and thus I must say is one of those attributes we have copied from the Comrade Governor”.
The market is made up of four one-storey blocks of 160 lock- up shops.
