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Opinion
Obaseki: Master of Lies, Sophistry and Rationalisation
Written By: Michael Odigbe
20 Nov 2025 03:05 AM
In all our traditional folklores, the proverbial tortoise is never found wanting in stories riddled with lies, sophistry and rationalisations. Given this, the tortoise is short on trustability. So, it is with former governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.
There is hardly anything he did in his eight years in office that was not shrouded in controversy, intransparency, lies, sophistry and rationalisations with tortoise dramaturgy.
Hence, I didn't expect his MOWAA project will not be enmeshed in these evil ways.
A tortoise never sheds his diabolical wiles. Infact, right from 2016 that he assumed office, he started demonstrating that it is a big folly to trust his words and deeds.
Now, join DAILY South Nigeria on a random sample flashback journey of discovery to his historical past.
Firstly, Obaseki on March 28, 2016 announced with an air of braggadocio: "Our investors have started building big electricity generating plants across the state that will generate about 450 mega watts of electricity each. The total electricity we consume in Edo is about 10 mega watts but these people are building plants that will generate 450 mega watts each.. so, by the end of of 2017 we will have enough electricity in Edo State."
However, when Obaseki finished his tenure, his only accomplishment was Ossiomo Power Company which could not light up the whole Benin Metropolis but packed up in 2024.
On September 20, 2016 Obaseki said that he would revive the rubber plantation at Temboga Village on the outskirts of Benin City as well as set up trauma centres along strategic routes in and out of Benin City. Hmmm, another cheap talk. Nothing done!!. Electoral trust of people once more betrayed.
Obaseki lies continued while the people lost trust in him on Edo Broadcasting Service, Benin on May 23, 2017 reported that Obaseki paid an unscheduled visit to the state- owned EDO LINE where he bemoaned the enormous wastage at the company's premises. He stated that he would find ways to offset the bank debt of N1.6 billion and then place the assets to proper use.
Sweet announcement from Obaseki!! Cynics never trusted his words. They weren't disappointed because what happened later was that Obaseki redeployed 186 workers if the company to the ministry of transport. EDO LINE was not revamped by him throughout his time as governor.
On January 1, 2018 in his new year message Obaseki disclosed that his administration has a plan for a new town in Obagie N'Ewosa that will create over 2000 jobs which the villagers will also benefit from.
The speech was only "full of sound and fury signifying nothing" to use Williams Shakespeare's words in his play Macbeth.
In 2018, Obaseki vowed that all commercial vehicles must now wear the colour code of Edo State.
People scorned his move knowing his antecedents of not acting on his loud decibel policy formulations accompanied with Goebbelian rationalisations of his failures. Yes, a tortoise never mends his mannerism cast in stone.!
Well, those who distrust his pronouncements were vindicated. By January 16, 2019 abruptly discontinued the vehicle colour code enforcement.
He gave as a reason for the stoppage: "the need to upgrade our staff on how to manage the Mobile App on commercial vehicles so that they can use the software on an integrated platform created for monitoring and checking all vehicles at the press of a button."
Behold his 'grammatical escapist statement which in logic is nothing more than sophistry and rationalisation
Still on January 7, 2020 Obaseki was confronted by the media with the viral story of the arrest in France of Mr Osemwingie-Eroh, one of his commissioners, allegedly with over 2m dollars. The Nigerian Tribune of January 7, 2020 reported that "Obaseki denied knowledge of the incident, adding that if all it occured the commissioner is on his own.."
The simple truth is that Obaseki finished his tenure badly using thick layers of lies, sophistry and rationalisations to attempt to justify his foul governance that impoverished Edo People. That is why we are now having the drama cycles of fallacious, hocus pocus Ossiomo Power Company, Radission Blu Hotel and MOWAA.
I have taken time to read Obaseki's defence of MOWAA which is very unsatisfactory. Imagine, he told us he spent government's funds on MOWAA to support the initiative. Okpebholo reveals that the funds amounts to N3.6 billion out of MOWAA budget of N4.1 billion.
Yet, the EDO LINE only needed N1.6 billion to pay off its debt and then revive it.
Alas, methinks, Obaseki has crossed the red line with his lies, sophistry and rationalisations. Daniel has come to judgment.
An investigation into MOWAA has now been ordered by Okpebholo signalling that at the end of the day Obaseki and his cohorts will soon face trial for abusing public trust in matters dealing with MOWAA.
Remember, late Peter Tosh , the reggae maestro. He asks the wicked: "One of these days when you hear a voice say COME, where will you run to? You will have no where. Because the mountain will be melting and the river will be boiling".
No more hiding place for Obaseki with the MOWAA probe. Enough is more than enough!!
There is hardly anything he did in his eight years in office that was not shrouded in controversy, intransparency, lies, sophistry and rationalisations with tortoise dramaturgy.
Hence, I didn't expect his MOWAA project will not be enmeshed in these evil ways.
A tortoise never sheds his diabolical wiles. Infact, right from 2016 that he assumed office, he started demonstrating that it is a big folly to trust his words and deeds.
Now, join DAILY South Nigeria on a random sample flashback journey of discovery to his historical past.
Firstly, Obaseki on March 28, 2016 announced with an air of braggadocio: "Our investors have started building big electricity generating plants across the state that will generate about 450 mega watts of electricity each. The total electricity we consume in Edo is about 10 mega watts but these people are building plants that will generate 450 mega watts each.. so, by the end of of 2017 we will have enough electricity in Edo State."
However, when Obaseki finished his tenure, his only accomplishment was Ossiomo Power Company which could not light up the whole Benin Metropolis but packed up in 2024.
On September 20, 2016 Obaseki said that he would revive the rubber plantation at Temboga Village on the outskirts of Benin City as well as set up trauma centres along strategic routes in and out of Benin City. Hmmm, another cheap talk. Nothing done!!. Electoral trust of people once more betrayed.
Obaseki lies continued while the people lost trust in him on Edo Broadcasting Service, Benin on May 23, 2017 reported that Obaseki paid an unscheduled visit to the state- owned EDO LINE where he bemoaned the enormous wastage at the company's premises. He stated that he would find ways to offset the bank debt of N1.6 billion and then place the assets to proper use.
Sweet announcement from Obaseki!! Cynics never trusted his words. They weren't disappointed because what happened later was that Obaseki redeployed 186 workers if the company to the ministry of transport. EDO LINE was not revamped by him throughout his time as governor.
On January 1, 2018 in his new year message Obaseki disclosed that his administration has a plan for a new town in Obagie N'Ewosa that will create over 2000 jobs which the villagers will also benefit from.
The speech was only "full of sound and fury signifying nothing" to use Williams Shakespeare's words in his play Macbeth.
In 2018, Obaseki vowed that all commercial vehicles must now wear the colour code of Edo State.
People scorned his move knowing his antecedents of not acting on his loud decibel policy formulations accompanied with Goebbelian rationalisations of his failures. Yes, a tortoise never mends his mannerism cast in stone.!
Well, those who distrust his pronouncements were vindicated. By January 16, 2019 abruptly discontinued the vehicle colour code enforcement.
He gave as a reason for the stoppage: "the need to upgrade our staff on how to manage the Mobile App on commercial vehicles so that they can use the software on an integrated platform created for monitoring and checking all vehicles at the press of a button."
Behold his 'grammatical escapist statement which in logic is nothing more than sophistry and rationalisation
Still on January 7, 2020 Obaseki was confronted by the media with the viral story of the arrest in France of Mr Osemwingie-Eroh, one of his commissioners, allegedly with over 2m dollars. The Nigerian Tribune of January 7, 2020 reported that "Obaseki denied knowledge of the incident, adding that if all it occured the commissioner is on his own.."
The simple truth is that Obaseki finished his tenure badly using thick layers of lies, sophistry and rationalisations to attempt to justify his foul governance that impoverished Edo People. That is why we are now having the drama cycles of fallacious, hocus pocus Ossiomo Power Company, Radission Blu Hotel and MOWAA.
I have taken time to read Obaseki's defence of MOWAA which is very unsatisfactory. Imagine, he told us he spent government's funds on MOWAA to support the initiative. Okpebholo reveals that the funds amounts to N3.6 billion out of MOWAA budget of N4.1 billion.
Yet, the EDO LINE only needed N1.6 billion to pay off its debt and then revive it.
Alas, methinks, Obaseki has crossed the red line with his lies, sophistry and rationalisations. Daniel has come to judgment.
An investigation into MOWAA has now been ordered by Okpebholo signalling that at the end of the day Obaseki and his cohorts will soon face trial for abusing public trust in matters dealing with MOWAA.
Remember, late Peter Tosh , the reggae maestro. He asks the wicked: "One of these days when you hear a voice say COME, where will you run to? You will have no where. Because the mountain will be melting and the river will be boiling".
No more hiding place for Obaseki with the MOWAA probe. Enough is more than enough!!
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