Osunbor - Meeting the Mandate of His People

Before venturing into politics, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor had reached the peak of his profession. Not only becoming a professor in his chosen field of endeavour-law, but also crowned with the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title.

Osunbor's choice as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, did not come to many as a surprise as his track records and excellent educational qualification, put him ahead of other candidates prior to the 2007 guber elections.

The recent ruling by the Edo State elections petitions tribunal, which voided Governor Osunbor's election, returning Adams Oshiomole of the Action Congress (AC) has been greeted with mixed reactions. While the Appeal Court's ruling is being awaited on the matter, Osunbor has remained undaunted in his delivery of democratic dividends to the people of Edo State as promised them by him during the electioneering campaigns.

A visit to Edo State depicts governance and commitment to duty at its highest ebb. The glitz and beauty of the Edo State capital - Benin, is today a direct replica of numerous achievements registered in all nooks and crannies of the state.

For instance, the "Operation-Clean-Up Edo State" campaign, launched by the governor as one of the cardinal programmes in his administration, designed to institutionalize the culture of cleanliness in all parts of the state is being appreciated by not a few Edo indigenes, including Oba of Benin, Omo N'Oba N'Edo Uku Akpolopkolo Oba Erediawa.

Oba Erediawa recently commended the Governor Osunbor for the numerous steps and measures he has put in place to ensure maintenance and reconstruction of roads in Benin City and Edo State in general.

The applause by the highly revered Oba, came just as indigenes of Edo State in different parts of America gave kudos to the transformation process of Governor Osunbor's led administration. The indigenes, under the aegis of Edos in Diaspora, who have been in the state since December, described as unprecedented the transformation process Edo was passing through.

The transformation going on in Edo State cuts across different sectors of the state, be it education, healthcare, agriculture, civil service, security etc. and they only depict Osunbors resolve to contribute his quota to the development of Edo State, beclouded with misrule and maladministration in the past.

Poised to bring to an end, the evasive darkness which has become the lot of Edo indigenes, Governor Osunbor in January brought and distributed electricity transformers worth N500m to boost rural electrification in the state. The strive was part of his rural electrification project.

The political crisis that has been witnessed in Edo State, obviously stems from the fact that perhaps Osunbor has resolved to serve diligently, with the fear of God, believing that any man given the opportunity to lead his people, has the opportunity to serve better the lot of Edo people and this has been his mindset.

Senator (Prof) Oserheimen Osunbor, knight of St. Christopher, legal luminary, academic and distinguished two-term senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is indeed a man of great destiny. His foray into service of our dear motherland has seen him serve in different spectre of government and private life, just as the numerous awards he has netted suggests.

A participant at the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on human rights in Geneva, Switzerland (2004 and 2005), Governor Osunbor was a consultant on performance evaluation of Nigeria's Institutions for Science and Technology to International Development Research Centre, Canada, and the United Nations Economic Commision for Africa, as well as the World Bank on Foreign Direct Investment and Strategies for creating a favourable legal/economic environment for foreign direct investment in Nigeria. These and many more wealth of experience he has brought to play in administering Edo State.

Therefore, as the Court of Appeal decides on the State's Tribunal ruling, it must be understood that the leadership is God-given and not a battle for the strongest and willed.

Governor Osunbor would continue to be the peoples governor regardless of the seeming distractions by persons - largely feeling unconnected with his transformation initiative.

The primary motive for anyone who wishes to be the number one citizen of any state is to save the indigenes of that state and help better their lot by improving their lives. This Governor Osunbor has held umpteenth, and has not compromised on. Indeed, this leadership style and intellect is worth emulating.