"Every time it has pleased God to place me in any position of authority, I have always exercise power in the interest and on behalf of the poor and the weak."

This quotation was made by comrade Adams Oshiomhole when he turned 55 years old last April. The quotation sums up the essence and hallmark of his activism from the floor of Arewa textile mills in Kaduna, through the presidency of the Nigeria labour congress (NLC) to his becoming the governor of Edo State.

For Adams Oshiomhole, it's been a story characterised by challenges for survival and attainment of prominence. He was not lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon. He found himself as a teenager grappling with life's vicissitudes. He had to educate himself to take up a job in a textile industry which was then regarded as a sweat industry.

Adams Oshimhole was born on April 4, 1953 in Iyamoh, a little community near Auchi in Edo State.

Adams Oshiomhole's worldview became distilled and refined by his early encounters with the real world, especially the world of work.

In 1969, he got himself thrown out of a textile company because the manager felt he was too short and frail to endure the reality of factory labour. This first hand contact with arbitrariness and cruelty, shaped his perception that justice and fairness are not always on display in the work place. This was a great challenge for him. However, he got a job all the same because another manager in the same factory was willing to give him a livelihood and prove that he could be useful. This was for Adam, a reward for capacity persistence.

From his desk at the design section of Arewa textile mills in Kaduna, he observed vast evidence of criminality perpetuated by management and its agents. The disciplinary regime was brutal, leaving no room for fair hearing. Above all, the union leaders were considered ineffective, weak and timid by the workers. One word summed his assessment of the situation, injustice, brutal, authoritarian and unsparing perception of what is required to make a difference. Good leadership.

In 1971, a spontaneous uprising earned him an opportunity to prove himself and his colleagues somehow felt that the young Adams could make a difference because they were impressed with the way he canvassed the principles of fairness and justice. They began to see in him the quality of a leader and a mobiliser to lead their struggle to fight injustice in the work place.

In 1975, he abandoned the textile mill and became a full time unionist. He had found his calling and identified the union as an enduring platform to fight injustice and oppression. His early career as a full time unionist was like a study in anarchism. As an organizer, he terrorised many employers in textile mills in Kaduna and adjoining towns.

Adams Oshiomhole as a union organiser cruised Northern Nigeria on Okada (commercial motorcycle). Then union leaders did not enjoy the luxury of cars or jeeps that they enjoy these days.

Adams was critical to establishing and sustaining union presence in many textile mills and other industries including Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Ltd (PAN), under extreme difficult circumstances.

He later studied labour studies at Ruskin College, Oxford, specialising in economics and industrial relations. He also studied at the National Institute for policy and strategic studies Kuru, near Jos and the Kennedy school of government Howard University, USA.

In 1982, he was appointed the General Secretary, Chief Executive of the National Union of textile and garment Workers Union of Nigeria. He really transformed the union during his tenure.

In 1988, he was elected deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He later became NLC President on Jan. 28, 1999.

Adams Oshiomhole's tenure as NLC president was not an easy ride. He engaged the then military regime in a most vicious industrial unrest. In 1995 when the then military ruler, Sani Abacha, dissolved NLC he and his colleagues went into trenches fighting on all fronts.

He became the President of the NLC in 1999 at about the time Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was elected President of Nigeria. He fought against fuel price like under Obasanjo's presidency resulting into division of the labour union. We now have the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) all in an attempt to break Oshiomhole's hold on Nigerian workers.

His tenure as President of the NLC positively changed the image of the labour movement and restored its legitimacy and credibility. Along with his colleagues as a team player, he engaged Obasanjo's regime uncompromisingly with nationalistic and patriotic flavour. The overwhelming support of Nigerians for Oshiomhole led labour strikes compelled Obasanjo to describe the NLC as behaving like a parallel government.

There is however, one man who beliefs Oshiomhole is not the saint or leader he claims to be. That man is Comrade C.C Nnorom who was the President of the National union of Air transport Employees (NUATE).

In a letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), dated March 5, 2007, Chief Nnorum accused Adams Oshiomhole of embezzling over Five hundred million naira (N500m) from the labour city transport. Both the NLC and EFCC have ignored the petition.

The former NLC boss contested the governorship of Edo State under the Action Congress (AC). But he had to wait for 18 months after the April, 2007, elections for him to be sworn in as governor of Edo State.

Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor had been declared winner by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the April governorship election in 2007. but Oshiomhole disputed the decision and headed for the election petition tribunal which voided Osunbor's election and declared Oshiomhole governor. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Osunbor went on appeal.

But ruling on the appeal, the appellate court headed by Hon. Justice Abdullahi, said the issues raised by Professor Osunbor lacked merit and ordered INEC to immediately withdraw the certificate of return already issued to Professor Osunbor and hand it to Oshiomhole.

The court also dismissed the interlocutory appeal filed by Prof. Osunbor, the PDP and INEC bordering on signatories to the petition of Oshionhole at the lower tribunal.

The court of appeal also agreed with the lower court that Oshiomhole got ¼ of the votes cast in 12 of the local government areas of the state.

Between April, 2007 when the governorship election was conducted and November 2008, when he finally got justice, a lot had happened in the polity that made his victory at the appeal tribunal possible.

First, division broke up among the ranks of his major opponent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The crisis between former president Olusegun Obasanjo and a chieftaincy of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih over the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the PDP spilled over to the states.

The former governor of Edo State under the PDP, Prof. Osunbor pitched his tent with Olusegun Obasanjo ignoring Tony Anenih. Anenih decided to punish him by fighting him at the election tribunal. The situation in Anambra state between former Governor Chris Ngige and Chief Chris Uba is an eye opener that in Nigeria you don't fight your god father while your case is still at the election tribunal.

Other events that took place in Oshiomhole's favour is the unfavourable image appeal court has gotten over their roles in appeal rulings so far. This had made many people to believe that the court of appeal is the weakest point of our democracy. The appeal court had to use Oshiomhole's case to redeem its own image. In fact, the President of the Court of appeal, Justice Abdullahi, had to take over the case himself.

There are certainly some implications of the election of Adams Oshiomhole to the Edo people. Oshiomhole is from Auchi in Etsako area of Edo State called Edo North. It is a minority tribe compared to the Bini's of Edo South and Ishans (Esan) of Edo central who are in the majority. This is the first time someone from Edo North will be governor of Edo state or old Bendel state. This is coming at a time an African/America (minority), is producing the presidency of America in Barack Obama.

Another implication for Edo State is that Tony Anenih will no longer wield influence in the PDP having failed to deliver his state to the party.

On what he intends to achieve in politics, adams Oshiomhole disclosed that he had always reflected on what must be done to fix Nigeria and make her a better country for the benefit of her people. "This concern informs our involvement in the struggle for social justice, equity, public welfare, governance and the democratic development of Nigeria".

In 2006 when he launched his governorship campaign in Benin, Edo state, the governor disclosed that the main challenge is how to use public policy and public resources to deal with the grinding mass poverty.

"Despite the colossal endowment of Nigeria, our people have too much of too little. Despite the resourcefulness, industry and zeal of Nigerians, we are still confronted with the nagging paradox of a rich nation of very poor people".

At the swearing-in, ceremony, Adams Oshiomhole rolled out what he plans to do in the next four years for the people of Edo State.

He plans to develop and upgrade public schools in the State through what he calls a gradual and dynamic public school system. He said the state university at Expoma will be empowered to create quality environment for students and staff with a view to the attainment of excellence.

He said he intends to develop good road networks in the state, build more houses, create jobs and end poverty in the state.

He has already mapped out three priority areas of attention for his administration. These include:-

Priority One:- Restoring, Renovating and Refurbishing schools in the state.

Priority Two:- This include infrastructural restoration of roads, water and power. On power, he intends to work with the electricity service providers to extend power supply to the rural communities to complement the state government's rural electrification programme.

Priority Three:- This will involve restoring production in agriculture and industry.

He also intends to tackle healthcare system, combat crime, develop culture and tourism, sports etc.

Making promises by politicians is not new in Nigeria. But what we have had been promises and no action. We once had a minister who promised to turn stones to bread and give us uninterrupted electricity within six months. That did not happen.

Whether Oshiomhole will end poverty in Edo State as he has promised, only time will tell.