Collins Edomaruse
5 July 2009
Lagos — Almost eight months in the saddle, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said the insatiable appetite of politicians for government patronage and greed among the elite are some of his frustrations as governor of Edo State which prides itself on being the 'Big Heart' of the nation.
Speaking with THISDAY at his residence in Benin City , Oshiomhole said the "value system" of politicians in the state, which makes them expect compensation for any contribution they make in the polity, was also posing a "headache" to him.
"Basically and firstly, it (my challenge) is the management of patronage and the expectations on the part of those who expect to be compensated. My own idea is that the best and only way to be compensated is to govern properly for the benefit of all. But the management of political patronage is very, very central in the Nigerian setting because you have to balance so many considerations and sometimes, it doesn't add up," he said.
Giving further insight into his foray into politics, the governor said: "You'll see people who are very bright; who you would want to appoint to a certain position, but because you have already appointed someone from that same area, the person becomes ineligible by reason of that practice. And should you proceed to appoint him, you will find people complaining, not about his suitability, but for what they call 'lopsidedness'. For me, that is one of the frustrations.
"The other is the value system of politicians, which to some respect, is a bit of challenge compared to the world of labour where I came from. In labour, we all meet, strategise, plot and plan how to defeat the opponent, usually the employer - government or private. And we are ready to take all risks, including detention or even being shot by security forces when you engage the state. And you are not expecting anything in return. You get satisfaction from the feeling that you have been able to moderate the enormous power of capital or the enormous power of the state as they affect the vulnerable group; that you have been able to save someone from an unfair treatment; that is the reward you get."
The governor explained that as President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for eight years, he neither received gratuity nor was entitled to pension at the point of his disengagement. He expressed disgust at the attitude of politicians to public funds.
"I was not entitled to any benefit whatsoever; not N1 gratuity that I was paid as a full time president of the NLC. The same is true of all those who served with me because we accepted that it was a struggle and that we were there to fight for the people and not for ourselves.
"We went on strike to demand and negotiate for gratuity payment and pension for every other person, but not for officials of the NLC. After eight years of service, I was not entitled to anything. I was not even entitled to go away with the official vehicle that I used as president of the NLC. So I left the NLC without N1 compensation.
"But in politics, somebody serves for one year, not to talk of those who serve for one term as governors, etc.; you know how much they take home. Yet we refer to it as selfless service and they will tell you that they have served their people," he said.
He tasked Nigerian politicians to imbibe the spirit of the labour activists, whose vocation, according to him, prepares them for a value system in governance that is uncommon in the Nigerian political environment.
"It is not everything you do that you must ask the question: 'What is in it for me', he advised.
Asked how he has been able to manage the situation to get the wheel of state running, Oshiomhole said: "trying to reconcile my labour background with the new political reality, has been a bit of challenge to me. I now have to learn to appreciate that until you can drive political changes, there are certain levels of realities you must live with. There are painful concessions that you must make without which there will be no peace in the society. However, the challenge is for you to remain focused and ensure that in the process you do not compromise the very essence of your involvement in the political project, which is to ensure public welfare and other core values."
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