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[OPINION] The Gaffe And The Uproar: Okpebholo In The Public Eye

Published

3 months ago

July 31, 2025

By Tony Abolo

It was widely circulated. The statement by Senator Monday Okpebholo at the welcoming of Hon. Marcus Onobun back into the APC in Uromi about a week plus ago. Sadly the statement that he escalated loud himself on Peter Obi got more traction than the event itself. And the reason is simple. It was an unnecessary bile against Peter Obi who had come to make a philanthropic gesture at St. Philomena Hospital, gifting their School of Nursing, in his characteristic manner, nationwide.

Only Senator Okpebholo can tell his intentions in stating that “if H.E Obi came to town, to Edo State without his permission informing him prior, then came the clIncher- “anything wen he see, let him take it”.”There is a new Sheriff in town” One can only surmise Okpebholo’s intentions. Wanting to placate his Supreme Court award of Governorship through the kind courtesy of, well, you know who. He wants to please Tinubu in anyway he can. This must be one of them. Ensure, the Obedients do not pose any build up inside Edo State as a form of opposition to Tinubu’s ambition in 2027. But was it necessary as at this time? By the fact of freedom of movement, any Nigerian can be anywhere he or she chooses. Peter Obi was not on a state visit and besides, both being on opposite ends of politics, was it going to be comfortable or necessary for any prior information before Peter Obi comes into town? As a Nigerian, could he not slip into town as he has done when Barrister Osaigbovo Akpata was contesting for the Governorship position under the Labour party? He even traversed Edo State, and there was no problem. So what is special when he comes to do charity in Edo State? Instead of being applauded, Okpebholo thought it mindful to chide Peter Obi.

Too many things come to mind. When H.E Gregory Peter Obi was Governor in Anambra State, where was Okpebholo? That was when he was doing his WEAC in which he passed only maths and flunked five on the papers. Then there is the issue of thoughtfulness. The occasion in Uromi did not warrant the outburst. But even if for security reason, or being solicitous over the safety of Peter Obi, was it not better it was an issue handled diplomatically, through phone calls, person to person conversation or a Governor to a former Governor and a former Presidential Candidate, a position, Okpebholo could and would never attain even if Nigeria came down to a Democratic Republic of the Congo or a run down South Sudan or Yemen.

What rankles more is the uncouth and uncivilized language Okpebholo used in issuing his rude remarks about “those wen no get shi shi, where e see N1.5million, N15million to give” or the entirely needless asking Peter Obi to clear with him otherwise “anything wen e see, make e take am”. Where Nigeria’s morality and discipline not so run down, how could a sane country choose a neophyte, a barely literate and a less exposed person, to become a Governor in a state in Nigeria, more so, Edo State with its long tradition of quality and excellence in leadership since 1963. There is a language of dignity and of decorum expected of a personage of a Governor. Okpebholo fell so far below and off the mark.

The situation was made worse when the whole country rose up in utter shock and disbelief at the gaffe of Senator Monday Okpebholo and his media aides offered limp and lame defences, egged on, no doubt by his two enablers, Wike and Oshiomhole, he was still quoted as saying that
P byhe was not sorry for what he said against Obi. The rebuttal only reveals who Edo state has as Governor, a man who neither can act the part, nor has a mind of his own. His enablers and trainers now urged him to sound brave, a courage which ho does not have. To Nigerians, he only stood worsted and a sorry sight. To Edo State, he only brought us lower in National esteem and estimation. It only shows, we must all stand akimbo in shock as more gaffes are coming and we should be less shocked as this is all we have and must endure for another three years and three months. We didn’t bargain for this. Tinubu brought this on us.

News

Ovia South West Council Chairman, Edobor Bags National Merit Award

Published

2 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

The Acting Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Charles Nosakhare Edobor, has bagged the 2025 Nigerian Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA).

He was awarded as the Best Performing Local Government Chairman in Nigeria (Security and infrastructure development, purposeful leadership).

Speaking after being conferred with the prestigious award, Edobor applauded the organizers for recognizing his administration’s commitment to localizing good governance.

He highlighted his leadership’s remarkable strides in building a sustainable, livable, and prosperous council area through numerous people-oriented programmes and projects-particularly in road infrastructure and the provision of basic social amenities.

Edobor dedicated the award to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and to the good people of Ovia south west Local Government Area.

He expressed satisfaction with the honour. He emphasized that the award would further spur him to work harder in pursuing people-centred programmes aligned with Senator Monday Okpebholo’s S.H.I.N.E and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Edobor commended Governor Okpebholo for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for local government administrations across the state.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening rural development, empowering youth and women, and ensuring the dividends of democracy reach every ward in Ovia south west local government.

Earlier, in his welcome address at the event which held on Wednesday at the National Merit House, Abuja, the National Coordinator of LOGMA, Chief Bayode Ojo, stated that the award was designed to showcase the achievements of local government chairmen and reward excellence in grassroots governance – particularly those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting grassroots development despite the challenges confronting the third tier of government.

He congratulated all the awardees for making the final list after rigorous scrutiny and spot-checking of some of their executed projects to verify the authenticity of their claims.

Chief Ojo further urged the awardees to continue to be shining examples of sustainable growth at the grassroots and in the country at large.

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JUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss

Published

3 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.

The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

More to follow…

News

Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

Published

20 hours ago

October 23, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has launched two transformative initiatives designed to recalibrate traffic governance and restore environmental sanctity across the metropolis.

In a visionary bid to guarantee seamless mobility and safe commuting at all hours, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally instituted a 24-hour operational framework for traffic management and enforcement across Lagos State.

The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’s transportation governance.

It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods and services within Nigeria’s economic epicentre—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.

According to Giwa, the 24-hour operational regime epitomises the administration’s steadfast dedication to constant vigilance, operational efficiency and disciplined traffic regulation, especially as the metropolis approaches the festive period, traditionally characterised by heightened vehicular and commercial activity.

This information was contained in a statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.

He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.

“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Giwa stated.

A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialised unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.

In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Costain and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.

The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorised traders, makeshift structures and multiple environmental infractions.

During the operation, enforcement teams uncovered an illegal diesel dumping site and impounded substantial quantities of expired plantain chips and cheese balls, stored under unsanitary conditions—a testament to the government’s prioritisation of public health and environmental integrity.

The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitisation campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.

Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Costain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded.

Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.

Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order and discipline.

General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators and commuters to comply with government directives, utilise designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient and orderly metropolis.

He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement and civic responsibility.