By Jane Uyi Orobosa

I read with condescending amusement an article credited to Monday O. Eboigbe, Esq where he tried unsuccefully to use fading colours to white-wash Senator Monday Okpehbolo, the All Progressive Congressive, APC, gubernatorial candidate for the September elections in Edo State.

It was obvious he was trying to defend the indefensible.

In his article, he agreed with Chief Francis Inegbeniki completely that what the Esan people need to present is an individual with the three Cs: Character, Competence and Capacity. In all fairness, Senator Okpehbolo does not come close to having any of them.

For the issue of character, Ebiogbe cannot say Okpebholo has it: Ebiogbe is aware Monday has abandoned his responsibility to those he sired. I do not know who else can be qualified as lacking in character if such godly responsibility is not taken. I will not go too far on this trail because I consider it personal, but I am miffed that Ebiogbe is taking such issue lightly when he knows the facts. This apart, there are stories of how the senator swindled Late Chief Tony Anenih of so much money from businesses he was given to manage. Up till this day, accounts from any of these several businesses have never been given. Rather, he inherited them after the sage passed on. If the children of the late sage have kept quiet, it is not because the stories are not in the public domain.

Where is the transparency on his constituency projects running into billions? The fact that these billions that were supposed to be used for projects in Esanland have been diverted to running the gubernatorial election that has proven to be too big for him.

Ebiogbe’s second offering concerning the lukewarm senator was competence. It is laughable that Ebiogbe tried to proclaim the competence of Okpebholo through winning elections where in the first instance the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was embroiled in crisis because Senator Ordia wanted to run for a third term, which was rejected by the party leaders. Of course, we all can recall how the primaries which eventually gave him the APC gubernatorial ticket was marred with shameful irregularities, and the comments thereafter by party chieftains such as Kassim Afegbua and co. So winning a primary in such nature is not a measure of competence.

Competence is about personalized proficiency. It is the ability to do something successfuly and efficiently. Okpebholo has not shown any possibility of competence; from his woeful scores in his National Examination Council, NECO, to his consistent public gaffes cannot be admitted into the definition of competence. I am sure Eboigbe has watched Dr Asue Ighodalo speak very eloquently on issues. And I am sure he will not in his mind fail to acknowledge what competence entails. When Ighodalo speaks, you will be aware he knows the issues. As a lawyer and a successful boardroom guru, Ighodalo can only be qualified as being competent, proficient, accomplished, skillful, resourceful…not Okpebholo that has shown no sign of knowledge concerning any major issue.

And lastly, Eboigbe raised the issue of capacity. He said he, “finds it difficult to believe Monday has no capacity to transform Edo with his S.M.O AGENDA…” I was thinking hs would afford us Monday’s capacity in a chosen field to show how much capacity he exudes. But no, he kept repeating how he won elections and was nominated in the primary that was fraught with irregularities. These do not show capacity sir! Rather, these are parts of fhe rots in our society – where politicians circumvent the system through bribes and corruption.

Eboigbe must know that when Chief Francis Inegbeniki supported Monday to become the senator representing Edo Central, it was a very localized election. Today, Chief Francis is aware that such a candidate cannot be accepted in a state-wide election – the Esan people cannot offer us Okpebholo, we wont not accept.

So for me, it is easier to sell snow to the Eskimos than to sell Monday to the Edo State people who are some of the most enlightened people in Nigeria.