The Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), the umbrella socio cultural organisation of the Esan, has set up a 24-member Mobilisation and Contact Committee to execute last weekend’s resolution of the Esan Assembly on the governorship of Edo State. The Assembly had resolved to reach out to Edo North and Edo South Senatorial zones in the quest to get them concede the governorship contest to persons of Esan extraction.
According to a statement by EOI’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tony Iyare, the committee, which is headed by the pioneer Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mathew Egbadon, has as members former Edo State Governor, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor; frontline business man, Chief Leemon Ikpea; former President of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Peter Esele; a retired Army General, Cecil Esekhaigbe; former President of the Association of Esan Professionals, Mr Efe Akhigbe; former Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Post Primary Education, Dr Roseline Etiti Okosun,; and former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr Tony Iyare.
Others include Constitutional Law scholar, Prof. Mike Ikhariale; Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, Prof. Friday Okonofua; Linguistics expert, Prof. Ekeikhome Ejele; political science scholar, Prof. Sylvester Odion Akhaine; former Director of the Nigerian Deposits Insurance Corporation, Dr Pascal Ebhohimen; and political development scholar, Dr Onoohomen Ebhohimhen.
Committee members also include organisation and management exper, Dr Celey Okogun; international accounting consultant, Mr Henry Egbiki; EOI Vice President, Engr. George Okoyo; President, Esan Club 30 Port Harcourt, Engr. Frank Oriakhi; and President of Ikolo Esan based in Benin City, Eng. Henry Ikheloa. The committee also has members representing faith based organisations – Rev. Fr. Fidelis Arhedo and Alhaji Abdulkadir Mukhtar. Also included are a Lagos based businessman, Chief Albert Iyorah; Engr. Sunny Udabor; and Mr Genesis Inibhunu, representing Esan persons in the Diaspora.
Apart from engaging prominent leaders of the two zones, the committee is also to have sessions with leaders of the political parties particularly the major ones – All Progressives Congress, People’s Democratic Party and Labour Party. The committee is also expected to meet with traditional rulers, women and youth organizations.
In the strong move to put forward their best hands for the forthcoming governorship contest of Edo State, the Esan ethnic nationality – located in the Central Senatorial zone – have listed criteria that aspirants from the zone must meet to enjoy support. This, they argue, is to ensure that only viable and capable aspirants who will elicit support of the Northern and Southern Senatorial zones will be endorsed to angle for the No 1 seat of Edo State as Obaseki’s two terms of four year each end in November 2024.
The Esan Assembly held last weekend, under EOI’s auspices, endorsed the criteria presented by a six-member sub-committee headed by Ikhariale, which makes the possession of a Bachelor’s degree, as opposed to the constitutional provision of a secondary school certificate, as the minimum for persons of Esan extraction contesting for any political office. Other members of the sub committee earlier set up by EOI’s Political and Strategy Committee, include Okonofua, Ejele, Odion-Akhaine, Okosun and Ebhohimhen.
The two-hour meeting, presided over by EOI President, Egbadon, also disclosed plans to engage other senatorial zones with the hope of getting them to concede the governorship ticket to persons of Esan extraction on the basis of justice, equity and fairness. Stressing the altruistic nature of the group’s intervention, Egbadon said: “We are non-partisan. We are only interested in putting forward our best hands”, pleading with “unserious aspirants” who have joined the hordes of contenders for the governorship ticket to quit the race.
While Edo Central’s reign under Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor was cut short after 18 months in office, Edo South with Mr. Lucky Igbinedion and Obaseki will be completing 16 years in the governorship saddle by 11th November 2024. Edo North has also had two terms of eight years under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
