BY AMBASSADOR JUSTICE OYAMIENLEN GODFREY
PARTONE
It is not longer news that unending crisis has been rocking the supposed mass movement in Edo state under the aspics of Edo Civil Society Organizations EDOCSO since it was founded in 2013. Let’s not pretend that all is well with the body. Until the course of the crisis is known the abuse becomes inevitable
How it started:
The rise of students, workers and societal struggles in Edo state led to the formation of body known as Gani Fawehinmi Good Governance Movement GFGGM in 2009. It was a conglomeration of different NGOs in the Edo state. This movement shocked the government in following area;
1. Protest/rally on BLACK DAY ON EDUCATION which resulted to the RED ROOF in primary/secondary schools in Edo state.
2. Protest against YAR’ADUA proposed privatization of the downstream oil sector in Abuja.
3. Lingering crisis between the Classroom/NUT against state government in 2010.
4. The mass Protest against GEJ on subsidy removal.
5. Protest against Edo state government on Property Tax
The movement was truly the voice of the masses in the state as at then which prompted the Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole to create the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society and ask us to produce somebody to fill the position. The office which was suppose to have been a blessing to the masses automatically became something else as few individuals now relied on it to defraud the general masses and enriched themselves and thereby forgone the FOOT SOLDIERS.
The government of Edo State under Comrade Governor Administration used the apparatus within his reach to disarmed GFGGM the people’s movement having succeeded in the pocket inducement to some of the leaders that played to the tone and then introduced the Sale of “EDO HOUSE” in Lagos, at this time there was no more coalition movement to champion the course of the people. It was Patriot Patrick Eholor a seasoned activist that rescued the leaders who sold out from the shame; He financed and sponsored FOOT SOLDIERS to protest against it in Lagos.
This shame was what led to the formation of Edo Civil Society Organizations EDOCSO. As one of the pioneer, having watched the activities on first three meetings in the newly formed Organization with the same leadership I knew that until the issues that led to the silent of the former movement is properly addressed what we are going to have is accusing fingers, and then my organization and others pulled out from it. Barely a year ago, had the game started again as some members were accused of collecting money from government officials. Instead of using that medium to solve the problem and stay from all these money activism, those who were involved were covered up by the interim leadership and then conducted election using these same people.
Those who power were given to because they were in hurry to conduct election without laying a good foundation by settling the lingering crisis. The body could not perform in spite of the societal problems and unfavorable policies introduced by the state government including the Edo state House of Assembly crisis that distracted the state for several months. If not because we distance ourselves from the EDOSCO nothing meaningful would have recorded in the House of Assembly saga. While some were busy protesting against the gruesome killing of a young man who was arrested by police and later found dead others were busy going from offices to offices for bribe to stop the protest. Today another faction has broken out from the body.
Now whom to blame?
Where do we go from here?
Where are the elders in the game?
Good or bad the elders should come out and stop using the youths to fight against themselves. Creating more fashion will not anyway solve the problem but a better platform to resolve this crisis once and for all.
AMBASSADOR JUSTICE OYAMIENLEN GODFREY
PRESIDENT, ESAN YOUTHS CAMPAIGN (ESANYOCAM)
