By Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja 

Ike-Nevbo-Edo-Isi Village is in Isi district, Uhunmwode Local Government Council Area of Edo State and the ancestral home of Edo State Governor, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki.

The Village which is not too far away from the Capital City of Benin is the ancestral home of the Governor.

Pa. Agbonmavbewan Agho, a nonegerian is the eldest person in Ike-Nevbo-Edo-Isi Village. He spoke first, on behalf of the people.

Pa. Agho confirms that actually, the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki hails from the Village: Ike-Nevbo- Edo Isi, where his grand parents migrated to the City of Benin.

According to him, the Governor and his siblings had never been to their traditional home until the campaign for his election in 2016, when he came with his estranged political godfather, Senator Adams Oshiomhole for the very first time, appealing for support and votes.

He repeated the visit only in 2019 during his campaign for second term in office, when he was hosted by the entire people of Isi at Eguahalor Village, where he again made several promises to positively impact the area and the people.

But unfortuntely, barely 18 months to the expiration of the tenure of Obaseki as Governor of Edo State, there is obviously nothing on ground to indicate that Ike-Nisi, in Isi district is the Obasekis’ ancestral home.

The entire place is enveloped in untold under development even as the people are mainly farmers, languishing in poverty and total abandonment by Government.

Comparatively to past Governors; James Ibori from Oghara in Delta State, and his estranged political godfather from Iyamho in Edo – north, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, just to mention a few; there is nothing to show Ike-Nevbo-Edo -Isi Village let alone the entire Isi district, have a son as a substantive Governor.

It is no gain saying; as it is an understatement to describe Ike-Nisi: the ancestral home of the Obasekis’ are still living in the medieval era, even though the World today is in the age of sweeping growth and development.

Odionwere Agho narrates: “The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki is my son, native of this Village; Ike-Nevbo Edo Isi.

“But we have not felt his impact since he became Governor of Edo State. We once tried seeing him to plead for his attention but he said he was busy.

“The Governor only came to see us in the village along side Adams Oshiomhole in 2016 while campaining to be elected, the first time.

“We never saw him again even though he made alot of promises after he was advised by Oshiomhole to try, bring development to his place of birth when he becomes the Governor.

“Though, every Christmas season he sends us cow, and rice. Last year, he sent two cows.”

This is all that could be said of the Governor by his immediate kinsmen in terms of Government positive impacts.

Sunday Ogbemudia, one of the elders also spoke. He narrates, “since the coming of the Obaseki administration, there has not been any Government presence here; we seems a forgotten people even though the Governor is from here.

“All the access roads to Ike-Nevbo- Edo-Isi are in bad state and no signs that they would receive the attention of Government soon.

“Severally, we have tried to physically meet him to present our case but he had always referred us to Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

“We are mainly farmers here, we want tarred motorable modern roads to help ease movement of our farm produce to markets, in the urban area.

“Also, we want other social amenities like pipe borne water, electricity; even it is not a bad idea if the Governor can bring investors to site one or two company here; definitely, this place will be opened up to modernity and the World.

“Many of our children have graduated from school at various levels, they are at home; no employment,” Ogbemudia laments!

The only sign of modernity in Ike-Nevbo-Edo-Isi Village, is a bore-hole said to had been built by the NDDC in 2018 but supplied water for only three months and packed up.

Also, like the failed NDDC bore-hole water project, concrete electric poles already wired, are standing in the Village but not connected to source of power supply since the time of Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, as Governor of Edo, we were told.

The team of journalists who were on the fact finding mission, were told; the Governor’s great grand father, Ogbeideoyo gave birth to Obaseki. “They migrated from this Village to live where they are now, near the Oba market in Benin City very many years ago.

“We normally join them (the Governor’s family) to celebrate the life and times of their father; Obaseki’s anniversary in Benin” another elder who identified himself as Perry Agho (old soldier) said.

The people who say they are demoralized by the ill treatment of their son, laments that the Governor was hosted in Eguaholor for his second term campaign.

In-spite all his assurances to make them have positive impact of his Government, he has neither been seen, nor has any development benefit been gotten from him ever since.

“He appealed we should vote for him which we did; he assured he was going to reward our support with developmental projects, but unfortunately the reverse is the situation here.”

Joseph Agho, the Okaighele (headship of the youth group) also lamenting the situation which he said is not funny, appealed the Governor should try have a change of attitude and give them at least; some feel of Government presence as dividend of having produced a Governor of Edo State, before he leaves next year.

Having him as Governor is a rare privilege which we ought to have extremely benefited from, he added.

At the Governor’s family house, we found a woman who gave her identity as Omoruyi Faith. She and her family are the only occupant for about 20 years now, she said.

Farming is their occupation as she was at work frying garri which she said was been made ready for her customers who usually come from Benin and other urban area.

Mrs. Omoruyi in obvious difference in response to our probing said; “yes I am aware this house is owned by the family of the Governor; Obaseki. But none of them comes here; all my 20 years in this house, I have not seen them.”

She said, the husband pays the monthly rents but not aware to whom in particular, and how much.

Though the house is highly dilapidated, evidently it could still indicate the high social status of the owner in such environment of gross backwardness, and under development.

While opposite, lies the ruins of the compound of the Governor’s great grand father; whose name was given as Ogbeideoyo, abandoned in a near forest. “From here they migrated to Benin,” our guide disclosed.

From Ike-Nevbo-Edo-Isi Village is Okhuohuo village, a walking distant where HRH Igbinedion F. Ogbemudia is the Enogie.

Okhuokhuo is a bit bigger and slightly different from the Governor’s Village but similar in terms of development and growth level, by Government.

On the impacts of the Obaseki’s administration on Okhuokhuo Village and her people, HRH Ogbemudia also laments the total absence of Government presence: no good roads, electricity, pipe borne water, even the health centre here is in a very poor state. The one being built by the NDDC, suddenly work has stopped. There is no much development here, he said.

The existing health centre was built in 1972 by self efforts of the people and handed over to the Local Government Council authority of Uhunmwonde.

Only one nurse is the personnel in the local health facility; no other worker.

The health facility since it was handed over, the Local Government Council in conjunction with a committee of the Village where Hon. Monday Oguikpon is secretary, have been managing it.

But now the funding has been taken over by a non Governmental Health provision body: huwe; a National Primary Health Care Development Agency which chose Okhuokhuo health facility as one of those in the Council area to impact.

The body like the NHIS now fund the generality of the health facility, though it is partnering the Obaseki’s administration, it was said.

The nurse who is the only worker in the health facility arrived on 7 April, 2021 at the time, there was virtually nothing on ground to reckon with, we were told.

What is regarded as a health facility in Okhuokhuo at best could be compared to an animal pen: no electricity, water, furniture; wíndows and ceilings are broken and falling off. The water bore-hole in the health centre had since gone bad.

The only water bore-hole located at the Village Primary School was said to had been built in 2003 by the local Government Council administration of Eghosa Ogbemudia.

This is where the resident nurse rolls wheelbarrow to get water for use in the health centre; as often as possible, it was said.

The entire building looks dirty even as there are no equipments! Vaccines for Okhuokhuo health centre are gotten from Eyaen community near Benin, to be preserved in Eguahalor; two Villages away.

Sometimes, the nurse finds it tough going in the rain to collect the vaccines, when they are needed for immunization.

In the pitiable situation of the health centre, in emergency situation the resident nurse, patient and everyone are usually at the mercy of fate; anything could happen!

To the probing if truly the Governor, Obaseki is from the locality? The Enogie in seeming evassive manner said: “We don’t want to embarrass anybody, I know he is our son, he is our Governor.”

It was however affirmed; that he only visited his ancestral home with Oshiomhole just once to seek support and votes in 2016.

Inspite of all his assurances, nothing also on ground in the area to show the presence of his Government just 18 months away to the end of the administration.

Hon. Ogiukpon disclosed that the entire people of Isi district some time past, intended to visit the Governor with a lot of gifts including farm produce, to remind him of their existence and sorry plight.

“But he refused to receive us; as well rejected our gifts saying that there was no basis for the visit until he impacts us with the benefits of democracy.

“We are still waiting for him even as ít is barely one and half year left in the life of the Obaseki’s administration.

However, conspicuously, there is solar powered street light in the locality said to had been built by the NDDC via the influence of one of their own in the agency about 15 years ago. But due to no maintenance, they have all stopped working.

The Enogie who was installed in 2002 said, Okhuokhuo Village came into existence during the reign of Oba Ewuare l.

Driving to the Governor’s Village: Ike-Nevbo-Edo-Isi Village through Eguahalor Village, a sign post was seen at the entrance loudly announcing the existence of a Government Technical School. It was the famous former Elahor Grammar School now converted!

But behold; the reality on the ground indicates entirely a different picture. The inscription on the old sign post of the School at the gate stating; Elahor Grammar School have been erased and no indication that it is now a Government Technical School.

The entire School compound right from the gate, is like a forest; tall grasses hold sway, and no sign of life let alone; a School as everyone may be wanted to believe by powers that be! EInterestingly, Eguahalor Village is also in Isi district where the Governor was reportedly hosted in 2019, by his kinsmen in the campaign for his second tenure.