“When you push people to the wall, they will react.”
For too long, the people of Edo South have watched quietly while they are treated as outsiders in a state they built and sustained.
The recent actions by Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Federal Government have made it clear that Edo South is not only ignored, but deliberately sidelined.
Edo South is the heart of Edo State. It is home to seven local government areas: Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Egor, Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode, Ovia North-East, and Ovia South-West.
This region has over 58% of registered voters, contributes more than 82% of the internally generated revenue (IGR), and provides the oil that makes Edo an oil-producing state.
Yet, despite all of this, Edo South continues to receive the least in terms of political appointments, development, and recognition.
*Governor Okpebholo’s Appointments: A Slap to Edo South*
In just his first set of appointments, Governor Okpebholo showed where his interest lies. He named:
Secretary to the State Government – From Edo Central
Attorney-General – From Edo South
Commissioner of Health – From Edo North (also Oshiomhole’s son)
Chief Press Secretary – From Edo Central
Edo South, the largest and most productive senatorial district, got just one slot.
The Attorney-General position is appreciated, but it is not enough. One appointment out of four is a clear message that the new administration is not interested in fairness.
Edo South was promised inclusion, yet what we got was exclusion.
*A Pattern of Exclusion*
This is not new. For the last 16 years, most ministerial appointments from Edo State have often gone to Edo North. Under both APC and PDP governments, Edo South has been routinely ignored.
From 2015 to date:
Ministerial positions – Largely Edo North
Federal agency heads – Not from Edo South
Minister of Budget and Planning (Clement Agba) – Edo North
APC National Chairman (Adams Oshiomhole) – Edo North
Former Governor Obaseki – Edo South
Current Governor Okpebholo – Edo Central
Deputy Governor – Edo North
Minister of Health (Osagie Ehanire) – Edo South
What does Edo South have?
Nothing, apart from the current Deputy Governor and the Commissioner of Education and Justice.
A region that controls over 95% of FAAC revenue gets less than 45% of allocation. Is that justice?
*Edo South: The Majority, Yet Always Treated as Minority*
Edo South has over 2.4 million people, almost 55% of the state’s population, according to United Nations 2022 estimates.
It controls the land, the resources, the votes, and the money. But when it is time for power-sharing, Edo South is pushed aside.
We saw how Governor Obaseki shut down the Edo House of Assembly at Ring Road just to achieve personal goals. That act robbed Edo South of legislative voice and worsened grassroots suffering.
Even now, after all our efforts and support, we are being sidelined again by a new government we helped to elect.
*Our People Deserve Better*
Edo South cannot continue to be the economic backbone and political footstool at the same time. It is wrong. It is unjust. It must stop.
We are calling on all political parties, civil society groups, traditional rulers, youth leaders, and elders in Edo South to rise up and demand what is ours. We must not enter 2027 with the same silence that has cost us so much.
*Our Demands*
1. Full inclusion in political appointments, both at the state and federal level
2. Fair share of revenue allocation and development projects
3. Zoning of top political offices to Edo South in 2027
4. Respect for the economic and political weight of Edo South
5. End to the deliberate sidelining of our region
Let the voice of Benin, Ovia, Orhionmwon, and Uhunmwode rise. Let our people speak, organise, and demand justice.
Edo South cannot be ignored anymore.
The time to act is now.
Reform Progressive Alliance Media ✍️✍️
