Between a hospital, a museum and two governors

By Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.@douglasogbankwa@gmail.com

Godwin Obaseki, former Governor of Edo State, was a very funny character. Sometimes he takes the whole of Edo State as fools. Good at propaganda and turning the facts on its head, he uses razzmattazz and showmanship to cover blatant cases of deceit and chicanery. You have to be a deep person to detect Obaseki ‘s antics. If you are moved by emotions, you will be intellectually duped.

Take the Central Hospital, around the Ring Road area, off Sapele Road, Benin City, for example. That hospital has been there for over 100 years. As a young boy growing up in Benin, I used the hospital severally for myself and my family members and many Edolites did the same, especially if you were not born with silver spoon. The hospital has been a life saver for the poor in Benin City for over a century.

The hospital is called “Central Hospital” for a reason and the leaders who conceived the idea of the hospital over 100 years ago wanted a central place, where inhabitants in Benin City can easily access affordable healthcare timeously.

Governor Obaseki however depicted his disdain and hatred for the poor, when he demolished the Central Hospital to build a museum for the rich and powerful. Na Person wey dey alive, na im dey go museum.

Let us keep politics aside and reason as humans. Between a hospital that saves lives and a museum that is meant for ostentatious and vain viewing of artefacts, which will benefit the people more?

Anyone supporting Obaseki for demolishing a life saving hospital for a vain museum must be very wicked and heartless. The so called New York Times mention of the museum and Benin City, as destination for tourism is a simulated facade of the propaganda goons, that still work for those who don’t mean well for Edo State. We are in this Benin and we pass through that place every day, there is no visit of phantom tourists to that museum. Infact, the museum was still under construction and not completed, when they released those lies.

The decision of Governor Monday Okpebholo to reinstate the Central Hospital at the same Central venue, where the museum was to be constructed and stop the absurdist theatre going on there in the indistinct and nebulous Museum of West African Arts is commendable. Why was this Museum changed from Edo Museum of West African Arts(EMOWAA) to Museum of West African Arts(MOWAA)? In whose benefits were the funds used to commence the now ill-fated Museum paid and why is the Museum now a private venture in a state facility?

Former Governor Godwin Obaseki should be remembered as the only Governor in Nigerian history that demolished a life saving hospital to build a vain museum. Posterity will judge us all for our actions. The Central Hospital saved my life and those of many bright Edo people. Some of us may be privilege today, but let us spare a thought for the poor. Governor Monday Okpebholo is a leader whose ideals revolves around the unitarian principle of government, to wit: “Government is for the greater happiness of the greater number of people”.

Obaseki’s attempt to demolish a hospital for a museum has failed eventually. Governor Monday Okpebholo again has rescued the situation. It was Abraham Lincoln, former President of the United States that said: You can deceive some of the people, some of the time, but you cannot deceive all the people, all the time.