By John Mayaki
During the heat of the Edo State electioneering campaign, a particular national television station appeared determined to put then-candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo under an unforgiving spotlight. That station was Arise Television, especially its flagship programme, The Morning Show.
Anchors such as Dr. Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni, and Orji Okpe repeatedly insisted that Senator Okpebholo must appear on their platform to “speak English,” outline his plans, and submit himself to their interrogation, otherwise, they implied, he should not be taken seriously as a serious contender for office.
Fast-forward barely one year into his administration, and the tone has changed. Unmistakably so.
Arise News, particularly “The Morning Show”, has now cleared its earlier doubts. The same governor once dismissed as taciturn and unconvincing has emerged as a leader whose style may be quiet, but whose focus is unmistakably fixed on delivery.
Projects once thought unattainable are now unfolding steadily, without drama, propaganda, or needless noise of MoUs.
In the past, governments in Edo State routinely waited for external intervention, especially from the World Bank, before addressing catastrophic erosion threatening lives, homes, and entire communities. When such funding failed to materialise, the default response was paralysis. Nothing was done. Communities were left to their fate.
The immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki perfected this culture of excuses. Edo people will remember the now-infamous signposts erected across the state and even on federal roads, publicly lamenting the government’s “inability” to fix them because they belonged to the Federal Government. Ironically, even state-owned roads were largely ignored. Governance became a loud complaint session rather than a problem-solving exercise.
Then came the shock. A video surfaced last week on social media, revealing the horrifying scale of gully erosion in parts of Benin City – erosion that had displaced families, destroyed homes, and nearly claimed thousands of lives.
But what stunned Edo people even more was the revelation, aired by ITV, that this deadly challenge had been quietly but comprehensively addressed by the Okpebholo administration. No fanfare. No press conference. Just work.
Many residents were genuinely unaware that such massive intervention was ongoing. Yes, the public already knows about the reconstruction of federal roads, flyovers, and other major infrastructure projects. But this particular intervention, now viral, caught everyone off guard. It was so compelling that Arise TV itself aired the report, openly commended Governor Okpebholo, and encouraged him to do even more in what they described as a good news report on “The Morning Show”.
Three critical lessons emerge from this moment.
First, objectivity in journalism still exists. Arise TV demonstrated that credible media platforms can reassess their positions when confronted with evidence. According to Rufai Oseni, “show me the empirical facts”, now Okpebholo is showing them.
Second, Governor Okpebholo’s performance within one year has spoken louder than any studio appearance ever could. Arise TV can now bear witness to this and we commend them.
Third, it takes professional courage, patriotism and strength for commentators who once wished a man away to publicly acknowledge his achievements. I also did wished him away in the past but I now admit he has a lot to offer and he is delivering.
For this, I commend Dr. Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni, Orji Okpe, and the entire Arise TV team for refusing to be blinded to progress, even when it comes from a leader they had earlier written off. This is journalism at its best. It is fair, self-correcting, and anchored on facts rather than prejudice. They should indeed do more of this.
As for the governor, this commendation is not an invitation to complacency. It is a challenge. He must not rest on his oars. The moment calls for even greater resolve, to press toward the mark of this high calling. To do the unimaginable. To continue to do it quietly. And, as always, to let the results speak so loudly that even the loudest critics are forced to listen.