Sir Roland Osakue, outgoing Chairman of the Edo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), is a man I give a whole lot of respect to. From my assessment of his person he deserves it especially in the light of his standing by me in some difficult situations at the slightest notice.
I guess it is a mutual thing that he too has some iota of respect for my personality.
In discussions regarding his achievements for the two tenures that he has occupied office(2015 – 2021) a lot of unpalatable references have been made about some of his actions and inactions as the number one journalist in Edo State. In all these discussions I have been a bit evasive in making any contributions against him. This not because I am scared to talk but not to be seen as an ingrate if he eventually gets to hear my honest contribution if I do.
In recent times as the election to get a suitable replacement for him as he leaves office after the constitutionally accepted two tenures of six years the discuss has been that he is very interested in elongating his tenure by giving a backing to one of the contesting camps. I, as it is usual with my stand when the discussion centres around him, have always allayed fears of his involvement in any such under hand current.
Recent gist getting to me on how he has been instrumental in giving tacit support to the idea of a chapel over bloating its voters’ list; he is also credited to wanting to change the goal post as far as the decision that was generally reached at a SEC meeting to revert to the voters’ list of the 2018 poll with a proviso that the number of voters that qualified from each chapel should be used and replacement should be accepted to feel up spaces in certain cases whereby some old members have relocated or are deceased.
He is alleged to be showing open support to a camp all these while and making it seem as if he is not guilty of the charges against him.
My advice to him is that as a knight of the Roman Catholic Church he should leave office with an ovation that will not have anybody remembering his ‘sins’. He should just hands off and let the Eleco do its job. A word, as they say, is enough for the wise.
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