Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, with few days left to bow out of office said the political landscape of his state has changed forever, as he has given the godfathers holding his state hostage the final burial.

The former labour leader noted that before his assumption of office on November 12, 2008, the “Godfathers” had held the state hostage and described it as not viable. Although he did not name any of the godfathers, Oshiomhole had in the past mentioned Chief Tony Anenih, the PDP leader and the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, whose son was a governor of the state for eight years, with nothing much to show.

The governor said that he was able to succeed because he came in with a clear vision to work and also free the state from those who had held the state as their private properties.

He said that the achievement of his government had not only put the “Godfathers” out of business, but also consolidated the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the number one party in the state.

According to him, “I came in with a clear vision to work. Like I discussed with Chief John Odigie-Oyegun then, there were two forces in the state.

“We had the forces that were responsible for the status quo and who are benefiting from it and the majority of the people who are victims of that order.

“And that if all those who are dissatisfied in the way in which our state had been compromised, its resources privatized, we all need to work together to overthrow that order.

“Today, we have overthrown that order, whether the Godfathers agreed or not, they are not only down, they are out as well.

“In Edo, we have two traditions of burial, the first and the final burial. I think in this case, we have done three burials; the first in 2008 through the court to reclaim our mandate that was stolen.

“The general burial in 2012, and because of their age, we gave them additional ceremony which is the final funeral and that was celebrated on September 28, 2016.

“As I keep saying, that is the only election in South South where ballots and not human blood, the ink and not blood, with PVC, people voted to affirm their rejection of the PDP and their confidence in our party by the victory of Godwin Obaseki.

“The people have spoken of course. Who else is standing other than the APC? I believed God has done that, not by our might, because, he sees our heart.

“All the roads the President drove through in his first day of visit were done by the APC government, none was done by the PDP.

“I am happy that we have supervised the burial of the Godfathers, they are out and there is nothing they can do about it.

“God has used us as instrument of change in the state. No part of the country ought to have been held hostage the way our state (Edo) was criminally held hostage by these Godfathers.

“This is not about me (Oshiomhole) or Oyegun, but our people, it is about our state. Edo can never be the same again.

“I am glad that God has used us to re-order the political environment and if a factory worker like me can be a governor, then you can be as well.”

Oshiomhole who spoke Tuesday at the end of President Buhari’s visit to the state, said the achievements recorded by his eight years have placed the state on a good pedestal that every successive government of the state would continue to build on.

Oshiomhole fielded questions from newsmen at Benin Airport after seeing off President Muhammad Buhari who was in the state for a two-day official visit.

Oshiomhole said he and the people of Edo remained eternally grateful to President Buhari for not only visiting the state, but spending two consecutive says in the state.

NAN reports that the President during the visit, inaugurated a number of projects across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Among the projects inaugurated were the new 200-bed space Central Hospital in Benin, the new Edo University in Iyamoh, erosion control project as well as road projects.

NAN reports that the President departed Benin for Abuja at about 1:45 pm on Tuesday. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov. Oshiomhole.

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