Dr. Pius Odubu
By Isaac Asabor
Real leaders go beyond any of the political title that comes across in any of the following mould; President, Governor, Senator, Chairman, Boss or what have you! It may appear as if some people are naturally gifted with leadership skills, but the truth is that most leadership traits can be learned and sharpened with time and practice. Matured and responsible leaders claim their share of anything that went wrong and are quick to accept blame, and even faster to assign credit to others when things go well. That is the kind of leadership Dr. Pius Odubu, an erstwhile deputy governor of Edo state has exhibited so far since he has been bestriding the sphere of leadership like a colossus.
There is no denying the fact that tongues have started wagging with the question, “What is it about Odubu?” The answer to the foregoing question cannot be farfetched as the race for Osadebey Avenue has begun to gather momentum. It has become glaring that the mass media must play the essential role of keeping the citizenry abreast of current events and raising awareness of various issues in the society. Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to inform Edolites that one their sons and brother, in the person of Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, has the leadership qualities that have the collective potency of elevating Edo state to an enviable height in no distant time.
Without any modicum of hyperbole, there is the need for Edolites to engender an atmosphere where leaders that will move the state forward are given the opportunity to lead in the state rather than politically and mischievously scheming them out from the sphere of leadership only for them to resort to regret in the future. Without doubt, Edo State has over the years being denied of good leaders even at critical times when they were needed to move the state forward.
Be that as it may, it is no more news that Dr. Odubu, ahead in his race to Osadebey Avenue, will contest for APC ticket with Maj.-Gen Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), former governorship candidate, Christopher Ogiemwonyi, former Minister of State for works and a former governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu,who decamped from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); the major opposition party in the state. This is where the confusion usually comes from in a political contest of this nature as the people usually find it difficult to decipher the candidate that have the expected leadership quality that can earn the state a beneficial transformation.
Faced with this challenge of knowing “who is who” in the contest for APC ticket in the state, it is expedient and exigent that an insight to the personality of Odubu is presented in this context. After all, an African proverb has it that “If beards signified intelligence, the goat would have been a genius”. Therefore, there is a sense of wisdom at this juncture to separate the men from the boys.
In as much as it is germane to say that Odubu is not a greenhorn in the governance of Edo State, it is expedient to say that he literarily sweated and rolled up his sleeves to work with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as a governor then before the present condemnable political leadership in Edo commenced the obfuscation of the dream that was meant to uplift Edo and Edolites.
Bluntly put, Odubu was in league with Oshiomhole in putting a formidable political structure on ground in the state. Regretably, it is the same structure that Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who was then the Chairman of the Edo State Government’s Economic and Strategy Team, is bungling as the incumbent governor since 2016 to the detriment of Edo APC and wellbeing of entire people in the state. In fact, the consolidation of the many policies, programmes and projects that were at the time created for the basis of a sustainable economic and social development of the state has been mismanaged.
Now that Odubu has declared his intention to run for the office of governor of Edo state in the forth-coming governorship election on the platform of the APC, Edo, it is necessary he is given a chance to enable him bring his sterling and exemplary qualities to bear in the bid to rescue Edo state from the jaws of political jackals. Succinctly put, he is wanted as the next Edo state government.
There is no denying the fact that Odubu who was born in 1958 in a little village of Urhomehe, Uronigbe North Ward in Orhionwon local government area of Edo state, embraced his future with determination by proceeding for his primary education at St. Pius Primary School, Urhomehe, before proceeding to Immaculate Conception College, Benin City, where he was a recipient of an academic scholarship award from the then Benin Area Joint Board. No doubt, he distinguished himself in several ways as a child that is destined to make history. From an early stage in life, he no doubt interpreted Abraham Lincoln’s philosophical quote that says “I will prepare and someday my chance will come.”
As time goes on, his quest for robust education took him to the United States of America for further studies in 1977. While in the US, Odubu attended Philandersmith College, Little Rock, Arkansas; Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Southern University School of Law; Georgetown University Law Centre, Washington, DC; and Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts. He later attended Oxford University, Said Business School, Oxford England. Odubu has to his credit, a chain of quality degrees, including BA (Hons.) in Political Science; Doctor of Jurisprudence in Law; Master of Law with major concentration in International and Comparative Law; and BL (Barrister and Solicitor at Law). On his return to Nigeria in 1985, Odubu was enrolled in the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in October 1986.
After his call to bar, Odubu had a flourishing law practice in Benin City until 1999, when he was elected into the House of Representatives to represent Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency of Edo state. He was re-elected in 2003. While in the House of Representatives, Odubu was a ranking member of the committees on appropriations; Federal Capital Territory and labour. He was deputy chairman of the commerce committee. At various times, Odubu served in the following committees: works, marine transport, and commerce, navy, anti-corruption and public accounts.
At this juncture it is germane to ask, “What is Odubu bringing to the table?” In answering the foregoing question there is no denying the fact that he will bring good education to Edo state as he is unarguably a beneficiary of the virtue as well as bringing his cognate experience to bear on governance in the state. Added to the foregoing leadership qualities is that he is an embodiment of diligence, intelligence, transparency, integrity and accountability.
Isaac Asabor A Journalist, Writes from Benin-City
