One message that keeps fascinating me in the Bible (Luke 17: 11-19) is the story of the ten lepers healed by Jesus Christ on his way to Jerusalem passing through Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one village, he met ten men who were all lepers. And they lifted up their voices, and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” and he told them to go and meet the priests and they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was the Samaritan among them. And Jesus answering said, “were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” They did not return except the stranger in their midst, the Samaritan and Jesus told him “Arise, go thy way: thy faith had made thee whole.”
This Biblical message laid the foundation for persons with gratitude and one may suggest that Jesus telling the Samaritan to go his way as his faith has made him whole suggests to me that the case of the rest nine lepers may return in the course of their lives. But I do not intend to speculate here but to share the lessons from One old woman at Upper Lawani Street in Benin where the Edo State Comrade Governor is at the moment re-constructing the road with full asphalting, side drains, walk ways and street lights characteristic of all modern roads being constructed by the All Progressive Congress administration led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The Edo State Governor was on a routine inspection of the construction site and there was a huge crowd of people from the street and adjoining streets mainly beneficiaries of the project who wanted to see the Governor.
The old woman was able to break through the crowd and security network around the governor and caught his attention and invited him to her house. The old woman told Governor Oshiomhole that he had reared a cock hoping and praying that a day would come that the Comrade Governor would pass by and she would present it to him as a token of her appreciation to the many developmental projects the governor has embarked upon in Edo State, but in particular the Upper Lawani road where her house is located.
In joy and ecstasy the old woman narrated how the cock grew old and she had to kill it and ate it with her household and bought yet another cock awaiting the comrade Governor. The elated woman said she planned that this time around, whenever the Comrade Governor passes by, she would make every effort to reach him and formally present him with the cock which has grown to full maturity.
Her joy knew no bounds as everyone watched this lovely old woman express her gratitude to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and prayed for him that God should bless the governor and give him and his comrades in government the courage, tenacity and resources to continue to govern the state. The old woman could best be likened to the Samaritan leper who returned to and with a loud voice, glorified God.
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has been a servant of Edo people this past six years and it was soul lifting to watch that old woman showering encomiums on the governor from the bottom of her heart and for me, her action is a tonic for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to do more for Edo people. There is a Benin adage that says: Okponmwense owena wu ovbere, which translates to mean that a man who expresses gratitude is indirectly asking for more blessings from his benefactor. The Samaritan man healed of leper got that extra blessing because Jesus told him to go his way as his faith has made him whole. The rest nine may be healed, but not made whole after all because of ingratitude. It goes to show that God and man appreciates gratitude and we must continue to express gratitude to those serving us and meeting our daily needs.
Now that elections have come and gone, Edo people should be forward looking and cooperate with the Oshiomhole administration out to ensure that development is taken to all nooks and crannies of the state. At the moment, the governor is reconstructing the Second East Circular road with side drains, walk ways, street light and the project is being executed to deal with the erosion on the Second East and Sokponba road axis of the city to take away the nightmarish perennial flooding and erosion that have buffeted residents over the years. The last time the Governor went there that was how the crowed followed him to catch a glimpse of him and give him encouraging words as these are constituencies that have been neglected by previous administration and they have resigned to faith.
The same was the experience at the upper Siluko where the decades of anguish by people plying the road to the whole of Ovia went through hell to get to their destinations on a daily basis. The teachers House axis of the road was notorious for being a hide out for criminally minded elements as the flood drove away owners of landed property but with the intervention of the comrade governor, carrying out massive reconstruction of the road and linking the drainage with the multi-billion naira Benin City Water Storm project the people are happy and now say they have a sense of belonging in the government of Adams Oshiomhole.
It was also interesting to see some residents telling Oshiomhole that they believe in him and would always support his government. Some told him to discountenance the lies being peddled against his person and government. It goes to show that Edo people have truly come of age with democracy and good governance. Edo people have a discerning spirit they can easily separate the sheep from the goat. They know those who mean well for them. They know those who are feeding them with lies and half truths. They know those who don’t mean well for them and they also know how to handle them when election comes. This is a good turning point in the annals of our history.
Like the old woman in Upper Lawani, Edo people must continue to show gratitude and appreciation to Comrade Oshiomhole because his type is rare in our time. His selflessness, willingness to serve the poor and vulnerable in our country is unequalled.
Beyond the expression of gratitude, Edo people must hold him in prayers at all times and continue to play our civic duties as citizens as that remains the tonic for a performing governor like Oshiomhole to continue to serve meritoriously as he promised in one of his outings that he is “willing to give his all” for Edo people.
* Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
Gov. Adams Oshiomhole
