EDO NUJ SECRETARIAT: Another Tricky Land-Grabbing Mission Caged
By Eben Enasco
If nothing else, the Grand Theft Auto series is known for its wild assortment of dangerous missions.
In the case of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which has a total of 87 missions, some of the most difficult involve vehicular tasks that prove nearly impossible to defeat on the first attempt due to the clunky controls of the cars, trucks, bikes, and boats.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City have many difficult missions, from Death Row and “Demolition Man” to Keep Your Friends Close, The Driver, and Bombs Away.
The grand theft and the Vice City is a clear case referencing the Edo State Government which now plans to eject Journalists from their over fifty years abode.
Tricky as we have learned and seen since the inception of the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki in 2016, the back door game to intentionally Land Grab the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat, Edo State Council, and the extended land space resurfaced but caged.
Despite earlier denial by the Commissioner of communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare in the penultimate weeks another group came Friday for the same inspection to perfect their hidden plans.
Earlier on Friday 18th December, 2022, it was reported that Governor Godwin Obaseki received a new Tourism Master Plan, approves contract for the construction of new trailer parks
The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said this on Thursday after the weekly State Executive Council meeting held in Government House, Benin City, the State capital.
According to Nehikhare, the Edo State, Government is very serious about creating more opportunities for Edo people in the tourism sector to express themselves and reap the inherent economic benefits.
He said the government has to exploit the rich cultural heritage bequeathed to the state by its forefathers.
While the roving grabbers in their usual ways snick into the premises, they were honestly told no part of the Union will be ceded to anybody.
The statement was a clear affirmation from the leadership of the Edo State Council of the Union’s stance not to wither and allow strangers to develop a tropical sore that will fester badly.
Journalists are record keepers who are very conversant with tourism as one of the highest employers of labor worldwide and as a State.
No doubt, Journalists can promote the rich cultural heritage that the state wants to key into to bolster its economy.
But not when a government is planning to land grab the only secretariat belonging to the State Council.
If the government is genuinely seeking a tourist center to build the purported, EMOWA, the one at the third east circular road will do the job.
Why now the exigency to grab the one at NUJ which is now generating so much tensions.
There are other moats in Benin and its environs where the governor should channel his energy and build the mount-Gillard structure on.
But this is not to be, as Obaseki and those who can’t tell him the simple truth are willing to fight with a basket in the river.
Clear enough, their convoy, headed by an average-age man donning local bead and white apparel and accompanied by two female white-skinned ladies, came unannounced with the same mission.
Their unannounced visit was like a tricky riddle that got all Journalists available at the material times brain-searching with the only answer being a “NO” and “NO” echoed by members of the Union.
With the visit from the team Obaseki, it’s obvious that his hidden plan to land grab the NUJ secretariat will hit a brick wall.
The mission seen by many as a glove that is not alive but has five fingers were immediately given a mike Tyson-like punch.
The mission calls for doing parkour-like stunts over several buildings on a motorcycle, which is nearly impossible to properly aim at such high speeds.
More times than not, a badly placed governor Obaseki in this plight will simply fly off the edge of the building to his sudden doom if he continues to harass and tempt the willpower of the Pen.
The governor in his decision must know that the only way to win in this huge adventure, he must stop between each land-grabbing jump, realign with his steering vehicle wheel accurately, and proceed with caution.
However, that takes all the fun out of the Obaseki’s mission as every Journalist is now ready to pull the plug, perhaps walk against his tall dreams and send him a moving Pen blow that will keep the pressure on him wherever he goes.
Thankfully, there is a glitch in the game that allows players to exit the mission by hitting the escape button if they must save their faces from an unnecessary fight with Journalists across the Country.
