By John Mayaki
For every bad decision a government makes, including the illegal seizures of private properties over political rivalry and jealousy, those whose duty it is to advise the government and others aligned to it in partisan support are left with two options from which to choose.
They can either summon the courage to say the truth and force the government on a course-correction path or they can choose to lend themselves to injustice and invent more lies to defend what is obviously wrong.
Adaze Emwanta, a former aide to Governor Obaseki, unfortunately chose the latter. He has made the cowardly decision to ignore the truth and facts surrounding the condemnable decision by the Edo State Government to claim Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s 18-hectare farmland in Amagba. But beyond this, he is also excitedly amplifying the falsehood designed as cover and justification for this thinly-veiled act of political vendetta.
He repeated the lie in a recent report in the Vanguard Newspaper, falsely alleging that “the land Ize-Iyamu is laying claim to, used to belong to the state government, and was meant for a government project.”
According to his lie, Ize-Iyamu “converted this land to his farmland”.
The truth of the matter, as shown by verifiable documents and recent history, is that the landed property was duly acquired by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu from members of the Amagba community over a decade ago.
There has been no dispute on the ownership of the property until the state government and its minders (who, it must be said, are threatened by Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s political strength and enduring popularity despite his many years out of government), decided to ‘take him down’ or ‘cut him to size’, borrowing the evil parlance popular in their circles.
Adaze Emwanta knows this, and so does everyone else. Over the years, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s development efforts on the property, notably the engagement of several Edo youths in its host community and beyond, have been commended by the same characters. They have lauded the agriculture empowerment initiatives carried out on the land and, in fact, held it up as a model of how private capital can accelerate sector and communal growth.
The sudden U-turn and overnight ‘government plans’ that have surfaced for the land are driven primarily and principally by bitter politics. But it takes courage to take a principled stand in the high-stake politics of Edo State and its all-consuming nature where ‘loyalty’ is interpreted to mean mindless worship and bootlicking.
To get ahead, particularly in appointment season like the one we are approaching in Edo State, professionals with years of training betray their expertise and prop up lies and high-handedness that portends great danger for individual rights and the rule of law.
To see Adaze Emwanta take this route, particularly in this case, is sad and disappointing. It is a betrayal of conscience, decency, and democratic ethos which all citizens must defend. The right to own property is not conditioned on partisan support; it is an inalienable right guaranteed to everyone by the constitution.
The government cannot acquire the lands of its opponents, both real and perceived, and claim it is acting in the “interest of the public.” It is not in the interest of the public to abuse powers of office, scare away potential investors, and throw the state into perpetual divisiveness and tension. These are the pernicious consequences of the Edo State Government’s actions.
Adaze Emwanta cannot feign ignorance. He is merely shortsighted, unwilling to see beyond his nose. Unaware that only by defending the rights of our opponents when they are violated can ours be safe. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Powers change hands; no party or individual remains in charge forever.