https://www.newshunternow.com/posts/the-primacy-of-truth-part-7

https://nigerianobservernews.com/2024/05/the-primacy-of-truth-part-7/

https://www.nairaland.com/8093221/primacy-truth-part-7-crusoe

https://www.naijametronews.com/the-primacy-of-truth-part-7

*The Primacy of Truth (Part 7)*

*By Crusoe Osagie*

Growing up in Benin City in the mid-1980s, everyone knew the houses in the neighbourhood where they owned video cassette players.

There were mainly two types: VHS or Betamax.

Maybe once in a month or even less frequently, many children will gather in the home where they owned one of these gadgets to watch a movie.

‘Snake in the Monkey Shadow’ or ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ were some of the common titles at that time.

Around that time, one of my uncles, Mr. John Omodamwen of blessed memory returned from the United States of America where he had gone to earn a Master's Degree.

He rented a house on Asabor Street, just five minute’s walk from my father’s house on Jemide Drive-both streets are off Goodwill Street, in Ekenhuan Road, Benin City.

Mr. Omodamwen was yet to be married to his extremely pretty wife (who he later tied the knot with) at the time and so being a bachelor, it was thoroughfare for me and my siblings inside his apartment.

And guess what?

He returned from the United States with a video cassette player. It was a jackpot for me and my siblings. We were at his place every day that we weren’t in school to watch ‘Death Wish’, and ‘War Bus,’ among others.

Fast forward to the late 1990s and 2000s, the smooth Asabor Street where my uncle, Omodamwen initially rented a house (he had since moved to his own home) had been overtaken by flood.

A clean, paved road had become a swamp!

It seemed to have happened suddenly because I was distracted by university education *pursuit* at that time, and I was always away from Benin City.

Childhood family friends, the Ereses, the Imades, and many others were contemplating abandoning their homes. A few landlords on that street sold their homes for a pittance and moved from being homeowners to tenants again. Some died from the frustration.

Governor Godwin Obaseki came to power in 2016, and about a year later, he fixed that road with a very elaborate drainage system.

My friends, William Erese, a one-time African record holder in the 110-meter hurdles, Bright Imade, Queen Imade, Eghosa Imade, the Aihevbas and several others had their homes redeemed by this effort of Governor Obaseki.

After Asabor Street, Obaseki went on to fix other roads in the area, including Iriajen Street, where a popular local politician and my father’s friend, Pa Goodluck Okhuarobo lives. He also fixed Aerodrome Close, College Road, Joromi Street and environs, where Sir. Victor Uwaifo lived. The list is endless.

Should the funds deployed to save these neighbourhoods have been handed over to the powerful politicians with access to Government House in sacks?

Will the Ereses, the Imades, the Aihevbas, the Obakpolors, the Okhuarobos; their children and grandchildren sit idly and watch the Lions and Tigers take us back to the dark years where all was well as long as the politically connected were feeding fat?

The jury is out and the battleground is the gubernatorial election on September 21, 2024.

Sadly, not many will read this. Our people are inundated by a deluge of tall tales and they can hardly find space to accommodate the Primacy of Truth.

*Watch out for Part 8.*

*_Osagie, a journalist, is the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media Projects_*