Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has adopted the soft power
approach of governance from inauguration up to date and it is obvious this will
be his signature going forward.
Soft power and Hard power are the twin concepts of
contemporary Strategic Studies in International Relations and Diplomacy. It
only portrays how nations and their custodians relate with other nations at the
international arena.
Soft power is the method of achieving one's goal with
dialogue, diplomacy and attraction. This is different from hard power that is
predominantly based on coercion, aggressiveness, assertiveness and sanctions.
It is often said that every leader patents his own signature.
Senator Monday Okpebholo has achieved a lot in a span
of four months with his soft power. He set a precedent during the 100 days
programe of events when all the leaders of APC in the State with no exception
joined him in all activities. It has never happened that all leaders from
different divides, ideologies and goals will converge in celebration of the
man, the governor.
That event shows how pockets of empires can be turned
into a Commonwealth and Okpebholo achieved this not by coercion, threat or
aggressiveness. But rather, he achieved it by means of respect, diplomacy, and
strategic humility.
I am sure the Governor follows the admonition of the
former American Secretary of State, Henry Kinssinger who wrote the book;
'Leadership', where he advised leaders to adopt strategic humility to score
political goals. The post world war German Leader, Conrad Adenauer adopted the
approach and brought Germany back into reckoning.
That is Monday Okpebholo who believes that one must
stoop to conquer, apologies to Oliver Goldsmith, who wrote "She stoop to
conquer".
In the past government of Godwin Obaseki, we saw
arrogance of power, politics of illusion, trivialization of people's rights and
it is a pathological fixation on the capture and use of raw power.
But Governor Monday Okpebholo's government is a sharp
departure from that approach which at best could be described as Hard Power
with its devastating consequences. Soft power creates lasting relationships,
and the results achieved therefrom, are enduring, which is necessary for the
wellness of the society or State.
Interestingly, hard power creates immediate results
that eventually run into a cul- de-sac. It leads to unwarranted political
rancour, conflict that can even be expensive in terms of human lives. This
accounted for the death of Obaseki's government and the ruin of the PDP in Edo
State, because impunity has a sun set. This is why I admire Governor Monday
Okpebholo who has demystified governance and given ownership of it to the
people.
Senator Monday Okpebholo was invited long ago to dine
at the table of oppressors but he refused to take up the mega phone of
oppression. He sees prosperity as a tool to advance society, unlike others who
see it as a deity to be worshiped
From his activities and love for the needy, he can
best be described as an anti elitist elite which makes the upper class think of
him " Okpebholo, our own, and not our own," reminiscence of Helena's
assertion about Demetrius in Shakespeare's Mid Summer Night Dream when
she said - " I have found Demetrius like a jewel, my own and not my
own".
I call upon Edo people to rise in unison and commend
this noble son of the world, Monday Okpebholo, a man conceived in Heaven and
delivered at Udomi, Uwessan, in Esan Central Local Government of Edo State for
his achievements so far as governor of Edo State, with the use of soft power, a
term coined by Joseph Nye.
Hon Paul Ohonbamu
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Edo
State.
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