A REBUTTAL TO USING ESAN POPULATION AND VOTING FIGURES AS MEANS OF RESOURCE AND POWER ALLOCATIONS IN EDO STATE

          Francis Ilenloa Igberaese Ph.D

It is pure nonsense using data occasioned by immigration to determine how resources, especially positions in government are allocated in Edo State, because apart from the incorrectness of the census figures, progress in under-developing countries requires geographical mobility of labour from the less developed region to the more developed region. Its attendant "backwash effects" cannot therefore be avoided.

It is tricky and dishonest to use only location or residency data as means of resource allocation if "spread effects" is the focus of our developmental goal, instead of also using indegeneous data. 

Experts in development matters also posist that given the disadvantage destinies of less developed countries in the development matrix (e.g. dualism of the economy), we have no need holding fast to unscrupulous geographical or residency data, otherwise, labour would be scare in where it they are most needed.

For example, Benin is the capital city of Edo State, which is not natural but artificial. All Ministries, Parastatals and industries are located there. These easily attract, especially, the closet people both in geographical proximity and progenitor linage (as Esans are to the Binis) to supply labour to that part. 

If Ekpoma or any other part of Esanland were made the capital, as the case of Asaba in Delta State, the Binis too would have moved to Esanland. 

Therefore, since where becomes the capital city is not a design of nature but artificial of us humans, it would be injustice to fully use data occasioned by immigration as means of allocation. If any part of Esan is made capital today in a new state and Esan people in Benin go home, Benin will almost be emptied (especially the two metropolitan LGs of Ikpoba Okha and Egor) and have the problem of quality labour force.

Take for example, Lagos, which hosted almost all tribes in Nigeria before the capital city of Nigeria was moved to Abuja. Could Lagos have then claimed that everything would  be for the Yoruba without being equitable? it is in the way the northern would claim that power and everything should emain in the north since they are more in number, irrespective of the number of southerners residing  in the capital city of Abuja and other parts of the North..   

If I may ask, besides the three metropolitan LGs of Edo South (Benin), is there any of the other four where results from any election has been so significantly different from those of Ekpoma and Uromi? This is a pointer that election results from Benin are of the combinations of all, including those of Esan people, who are influenced by the views of their people back home. 

Calling everybody to go home has never been honest and would not work. Hence, LG of origin of all persons and for all purposes are boldly filled in all forms irrespective of residency. That too, must be considered in resource allocations, if (even) development is the target.

Francis Ilenloa Igberaese, Ph.D

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