By Lucky Okoedion
Honorable Stewart Efe, the immediate past Edo State Commissioner for communication and orientation,loved by his people and all who come in contact with him is interestingly not an overnight political success. Fondly called “Baba Stewo”, his rise to the status of being loved by most people in his Egor Local Government Area of Edo State and beyond did not happen through a sudden leap to the top. He started from scratch, learned the ropes, survived all forms of trials, political battles and persecution, and paid his dues as a seasoned grassroots mobiliser and frontline advocate of equal rights for all.
Before being called upon to serve as a commissioner in the first term of Governor Godwin Obaseki the executive governor of Edo State, Honorable Stewart Efe has been at the fore-front of community advocacy, youth leadership and other grassroots development initiatives in Egor Local Government Council of Edo State and beyond. He has advocated tirelessly for equal opportunity for all and the need to end all forms of inequity and injustice that deprives those raised in less fortunate circumstances of access to opportunities to maximize their potential. Hence he is regarded as a soldier for the people, who fights only against all forms of injustice, having also been at the receiving end of such several times in the past.
Hon. Stewart Efe understands the “hustle” in the street because he started from scratch, and he has seen it all. He knows where the pain aches.
His importance to the people of Egor local government area in the political scheme of things in the Edo state of today cannot be overemphasized. Given the recent political revolution in Edo State that led to the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the recent governorship elections, against all odds, through bipartisanship support, unifying factors like Hon. Stewart Efe is needed to help build a modern, new and more effective political foundation for Edo state, beginning at the grassroots. Knowing fully well that every good thing that lasts begins with a strong foundation at the grassroots.
He is a product of the streets who understands what the common man in Egor suffers, a man of the people, humble and down to earth, a father and brother to all, a bridge builder, a team player, an intelligent and astute administrator, a public relations officer par excellence. He is hardworking, tireless and ever friendly.
It is worthy of note that when chaos almost took over every part of Edo State and Nigeria in the wake of the #EndSars protests that were hijacked by hoodlums, and the aftermaths, Honorable Stewart’s ability to get the audience of the boys in the street, and get them to listen and refrain from all forms of lawlessness helped to save lives and properties in Egor and beyond. This was possible simply because they know him as an elder who has always been like a father to them. So they listened to him. He comes down to their level to reason with them. And they listen, irrespective of political differences. A society without such elders who the youths can listen to irrespective of their personal affiliations is soon exposed to all forms of insecurity and breakdown of law and order.
Together with others from Egor local government area, Honorable Stewart Efe worked hard to ensure that His Excellency Governor Obaseki did not lose Egor in the recent governorship election, thereby ensuring that Egor people can proudly say that they have a stake in the current administration. It is an act of good representation when your people have a formidable representative like Honorable Stewart Efe on the table where government decisions are being made in Edo state.
As a Commissioner, though it lasted for only a few months, Honorable Stewart recommended several Egor people for appointment.
Again, during the recent governorship election, Honorable Stewart became very useful to the Governor in helping to ensure that many youths do not accept to work as thugs for the opposition. This was possible because he is widely respected by many youths in the street. Owing to the fact that he is regarded as a man of the people and a grassroots mobiliser.
Honorable Stewart made sure that Egor people got their fair share of every government initiative within those few months that he served as commissioner. Unfortunately, much was not happening in Government those months as the focus was on elections and preparation for a possible transition to another administration pending the outcome of the elections. Yet, Egor people felt the impact of having a Commissioner. Thanks to his excellent leadership skills.
Soon after the cabinet was dissolved after Obaseki’s first term, honorable Stewart came back to Egor to organize a thank you get together to appreciate the people for the opportunity to serve. It was the first time such would be happening. It goes to show that he is a man that appreciates.
In terms of his primary assignment as Commissioner for ministry of Communication and Orientation, here were his achievements:
1) He met a Ministry of Communication and Orientation that was not functioning as expected. PROs were underutilized and there were so many internal issues between people in the system.
To solve the problems, he embarked on a full scale research of the challenges of the ministry and ways forward. He set up different committees and gave responsibility to different directors in the ministry to hold fact-finding meetings to bring out the challenges of the ministry and way forward.
This produced recommendations that were forwarded to the Head of Service and the government of Obaseki.
2) He helped to proffer solutions to problems that made it difficult for Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) Television and radio to function effectively.
All these required several meetings with different people and expert recommendation. He achieved all these within the few months and weeks when he served, before the cabinet was dissolved at the end of the first term of his Excellency Governor Obaseki in November 2020.
Even before Honorable Stewart was ever made a commissioner, here are the reasons why Egor people loved him:
1) He has helped many Egor people to get employed into federal jobs even before holding any political appointment, as a private citizen.
2) He was a founding member of the defunct Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD), which later metarmophorsed to the Action Congress (AC), later Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and now All Progressives Congress APC, before moving with Governor Godwin Obaseki to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And he has been helping them to win political battles ever since without getting rewarded.
He was unjustly persecuted in 2018 after the Egor local government chairmanship primary of the then All Progressives Congress (APC) was stolen from him. He was locked up on false accusation. It took the court for him to be vindicated and declared innocent of all charges.
Yet he did not hold it as a grudge against his people. He forgave generously, and today, he is appreciated. Many of his former political foes are now his promoters. Why? Because of his humility, maturity and excellent emotional intelligence. He is a proof to every young boy or girl who is hustling in the streets of Egor today that there is hope for a better tomorrow. He is an evidence that a child of anybody can become somebody in Edo State. His story is also a lesson that if your heart and hands are clean, God will always fight for you and vindicate you. And you cannot bring down a man who God is uplifting.
We are strongly convinced that no person of good conscience in Egor will oppose honorable Stewart today after considering all that he suffered in 2018 when what should have been his Egor Local Government chairmanship mandate was stolen from him and he was also framed up, and locked up, but later vindicated in court.
This is also a testament to the fact that there is no gain in the politics of bitterness, violence and oppression. And it is rewarding to be forgiving and understanding, and to not hold grudges against your people. This is because, no matter what, your people are your people. Egor needs unity and one voice in order to take the local government area to where we all desire.
