Osarodion Ogie: Political scorpion in the pocket

From John Osagie


Plenty of political frictions have occurred in Edo State. Many are familiar with the  high handedness, ingratitude, poor man-management, insincerity and a host of other deficiencies of Godwin Obaseki in his management of the affairs of Edo State. One man that many do not know his true color is Osarodion Ogie, a failed lawyer and Secretary to Edo State Government. Let’s wind back the clock a little.

About 2007 or so, Osarodion Ogie was the Manager to a Casino owned by the late Sam Iredia in Lagos and ran a shabby law practice by the side. One of his clients at that time is the the Benin based human rights activist, Patrick Eholor, known as Ultimate Equal. Ogie was in charge of collecting rent from some of Ultimate Equal’s properties in Lagos. Being a congenitally dishonest man, he converted most of the proceeds of rent to his own against the professional code of conduct of lawyers and as a demonstration of his unlimited shamelessness. Miffed by this theft, Ultimate Equal began to search for him. Ogie ran out of luck when Equal apprehended him and took him to his GRA house in Benin City. At the said House, Equal was so angry as Ogie could not account for the said proceeds of rent collected on behalf of Equal. Determined to teach Ogie a lesson of his life, Equal decided that Ogie  should be locked up in a dog cage. It took the intervention of Hon. Thomas Okosun and Collins Ogiegbaen (now NBA Benin Branch Chairman) to save Ogie from such open humiliation.


After this disgrace, the matter was reported to the late Sam Iredia, who decided to help Ogie with better opportunities. He brought Ogie back to Benin and when the GRACE GROUP was formed to challenge PDP at that time, Pastor Ize-Iyamu made Ogie secretary of the group. Ize-Iyamu continued to promote the man until they took over Osadebey Avenue vide ACN with Oshiomhole as Governor. Osho baba made Ogie chief of staff and commissioner for works respectively. His fortunes changed and he began to show his true color. He lied against everyone and anyone that came around Oshiomhole. He could not compete intellectually with any competent person. He recruited a lawyer called Wole Iyamu from Lagos. It was this man who became his hired brain. To secure the services of Wole Iyamu, he hurriedly made him Solicitor General of the Ministry of Justice of Edo state. Not many believed how mischievous Ogie could be on account of his docile look and subservient demeanor. Hiding under this supposed innocuousness, he injured the political and financial interests of many Edo politicians and Businessmen.

After acquiring do much resources during his first eight years in public service, he was quietly warming up to succeed Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State. He organized clandestine meetings around the State without having the audacity to openly declare his ambition. He increased his tempo of lying against Pastor Ize-Iyamu and even Godwin Obaseki when he found out that they were the preferred governorship replacement candidates of APC. Eventually, Ogie was advised to bury his ambition on the ground that he was too incompetent and timid to be Governor of a State like Edo. Ize-Iyamu, who was one of the founders of APC and helped to register the Party with INEC was schemed out of the ticket against the spirit of a previous agreement. He left the party. Obaseki then picked the Governorship ticket of the party ahead of Pius Odubu, Ogiemwonyi and a host of others. Ogie was very angry about this development. He saw Obaseki as a stranger who came to reap where he did not sow. As far as the unforgiving Ogie was concerned, It was pay back time for Oshiomhole.

As soon as Obaseki was elected as Governor of the State, Ogie schemed to be Secretary to  Government. He was given the job. He began to quietly whisper to his supporters that he will make Oshiomhole regret his action of helping Obaseki  to power instead of him. He began to steadily mislead Obaseki. He incited him against Oshiomhole and made Obaseki believe that Oshiomhole would interfere with governance in the State unless certain State actors with close relationship to Oshiomhole were kept far from influence. Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of the State was the first victim. His office imprest was cut down and he was only seen and not heard in Government circles. Ogie maliciously peddled negative stories against Oshiomhole and at the end, widened the gap between Oshiomhole and Obaseki. He took great delight in frequently laughing at Oshiomhole for handing power over to an ingrate. He mocked him for gambling with a stranger. He told prople that Oshiomhole should enjoy the fruit of his political decision. While the tension was growing stiffer between Obaseki  and Oshiomhole, Ogie pilfered state resources in obscenity. Shaibu began to fight for his fair share of relevance until APC as a political party in Edo State openly spilt into two groups. One group led by Obaseki and his cohorts, while the other was made up of aggrieved party members who protested Obaseki’s style of leadership. Obaseki branded this group as Oshiomhole’s supporters.

Indeed, Osarodion Ogie has largely achieved his mission and has deeply widened the gap between Obaseki and Oshiomhole. He has polarized APC and blocked several deserving party members from any form of patronage. The truth remains that Ogie is coming for Obaseki. He is a political scorpion in Obaseki’s pocket. Time will tell. The leopard does not change its skin.


JOHN OSAGIE, is a Public Affairs Commentator based in Benin City.