Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
The Edo State chapter of the Panel Beaters Guild expressed strong discontent with Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election.
The guild, an artisanal body of panel beaters, criticized Okpebholo for neglecting his roots and failing to consult with the group, despite being a longstanding member of their profession.
State Chairman of the Panel Beaters Guild, Davis Osamuyi, openly condemned Okpebholo’s behavior, labeling it as unbecoming of a panel beater. Osamuyi recounted Okpebholo’s early days with the guild, noting his dedication and talent in the craft.
“Sen. Okpebholo has been a member of this association for several years. He was with us at the beginning. He returned from Jos at some point and joined the association. He was dedicated and showed a lot of zeal as a panel beater,” Osamuyi stated.
Osamuyi lamented that once Okpebholo acquired sudden wealth, he began distancing himself from the guild. Efforts to reach out to him during his senatorial campaign were met with silence, a trend that has continued as he now seeks the governorship of Edo State. “It is disheartening that Okpebholo has continued to distance himself from us now that he is contesting to become the Governor of Edo State,” Osamuyi added.
The guild has issued a stern warning: if Okpebholo does not acknowledge his membership and show respect to the guild, they will rally their members across the state to vote against him in the upcoming election. “We are not asking for too much. We just want him to show that he is one of us. Is that too much to ask for?” Osamuyi questioned, expressing the guild’s frustration.
Echoing this sentiment, the Secretary of the Guild, Mr. Friday Akomor, criticized Okpebholo’s apparent snub of the association. “We are artisans who value our work. We may be artisans, but we are worthy members of the society with a duty to our customers. As one of our members, it is only right and proper to say you are one of us. Okpebholo should just come out and make a statement that he is our member and associate with us so that thousands of our members across the State will throw our weight behind his candidacy,” Akomor asserted.
