*Photo: Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo*
By David Ugolor
Public perception is one of the most important assets of any government. It can be strengthened not merely through publicity, but through visible action, responsiveness, fairness and effective communication.
Two recent episodes involving Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo offer useful lessons.
The first was the government’s response to the kidnapping incident around the Vegetable Market in Benin City. The swift action against the suspected kidnappers was widely applauded. The episode generated goodwill because citizens saw government responding decisively to a threat to their safety.
The lesson is simple: when citizens see government acting on problems that directly affect their lives, trust grows.
The second episode was the Governor’s participation in the Osun State governorship election, which generated considerable backlash on social media and among sections of the public. Regardless of the political merits of his participation, the episode demonstrates another reality of public leadership: citizens judge not only what government does, but also where government chooses to place its attention.
This presents an important communication challenge for the Edo Government.
The answer should not be to fight critics or attempt to “spin” every negative story. Instead, government should ask: What action can we take that demonstrates our priorities and makes the negative perception less credible?
For Governor Okpebholo, the answer is to keep bringing the focus back to Edo.
If citizens see the Governor responding to insecurity, fixing critical infrastructure, improving healthcare and education, engaging communities, supporting young people and addressing everyday challenges, the narrative will increasingly become about governance rather than political controversy.
The administration could adopt a simple principle:
When Edo people call, government responds.
This can become more than a slogan. It can become a governing philosophy built around four things: Listen. Respond. Deliver. Explain.
Government must listen to citizens, respond quickly to urgent problems, deliver measurable results and explain clearly what it is doing and why.
There is also a broader lesson. Social media is not necessarily public opinion, but it is an important early-warning system for government. When criticism begins to trend, government should not automatically dismiss it. It should examine what the criticism is telling it about citizens’ expectations and concerns.
Ultimately, governments cannot manage public perception through publicity alone.
Public perception is largely the shadow cast by government performance.
The Vegetable Market episode showed how decisive action can generate goodwill. The Osun backlash shows how quickly political perception can undermine that goodwill.
The challenge for Governor Okpebholo is therefore to build a government that citizens may not always agree with politically, but increasingly believe is responsive, fair, competent and committed to the public interest of Edo State.
That is the foundation of lasting public trust.
*David Ugolor
Publisher
The Common Good Letter