₦airaland Forum

PRESS RELEASE BY ROBERT AMOS OKUNBO FAMILY


Dear All,

Our attention has been drawn to the malicious and malevolent rumour making the rounds that our son, brother, father, grand father and benefactor has gone to be with Lord.
We hereby rebuke this rumuor that originated from the pit of hell, and hereby state unequivocally, that Capt Idahosa Wells Okunbo is well, hale and hearty. Our brother, son and father will surely live beyond the rumour and God will judge those who delight in peddling fatal wishes on the innocent.

We take solace in the fact that similar rumours in the past have been said of great men who had always proved the evil intentions of these wicked hearts wrong, and invariably lived beyond their expectations. For instance, Nigerians have not forgotten the case of Namadi Azikwe from whose case, we now draw inspiration that our brother, son, grandfather and benefactor will live to the fullness of his age and beyond in the mighty name of our lord Jesus Christ. Amen. He is already testifying to The glory of God in his life and only God and God alone will take the glory in Jesus mighty name Amem and Amen

SIGNED

DR TINYAN OKUNBO MD

Misfiring on Social Media.

It is the political season and everything that moves in the opposite direction from either main Party is a target to be annihilated. It is no gain saying that Captain Hosa has put his enormous resources at the disposal of many Edo people and more so, in the government of His Excellency, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki whom he still considers a friend.

In this season, everything is fair game and he knows this more than anyone else. An individual made a point of trying to ridicule him on Social media for having not gone back to his village roots to upgrade his father’s compound and the road leading to his village. I read the article again and again and i wonder what point he is trying to pass around. The person who posted this story knows some of his facts. His story is partially correct but he misfired. Whilst it is no Captain's responsibility to tar the road to his village, he does have the necessary ability to influence the government and its agencies to show his people some love. His efforts have finally yielded some fruit as a contract has been awarded for the road to be tarred by the NDDC.

The writer showed the picture of a house which he described as Captain's father’s house. That is not his father’s house. It is his grandfather’s house and let them show us their father’s house not to even mention their grandfather’s. If his grandfather could build such a house in those days then that was an achievement which I feel they shouldn't touch not only for posterity but because i know he is not the first son of his father who has the responsibility to renovate, rebuild or do as he pleases with that beautiful house which was an edifice in its day.

It is a known fact that Captain Hosa has supported successive Governments starting from Governor Lucky Igbinedion, Governor Adams Oshomhole and even to the present Government. I am happy that the writer, instead of hurting him, has inadvertently exposed the ingratitude of successive Governments who did not care about where he comes from. Does that not speak to the ingratitude of politicians?

To the great people of Edo State, we have a little over two weeks to Election Day for a new government in our land that flows with the proverbial milk and honey. Let us elect a governor who will turn the milk and honey into jobs and bring unprecedented prosperity to our land. God bless the people of Edo State, God bless our great Oba and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Chief Omo Odigie writes from Benin City.

Rejoinder to Otu Edo Nahire.


I watched a video clip made by Otu Edo Nahire, a socio-cultural organization that one had never heard of. Considering that Obaseki has a well funded Social media force as an arm of his government, it will come as no surprise at all that this is also one of his backyard creations.

For all it is worth, for the avoidance of doubt, these gentlemen should probably be advised to ask the governor what exactly Captain Hosa has done to trouble him. No citizen, no matter how wealthy, wakes up to fight government. However, every citizen of a State has a right to fight back with all the legal means available to them if they are attacked. Godwin Obaseki has threatened to revoke Captain Hosa’s C of O to properties that predate his election as governor. That constitutes harassment and intimidation. No one would stand idly by and watch their legacy being burned to the ground by an autocrat.

If I may ask, when did it become a crime to support whomever we wish to support in an election? Is Captain Hosa a candidate for election? Can he exercise his rights as a citizen of Edo State? Is he compelled to only support the governor? Are we a one Party State?

Members of Otu Edo Nahire, (if they are an authentic organization), are free to express themselves as they have done. We congratulate them for a well orchestrated hatchet job. The speaker is very eloquent, very talented.

Something is clear. We have 19 days to the election. We on this side are working door to door for our preferred candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu. They need to go and do the same on the other side. Propaganda can only go so far. Boots on the ground are what translate to electoral victory. We have our boots on the ground. Where are your own boots?

Chief Omo Osaro
APC Supporter.

*Obaseki faces new allegations of fraud, illegal deductions from LG account*

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has faced a fresh set of allegations on fraud and illegal deductions from the state’s local government account.

The allegations, contained in a release by the APC on Wednesday, detailed how the Governor reportedly made several deductions, amounting to billions, from the dedicated bank accounts for Local Government in the state since 2016 without the required Executive approvals.

According to the release signed by Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, amongst other illegalities and fraud, shortchanged the state with deliberate over-deductions of funds meant for the payment of teachers’ salaries across all the Local Government Councils.

He alleged that Mr. Godwin Obaseki has been making an estimated 47 million naira monthly withdrawal from Owan West LG for payment of teachers’ salaries, when in fact, the true cost, approved and budgeted by the government, is estimated at 36 million naira.

He also accused the Governor of an illegal deduction of 5.5 million naira created to the account of ALGON, an association of Local Governments Chairman which lacks any constitutional function to spend public funds.

drawn from the joint state local government account for COVID-19, and a monthly deduction of one-percent of total funds accrued to the local government for security in addition to the over 700 million naira he draws from the state treasury as security vote.

The statement read: “Independent investigations and whistleblowers from the disorganized and divided Obaseki-government have revealed a running scam and the criminal diversion of funds from the joint state local government account by the outgoing Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”

“These revelations, containing proofs of illegal deductions from the account of the Local Councils in Edo State, show in grim details how the insatiable greed, corruption, and tyranny of Mr. Godwin Obaseki paralyzed local councils in the State.”

“For instance, in all the months of Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s ruinous tenure in office, we have uncovered solid proof of how he consistently swindled the people of Owan West with an over-deduction of an estimated 47 million naira monthly as payment for teachers’ salaries, when in actual fact, he was paying only 36 million naira to the teachers.”

“The same was the case in several other Local Councils where the Governor, using the Ministry of Local Government, unilaterally, without the approval of the Executive Council and with essentially a non-existent legislature where his bag-carrier, Frank Okiye, was illegally installed, made withdrawals and threatened the officials into silence with intimidation and warnings of removal.”

“We also discovered that Mr. Godwin Obaseki has been making separate deductions of one-percent of the total revenue accrued to the Local Councils monthly for security and health respectively, without explanation of what these funds are spent on and why they are necessary especially as the Governor already draws over 700 million naira monthly as security vote.”

“Evidence of the Governor’s illegal deduction of 5.5 million naira created to ALGON account for COVID-19 and spent against constitutional dictates by Mr. Godwin Obaseki was also made available to us.”

“The Local Government is the cornerstone of the government system in Nigeria given its nearness to the people and its broad mandate to tackle developmental challenges facing the people in communities, especially those in rural areas that do not often enjoy the headlines. By depriving the councils of their statutory funds, and intimidate their elected leaders into silence, Mr. Godwin Obaseki not only defrauded the state, but he also deliberately promoted underdevelopment in Edo State and increased the hardship of the people.”

“His illegal inflation and criminal diversion of teachers’ salaries is an egregious violation of trust and crime, considering that the same Governor refused to address the acute shortage of teachers in the state, forcing poor residents to pull their meager resources together for private recruitment and deployment of teachers to government-owned schools.”

“We will be forwarding this evidences to the EFCC, ICPC, and other relevant agencies for further investigation. In the meantime, we demand the immediate invitation of Mr. Monday Osaigbovo, the Edo Commissioner of Local Government and Community Affairs, by the relevant authorities to explain his role in the fraudulent withdrawals and publish all transactions and deductions made by the Obaseki-administration since its regrettable emergence in 2016.”

PDP shootings at Obaseki's rally in Igueben: APC demands investigations into Obaseki's alleged arms importation and thugs escort

The State Media Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress for the Edo State Governorship election has called out the PDP and its candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, over shootings at the governor's rally in Igueben, stating that the ugly incident affirms its previous allegation of the governor's importation of guns and inclusion of buses full of armed thugs in his convoy.

According to multiple reports confirmed by several residents in Igueben and hospital records, chaos broke out on Wednesday, August 19, at the Igueben, around the residence of a PDP Chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi, when armed thugs escorting the Governor Obaseki's campaign turned on each other in a wild shooting that sent at least one person to the hospital with a leg riddled by bullets.

While confirming the shooting that left most scampering for safety, eye-witnesses and other sources in Governor Obaseki's campaign trail said the thugs, sourced from neighboring states and handed deadly firearms secretly purchased by the Governor, had maintained a fractious relationship as some of them reportedly belong to rival cult groups.

Things got to a head on Wednesday when a batch of the thugs, traveling in a separate vehicle on Obaseki's campaign trail, alleged that his group had greater notoriety for violence. The claim provoked an angry reaction from the other group and both dueled in a frantic shooting that scared guests at the event, including Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa whose security agents moved quickly to protect him from being caught in the melee.

Reacting to the incident, the APC said their previous alarm on Governor Godwin Obaseki's importation of guns and other ammunition and the hiring of armed thugs to intimidate and inflict violence on innocent Edo people who express rejection of the candidate on their campaign trail was confirmed by the shooting.

In a statement by Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the Media Campaign Council, the APC said the shooting sent the whole community into a fear-filled silence and quietness, while quoting confidential sources that revealed the armed thugs responsible for the shooting routinely followed the Governor's convoy in an Audi A4 vehicle and a Toyota Corolla.

He said: "Although condemnable in every sense of it, this incidence is not totally surprising when considered against the background of emerging and developing news in the past weeks. It is important to note here that we have called the attention of security agencies in Edo State, urging them to rise to the occasion and intercept the almost unbridled influx of firearms and strange groups into Edo State by the Governor."

"We have demanded that the Inspector General of Police, the DG of the DSS, and heads of the security agencies, commence an immediate undercover investigation into the convoy of Governor Godwin Obaseki with a view to identifying all arms-bearing personnel to ascertain their status and whether they have the authorization, under the arms regulation laws of the country, to bear arms and irresponsibly intimidate the public with the same in public."

"We condemn this violent act in the strongest terms and alert the Presidency, security agencies, international bodies, election monitoring groups, and all CSOs focused on election integrity to this illegality and wanton violence funded and orchestrated by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his PDP because if unchecked, they would soon unleash worse things on the innocent citizens of Edo State who are about on their civic obligations."

"As a party confident of victory, the APC wants an election, not a war. The same cannot be said for Mr. Godwin Obaseki who both lacks achievements and vision, and has since committed state resources to the orchestration of violence and acts targeted at undermining the election."

Rejected by Auchi, Obaseki’s PDP fuels religious tension in Edo

Divisive agents loyal to the Obaseki-led People’s Democratic Party in Edo State have sought to fabricate a most odious and polarizing narrative, to wit that the recent honorary Itsemakohna title, meaning ‘this is our own’ conferred on Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu by the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, is a slap on Christians and an attempt to introduce RUGA to Edo State.

This irresponsible and criminally childish narrative must be discountenanced as either the ignorant narrative of elements who know nothing about the cultural diversity in Edo State, or the tommyrot of artless mischief-makers. To set the record straight, the following are important to note.

Auchi, which is in the northern part of Edo state, popularly called the Afemai or Afenmai region is a predominantly Muslim area under the traditional leadership of the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III. This fact has been respected by the people of Edo for a long time, and the state has been able to live in harmony despite these religious differences due to this mutual respect.

The conferment of the Itsemakohna title on Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as explained by the candidate himself, was a mark of honor indicative of his level of acceptance in all parts of Edo State. His personal religion and position as a Pastor are not unknown to the Otaru who, indeed, refers and regards him as a Christian and ordained man of God.

The symbolic turbaning is not a religious ceremony, but a cultural one to show clearly that the people of Auchi no longer want Governor Obaseki and have embraced the APC candidate. There are many reasons for the rejection of the embattled Governor, part of which includes his flagrant disrespect for tradition and well-known divisive tendencies, a fact which he and his party have now corroborated with the evil insinuations they introduced to the event, seeking to stoke religious tension in Edo State.

The governor’s disrespect for tradition was apparent when he visited the palace of the Oba of Benin without the customary kolanut he should have carried and met a cold reception. His opponent, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, a more urbane and culturally conscious man, carried the kolanut on his visit and was met by a full regiment of powerful Benin chiefs who greeted him affectionately.

Edo has been able to steer clear of the religious tension that the rejected PDP is trying to engender because other Governors and administrators before the sad emergence of Godwin Obaseki understood the plurality of the State like most Nigerian societies, and pursued peace and unity, not actively stoke tension with poor propaganda on the account of mindless politics.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu does not discriminate against people because of their religious beliefs. The faith he professes and teaches, as exemplified and instructed by Jesus Christ in the New Testament, kicks against divisive actions and preaches peaceful harmony.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s honorary title by the Otaru, an Islamic traditional ruler, is a powerful attestation to his ability to preside over the affairs of the state and its diverse people with the maturity, sensitivity, and fairness required to achieve social harmony and development.

On the contrary, by seeking to add mischievous interpretations to the event, the PDP and its new leader, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, continue to burnish their reputation as an irresponsible party unfit for leadership at any level, not much as Governor of a diverse state where everyone must be treated with respect, irrespective of leaning and religious beliefs.

Perhaps the PDP, hardened publicans by their own confessions, need to dine at the table of the hospitable pastor. He treats all men with equal respect.

Fraudulent man

Amaechi's Outburst Over OMSL SAA Operations: A Move To Mortgage Nigeria's Waterways?

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has come under serious criticism in recent times due to his charge to members of the National Assembly not to probe the propitiousness or otherwise of the $500 billion from China to construct the Lagos Ibadan railway.
The minister who was visibly angry while appearing before the the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties and Agreements committee on Tuesday, last week, asked the lawmakers to suspend their probe until Nigeria has secured the loan.
The former Rivers state governor said except the government secures the loan some sections of the country’s rail lines “will suffer."
“I have said here to the house, and it is a pity that I’m saying it in public, this government, outside Nigeria, they are sensitive to what you say. Nobody is stopping you from your investigation and no government from outside Nigeria can stop you from doing it,” he said.
Prior to the probe, chairman of the committee, Nicholas Ossai, had disclosed that there are clauses conceding Nigeria’s sovereignty to China in some of the loan agreements.
Apart from worries over the implications of the loans bound to became a serious burden for future generations, the perspective of ceding the national sovereignty has raised many concerns.

Efforts to get bye-in

In what can best be described as Amaechi's attempts to persuade Nigerians to accept the Chinese loan, the minister showed up on a national television program on Friday, to speak to the issues raised at the National Assembly.
But in what appears to be a twist of fate, the minister plunged into another complicated issues when he alluded that the nation's maritime now ranks number one in terms of insecurity.
Answering questions during the program, the minister stated that the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) contract being operated by Ocean Marine Security Limited (OMSL) in full collaboration with the Nigerian Navy in Lagos is “laced with fraud”.
Amaechi further disclosed that the Chairman of OMSL, Captain Well Hosa Okunbo, did not have the approval of the Federal Government to operate the so-called secure anchorage area.
Casting aspersions on the program, he said, "What security was he providing? He charges each vessel on the waters $2,500, then after that $1,500 everyday. He doesn’t pay back that money to the Federal Government.
“He makes $17million from that activity. Who approved it? Nobody! So as Minister for Transport, I said no, we can provide that security. $195 million was approved by the Federal Government to a company that is training Nigerians that will take over the waterways, and take care of the security, then Okunbo is now saying no no, I must do it, he can’t. I wonder why our personal interest will override national interest. I wonder what kind of country we belong to,” Amaechi said.
The Minister challenged the OMSL chairman to come forward with the approval letter he got from the Federal Government to provide maritime security on the nation’s waterways.
“If you said Captain Hosa was doing it, how come we are currently ranked number one in the world in terms of insecurity in the maritime sector. When we came, we were number three, but now we are number one in the world.
“Now the second aspect beyond ranking number one in the world in insecurity is the fact that we are notorious as a country in the whole of Gulf of Guinea; 80 per cent of the crimes in the Gulf of Guinea is committed in Nigerian waters,” Amaechi said.

Controversy over the $195 million Israeli company contract


Meanwhile, while stakeholders in the nation's maritime industry are still at a loss why in an era where the clamour for local content is the vogue especially in the oil and gas sector, the minister is routing for an Israeli company Messrs HLSI Security Systems and Technologies to take charge of our territorial waterways.
Unfortunately, prior to the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic, the minister has revealed that the Israeli company is yet to begin the execution of the $195 million security contract it got from the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to secure the nation's maritime domain.
The minister told stated this during a shipping industry forum in Abuja told reporters that platforms and equipment meant for use under the contract were still being manufactured, adding that it would take some time to have the platforms delivered. He however hinted that the Nigeria Navy, Air Force and other agents who would man the platforms under the contract are currently being trained.
The $195 million maritime security contract was signed off by the Federal Executive Council in December 2017 and was for the provision of three helicopters, three air planes, three big battle-ready ships, 12 vessels and 20 amphibious cars, to aid security of Nigeria’s waterways.

The fate of HLSI Security Systems and Technologies


In January 2018, the House of Representatives criticised the management of NIMASA for awarding the contract to HLSI, saying it was a breach of Nigeria’s internal security and defiance of the local content law.
Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2018, cancelled the contract via a memo directing the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to terminate the contract. In addition the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency where charged to investigate how the contractor obtained security clearance without an end-user certificate.
Buhari also ordered HLSI to supply equipment to the tune of the $50 million upfront payment it received from Nigeria.
However, a new twist emerged in August 2019 when the federal government through the ministry of transportation reinstated the contract.
Amaechi who announced the reinstatement had promised that the equipment to be use by the firm would arrive the country's waters before December 2019.
Trying to justify the $195m maritime security contract, Amaechi told journalists at the Abuja forum that Nigerian importers were paying war risk surcharges for vessels to berth at Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri Ports as a result of piracy and activity of militants.

Working against Senate's decision

The battle for the takeover of the SAA is not new, but what is becoming worrisome is the minister's decision to listen to words of wisdom. For instance, a joint committee of the Nigerian Senate on the Nigerian Navy, Marine transport and Finance had in October 2019 investigated claims of illegality of the operations of OMSL at the SAA of Lagos sea came out with a report offering useful suggestions of how to advance the sector.
The committee, after its careful investigation recommended among others, "That Ocean Marine Solution Limited (OMSL) should be commended for its genuine national interests in investing over Four Hundred Million ($400,000,000) Dollars into the Security at the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) in particular and the Nigerian waterways in general by providing the needed platforms and logistics for the Nigerian Navy to effectively perform 24/7/365 patrol operations as well as to provide the required protection for vessels waiting to berth at the Lagos ports."
On the issue of defrauding the nation, the committee said, "That since no fraud is found in the operations of the OMSL and is operating at no cost to government, OMSL should be allowed to continue its operation at the SAA until such a time when a better and more cost effective system is put in place by the government.
And, "That the Nigerian Navy should be properly funded to enable it procure needed vessels to clear the over one hundred and fifty (150) vessels deficit to enable them carry out their constitutional responsibilities without over depending on Private Maritime Logistics Support Companies (PMLSC)."
In a similar view, However, ports users argued that the SAA is saving ships about $225,000 on each call at Lagos ports.

However, ports users had argued that the SAA is saving ships about $225,000 on each call at Lagos ports.

The National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Increase Uche, told journalists that contrary to claims that the SAA is leading to increasing in cost of shipping, and security of ships at the SAA by the Nigerian Navy, using platforms provided by OMS Limited, is helping multinational shipping lines to save a whopping $225,000 on a journey to Lagos ports.
He said: “We don’t want to go back to the old order. We are asking the Federal Government to look critically into this issue so that the SAA is not dismantled.

“As freight forwarders, we are major port users of shipping services, moving cargoes across seas to Nigeria. We are comfortable with the service, and we urge the Federal Government to let the SAA be so that multinational shipping lines can continue to patronise our seaports,” he said.
Uche added: “To us the practitioners, what we are advocating is that government should look at the issue critically. If the NPA is agitating that such measures should be terminated, let us look at it holistically and ensure that the government is not being short-changed.”

Fighting over Lagos port SAA at the expense of others

There is no doubting the fact that the minister and his agencies appears not satisfied with the decision of the joint Senate committee that investigated the allegations they levied against OMSL. Consequently, the battle to terminate the contract it entered with the Nigerian Navy continues to take priority even when there are indications that the nation will have to suffer for it.
Some questions that readily come to mind here includes: Why is Amaechi more interested in a foreign firm providing security in Nigeria's waterways instead of an indigenous firm that has proven that it has the capacity? If the money being made is the issue can the management of NPA and OMSL meet and decide how the federal government can benefit from the income been generated? Why is it difficult for the SAA initiative to be extended to other seaports across the country? Are the ship owners who belt on the SAA platform complaining? Why cannot the NPA support the Nigerian Navy with the necessary equipment to help secure the waterways using the SAA model at a fee? Must the Lagos SAA program be destroyed before such initiative can be extended to the other seaports?
There are numerous questions begging for answers when it comes to the issue of the Lagos port SAA, but what must be paramount on the mind of our leaders should be cultivating the altitude of supporting indigenous firms. After all the local content Act was enacted for that purpose.
The danger of inviting foreigners to take charge of our maritime security cannot be overemphasized that is why the minister and OMSL must dialogue and resolve the issues at stake. At least to prevent another mortgage the sovereignty of the nation's maritime industry.

I Stand with Captain Hosa

*Re: OPEN LETTER TO THE PALACE AND CAPTAIN HOSA OKUNBO BY CONCERNED EDO CITIZENS*


*_Attack On Edo Youths At Oba Palace: Obaseki only jittery over his decreasing popularity - Osaro Obazee_*


It has come to my notice that the media urchins of Governor Godwin Obaseki took to the social media space to blackmail my humble-self and our benefactor, Captain (Dr.) Hosa Wells Okunbo of sponsoring some persons to protest against their embattled principal(Obaseki) during his visit to the palace of his Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin on the day of his(Obaseki's) campaign flag-off at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, in Benin City.

It has become imperative to set the record straight and state categorically that neither myself nor our benefactor Captain Okunbo are aware of the said protest against the Governor.
Of course we are all aware that the Oba of Benin was celebrating a new prince on that very day. To prove and to show their love and loyalty, the youths and women of the Kingdom trooped en mass to the Royal Palace. I was never aware of the development (until it hit the media space) as I was not even at the palace at that moment.

It is quite saddening, and unfortunate that the Governor and his media aides have taken this development as an opportunity to further blackmail me and deceive the people of Edo state. This is crude politics taken too far!

I was, therefore, surprised to see an online banner bearing my photo and that of our benefactor at the scene of this event. I wish to state categorically that there was never a time we printed or asked anyone to act on our behalf on that issue, we never printed any banner neither did we instruct anyone to print on our behalf, as neither I nor my benefactor are in the contest for Governorship.

The truth is that the Governor wanting to blackmail me and Captain Okunbo asked his media urchins to print and display the banner in such a way that it seems to represent my stand and that of her benefactor just to score cheap political sympathy.

How is it possible for anyone to plan evil and achieve such with his or her real self? I mean how could I plan something of such and also place my photo at the forefront? It is absolutely unreasonable and unwise for any sensible person to do such. I cannot take to such an evil act, as the Governor do not have what it takes to win in Oredo local government.

I have been reliably informed that this is a "retaliation" from the Governor due to the factual and expository statement granted by our benefactor Captain Hosa Okunbo that seeks the president and all well meaning sons and daughters of Edo State to help prevail on Obaseki to let him be.
I believe this is another attempt by the Governor to further blackmail the person of Captain Hosa Okunbo.

I am aware the Governor feels threatened by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu ever increasing popularity in Oredo local government, which I stand in as Coordinator on his( Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu) behalf, haven occupied the position of Chairman of the Council in previous times and parades the unflinching support of majority of the people of Oredo to support Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for Governor in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.

It is also no more news that Captain Hosa Okunbo enjoys participatory rights to support any activity that concerns the Palace as an illustrious son of Benin Kingdom, who has touched so many lives of the Benin’s and therefore enjoys lots of love and support from the people.

As for Comrade Tony kabaka, as we all know has been a longtime prestigious drummer for the Palace and have always supported any activity at the Benin Palace, that is why he is readily available and on ground at any given occasion to be part of the activities of our great Oba of Benin.

This rebuttal therefore is to urge the general public, particularly the good people of Edo State and Nigeria at large to disregard any propaganda been propagated by the Governor through his media aides, as they have since launched several propaganda against us having discovered the Governor's decreasing popularity by the day and this has made him continue to witch-hunt those perceived to be against his return bid.


At this juncture I wish to state that I am not unaware of the evil plans and threats by the state government, and if anything for any reason happens to either myself, Captain Hosa Okunbo or our ever teeming supporters, the Governor should be held responsible, as I will not relent in the struggle to saving the situation of our dying state under the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki




Hon. Osaro Obazee

Edo is tired of Fake Promises
Obaseki campaign solagn is "Make edo great again" "MEGA".
1.Mega incompetence
2.Mega MOU that are not implemented
3.Mega misappropriation
4.Mega lack of Leadership
Obaseki administration did not make Edo great the last four years and he cannot make great again.
Edo has learnt and tired of empty promises.
It is time to embark on a simple and understandable agenda.
Ibrahim Yesufu
Fear Allah Foundation

The man is an ingrate and we will teach him lessons sept 19th