The article entitled: Oshiomhole and the Edo revisionists written by one unknown and unknowable George Adun has been brought to my attention. It was an attempt to respond to my article describing Governor Adams Oshiomhole as a ventriloquist at work in Edo State.
For a start, obviously no George Adun exists, it was an article written by a fictitious character with the sole aim of avoiding the legal consequences of peddling falsehood and unsubstantiated claims as facts. Although, as a media scholar and professional, I could easily approximate the writing format of the author who chose to be cowardly as to hide his real identity. Again, he is too inconsequential and insignificant to warrant my direct response to him. The issue at stake is Oshiomhole and governance in Edo State. Simplicita!
Adun’s article was fraught with some grammatical errors and a high dose of terminological inexactitude. The faceless Adun described me as an intellectual midget. That is indeed a reflection of his intellectual weakness and inability to give others their due. It is unscholarly to deny others their due irrespective of the clouded emotions. But I know in his life and beyond, Adun cannot raise a candle light to me academically.
Need I remind this lick spittle that I am a proud holder of six academic degrees spanning the Faculties of Science, Social Science, Liberal Arts and Law? I got my first degree when I’m just entering my twenties and not through Adult education. I am not one of those who cannot produce a primary school or secondary school certificate. Or one to substitute training programmes for academics!
Adun like his paymaster thrives on cheap blackmail and Goebbelian propaganda. His language was uncivilised, unschooled, uncouth, primitive, unchurched and provocative. His pedestrian analysis of events exposes his shallowness and warpness of mind. It reveals he is one of those pretentious psychedelic intellectuals who thrive on opinion merchantilism in the newspapers.
Sadly, as we say in my noble profession of law, his response was dripping with avoidance and evasion, as he refused to address the issues raised regarding the duplicity of character of his boss.
The questions remain, did Oshiomhole not grovel at the feet of Igbinedion and Ize-Iyamu seeking for governorship ticket in 2007.? Did Oshiomhole, the former Khaki wearing comrade who now dons designer French suits not collect funds from ex-governor Igbinedion and his father, the Esama of Benin Kingdom? Was Oshiomhole not sleeping at the lobby of Benin based businessman, Capt. Hosa Okubor begging for financial bail out, which he got in abundance? Deny it, if you can!
In 2007 when governor Oshiomhole was running for governorship could he boast of any political structure in the 18 local government areas in Edo State? Did Oshiomhole not approach PDP for a ticket and was bluntly told by Chief Anenih that he could only be considered for a senatorial seat? Did Oshiomhole not go to ANPP and was driven out with canes by Matthew Urhoghide’s supporters? A reason he swore Urhoghide will never be senator? Did Oshiomhole not found Labour Party? Why did he not run under Labour Party if he was that popular and begged by the people to serve them? After all, Governor Segun Mimiko, a man without labour antecedents, but a sure-footed grassroots politician ran under Labour Party in Ondo State and won.
Back to some of Adun’s fallacious claims. He said I was publisher of Insider Magazine in the 90’s. Very wrong. I was a member of staff of Tell Magazine during the said period and distinguished myself as a reporter par excellence. I co-founded Insider with eight of my equally distinguished and achievement-oriented journalists in 2001. He described Insider Magazine as a rag tag. Nothing could be further from truth.
My colleagues at Insider included Declan Okpalaeke, a three time winner of CNN African Journalist of the Year Award, Janet Mba Afolabi, another CNN awardee, Chuks Onwudinjo, one of the best graphic artists in Nigeria and a computer gizmo. Others were the seasoned business editor, Obed Awowede, resourceful political editor, Danlami Nmodu, George Mbah, Obiora Chukwumba, who once edited African Concord Magazine and Ben Charles Obi. Need I say Nigeria is yet to assemble a crop of such courageous, dynamic and intelligent professionals under one roof as founders? Therefore, for Adun to describe the Insider Magazine as rag tag smacks of intellectual dubiety and barbarism.
Till date many students, both at undergraduate and post graduate levels have done projects and dissertations on the role of Insider Magazine as Guerrilla Journalism in a democratic society. Do rag tag publications attract scholarly attention? Adun! So much of bad belle!
Adun claimed that I lobbied editors to beg Oshiomhole to anoint me as senatorial candidate in 2011 election. Hence that revelation made me go into hiding? This is the height of intellectual bankruptcy for Adun not to understand that lobbying is an essential element of politics and politicking. After all, did Oshiomhole not lobby me in 2007 almost on all fours at Eko Suite in a meeting brokered by one of his serving commissioners? The mental aridity and intellectual bankruptcy of aides like Adun shows why there is a lacunae of hemeostasis in Governor Oshiomhole’s administration.
But the truth of the matter was that I had a chance encounter with a few of my colleagues at Sheraton hotel, Ikeja, Lagos during the period leading to my campaign and while discussing, the present Commissioner of Information in Edo State, Louis Odion who was then out of job as one of Sun’s editors but still passing off joined us. He must have twisted the information to bloat his self-worth before his boss. In the profession of journalism there are journalists who get into government and supply editors with information to embarrass their bosses and cause crises which they can materially benefit from. All I can say at this juncture, is, Oshiomhole, beware of some of your aides.
Adun’s claim that my last political appearance in Benin City was about two years ago as a foot soldier for PDP governorship candidate, Major General Charles Airhiavbere. Again, he got his facts wrong. I was invited by a youth-based NGO called July 14 movement to deliver a paper on the kind of leadership Edo State needs in 2012. Major General Airhiavbere was not at that event, and no politician was at that event. Hence it was not a political rally organized by PDP as claimed by the desperado called Adun.
He described the youths at that rally as jobless. But who and what is the cause of their joblessness? The failure of Governor Oshiomhole’s administration to create employment opportunities caused their joblessness. Despite the copy and paste development and infrastructural renovations going on in Edo, Governor Oshiomhole has not been able to revive any industry, nor build any new one after almost six years in office.
That Governor Oshiomhole is magnanimous to protect and associate with leprous politicians like Ize Iyamu is a figment of Adun’s uncultivated imagination. Why would Oshiomhole in his virgin foray into politics choose to associate with political lepers when there are so many undiseased politicians in Edo State? So much for hypocrisy and double speak.
If Adun says his boss is so popular why workers, his primary constituency walked out on him at Ogbe stadium during the last workers day celebration? I challenge Oshiomhole to call for an address to Edo people at Ring Road today if anybody will come without forcing Local Governments chairmen to hire a crowd.
It is so shameful, wicked and disgusting that the government of Oshiomhole should embark on satanic blackmail just to get at perceived critics and using fake and unactionable names to do so. I have never done any contract with Edo State, and I don’t owe Edo State one Kobo. When an insinuation of this evil magnitude was first raised with innuendos by Odion, my lawyer wrote to Governor Oshiomhole and Odion and they had since kept quiet. Little wonder they are now using fictitious names to peddle unfounded, malicious and ungodly allegations, in order to avoid liability.
I am a journalist and a lawyer with law office in Lagos. By the grace of God I am not unknown nationally, so why has EFCC not come for me as claimed by Adun for over two years? Does Adun know the functions of EFCC? Has he read the Act establishing EFCC? Is Adun aware that EFCC is not a tool for propaganda and blackmail that him and his boss are used to?I use this medium to beg governor Oshiomhole and his quislings to please send all the security agents after me legally if I ever did any contract with the state government or bolted with phantom millions? If Adun is so knowledgeable about the issue why not state the amount and let the world know. Why not publish the process of tender and application for this mystery contract?
As a lawyer, I must do the needful, as it is time to resolve this matter once and for all time before a competent court of law. If anyone must go to jail, it is those who collected 15% upfront bribe from Servetech Construction and other bribes that rendered that company illiquid and unable to finish Airport road construction. It is those who built mansions in their villages on 10 acres of land with helipad, amphitheatre, articial lakes and other luxuries that would make a Dangote envious. Those who will face EFCC are journalists who buy choice properties in choice areas of Lagos and Abuja with ill-gotten wealth. Also, journalists who engage in bisexual activities will face the wrath of the law. Fortunately, I am not one of them.
In short, no matter the subterfuge and infantile blackmail employed by those in Edo State government we are prepared to expose them at the appropriate time and channel those who have kept my people under enchantment and divination while looting with glee. I am not enamoured of the copy and paste development and infrastructural renovations going on in Edo State. It is a farce that will manifest with the fullness of time. Surely, a modern Josef Goebbel cannot win.
