Oshiomhole was my classmate in sec school, witness tells court

By SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN CITY—A university lecturer, Prof Philip Agbebaku, has told the Edo Election Petitions Tribunal that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State was his classmate at the Blessed Martin  Secondary Model School, Jattu, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area from 1963-1965.

Prof Agbebaku, who was a witness for Oshiomhole, told the tribunal at its resumed hearing,  that the Edo Governor was known as Adams Aliu when he was in school.

The witness said the governor was then known and addressed as Adams Aliu but was not surprised that the governor is now known as Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, saying that people add to or subtract from their names as they grow old, adding that he (witness) was also formerly known as Sunday Phillip Agbebaku, but later dropped the name ‘Sunday’ from his credentials, saying this did not detract from his credentials.

Under cross-examination on whether the results obtained by the Governor from Ruskin College, Oxford, the United Kingdom was equivalent to a Secondary School Certificate, Prof Agbebaku, said the courses listed in the certificate were in fact higher than secondary school subjects and were university courses, adding “industrial relations, industrial sociology and industrial economics are all university courses and are far, far higher than senior secondary school certificate subjects and cannot be taught in a school lower than the equivalent of a university.”

Further hearing in the matter had been adjourned till January 10, 2013.