By Dapo Akinrefon

PRIOR to the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from participating in the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, an oil magnate and trained commercial pilot, Captain Idahosa Okunbo, had denied having an interest in the race.

Okunbo easily became a target for the governor’s camp over the impression that he was being tipped to oust Obaseki.

Those close to the oil magnate portray the quiet, reserved and private Okunbo as one, who enjoys his life more unnoticed than the undue attention the lies of an unfounded governorship ambition are attracting.

The businessman had his name dragged in the mud by some of men, believed to be working for the state government, who described Okunbo as a ‘drug baron,’ drawing reference from an encounter Okunbo had with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in 1995 and for which he was subsequently exonerated by a competent court of law.

The allegations did not go down well with the business mogul, who felt it was an attempt to portray him in bad light, saying he has never had his eyes on the Edo governorship.

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Reacting to the allegation, Okunbo said it was a malicious falsehood, designed to destroy his hard-earned reputation and lower it before the public.

Shedding more light on what transpired between him and the NDLEA in 1995 during the era of General Musa Bamaiyi as the Director-General, he said a petition was written to the anti-drug agency querying how he came about his wealth and acquisition of choice properties and he immediately instituted a legal action against the NDLEA.

He said when the case with charge No: MOT/L/163/95 was brought before the Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal in Lagos, it was established that the prosecution had not made any prima facie case against him that would warrant him to even defend himself, he was discharged and acquitted of all charges on a ‘no case’ submission.

Continuing, Okunbo said his reputation was built over the decades on hard work, dedication, commitment to excellence and highest standards of forthrightness.

Okunbo said: “I’m wondering what I had done wrong to deserve these reckless, false and malicious attacks on my person from individuals associated with the incumbent administration.”

He said he had endured enough of deliberate character assassinations from people he described as “beasts of no gender.”

According to him, “I will no longer gloss over any intentional mischiefs that do incalculable harm to my person, name, business and brand.”

Okunbo was berated for moving from eyeing the governorship seat to supporting another aspirant other than the incumbent.

However, some Edo State indigenes rose to Okunbo’s defence. A lawyer and Apostle of Edo Renaissance, Daniel Osa-Ogbegie, said: “If one is sent on an errand of a slave, one should carry it out as a child (a freeborn).” He meant that they were doing the wrong thing and should not just do it because they were being pushed to do so.

A former House of Representatives member, Mr. Sunny Aguebor, who described Okunbo as a man of integrity, said the attack on him is baseless and unfounded.

Aguebor said: “You have built a name and business empire for yourself over the years, you are a man of strong character. I advise you to kindly disregard the cheap malicious character assassination; it does not deserve your precious time. My father told me only a tree with fruits attracts stones. You are a big tree with so many fruits, so stones are expected.”

Also, the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Mrs. Bisi Idaomi, assured the philanthropist that the people of the state would take up his fight if his attackers did not desist from peddling further falsehoods against his person.

Idaomi said: “Here is a man, who does more for our people, leaders, students, women from Edo extraction than those in the present Edo State government – sending one of your aides to insult and peddle falsehoods about our son will be resisted by the ordinary Edo man and woman within the ambit of the law. This is a firm promise.”

Similarly, a former Rep member, Mr. Samson Osagie, described Okunbo as an inestimable asset in Edo’s socio-cultural and economic framework.

“Those whose official duty is to malign and pull down others usually don’t go far in life. We must continue to extol our front-line generals in business, politics, and administration and all facets of human endeavours.

“For those with power today, remember there is nothing permanent in life, not even our positions today. We stand with Captain Hosa at this moment of the ineffectual attempt of some carpet beggars and unfriendly people to undermine his humanity.”

Vanguard