By SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, described as laughable and an attempt to rubbish his person, allegation by the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the July 14 governorship election in the state, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, that he lacked the educational qualifications to be governor.

Oshiomhole, who expressed optimism that he would be vindicated by the Tribunal, said his records at  Ruskin College, Oxford, would vindicate him.

Airhiavbere had, in his petition, alleged that the primary school Oshiomhole claimed to have attended was not in existence at the time he claimed to have been in the school, adding that the governor did not complete his education at the secondary modern school he claimed to have attended.

However, when confronted with the allegations by newsmen in Benin, Oshiomhole, asserted: “I said the allegations are funny because his military and political careers are founded on falsehood. Ironically, the man who is saying that I did not go to school, does not know the difference between UN and the World Bank. He does not even know the difference between European Union and IMF.

“While he celebrated his being in the NIPSS in 2008, I went to NIPSS in 1987. Assuming it is in his power to destroy my educational qualification, my academic records in Nigeria and Ruskin College, Oxford are there.

“His claims are sad because he does not even know the difference between children and youths. He said he was going to create jobs for children rather than youths. Again, he does not know the difference between arms of government and tiers of government. This ignorance he exhibited was viewed worldwide during the governorship debate.

“This is a person who helped himself to military over-head budgets meant for military hospitals and health centres for which he was detained for three months.

He ought to have faced serious persecution but because he wanted to drag innocent people into it, he was retired in the manner he was retired. We have the records.”