Edo govt replies ex-commissioner, says book filled with lies

From Tony Osauzo, Benin
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Edo State government, yesterday reacted to allegations raised by a former Commissioner for Transport in Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration, Mr. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, saying he was a mole in the government before he was sacked.
In the book entitled:‎ “Breach of Trust, An eyewitness account of political events in Edo State before and under Adams Oshiomhole’s watch,” Omo-Ojo alleged that the state government spent N14 billion on the state’s Website and also alleged that governor Oshiomhole spent over N500 million in pursuing a vice presidential ambition.
But speaking through Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua yesterday, the state government described the book as a product of poor scholarship with bad syntax, where tissues of lies were assembled to feed members of the unsuspecting public.
“The book is not only a product of poor scholarship with bad syntax, it is dominated with tautology, half-truths, outright lies and fictions all aimed at fulfilling the agenda of his paymasters. That it took the former commissioner time to be dismissed from office before writing this book tells so much about his double standard individuality,” the state government said in a statement signed by Afegbua.
“Fact is, Orobosa Omo-Ojo was sacked for gross incompetence and corrupt practices which essentially became visible when he took over the Ministry of Transport. He engaged all manners of persons into the state’s Traffic Management Agency who ended up giving the state government bad image following their indiscriminate arrests and harassment of motorists and road users, and extorting money from them to meet the target set by the commissioner. “Their sharp practices became so manifest that the government had no option than to disband what was intended to be a wonderful initiative to maintain sanity on our roads. He recruited all shades of individuals who ended up being part and parcel of the problem of traffic disorders than being the solution we sought. Following complaints from the public over the incessant harassment, embarrassment and assault on motorists and road users, the executive council took a decision to disband it; this happened following several failed attempts to call the commissioner to order,” the statement said.
It noted that “the fact that the former commissioner admitted he was sacked for failure to divulge details of his discussions with chieftains of opposition party tellingly gave away his dual personality.
“It would be appropriate to call him a mole in government and for those who understand the devilish and destructive attributes of moles, it would be dangerous and counter-productive to continue to keep such a commissioner who was under oath in office. Why did he wait until he was sacked before rushing to press to publish such a watery and badly written book laced with several incongruities and bad syntax?” the statement further said.
According to the Edo State Government, “there are several other allegations Omo-Ojo made in the said book, which we will require him to prove beyond reasonable doubt.
“On the alleged N14 billion expended on the Edo State website and open portal, nothing speaks of the mental delusion of this former commissioner than this. How can any reasonable person with mental alertness make such a bogus allegation? Does that not sound like dubious tales by the moonlight? We are not only proud of our trail-blazing initiative with respect to e-governance; we are satisfied with the achievements we have recorded in that sector to promote transparency, accountability and probity in governance.
“It is only a dubious party like Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its bunch of economic predators that parade such ‘ingenuity’ to plunder state resources without a whimper. Edo people have become more conscious of the dubious activities of PDP politicians who have perfected the art of mindless profligacy and are ready to speak with their thumbs against the PDP in the September 10 election. A thousand of sponsored books cannot stop their thorough defeat,” the statement noted.