Edo guber: Controversy as Obaseki’s agents mop up newspapers in Benin

Tony Osauzo, Benin

Agents of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, mopped up major Newspapers that published an advertorial considered be against the interest of the governor.

The advertorial signed by a prominent Benin businessman, Capt. Hosa Okunbo, allegedly exposed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s wrongdoings against himself, as well as revealed how the governor allegedly frustrated peace effort to resolve the crisis in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before he left the party.

The mop up of the Newspapers, was said to have denied several persons access to those major papers for their news contents.

Some newspapers distributors who spoke under condition of anonymity, said they were contacted late Sunday night by top officials of the state government, where they were specifically told not to distribute the papers for Monday.

According to them, some of them were offered a mouth watering reward if they can obliged them their request.

It was however gathered that some Newspapers’ Salesmen turned down the request of bulk-buying of their papers and insisted on distributing them to vendors.

“We got a call late in the night about the need for us not to distribute some of the papers that will be coming today (Monday) and that we will be rewarded.

“While some of my colleagues agreed, I refused by telling them to go to various newsstands to do that after I must have distributed”, one of the Salesmen said.

In the advertorial, Idahosa accused the Governor of refusing all entreaties to make peace with his predecessor and former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

He added that the Governor had begun to attack him and his business interests over fear that he was running against him until the Governor left the APC.

The business mogul, fondly referred to as Capt. Hosa by associates, made the declaration in the advertorial titled: “An Open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Good People of Edo State: Please, Urge Governor Godwin Obaseki to Leave Me Alone”.

In the statement in which he chronicled his warm relationship with Obaseki that has now gone awry, his support for his administration and the series of direct and sponsored attacks by some agents of the state government against his person and business interests, Idahosa made it clear that he was not looking for settlement of the issues that the governor had picked with him in spite of his good intentions towards him and his administration.

‎”It is significant to place on record the fact that I am not using this medium to seek for settlement because I have already chosen my path, to wit: to align with the Federal Government of Nigeria, in this circumstance, in order to realise the goal of developing our dear state”. Capt. Hosa said.

But in his reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Efe Stewart, denied the mop up.

‎”That is not true, it is complete falsehood and the handiwork of mischief makers. A child that has been born cannot be aborted. Obaseki has brought in revolution to Edo State politics that is why some people are going to any length to discredit it. When a man is no longer capable of carrying out his obligation at home, he becomes very humble to his wife.

“Governor Obaseki has brought in a change into the politics of the state. Before now, ‘agberos’ (touts) were role models to our youths but he came and change that so there is no truth in that allegation”, he said.