Okunbor
Denies involvement in alleged fraudulent contract
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – REACTING to speculations that Edo born Business mogul and the Chairman, Ocean Marine Limited, Capt Hosa Okunbo has taken ill and flown abroad after the Edo September 19th Governorship election where his preferred candidate lost, an aide to the philanthropist yesterday said his principal is “hail, hearty and bubbling.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity he said the report was false and that Okubo has displayed an uncommon maturity by issuing a congratulatory message to Governor Godwin Obaseki immediately he was declared the winner of the election.
READ ALSOCISLAC, NECAN express view about Nigeria’s 60 years of nationhood
He said: “The election has been fought and won, why are they desperate to rubbish the image of Capt Hosa Okunbo and even wish him dead if they don’t have a hidden vicious agenda of vendetta against him?
“In a rare show of statesmanship Capt Hosa Okunbo congratulated the winner of the election, something I am sure they would not have done if the pendulum had swung the other way round.”
On the allegations that Okunbo took contracts from Edo state government which he did not execute, he said “The records are there for anyone to check if Capt Okunbo participated in any so called contract sleaze.
In any case, Governor Godwin Obaseki has been in office for almost four years now, why has he not come out with any evidence and proof that Capt Hosa is a defaulting contractor to Edo state?
Also, talking about the Benin Airport road project that a construction company was involved in under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s government and the work later revoked , he denied Okunbo being the owner of the company: “How come a contract Comrade Oshiomhole awarded for less than N7 billion naira is now suddenly put at over N40 billion naira if not that those intent on tarnishing the image of an achiever like Capt Hosa are blinded by lies and hate?
“Capt Hosa was never involved in the construction of Benin Airport road and he has addressed the issue long ago during the tenure of Comrade Oshiomhole. The desperation of his traducers are pushing them to be recycling valueless materials and misinformation”