The circumstances was compared to the episode in Imo State in 2011, when the then Governor Ikedi Ohakim was blamed for thrashing a Rev. Father weeks to the elections. However, the originators of the news, the ITV, turned around itself on the report in light of the fact that the Governor was not at Ujogba that Friday.
Rather, Oshiomhole and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State went to commission the Amadioha-Ugboha Road after which they exited for Uromi where the Comrade Governor went to an internment service and from that point he went to Auchi in his escort at around 4pm without any issue with anyone. Sources near to the representative said he had on a few events reviled drivers in his convoy against scaring people of general society and it was as an aftereffect of that, that he chose not to utilize siren.
It was garthered, that after the commissioning the Amadioha-Ugboha Road, APC stalwarts, who went to the occasion, went back to their separate regions. However, at around 5pm, an escort of transports heading towards Ekpoma from Ugboha had issues with a Rev Father. An onlooker said inconvenience began when the Rev. Father, who was not happy with their driving,overtook and blocked the bus convoy.
who
was not happy with the movement of the buses over took them and blocked
the buses. - See more at:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/oshiomhole-esama-benin-battered-rev-father-saga/#sthash.yrGw7F6g.dpuf
. He narrated: "It was when everyone came down for their bus asking why the Rev. Father hindered the vehicles that they realized that one of the travelers spat on him while he was overtaking. At that point, the passengers never knew he was a Rev.father on the grounds that he wore Jeans and coat. You won't even realize that he was a Rev. Father, it was later that everyone knew he was a Rev. Father and they began tendering statements of regret. The Rev. Father was not beaten by anyone besides being spat on". It was disclosed that after the occurrence, the Rev. Father visited a politician were he prayed for the food they all ate.
The observer narrated: "We were all together with the Father in this current legislator's spot, where he said he had cursed the individual who spat on him. Infact everyone began pleading with him to forgive. He then prayed and said he had forgiven the man that spat all over. Everyone was cheerful and we all went home after that. Infact when we heard that he said he was whipped, we playfully asked him which doctor's facility was treated in and that was it".
Oshiomhole and Fashola, who were in Auchi when the news was broadcast by ITV, couldn't trust it. Journalists headed out to Esan to confirm the episode yet the Catholic Diocese debunked the report that the Governor's aide thumped their Rev.father. At this point Journalists put a call across to the Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Bishop Gabriel Dunia, he said, "I am not aware of any cleric beaten by the senator's associate, there is no report like that".
Stories coming out from different sources corraborates with that of the Governor,disassociating him with the alleged event.
Consequently the Edo state Government has heavily condemned the false report made by ITV , describing it as malignant and made with the intention of denting the image of the Governor.
The State Government has already taken some actions against ITV and its owner, the Isama of Benin, who also owns the Igbinedion University, Okada. The state government has terminated it's contract with the school, to train its medical students using state owned facilities. pointing out that the school authorities had already failed to uphold their end of the deal that was made during the Lucky Igbinedion Government.
Reacting
also, a Catholic cleric, Reverend Father Andrew Obinyan, dismissed the
report. Giving his homily at a mass on Tuesday, Obinyan, the Parish
Priest of St Albert’s Catholic Church, University of Benin, said: “I
heard in the news a report that a Catholic priest in Esan Central of Edo
State was grievously oppressed and beaten to a state of coma by aides
of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. If I am sure of anything about Governor
Oshiomhole, it is his reverential fear and respect for all ordained
ministers especially bishops, priests, and religious of the Catholic
Church to which he proudly belongs. Governor Oshiomhole has maintained a
very cordial relationship with Catholic Bishops, Priests and Laity
beyond Benin City. As a priest, I have an obligation, in conscience,
based on privileged information, to let the public know that neither the
Governor nor any of his aides was involved in such incident as
reported. It was a tale concocted to drag the Holy Catholic Church into
the fray of politics.”
The state government, reacting on the saga, said the report was not only callous, malicious and wicked, but also clearly portrayed ITV and its proprietor as inclined to denigrating the Oshiomhole administration. It added, “While the state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora. The State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Pius Odubu is also a practicing Catholic as well as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Uyi Igbe.
“We use this medium to call on ITV to retract the said offensive report and tender an unreserved apology to the governor, through the same station for dragging the Governor’s name into a matter totally unconnected to him”.
Edo State government also withdrew the accreditation of the correspondent and cameraman of ITV attached to the Government House, Benin-City.
In a letter to the General Manager, ITV, Special Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “You will recall our earlier discussion with you on the series of fabricated and adversarial reportage of issues in the state which has continued to misinform, misrepresent and confuse the people of the state. As you know, these deliberate false reports which have become your editorial policy offend the ethics of broadcast journalism and the code of conduct spelt out by the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC]. In view of the above, we are withdrawing the accreditation of your correspondent earlier attached to Government House with immediate effect.”
Angered by the report, the state government, on Wednesday, terminated an agreement to train medical students of the Igbinedion University, Okada over alleged debt of N350million. The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Loius Odion, said: “The said university had not paid anything to the government since the agreement was entered into on September 1, 2006. In view of the failure of the management of Igbinedion University to honour the terms of a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the state government, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has approved the termination of same with immediate effect. The MOU in question was entered into on September 1, 2006 under the Lucky Igbinedion administration to enable the Igbinedion University enjoy the use of the state-owned Central Hospital Benin and Stella Obasanjo Hospital for the practicals of her medical students. It was part of the condition precedent demanded by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to grant the Igbinedion University accreditation to train medical students in the clinical specialties”.
The state government, reacting on the saga, said the report was not only callous, malicious and wicked, but also clearly portrayed ITV and its proprietor as inclined to denigrating the Oshiomhole administration. It added, “While the state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora. The State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Pius Odubu is also a practicing Catholic as well as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Uyi Igbe.
“We use this medium to call on ITV to retract the said offensive report and tender an unreserved apology to the governor, through the same station for dragging the Governor’s name into a matter totally unconnected to him”.
Edo State government also withdrew the accreditation of the correspondent and cameraman of ITV attached to the Government House, Benin-City.
In a letter to the General Manager, ITV, Special Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “You will recall our earlier discussion with you on the series of fabricated and adversarial reportage of issues in the state which has continued to misinform, misrepresent and confuse the people of the state. As you know, these deliberate false reports which have become your editorial policy offend the ethics of broadcast journalism and the code of conduct spelt out by the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC]. In view of the above, we are withdrawing the accreditation of your correspondent earlier attached to Government House with immediate effect.”
Angered by the report, the state government, on Wednesday, terminated an agreement to train medical students of the Igbinedion University, Okada over alleged debt of N350million. The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Loius Odion, said: “The said university had not paid anything to the government since the agreement was entered into on September 1, 2006. In view of the failure of the management of Igbinedion University to honour the terms of a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the state government, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has approved the termination of same with immediate effect. The MOU in question was entered into on September 1, 2006 under the Lucky Igbinedion administration to enable the Igbinedion University enjoy the use of the state-owned Central Hospital Benin and Stella Obasanjo Hospital for the practicals of her medical students. It was part of the condition precedent demanded by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to grant the Igbinedion University accreditation to train medical students in the clinical specialties”.
Reacting
also, a Catholic cleric, Reverend Father Andrew Obinyan, dismissed the
report. Giving his homily at a mass on Tuesday, Obinyan, the Parish
Priest of St Albert’s Catholic Church, University of Benin, said: “I
heard in the news a report that a Catholic priest in Esan Central of Edo
State was grievously oppressed and beaten to a state of coma by aides
of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. If I am sure of anything about Governor
Oshiomhole, it is his reverential fear and respect for all ordained
ministers especially bishops, priests, and religious of the Catholic
Church to which he proudly belongs. Governor Oshiomhole has maintained a
very cordial relationship with Catholic Bishops, Priests and Laity
beyond Benin City. As a priest, I have an obligation, in conscience,
based on privileged information, to let the public know that neither the
Governor nor any of his aides was involved in such incident as
reported. It was a tale concocted to drag the Holy Catholic Church into
the fray of politics.”
The state government, reacting on the saga, said the report was not only callous, malicious and wicked, but also clearly portrayed ITV and its proprietor as inclined to denigrating the Oshiomhole administration. It added, “While the state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora. The State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Pius Odubu is also a practicing Catholic as well as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Uyi Igbe.
“We use this medium to call on ITV to retract the said offensive report and tender an unreserved apology to the governor, through the same station for dragging the Governor’s name into a matter totally unconnected to him”.
Edo State government also withdrew the accreditation of the correspondent and cameraman of ITV attached to the Government House, Benin-City.
In a letter to the General Manager, ITV, Special Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “You will recall our earlier discussion with you on the series of fabricated and adversarial reportage of issues in the state which has continued to misinform, misrepresent and confuse the people of the state. As you know, these deliberate false reports which have become your editorial policy offend the ethics of broadcast journalism and the code of conduct spelt out by the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC]. In view of the above, we are withdrawing the accreditation of your correspondent earlier attached to Government House with immediate effect.”
Angered by the report, the state government, on Wednesday, terminated an agreement to train medical students of the Igbinedion University, Okada over alleged debt of N350million. The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Loius Odion, said: “The said university had not paid anything to the government since the agreement was entered into on September 1, 2006. In view of the failure of the management of Igbinedion University to honour the terms of a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the state government, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has approved the termination of same with immediate effect. The MOU in question was entered into on September 1, 2006 under the Lucky Igbinedion administration to enable the Igbinedion University enjoy the use of the state-owned Central Hospital Benin and Stella Obasanjo Hospital for the practicals of her medical students. It was part of the condition precedent demanded by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to grant the Igbinedion University accreditation to train medical students in the clinical specialties”.
The state government, reacting on the saga, said the report was not only callous, malicious and wicked, but also clearly portrayed ITV and its proprietor as inclined to denigrating the Oshiomhole administration. It added, “While the state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora. The State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Pius Odubu is also a practicing Catholic as well as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Uyi Igbe.
“We use this medium to call on ITV to retract the said offensive report and tender an unreserved apology to the governor, through the same station for dragging the Governor’s name into a matter totally unconnected to him”.
Edo State government also withdrew the accreditation of the correspondent and cameraman of ITV attached to the Government House, Benin-City.
In a letter to the General Manager, ITV, Special Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “You will recall our earlier discussion with you on the series of fabricated and adversarial reportage of issues in the state which has continued to misinform, misrepresent and confuse the people of the state. As you know, these deliberate false reports which have become your editorial policy offend the ethics of broadcast journalism and the code of conduct spelt out by the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC]. In view of the above, we are withdrawing the accreditation of your correspondent earlier attached to Government House with immediate effect.”
Angered by the report, the state government, on Wednesday, terminated an agreement to train medical students of the Igbinedion University, Okada over alleged debt of N350million. The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Loius Odion, said: “The said university had not paid anything to the government since the agreement was entered into on September 1, 2006. In view of the failure of the management of Igbinedion University to honour the terms of a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the state government, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has approved the termination of same with immediate effect. The MOU in question was entered into on September 1, 2006 under the Lucky Igbinedion administration to enable the Igbinedion University enjoy the use of the state-owned Central Hospital Benin and Stella Obasanjo Hospital for the practicals of her medical students. It was part of the condition precedent demanded by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to grant the Igbinedion University accreditation to train medical students in the clinical specialties”.
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