A former governor of Edo State and current Senator representing Edo North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has stated that his son, Cyril, is qualified to serve as the Commissioner for Health in the South-South state.
Oshiomhole made these comments while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Wednesday.
In November, Cyril was appointed as the health commissioner by Governor Monday Okphebolo, a close ally of Oshiomhole, shortly after the new governor took office.
The appointment of the US-trained medical doctor has faced significant criticism from those who have labelled it as state capture and a reward for Oshiomhole’s support during the governor’s election.
When asked if he supported his son’s appointment as commissioner, former labour leader Oshiomhole stated that he voiced his concerns to the governor when the decision was made.
Oshiomhole stated, “He doesn’t work under me; maybe Governor Monday is grooming him. When I was in Edo, I stopped him when he wanted to go for the House of Reps. I said no and supported another guy. The second time he wanted to try, I said no. This time the governor decided to pick him. He is qualified.
“I did express my concerns when I heard. I called him and expressed my concerns. I expressed those concerns to the governor that people might say this and that.
“Those were the reasons why I stopped him from contesting elections when I was in office but then I have to accept that in the world that we live in, you can only do so much to control your son but not when he is already of adult age.
“But the point must be made: I invested in my children’s education. I didn’t want them to go through what I went through. So, Dr Cyril is not just a medical doctor from ABU (Ahmadu Bello University), he went to do post-graduate in two universities in the US including Harvard and another university in Louisiana. He does something about public health.
“So, he is not having it because he is Oshiomhole; I will say he is having in spite of being Oshiomhole.”
