Benin Ultra-Modern Hospital: Oshiomhole and Golda Osikhena’s Zenith of Financial Crimes and Deceit.
Edo state people in particular and Nigerians at large are steadily beginning to see the sordid character behind the fake ornamental decoration of an egotistic miniature masquerade that is the ill-fitted APC National Chairman called Adams Oshiomhole. Unknown to considerable number of people is the incontrovertible fact that Oshiomhole’s supposed accomplishments in public service, trade unionism and politics has been grossly exaggerated; most of the media chronicles, which seemed to have elevated the ex-governor to a gigantic success, is the undisputed endeavor of corrupt political fictionalization.
Why and how did some highly respected national political and labour activists change prefix ‘’Comrade’’ attached to Oshiomhole’s names to ‘’Comeandraid’’; COME AND RAID.
This is the sober determination of those who closely worked with Oshiohmole in various frontlines of activism –such revered Comrades see Oshiomhole as nothing but a thoroughly corrupt, self-seeking and deceptive activist. This is the very reason why so many veterans and present leaders of the genuine progressive wing of the labour movement justifiably treat Oshiomhole with deep contempt and noxious disgust. It is not the aim in this immediate article to do a comprehensive examination and pull the conceited veil of sacrosanctity in which Oshiomhole wraps himself.
The day for such journalistic ‘’surgery’’, to x-ray the sick fiction of the dying fable, is rapidly approaching for Oshiomhole. Then, the diminutive masquerade and self-baptized Emperor will literally be unveiled naked in a public market square.
Unfortunately for Edo people, the deep fiscal wounds inflicted on the state is not a fictional projection; Oshiomhole’s eight years of governance of Edo State was a regrettable misadventure; the tenure is largely the story of financial and economic ‘’raids’’ on the coffers of its geo-political entity.
From the long list of state-sponsored financial raids carrying the imprimatur of Oshiomhole is the instance of the Benin Ultra-Modern Hospital project in which Oshiomhole diverted nearly five billion naira towards the final days of his administration. For a project which carries the potential for saving patients from a ravaging disease because Oshiomhole promised that the hospital will include a cancer treatment center, the heartlessness and the sheer absence of humanity exhibited by Oshiomhole in diverting the funds for this project is the zenith of unconscionable kleptomania. But such a conduct stepped in barbaric greed is repeatedly and casually characteristic of Oshiomhole’s record in various levels of activism and public service.
One would think that the self-acclaimed pro-democracy and pro-masses advocate will not dare play such reckless games and construct a tower of deceit around this particular kind of medical project; it will be assumed that Oshiomhole based on his own intimate tragic experience of what lack of machine for early detection of cancer and, therefore, the commencement of effective treatment would mean for families. Not even the most benevolent gods of his home town of Iyahmo will forgive the ex-governor for lifting the hopes and quashing the joy of relief that people with cancer and their families, especially the majority who cannot afford overseas treatment, were nurturing in the promise of a world-class hospital by Oshiomhole. But the entire project was a gargantuan fraud right from the beginning.
Though painful, it could be said that the scam foisted on the people, by the diversion of the funds allocated for the hospital project, is far more deadly than the disease which Oshiomhole promised that the health institution will help to cure.
Rather than give Edo people the pride of having an internationally referenced cancer treatment center, Oshiomhole immediately after securing the 5-billion-naira budget for the hospital commenced an extensive criminal deception. The ex-governor approved, without due process, that his own (Oshiomhole) girlfriend named Madam Golda Osikhena was going to be the contractor for the five-billion-naira project. Perhaps, there would have been nothing wrong with a governor so deficit in morality to hire a girlfriend with some background in such contracts. But Oshiomhole’s Madam Golda Osikhena has spent all her life in low level food catering and ALLIED SOCIAL SERVICES in Abuja.
What rational would the morally diminutive ex-governor offer for delivering such a crucial health infrastructure for execution into the hands of his girlfriend? Is the Madam Golda Osikhena instance indicative of the level of respect that ex-governor Oshiomhole have for the lives of the people of Edo State? I can understand why the members of Edo Global Forum are requesting the EFCC to help ensure a full accounting for the 75 percent of the 5-billion-naira mobilization fee (3.5 billion naira) that Oshiomhole paid to his caterer turned architectural expert/girlfriend.
Edo people are waiting for the usually loquacious and seemingly fearless Oshiomhole to step out at a press conference and publicly explain what he as the then governor and Madam Golda did with the 75-percent mobilization fee that was swindled from the collective wealth of the sweat and tears of the working class of Edo State.
For those who care about some modicum of accountability in governance, they should walk by the flimsy cartoon-like box structure next to Benin General Hospital in the vicinity of the Ring Road; that is the pitiful contraption that Oshiomhole called the extension building to supposedly house the world-class Cancer treatment center. Far beyond the physical structure, the facility does not even have furniture like beds and much less any medical equipment to indicate that the Oshiomhole was at any time serious about a cancer treatment center.
Oshiomhole’s main focus in the few weeks before his governorship tenure ended was how to stage elaborate shows to conceal the heartless avarice that he perpetrated in office; the ex-governor did not give a hoot about the welfare of Edo people, no compunction of conscience to moderate his crude criminality against Edo people.
Therefore, Oshiomhole did not show any qualms in inviting President Buhari and the distinguished Edo community to the commissioning of the hospital. On the day of the event, the morally depraved Governor commandeered some furniture from a nearby secondary school while he authorized a temporary seizure of the beds from another hospital to give the impression that the cancer center was ready. All the commandeered properties were returned to their legitimate locations as soon as President departed Benin. The ex-governor did not only dupe the people of the state by hosting such event but Oshiomhole also deceived President Buhari.
It behooves the ex-governor to now boldly come out and respond to the inquiries regarding the billions that was allocated for the hospital by Edo people-Oshiomhole should in the same endeavor tell the world where Madam Golda is hiding. It indeed leaves too much to be desired for the national chairman of APC to remain silent despite several invitations to lay bare the facts regarding the hospital project that is now perceived as a monument of fraud.
Very clearly, Oshionmhole generated a lot of political and financial mess in Edo State just as he is now exposed to larger Nigerian population as someone who perpetrates debilitating confusion wherever he ( Oshiomhole) functions.
