EDO North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, said his son, Cyril, is qualified to occupy the office of the Commissioner of Health in the South-South state.
Oshiomhole, former Edo governor, was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.
In November, Oshiomhole’s ally, Governor Monday Okphebolo, appointed Cyril as health commissioner just after the new governor was sworn in.
The appointment of the United States-trained medical doctor has attracted a barrage of criticisms from persons who described the act as a state capture and a reward for the senator’s support for the governor’s election.
Asked whether he endorsed the appointment of his son as commissioner, former labour leader Oshiomhole said he expressed his concerns to the governor when the appointment was announced.
The lawmaker said, “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.”
