Valentine Asuen's allegation : Shaibu clears the air

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Valentine Asuen.        Philip Shaibu.

By Besiru Enakhimion.

Edo state Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu has cleared the air over the allegation and attacks visited on him by Mr  Valentine Asuen, the Chief Executive Officer of DVD Oil.

The press statement titled, " VALENTINE ASUEN’S  TISSUES OF LIES AGAINST PHILIP SHAIBU; SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT"signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the deputy governor, Mr. Ebomhiana Musa states that, 

"Our attention has been drawn to the malicious press statement made by one Valentine Asuen also known as DVD against the person and  office of Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu. The said statement is riddled with puerile conjectures, infantile lies, belly-aching, outright misinformation and imbecilic bigotry.

 "Valentine  Asuen claimed without evidence that The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt  Hon.Comrade Phillip Shaibu confiscated two of his fuel trucks and made him part with six million naira before the trucks were released. He claimed that the action was politically motivated and an attempt to destroy his business. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As a member of that taskforce, I'm in a position to put the records straight ".

The statement further said that, 
"On November 6, 2022, the Edo State Government set up a Task Force charged with the task of decongesting major roads in Benin metropolis and ensure the free flow of traffic. The Task Force was further charged with the task of dismantling illegal Truck Parks along highways that are aggravating  the traffic congestion and causing damage to our roads. This Task force was chaired by Oluwole Iyamu ,SAN (then Attorney General and Honourable Commissioner for Justice). Its members included the heads of the following government agencies; PUWOV, EDSTMA and Ministry of Physical Planning, CSO Government House,  amongst others.

"In the course of doing their job along Muritala Muhammed Way , close to 3rd East Circular junction , 12 trucks belonging to different petrol dealers were found violating traffic regulations , converting a portion of the public road to a private Truck Park and causing willful  physical damage to a  long stretch of the road .The Trucks were impounded and kept in government custody by EDSTMA, pending further investigation and prosecution. It was later discovered that two of the trucks belonged to Valentine Asuen; The law however is no respecter of persons.

"As it is the tradition with Edo State Government, the option of paying for repairs of willful damage to government property as plea bargain against prosecution was activated and supervised by the Attorney General who was the Chairman of the Task Force. The Ministry of Physical Planning got a number of firms to quote for the job. A  reputable firm, MACFRANKLY NIG LTD got the bid for the reconstruction of the damaged portion of the road. The cost burden was shared by the different owners of the  trucks.

"Valentine Asuen however imagined himself bigger than the law and due process. He approached the Deputy Governor to bend the law, the Deputy Governor refused as it was against his oath of office and his commitment to rule of law. Valentine claimed in his press Statement that he called the Deputy Governor’s wife more than fifty times to intervene but she could not because the law is no respecter of anyone.

"The Deputy Governor’s position was that if cab drivers who caused damages to electric poles due to reckless driving are made to pay by Government, why should he intervene to save his millionaire friend whose trucks caused damage to public infrastructure and contravenes traffic regulations. Would his intervention not have made him an accomplice? Would it have been fair to the other persons whose trucks were also involved ? This is the offence that was termed by Asuen as political witch-hunting, ethnic profiling and an attempt to kill his business.

"Asuen who was a candidate for office at that time preferred that his company was not prosecuted and settled the issue by paying as others did for repair work". The statement added.

In the press statement, Rt. Hon. Shaibu expressed surprise that about a year after the incident and without provocation, Asuen is 
making curious and spurious allegation against him.

 "We demand an unreserved apology from Asuen otherwise we will institute a legal action against him" . The statement concluded.

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