By Daniel Obasohan<\/p>\n
The least expected controversy about Mr Godwin Obaseki, the All
\nProgressives Congress (APC) candidate for the September 10 governorship
\nelection in Edo State was the one about his educational qualification. But
\nout of the blue, it broke that he had deposed to an affidavit that the
\noriginal copies of not one but all of his educational certificates,
\nincluding his NYSC certificate, are missing. What he could therefore
\ntender as the proof of having attended the schools he claimed were
\nphotocopies of the lost original documents.<\/p>\n
Incredulous as this may sound, it is not improbable. However, the level of
\nits acceptance would be largely dependent on the circumstance of the
\nreported occurrence. It is not unusual to have all such documents
\ndestroyed or lost in incidents of inferno, extreme flooding, ghastly motor
\naccidents or armed robbery, of which development must be promptly reported
\nto the police.However in the present case, Obaseki claims that he lost his
\ncertificates in the course of his changing offices. By this statement he
\nhas established the fact that he knows how and when the certificates got
\nlost. The question that arises is, did he report to the police and when
\nand where? Whereas his office is in Lagos and he lives in Benin City
\npresently, he obtained an affidavit from a High Court in Abuja on June 7,
\n2016.<\/p>\n
Ordinarily, a man losing his certificates would not make the headlines or
\nstir public interest; but when it involves a governorship candidate in an
\nelection who, by law, is expected to put up the evidence of his admitted
\nqualifications for public scrutiny, there is bound to be suspicion about
\nthe claim. Thus, Godwin Obaseki\u2019s unexpected revelation has left a scent
\nof suspicion. Even his very recent claim that the originals have now been
\nfound in his house in the United States also raises suspicion and a whiff
\nof incredulity.\u00a0 Unless and until he makes public the original documents,
\nit will be difficult to erase the impression of possible perjury that has
\nbeen created in the minds of people.<\/p>\n
Back to the development before his very recent claim that the documents
\nhave been found in the US, his party, the APC, and his supporters have
\nrallied round him in defence saying that it was possible he really lost
\nthe certificates. Yes it is possible to have lost them, but then it is
\npossible that it could be convenient for him to have lost them.<\/p>\n
Some others say it was not in doubt that he is educated and went to the
\ninstitutions he claims. The more arrogant ones have challenged his
\nopponents to go to court if not satisfied with the claim in the affidavit.<\/p>\n
One cannot but agree that Godwin Obaseki is an educated man and there is
\nno doubt that he went to the schools he claims. However, being smart or
\nintelligent is no proof of having sat for a particular examination. The
\nproof of it is the certificate which comes in the name of the bearer and
\nparticulars of the examination and which on no account could be altered.
\nIt is to guard against getting away with altering the particulars of the
\ncertificate that makes possessing the original copies which may be
\nrequired for verification, a sine qua non. Whereas the photocopy is an
\nindication of how the original looks, it is no foolproof evidence of how
\nit is. Therefore, losing the original could be a way to conveniently
\nconceal material facts, and anyone could be excused suspecting Godwin
\nObaseki of this until he can sufficiently prove otherwise.<\/p>\n
The issue of challenging the opposition to go to court should be a line of
\ndefence by Obaseki\u2019s party and his supporters. The weakness of our
\nstatutes or legal instruments should not be the basis for the privileged
\nand the powerful to circumvent the law or due process. It has not been a
\ngood commentary how the issues of disputed certificates of elected
\nofficials, particularly of the ruling party have been resolved. The
\naccuser of President Muhammadu Buhari was obviously frustrated to withdraw
\nthe case against him. The celebrated Primary School Leaving Certificate
\nscandal of Governor Adams Oshiomhole is a study in unfathomable judicial
\ndiscretion. In the layman\u2019s court, instead of patronizing rigmarole as the
\ncourt did, Oshiomhole would simply have been asked to show his Primary
\nSchool Leaving Certificate. Instead, the case was struck out. And the part
\nof the State Ministry of Education, which was presumed to hold evidence or
\notherwise of Oshiomhole\u2019s certificate got burnt with every single
\ndocument. It is this confidence that Obaseki\u2019s supporters have that they
\ncan tell the opponents to \u201cgo to court or go to hell\u201d.<\/p>\n
The depressing thought of the unbelievable outcomes of previous cases in
\ncourt should not be a deterrent to would-be litigants if they feel a legal
\noption can be explored to get at the facts.\u00a0 However, the onus of removing
\nreasonable doubt at this material time is on Godwin Obaseki. In the event
\nthat he is unable to discharge this responsibility, the public,
\nparticularly the voting Edo public should reflect deeply on whether he can
\nbe trusted. We cannot be unmindful of the fact that Obaseki has a prior
\nshadow of doubt as to how trustworthy he is. First was the issue of
\nwhether he is not an archetype of the bloodline that would pose a threat
\nto the dignity of the Benin Royal Throne. The second has to do with the
\nunresolved accusation of a breach of trust by the Idisi family of Delta
\nState…. In any case, the kernel of this matter is that of trust.\u00a0 Given
\nthat not much is known to Edo people of Godwin Obaseki, should he be
\ntrusted as to vote him the governor of Edo State?
\nMr Obasohan sent this piece from Benin City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Daniel Obasohan The least expected controversy about Mr Godwin Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the September 10 governorship election in Edo State was the one about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n