By Henry Ayanruoh

LAGOS MAY 10TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The evening after the screening of PDP gubernatorial aspirants, social media space could scarcely hold the multitude of participants crowding it. One could literally see the high spirit of few participants that were marked as they circulate among themselves in the comment sections of various post hoping to witness an event, they confidently felt to be historic, the qualification/disqualification of Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.

There were claims and counter claims concerning the credentials of Oborevwori and this sent a shameful triumph in the camp of the other aspirants as they circulated half baked truths and lies while members of the Sheriffied Movement were unperturbed because they are actually a step from clinching the ticket.

Few days later, I stumbled onto the post of one Fred Edoreh titled ‘’Delta 2023: Sheriff  Oborevwori Suffocating in His Own Mess’’. It was a rejoinder to a post earlier sent by Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Executive Assistant on Communication to His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Seldom do I pause to respond to criticism because if I do,  I would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day and I would have no time for constructive work.   Since this criticism is coming at this time of our political process and it concerns my Principal, I would respond briefly just to protect the beauty of our democracy and to also set the record straight.

I’m quite sure we have all read the rejoinder were Mr Edoreh clothed himself and members of Olorogun David Edevbie Campaign Organisation as people that do not mess and so one would not normally expect in his rejoinder the defects of suppression veri and suggstio fasi . But I regret to observe that not only does his statement abound in these but in his utter desperation to kidnap truth and put our democracy in chains he has cast discretion and judgement to the winds and descended down to the familiar arts of blackmail and cheap lies

I used these epithets deliberately, for anyone reading his statement dispassionately it would be obvious that he has tried to browbeat truth into submission by liberal use of words. He has charge my Principal in bad faith in the hope that the charge would gain for him and the Olorogun David Edevbie Campaign Organisation his coveted perfect principal, and so he tried to invoke the assistance of public opinion in the expectation that the threatened exposure before Deltans will reduce the popularity and acceptance of  Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, they just cannot explain how the sheriffication got Deltans electrified in anticipation for MORE and so he said I quote ’’we also think that, first, it was unfair on Oborevwori for those using  state resources and the party machinery to intimidate party members and delegates to support him’’ unquote. I quite concede that the desperate situation in which Olorogun David Edevbie Campaign Organisation finds itself calls for rather drastic remedies but we are entitled to expect of him a balanced approach to his rejoinder rather than these filibustering tactics, the failure of which is as certain as daylight.

Further, in his over zeal to achieve his object by all manner of means, Fred Edoreh, as I would presently show, paid little attention to truth and show little regards for facts. His accusation of bad faith and similar other statements of an accusatory nature cannot go unnoticed. Just hear him speak and I quote ‘’It appears that Deltans have perceived a bad odour around him and they, not us, are asking questions on the inconsistencies surrounding his identity, age and the educational certificates he submitted under oath.’’ Unquote and he went further to state I quote ‘’As we hear, he may have with withdrawn his B.sc and Masters Certificate from his documentation with the PDP South-South Gubernatorial Screening Committee, leaving only the primary school and secondary school certificates. If so we hope he also remembered to remove his NYSC Certificates from the file  in PH and National Secretariat where he first submitted his credentials.’’ Unquote

Their discussions and actions were not only confined to this rejoinder but also covered petitions that were written to the National Chairman of PDP. Fortunately the National Chairman of PDP was in Delta State recently and had the opportunity to have discussed and assessed the Rt Honourable and a clean bill of health was given.

We have consistently humbly presented the truth and the facts as it concerns the Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori but it seems it has not gotten to the attention of our distracters, so let me re-display it here for Mr Edoreh, to see

1. “FALSIFICATION OF AGE”

Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori was born on June 19, 1963, as clearly stated in his gubernatorial nomination form. The wrong date in his West African Examinations Council School Certificate Examination was properly corrected by an affidavit he deposed to in 2003. That is eighteen years ago!.

2. “MULTIPLE AND DIFFERENT NAMES IN CERTIFICATES SUBMITTED”

The Rt. Hon. Speaker’s given name at his birth was Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori.  However, he was affectionately called Sheriff by his uncle, Johnson Oborevwori, a name by which he is now commonly and legally known.  On 17th July 2003, Mr. Speaker deposed to an affidavit stating the change of his name from Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori to Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori.  He also published the name change in the Nigerian Observer of 30th January 2004.

On 7th July 2011, Mr. Speaker also signed a Deed Poll changing his name from Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori to Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori.  In the deed, he reconciled and affirmed that the following arrangements of his name belong to him– i.e., Oborevwori Francis, Oborevwori Orohwedor Francis, Oborevwori O. Francis, and Oborevwori Francis Sheriff Orohwedor.  The Deed Poll has also been officially gazetted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

3. “FAKE WAEC CERTIFICATE AND INCONSISTENCIES IN SECONDARY EDUCATION”

Again, the fact that you say something is fake does not make it so. You must prove it beyond reasonable doubt. Not by twisting facts to suit your whim and caprice. As someone said, you may be entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own set of facts. Facts are sacred. Despite overwhelming evidence in the public domain that the old Oghareki Grammar School was founded in 1970, Oborevwori’s traducers keep shamelessly pushing the propaganda that the school did not exist prior to 1999 when his WAEC certificate was issued. They claim that Oghareki Grammar School was founded in 2014, and therefore, Oborevwori’s certificate is “fake.”

 For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to categorically state as follows:

1. The old Oghareki Grammar School that was established in 1970 was the one Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori obtained his WAEC certificate. It was founded as Baptist High School, Oghareki by the Baptist Church but the name of the school was later changed to Oghareki Grammar School.

1. The old Oghareki Grammar School, Oghareki was among the forty schools handed over to the original owners (Missionaries/Churches) under the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration. Consequently, in 2011, the school reverted to its old name of Baptist Missionary School, Oghareki, which is the present and subsisting name of the school.

iii. Following this reversal of name by the Baptist Church, the people of Oghareki Community lobbied the State government for the establishment of Oghareki Grammar School. The request of the community was granted by the Delta State Government under Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and a completely new Oghareki Grammar School was established in 2014.  It is the signboard of this school that is being circulated on social media in a fraudulent attempt to discredit the school certificate of Oborevwori issued in 1999.

1999. As at the time Oborevwori obtained his School Certificate, the name of the school was Oghareki Grammar School, as rightly indicated in the certificate issued to him in 1999.

1. Both the old Oghareki Grammar School (now Baptist Missionary School), Oghareki, and the new Oghareki Grammar School founded in 2014, are still operational at different locations in Oghareki, Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta State

I have responded to this rejoinder in an atmosphere of hope, goodwill and cordiality rather than in speculation on the nature of the rejoinder because it would do more harm than good. I had expected him and his crew to wait till after the outcome of the screening and the outcome of the petition but feverish attempts were made and still being made evidently in an attempt to isolate the truth and facts. There actions are pre-mature and they don’t have the Authority to make furious claims.

I leave you with the words of a great man. Do not lose your temper, if someone call you a liar or oppose you. If you want to say something, say it calmly. Or, perhaps, silence would be best. If you are really truthful, you do not become a liar simply because someone calls you so.

Be Sheriffied.