A former governor of Edo State and current senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has declared that his son, Cyril, is qualified to serve as the commissioner for health in the state.

Oshiomhole stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

Cyril, a medical doctor, was nominated as the commissioner of health by Monday Okpebholo, the state governor and close ally of Oshiomhole, and was subsequently sworn in on November 19 at the Government House in Benin City. 

When asked if he supported his son’s appointment as commissioner, former labour leader Oshiomhole revealed that he had expressed his concerns to the governor at the time the decision was made.

His words: “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.”