Hosa Okunbo: How Amaechi Vindicated Me – Obaseki

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said he has been vindicated by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on the cancellation of a maritime security contract awarded to Captain Hosa Okunbo.

Naija News reports that Okunbo, the Chairman of Ocean Marine Security Limited (OMSL) had accused Obaseki of influencing the cancellation of the contract.

But in a statement on Saturday, Obaseki’s spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, said the Edo governor was not responsible for the termination of the contract.

He said that the minister vindicated Obaseki when he (Amaechi) appeared on an AIT programme on Friday and gave reasons for the cancellation of the contract.

Osagie quoted Amaechi as saying that his Ministry cancelled the maritime security contract, which Okunbo’s OMSL was undertaking because the deal was laced with fraud.

Osagie quoted the Minister to have said Okumbo “charges each vessel on the waters 2,500 dollars, then after that 1,500 every day,” adding that the company does not pay back that money to the Federal Government.

“He makes 17 million dollars from that activity, who approved it, nobody! So as minister for transport, I said no, we can provide that security…”

Osagie, in reaction to Amaechi’s comments, said the clarification has shown that Obaseki had no hand in the cancellation of Okunbo’s maritime security contract.

“We are glad that the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, came on air to lay this issue to rest in the minds of some Nigerians.

“For us, Amaechi’s clarification reinforces what we have always believed,” the statement added.