…Blames opposition for fake news
Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial hopeful in the September election in Edo State, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has denied any association or link whatsoever with a Ponzi scheme company that duped people in the state 32 years ago, saying it’s fake news concocted by opposition parties in the state to tarnish his good name.
In a statement by his media office on Friday, Ighodalo, while reacting to a story titled ‘Like Planwell, Like MMM: Ighodalo come and clear your name’, urged the public to treat the fake news as tissues of lies.
The full statement reads:
Edo 2024: Opposition parties and their hack writers, Ighodalo has no connection whatsoever with PLANWELL
Jittery and already discomfited by the rising and unassailable political profile of Dr Asue Ighodalo, the gubernatorial hopeful of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), opposition elements in the state have gone full blast, deploying hack writers and professional propagandists in their futile efforts to tarnish and rubbish his otherwise good name, image and reputation.
Their latest fabrication is a malicious, libelous and actionable allegation by one Dr Osikhena Abu of Uzairue, trying to link Dr Ighodalo to a now defunct company, PLANWELL, which was used as a vehicle for Ponzi Scheme in 1992, claiming falsely and without any shred of fact or truth that: “I am hearing that Dr Asue was the owner of PLANWELL of that year, a Ponzi Scheme like MMM, that defrauded Edo people in 1992….”.
The author, perhaps, doesn’t know that this type of beer parlour gossip and obvious libel that a so-called “Dr” chose to run with has consequences that are far more than the reward and patronage he might have been promised. Our fathers warned us that, “the man whose head is used to break coconut, doesn’t live to partake in the eating”.
We are not entirely surprised at their shenanigans, save for the fact that it is still early in the day and we would have ordinarily expected the opposition to keep their gunpowder dry as the election is still more than six clear months away. Campaigns begin officially April 24.
We make bold to state categorically that Dr Ighodalo has nothing directly or remotely to do with the named companies. He does not know them, and shares no affinity whatsoever with them. His life’s story is an open book before all and sundry. Those who know him from close quarters are so very much proud of him and can go to any length to vouch for him.
For the record, Dr Ighodalo towers far above these non-starters and pretenders to leadership and he would not roll in the mud with them. However, to avoid a situation where the unsuspecting public and the good people of Edo in particular are misled by individuals who have assembled the local version of Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi era politician known for disinformation, truth twisting and calling black white, we state emphatically for the avoidance of doubt, that your darling Dr Asue Ighodalo has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with PLANWELL HOMEMAKERS LTD and PLANWELL WATERSHED LTD.
We, therefore, ask the general public to disregard and treat as tissues of lies and a grand conspiracy to smear an innocent man’s image with salacious stories that are products of yellow journalism.
A careful check on the status of the two companies showed that they were registered in 1992. The first, PLANWELL WATERSHED LTD, on March 17, and the second, PLANWELL HOMEMAKERS LTD, on July 21. The two companies have their known head office address at No 7, Wire Lane, Benin City, Edo State. The two companies also bear the same names of three directors, viz: Godday Okhaine, Emuata Okhaine and Vero Okhaine.
It is sad that these people who are generally vacuous, empty and completely lacking in pedigree, who are claiming to have what it takes to lead an enlightened and sophisticated people like Edolites, can resort to this base, mundane and weather-beaten tactic of smear campaign. On our part, we promise you an issue based campaign. We will always speak to issues that are germane to the welfare, development and progress of Edo State all the time.
DR ASUE IGHODALO MEDIA OFFICE, BENIN CITY
22 – 03 – 2024
