Edo State Government has refuted a media report that security aides attached to the governor purportedly beat up a Catholic priest identified as Reverend Father Peter Udo at the weekend.

The news report monitored on a private television station in the state reported that the incident happened when the priest was said to have refused‎ to clear from the road when Governor Oshiomhole and his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fasola’s convoy were driving along Amendokhian- Ugboha road to commission it.

Udo, who hails from Ujogba, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, was said to be on his way to his parish, St. Dennis Catholic Church, Ugboha, Esan Southeast when he encountered the governor’s convoy.

But when contacted on phone yesterday, Bishop of Auchi Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Gabriel Dunia said he was yet to get any of such report.‎

However, Oshiomhole in swift statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria denied the allegation, saying, “We watched with great shock the concocted news that was reported by Independent Television (ITV) owned by a PDP chieftain, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, stating that the Governor’s aides beat up a Reverend Father at Ujogba. The said report is not only callous, malicious and wicked, but clearly portrays ITV as the devil’s advocates, who churn out falsehood to denigrate the Oshiomhole administration.

“While we state that the Governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, the Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora. The State Deputy Governor Pius Odubu is also a practicing Catholic as well as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Uyi Igbe.

“It is a fact that the Governor enjoys a robust relationship with the Catholic Church more so as a baptized practicing Catholic. He is also in good standing with the Archbishop, Priests and Laity of Benin City Archdiocese, Auchi Diocese and Uromi Diocese.

“‎The Governor as the father of everybody in the state would never encourage anyone to beat up anybody, let alone directing that a Priest of God, from whom he receives the Holy Communion, be beaten up.

“It is however heartwarming that the Catholic Church is able to see through this deliberate deception, utter blackmail and wicked machinations of the ITV. In spite of this crude attempt to rubbish the Governor because of his faith, he renews his commitment to the Catholic Church, to all Catholics, all Christians and indeed people of all faith in the state.

We use this medium to call on ITV to retract the said offensive report and tender an unreserved apology to the Governor, through the same station for dragging the Governor’s name into a matter totally unconnected to him.

Meanwhile, Governor Oshiomhole yesterday at the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) re-union Fund Raising 2015 in Abuja expressed dissatisfaction that the Federal Government was unable to finish building its petroleum refinery after sixteen years of practicing democracy in the country.

According to Oshiomhole, “I am totally in agreement that we cannot in the 21st century be exporting products the way our forefathers were doing when they discovered River Niger. One thing that hurts me is that I am unable to accept that even after sixteen years of democracy that we are still exporting our products, petroleum products.