• Tasks deputy governor on good governance
• Shaibu denies official communication on office relocation
People of Edo Central Senatorial District under the auspices of Esan Advocate For Good Governance, yesterday, called on the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, to exercise restraint and support Governor, Godwin Obaseki to deliver on good governance and development of the state.
The group also urged the deputy governor to resist the temptation to push the governor to yield to pressure to disregard the senatorial zoning arrangement to produce the next governor of the state.
Briefing newsmen in Benin City, the Convener of the group, Bartholomew Okoudo, said the deputy governor’s frequent tirade is to get the governor to endorse his candidacy for the governorship election in the state next year.
According to him, this is the reason he is employing different tricks to box the governor to a corner and extract a commitment.
He stated that Shaibu’s attempt to curry public sympathy is aimed at arm-twisting the governor. Okoudo added that the frustration the deputy governor is expressing is only to make it seem as if he is being victimised, saying that everyone knows he is intoxicated by his inordinate ambition.
Okoudo added that according to a standing zoning arrangement, it is the turn of Edo Central Senatorial District, which has never had the opportunity to produce the governor except the short reign of Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor between May 2007 and November 2008, to produce the next governor of the state.
MEANWHILE, Shaibu has asked his principal, Obaseki, and his aides to be disciplined enough to always say the simple truth.
The deputy governor stated this in response to the claim that he had earlier received an official communication confirming the relocation of his office outside the Government House.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one of Shaibu’s aides said the deputy governor got a memo on Monday afternoon, shortly before official closing hours.
The aide said the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, hurriedly signed the memo, which was dated Friday, September 15, 2023, as a face-saving measure.
According to the aide, the governor should continually place more emphasis on honesty, and not misleading the people for political gain.
