Edo Assembly approves 15 SAs for Obaseki

April 12, 2021

Exactly six months after his inauguration for a second term on November 12, 2020, the Edo House of Assembly, on Monday, approved the appointment of 15 Special Advisers for Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Governor Obaseki, who, immediately after his swearing-in, announced the appointment of Mr Osarodion Ogie as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), had promised that all other political appointments into commissionership and other political positions would be made by the first week of February this year.

Six months down the line, the governor was unable to make any further appointments, thus fueling speculations that all was not well between him and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform he contested and won the September 19, 2020 governorship election, having been screened out of the race by his former party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), which interrogated his qualifications to contest the election.

Governor Obaseki, in a letter dated March 31, 2021and endorsed by the SSG, requested the house to approve the appointments.

“I write at the instance of the governor, His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to inform the honourable house of the need to appoint Special Advisers to the governor.

“Accordingly, Mr governor has directed me to seek the kind approval of the house for the appointment of 15 Special Advisers to the governor,” the letter stated.

Speaking while the letter was being debated on the floor of the house, the Majority Leader of the house, Henry Okhuarobo, urged members to approve the governor’s request, adding that it was the first step to constituting the state executive council.

The house unanimously, in a voice vote, approved the governor’s request to appoint the 15 Special Advisers.

The speaker, Hon Marcus Onobun, thereafter directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to convey copies of the approval to the governor for immediate action.