Edo Govt Under Fire Over 4,000 SAs As Okpebholo Reveals Why Appointments Stand

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has defended his administration’s appointment of 4,000 Special Assistants, saying the decision should not be considered an issue because the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a collective effort.

Okpebholo made the remarks on Monday while meeting with APC members from the 18 local government areas of Edo State at the Government House in Benin City.

According to a statement issued by his media aide, Patrick Ebojele, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to extending governance and development to communities across the state.

Okpebholo said opportunities and government programmes would continue to move from the state level down to local communities and wards.

While thanking party members for their support, the governor stressed the need for unity within the APC and said his administration remained committed to strengthening the party at the grassroots.

Addressing the gathering, Okpebholo said the party belonged to all its members and that no individual should claim exclusive ownership of the electoral victory.

He said, “I want to say good morning to everybody and tell you that I love you all. I want to let you know that the party is our party. We don’t have any other party than APC.

“Appointing 4,000 SAs is not an issue at all because we all worked for this victory. The victory does not belong to Okpebholo alone, and I thank party members for their support.

“So we are taking governance to the grassroots, so that whatever is from the top will also go down to the bottom.”

The governor’s comments come amid public discussion over the large number of Special Assistants appointed by his administration, with Okpebholo maintaining that the appointments are part of his effort to strengthen grassroots participation in governance.