Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State have asked Governor Monday Okpebholo to immediately redeploy Government House staff who worked with the Godwin Obaseki administration.
The leaders, under the aegis of Edo APC Leaders of Thought, argued that it would constitute security risk to retain the concerned staff in the Government House.
Speaking through their leader, Momodu Adams, they said most of the civil servants in the Government House are so used to Obaseki, having worked with him throughout his eight years as governor.
According to Adams, there is an urgent need to redeployment in the Edo Government House, starting from the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mrs Edith Sede, down to the caterers.
He noted that, following recent reports of leak of official memos from the Government House, Okpebholo should not keep the current crop of staff.
Adams said Sede is a known loyalist of Obaseki and the former Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Osarodion Ogie.
According to him, she is still working with all the civil servants in Government House who served in the Obaseki administration.
The Edo PDP chieftain said the situation is frustrating Okpebholo’s appointees.
He equally alleged that some of the old Government House staff, who he described as Obaseki’s loyalists, are actively frustrating Okpebholo’s government.
He added, “During major events in the state, Mrs Sede engages loyalists of the PDP and Obaseki to handle the cooking and other official arrangements. Within the Government House, Sede has retained cooks who served in Obaseki’s administration. This arrangement is causing serious disarray.
“APC leaders are worried about the development because some persons are leaking official documents in their possessions to PDP leaders, especially Ogie and Asue Ighodalo, who are trying to upturn the victory of Governor Okpebholo at the Tribunal.
“If something urgent is not done, who knows what will happen next? All protocol officers in Government House including those who serve tea to Governor Okpebholo are loyalists of Obaseki who are being retained by the Permanent Secretary. Accountants, procurement officers, cooks, drivers, and 98 percent of the staff who worked in Government House during Obaseki’s administration, are still in Okpebholo’s administration.
“We are worried. People hide or sit on files meant for the governor. For instance, Governor Okpebholo currently has no retainership with any media house because there are people scheming to frustrate Okpebholo’s administration by ensuring that he gets bad press.
“We understand that media houses and journalists in Edo State are losing patience with Governor Okpebholo’s administration. When the media starts its own war with the new administration, it will mess it up, and that is what some people want. They frustrate everything that will give the Okpebholo administration the needed good image.”
