Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has announced the appointment of 34 Senior Special Assistants and 152 Special Assistants hailing from the Edo South Senatorial District.
These appointments reflect the governor’s dedication to fostering unity and inclusiveness within the state’s administration.
The newly appointed officials have been entrusted with the responsibility of being advocates for truth and supporting the government’s initiatives aimed at bolstering grassroots development.
Governor Obaseki highlighted that the selected individuals are drawn from five Local Government Areas (LGAs) within the Edo South Senatorial District: Ikpoba-Okha, Oredo, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, and Orhionmwon LGAs.
However, it was noted that appointments for the remaining two LGAs in the district are forthcoming. The delay is attributed to ongoing efforts to carefully select qualified and credible individuals who have demonstrated their loyalty to the party and possess the capabilities required for these positions.
Governor Obaseki emphasized the importance of appointees being residents of their respective local governments, underlining that absenteeism will not be tolerated. He emphasized that the days of holding appointments from abroad are over, and being actively present in the local community is essential to understanding its needs and contributing to its development.
“Out of the seven Local Government Areas from Edo South, we are appointing SSAs and SAs from five local government areas. The reason is that we are trying to foster unity and inclusiveness in our party so that all are given the opportunity to participate.
“Those local governments we have not accepted their list are those where work is still in progress. We are insisting that the leaders must agree and confirm that the people who are nominated are people who are faithful, worked for the party, and have the capacity to work for the governor.
“One of the key criteria for appointment is that you must be resident in that local government as you can’t be a political appointee in absentia. Gone are the days when you get an appointment and go abroad, it can’t happen again. You have to be a resident of your local government. You need to be there to know what is going on so as to help us develop the local government and State.”
Addressing the new appointees, the governor clarified that they work for him and the government, rather than solely for their local governments. He stressed the necessity of effective communication with the community and emphasized the importance of feedback mechanisms.
Governor Obaseki also outlined that the appointments are not ceremonial but come with significant responsibilities, including regular reporting to designated Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and active engagement with the local population.
“You all are my appointees, you work for me, not the local government. We are working in all the wards in Edo State; we have teachers, health workers, and many others as we work together to develop the state. We want people on the ground to communicate to the people what we are doing and also want feedback from them.
“This is not a fancy appointment but involves real work this time around. You have SSAs who you work with and will coordinate your activities and give me a monthly report of what is going on. You must show me your contacts and relationship with the people and show me the medium of communication to ensure a real impact in all the wards.
“You all belong to our party as your appointment is based on the fact that you belong to our party and must show commitment towards that. You must promote the interest of the party. The people have decided to follow our party and it showed a
Additionally, the governor made it clear that these appointments were granted to individuals affiliated with his party, and as such, the appointees are expected to promote the party’s interests and objectives.
He cited the party’s recent success in local government elections as evidence of the people’s support and urged the appointees to work diligently to secure victory in the upcoming gubernatorial election scheduled for September 21 next year.
“If you were SSAs or SAs in the last dispensation, the work is different this time around because there is a lot of work to do for the party. We know that you are ready to help the party to win the governorship election next year. The interest of the party is towards the 21st of September next year.”