Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki today came under the attack of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC fumed at the failure of Obaseki to form a cabinet over three months after he was sworn in for his second term.
Since his inauguration for his second term, Obaseki has only announced the appointment of the Secretary to State Government (SSG) and promised to make more appointments by February.
A statement by the Edo APC Caretaker Committee Chairman Col. David Imuse (retd.) said his party would not accept the unwarranted delay by Governor Obaseki in announcing a cabinet more than three months after assumption of office.
According to him, while some of the governor’s supporters say he is busy searching for competent hands and bidding his time to avoid making mistakes, the excuse only goes to portray an elected public servant with “a strong desire to transform into a dictator.”
In a statement through the assistant spokesperson of the party, Victor Osehobo, the APC chairman said: “Edo State can ill-afford further delay by the governor to make these vital appointments. Section 192 of the Nigerian Constitution, as amended is clear on the issue of state commissioners, and permanent secretaries cannot do much as they look up to commissioners, for direction on policy issues.
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“The section gives the governor a public mandate rather than private, to appoint commissioners to form not just the state’s executive council, but also the think tank for the development of the state’s economy and well-being of the people.
“Right now the day-to-day operations of the different state Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), have come to a halt, while the coordination of important government businesses has become weaker with the unnecessary overload on the secretary to state government.
“Since the governor assumed office in November last year, over 100 days ago, with his disabled state assembly, using permanent secretaries as acting heads of ministries whose capacities are limited, he has more or less turned a sole administrator.”
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