Yemi Obafemi
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved the appointment of 4,800 Special Advisers (SAs), with 25 positions allocated to each of the 192 wards across the state.
The governor announced the approval during a meeting with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the state’s 18 local government areas at the Government House in Benin City.
Okpebholo said the initiative was aimed at taking governance closer to the people while strengthening the APC’s presence at the grassroots.
“So we are taking the governance to the grassroots so that whatever is from the top will also go down to the bottom,” Okpebholo said.
The governor also reaffirmed his support for the APC, describing the party as central to his administration and acknowledging the contribution of party members to his electoral victory.
“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,” he said.
“Approving 4,800 SAs is not an issue at all because we all work for this victory. The victory does not belong to Okpebholo alone,” the governor added.
Speaking at the meeting, Edo APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, said the appointments would be distributed across the state’s 192 wards, with each ward entitled to nominate 25 beneficiaries.
He said the meeting was organised to brief ward leaders and other party stakeholders on the requirements and procedures for selecting nominees.
“In his magnanimity, the governor has decided to approve 25 SAs in each of the wards in 192 wards across the state. And that is the reason why we decided to invite ward chairmen and members to this meeting so we can tell you the criteria to select these people that will benefit from this approval,” Tenebe said.
The APC State Working Committee has also set up a committee to work with the various wards on the selection process and ensure that the prescribed guidelines are followed.
The committee will subsequently collate the names of eligible nominees and forward them to the party headquarters in Benin City.
Tenebe said the administration had helped strengthen the APC in the state, adding that the party had become more active under the governor’s leadership.
He further disclosed that arrangements were being made to provide the party with a vehicle for its activities, while acknowledging the administration’s support for APC candidates during the last local government elections.
Those present at the meeting included Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, members of the APC State Working Committee, ward chairmen and other party representatives from across Edo State.
The approval is expected to expand the APC’s structure at the ward level and deepen engagement between the state government and the party’s grassroots organisation.
