BENIN CITY/By Nuel Suji – Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu has urged newly appointed Special Assistants (SAs) and Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) to be true representatives of the state government at the grassroots.
The deputy governor gave the advice yesterday shortly before declaring close the two-day orientation programne organized by the state government for the appointees.
Shaibu who represented Governor Godwin Obaseki on the occasion, directed all the new appointees to relocate to their various wards to perform optimally, adding that the era of absentee political aides was over for good.
The deputy governor also directed them to provide evidence of leave of absence in their present employment to focus on the new task of assisting the Governor in providing good governance to Edo people, warning that government will not hesitate to flush out any of them found wanting in anyway. He specifically warned those not presently living in their wards to relocate and connect with their people at the grassroots.
He explained that the present administration was concerned about development of the grassroots and tasked them to promptly report any issue in the ward for government prompt attention.
Shaibu also asked the new appointees to participate actively in ward level politics as part of their duties to ensure a strong and united party at that level.
On his part, Secretary to the state government,Barr Osarodion Ogie advised the new appointees to ensure they are accessible at all times as they are the representatives of the state government at the ward level.
He said the state government was waiting for anyone of them to be used as a scape-goat, stressing that it was expected that they have exemplary behaviours which include being punctual, obeying traffic laws and not intimidating people with their positions.
The state Head of Service, Mrs Gladys Idaho who was also at the workshop tasked the new appointees not to meddle into the job of civil servants, rather, they should collaborate with them to bring dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Some of the new aides applauded the the state government for the workshop and gave suggestions on how to bring government closer to the people.
The new political appointees include 192 Special Assistants and 54 Senior Special Assistants to cover the 192 wards and the eighteen local government areas of the state.
