A former chief of staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Taiwo Akerele has carpeted and faulted his former boss’ claim that his love for the people of Akoko-Edo local government area informed his appointment into that office in his first term.
Akerele said the governor did not back the claim with the development of the area.
Akerele resigned his appointment before the end of Obaseki’s first tenure as a result of irreconcilable differences arising from the crisis between the governor and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Recall that Obaseki made this claim in Igarra, the headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area when he swore in his new senior special assistants (SSAs) and special assistants (SAs).
In a statement signed by Akerele and made available to journalists in Benin City yesterday, he said the office of the CoS is a personal choice of the governor and not a mandate of the people.
He said, “Is my appointment the beginning and end of development for the Akoko-Edo people? Why can’t the governor wake up to the reality of my voluntary resignation? I have moved on. Otherwise how can a state governor continue to make reference to an appointment made over seven years ago as an achievement to a people in dire need of rapid development and progress?
“Ever since he has been in office for seven years now, what significant project has the governor executed for the Akoko-Edo people? This should be the last time Godwin Obaseki should refer to my appointment as a show of love for the people as he could have easily replaced me with any of his PDP members or friends from Akoko-Edo since my umbilical cord is not tied to his.
“This is the same local government where kidnappers have taken over farm lands, the same local government where the roads are in dilapidated state, schools have no teachers and where young graduates and youths are jobless and the technical college abandoned while there has not been any new projects initiated to stimulate economic growth and development yet it is convenient for His Excellency to always visit for reasons as low as inaugurating SAs and SSAs or coming to hold PDP meetings with persons that will always hail or sing his praises without asking policy based-questions.”
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