Renovation works are currently ongoing at the abandoned Procurement Office of the Edo State government with a new signboard mounted at the entrance of the building showing ‘Office of the Deputy Governor’.
The new office is different from the known office of the State’s deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, located directly behind Governor Godwin Obaseki’s office inside the Denis Osadebey Avenue seat of power, GRA, Benin City.
The new development gives credence to speculation that the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, may have been thrown out of the Government House and relocated to a new office located at No. 7, Osadebey Avenue, few metres away from the seat of power.
The move apparently is not unconnected with the rift between the Edo State Governor, Obaseki, and his deputy, Shaibu.
The Public Procurement Office was commissioned by a former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, on December 16, 2014.
One of the workers handling the renovation work, who did not give his name, said that the job is expected to be delivered on Monday. He noted that it was the state government that erected the signboard.
He added that he didn’t know what the building was going to be used for as he had no idea about how the signboard was placed at the entrance.
The worker said, “I work for the company handling the renovation of this building. Our job is to deliver the project on Monday as agreed. I do not know how the signboard got to the entrance of the building, and I don’t have an idea of what the building will be used for.”
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However, speaking on the development, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said: “If there is a government signboard saying so, then it must be so.”
But, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Deputy Governor, Musa Ebomhiana, when contacted, denied knowledge of any plan to relocate the office of the deputy governor outside the Government House.
He said, “Until we are formally informed that the office of the deputy governor is now outside Government House, then we will react appropriately. But for now, I believe it’s still in the realms of rumour.
“As a responsible government, there are certain things that should be done normally. I cannot go and resume there because I saw a signboard there. If there is anything like that, they should write him (Shaibu) officially because it is a joint ticket.”
