Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, encountered an unexpected hurdle on Monday morning when he arrived at the Government House. The gate leading to his office was firmly locked, leaving him in a state of puzzlement.
He expressed his confusion, emphasizing that he had not received any formal communication from the governor’s office instructing him to relocate his office. According to him, receiving an official letter would be the proper channel for transmitting such a directive.
In his own words, he stated, “Up till now, I don’t have any official communication that I should relocate. The only people that have official communication are my civil servants. The civil servants have official communication but I don’t. As I am speaking to you now, I am standing by the gate.”
The Edo State Governor has not provided any official response to this development.
However, sources close to the governor have revealed that Shaibu had already relocated his office to a new location outside the Government House, and his presence at the old office was not expected.
They further clarified that no meeting had been scheduled for Monday, and if there had been, appropriate arrangements would have been made to allow the Deputy Governor to attend.
Last week, reports emerged of a letter purportedly from the office of the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, directing Shaibu to relocate to a new office situated at No 7, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, GRA, Benin City. However, insiders close to Edo’s Deputy Governor claimed that the new office was abandoned and urgently needed rehabilitation.
This development is the latest chapter in the ongoing tension between Governor Obaseki and his deputy. While rumors of plans to impeach Shaibu have circulated, the Edo Assembly has denied any such intentions.
Governor Obaseki has also accused his deputy of plotting against him, but Shaibu, at a recent event commemorating the state’s anniversary, reaffirmed his loyalty to Obaseki, describing him as a brother and pledging his unwavering support.
He stated, “My loyalty to the governor remains absolute. I see that everybody is doing solidarity. I am also in solidarity with the governor. I am also declaring my unalloyed solidarity and loyalty to the governor and nothing more.”
*Channelstv.com
