Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the appointment of 4,800 Special Assistants as part of his administration’s efforts to strengthen grassroots governance and deepen the participation of party members in government.
The governor disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from across the 18 local government areas of the state at the Government House, Benin City.
Addressing the party members, Okpebholo reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the APC and ensuring that the benefits of government reach communities across the state.
“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,” the governor said.
He stressed that his administration was committed to taking governance to the grassroots, saying development, opportunities and government programmes must extend from the state level to the wards.
“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, while speaking on the appointment of the 4,800 Special Assistants, said the initiative was a recognition of the collective efforts of party members in securing the APC’s victory.
“Appointing 4,800 SAs is not an issue at all because we all work for this victory. The victory does not belong to Okpebholo alone,” he said, while expressing appreciation to APC members for their support.
Earlier, the APC State Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, commended the governor for his efforts to reposition and strengthen the party since assuming office.
Tenebe said the APC had become more active and stable under Okpebholo’s administration, noting that the governor had created opportunities for party members to participate in governance and take the dividends of democracy to the grassroots.
According to the party chairman, the governor approved the appointment of 25 Special Assistants in each of the 192 wards across the state, bringing the total number of appointments to 4,800 based on the stated ward allocation.
He explained that the meeting with ward chairmen and other party members was convened to communicate the criteria and guidelines for selecting beneficiaries of the appointments.
“In his magnanimity, the governor has decided to appoint 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 appointment,” Tenebe said.
The APC State Working Committee, he added, had constituted a committee to interface with the various wards and ensure compliance with the stipulated guidelines in the selection process.
The committee is also expected to compile the names of qualified nominees and communicate them to the party headquarters in Benin City.
Tenebe further commended the administration for providing opportunities for the party to operate more effectively, including plans for the APC to have a vehicle for its activities.
He also said the administration had supported APC candidates in the local government elections, including councillors and council chairmen, describing the development as part of the efforts to strengthen the party’s grassroots structure.
The meeting was attended by members of the APC State Working Committee, Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, ward chairmen and other party representatives from the 18 local government areas.
The meeting is expected to further strengthen coordination between the state government and the APC structure at the ward and local government levels as the Okpebholo administration intensifies its grassroots governance and mobilisation agenda.
