A fresh political storm has erupted in Edo State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Godwin Obaseki clash over accusations that the governor converted his political aides into full-time civil servants just before the end of his term.
Prince Kassim Afegbua, a member of the APC Transition Committee, has accused Governor Obaseki of appointing 186 political aides as Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs) in September this year.
Afegbua’s statement, which was made public in Benin City on Wednesday, alleges that these appointments were part of a deliberate strategy to burden the incoming administration with excessive salaries and overhead costs.
“Governor Obaseki, for eight years, refused to recruit civil servants to fill vacant positions and revitalize the state’s civil service,” Afegbua said, adding that it was only in the final days of his administration that he set up the Civil Service Commission.
Afegbua further criticized Obaseki’s actions as a “wicked act,” saying the appointments were made with the intention to “stifle the resources of the state” and pass on financial burdens to the next administration, led by Senator Monday Okpebholo.
He emphasized that recruitment into the civil service should follow due process, with clear justification for hiring new staff based on the needs of the state.
“This is a huge disservice to the incoming administration,” Afegbua stated. “The recruitment must meet the state’s needs, not serve personal or political interests.”
The APC claims that Obaseki’s move to convert his political aides into civil servants could be a strategic move to leave a financial burden for his successor. According to the statement, such appointments come at a time when the state is facing a financial crunch, making them even more concerning.
However, the Edo State Government has strongly rejected these accusations, labeling them as misleading and part of the APC’s attempts to undermine the current administration ahead of the upcoming change in leadership.
In a response to Afegbua’s claims, Crusoe Osage, the Special Adviser on Media Projects to Governor Obaseki, fired back with a statement defending the governor’s approach to public sector employment. Osage described the APC’s claims as “spurious” and warned that they were starting to make misleading statements even before officially assuming office.
“We are unfortunately seeing a disturbing trend from the APC,” Osage said. “They are already claiming that the state is overburdened with debt and threatening to sack workers. These are signs of a party that is only concerned about their own pockets, not what is best for Edo State.”
Osage clarified that the Obaseki administration had been focused on employing workers throughout its tenure to ensure efficient governance. The government, he argued, began engaging new workers across various sectors of governance six years ago, not as part of a last-minute move but as a continuous effort to serve the people of Edo State.
“The claims that the government only started employing workers in the final days of Obaseki’s administration are misleading,” Osage added. “This has been an ongoing process aimed at addressing the needs of the people.”
The statement further criticized Afegbua and the APC, accusing them of distorting facts and attempting to create a false narrative about the state’s workforce. Osage noted that the employment process has been transparent and aimed at meeting the demands of governance, not to create unnecessary financial burdens for the next administration.
As the war of words between the APC and the Edo State Government intensifies, both sides are preparing for a political showdown over the management of the state’s civil service.
Afegbua’s accusation has sparked a broader debate on the issue of political appointments and civil service reforms in Edo State. The APC claims that such moves undermine the integrity of the state’s civil service, while the Obaseki administration argues that the hiring process was part of a broader strategy to improve governance and service delivery.
The incoming administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo will now have to navigate these tensions, which are sure to shape the political landscape in the coming months.
