…As governor kicks out deputy from Government House
From Tony Osauzo, Benin
After weeks of speculations that the office of the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, would be relocated to an office outside the Government House in Benin, following the rift between him and Governor Godwin Obaseki, it was confirmed yesterday that a new office has indeed be designated for the deputy governor and now undergoing renovation.
The building housing the new office is situated on No. 7, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, close to the Government House and used to be the Edo State Public Procurement Office commissioned by ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole on December 16, 2014.
A signboard with the inscription, Office of the Deputy Governor has been erected at the entrance of the building. During a visit to the place, workers were seen renovating the building and the compound.
It was gathered from one of the workers handling the renovation project that the renovation work is expected to be completed tomorrow.
The worker who declined to give his identity said that he has no knowledge of what the building was going to be used for.
“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 sign board got to the entrance of the building and I don’t have an idea of what the building will be used for”, he said.
When asked to confirm if the deputy governor’s office has been relocated from the Government House, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said that he was in his village participating in local government election.
He, however, said: “If there is a government signboard saying so, then it must be so”.
But in his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Musa Ebomhiana, said that the story of “relocating the deputy governor is still a rumour because there is no official communication to the deputy governor” to that effect.