Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the appointment of 4,800 Special Assistants to strengthen grassroots governance and deepen APC participation in the state.
The governor announced this on Monday during a meeting with APC members from the 18 local government areas at Government House, Benin City, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele.
Okpebholo said the appointments were to ensure that the benefits of government reach communities across Edo and to give party members at the grassroots a role in his administration.
He emphasised 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.
Shedding light on the appointment of the 4,800 Special Assistants, the governor explained that the initiative was a recognition of the collective efforts of party members in securing the APC’s victory.
He added: “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.”
The APC State Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, commended the governor for his efforts to reposition and strengthen the party since assuming office.
He 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.
