Obaseki loses three more appointees

In the heat of political manoeuvring in Edo state, Governor Godwin Obaseki is losing more supporters.

Three members in the board of Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Area Development Commission have resigned their appointments.

They are Osamwonyi Atu, Emmanuel Odigie, and Rilwanu Oshiomhole, representing Edo-South, Edo-Central, and Edo-North respectively in the board of the commission.

In their separate resignation letters dated July 27, they gave different reasons for their resignations.

Atu, who represented Edo-South in the board, said he was resigning for family reasons.

“I need to resign to take care of compelling family issues that need my immediate

I need to resign to take care of compelling family issues that need my immediate attention.”

However, Odigie and Oshiomhole, cited different reasons.

Odigie said, “Following due consideration and wide consultations, I have resolved to resign as a member representing Edo Central Senatorial District in the EDSOGPADEC.

“The appointment was given to me based on my membership and commitment to the APC. I have contested elections twice to the House of Representatives on the APC platform, as a party loyalist, and based on my principles, I strongly believe it will be unfair to cross over to the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Similarly, Oshiomhole said as a loyal party man, his resignation was to enable him to work for the success of the APC governorship candidate in the September 19 election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

In a reaction, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, said: “This is to clarify that the resigned Board members of the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission are not members of the Edo State Cabinet.

“This clarification has become necessary, to correct the erroneous impression in the public domain that members of EDSOGPADEC (an agency of government) board are civil commissioners of the Edo State Government.

“Though these board members are sometimes referred to as commissioners, a title they share with their counterparts on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, they are however not civil commissioners of the Edo State Government that assist with the day-to-day running of the government.”

The Edo State Commissioner for Environment, Dame Omoua Oni-Okpaku, and Mr James Oshoku, Senior Adviser (SSA) last week dumped the Governor.

They resigned their appointments ahead of the September governorship election.

They are leaving the governor for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Commissioner tendered her resignation on Friday, confirming to media,
“I resigned my position as Environment Commissioner earlier today”.

The SSA from Ososo Ward 10 in Akoko Edo also tendered his letter of resignation.

He said: “My continued stay in the service of this administration is now at variance with the aspiration of my people… and such no longer enjoy their support.’’

It is now very important for me to key into the decision of the people to chart a new political direction that will bring development to the area.

The resignations are coming ahead of the forthcoming September 19 Edo Governorship election.

The past few days have seen several appointees of Governor Obaseki leaving his government since he left the APC for PDP.