Edo State Government has dismissed recent claims by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration terminated civil servants’ appointments following his inauguration.
The government described the allegations as a misrepresentation and a ‘joke taken too far,’ attributing the PDP’s statement to their struggle to recover from a heavy electoral defeat on September 21.
According to a statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, Governor Okpebholo has been focused on repairing what he called the “mess” left by the previous administration under former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Itua emphasized that the dismissals mentioned in the PDP’s statement did not involve civil servants but rather political appointees from Obaseki’s administration.
“It is unheard of for a governor to dismiss civil servants through a media announcement,” Itua clarified.
“Those asked to vacate their positions were appointees from the last administration, not career civil servants.”
The statement also criticized the PDP faction for what it called a lack of awareness and “idle accusations.” It reassured current civil servants that they would not be affected by recent changes and reiterated the government’s commitment to following due process and the rule of law for any actions taken against political appointees from the previous administration.
The response the statement indicated is to dispel any misinformation about his administration’s early decisions, as he has hit the ground running with plans to address challenges in the state’s governance and infrastructure left by the outgoing administration.