Okpebholo approves 4,800 aides for Edo wardsOkpebholo approves 4,800 aides for Edo wards
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has approved the appointment of 4,800 special assistants across the state’s 192 wards, in a move aimed at taking government closer to the grassroots.
The governor announced the approval on Monday while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the state’s 18 local government areas at the Government House in Benin City.
According to Okpebholo, the initiative is designed to strengthen grassroots engagement while ensuring that government programmes, opportunities and development initiatives reach communities beyond the state capital.
“So we are taking the govvernance to the grassroots so that whatever is from the top will also go down to the bottom,” the governor said.
He also reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC, expressing appreciation to party members for their role in his electoral victory.
“I want to say good morning to everybody and tell you that I love you all. I want to let you know that the party is our party. We don’t have any other party than APC,” he said.
Defending the decision to create the positions, Okpebholo said the victory that brought his administration to power was a collective effort involving party members across the state.
“Approving 4,800 SAs is not an issue at all because we all work for this victory. The victory does not belong to Okpebholo alone,” he added.
The Edo APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, disclosed that each of the 192 wards would receive 25 special assistants, bringing the total to 4,800.
He said the meeting was organised to explain the selection process and ensure that party members at the ward level understood the criteria for choosing beneficiaries.
“In his magnanimity, the governor has decided to approve 25 SAs in each of the wards in 192 wards across the state,” Tenebe said.
He explained that the APC State Working Committee had set up a committee to work with the various wards, monitor compliance with the guidelines and compile the names of qualified nominees for submission to the party headquarters in Benin City.
Tenebe also praised Okpebholo for what he described as efforts to reposition and strengthen the APC in Edo, saying the party had become more active and stable under the governor’s leadership.
He further disclosed plans to provide a vehicle for the party to support its activities, while acknowledging the administration’s backing for APC candidates during the last local government elections.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, members of the APC State Working Committee, ward chairmen and other party officials from across Edo.
The latest move is expected to deepen the relationship between the state government and the APC’s grassroots structure as the administration continues its mobilisation and community-level governance strategy.
