The Commissioner for communication and orientation for Edo Atate, Chris Osa Nehikhare, says the interruption by deputy governor Phillip Shaibu and his media team at a colloquium to mark the 60th anniversary of the Midwest Referendum, was a deliberate action orchestrated by to embarrass Governor Obaseki.
Edo state government has disbanded the media crew attached to the office of the deputy governor, with a directive for him to henceforth request the ministry of communication for media coverage of the activities of his office.
Nehikhare, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, said more investigation is still ongoing on the situation.
“In retrospect, we now know that the interruption was planned and an attempt to disrupt and embarrass the governor. But then, the only person embarrassed now is the deputy governor because everyone wants to know why the deputy governor has to come to the event with his own media crew, different from the team of the state government and different from the team that has been put there even without being accredited.
“We know the deputy Governor is ambitious and wants to be the governor. Good luck to him. No one is stopping him. But you do not bring your house down to feed your ego.
“We are still investigating the disbanded crew because we were amazed that they identified as the deputy governor’s team. What we have always had is a media team attached to the government house which is assigned to the governor or deputy, depending on who has an official engagement.
“Edo State government is not happy with the turn of events; However, we haven’t done anything to reduce the office of the deputy governor. We have worked with him and we will continue to give him all due respect which is of his demands.
“The Edo state government has done so much for the people of Edo in all the areas and that is the emphasis and how we want people to look at Edo state, not with these unnecessary distractions which were orchestrated to divert attention from the good works this government and the previous ones have done.” he said.
In the past few weeks, Obaseki and Shaibu have been at loggerheads over issues pertaining to the alleged impeachment plot against the deputy governor.
In July, Shaibu approached a federal high court in Abuja with a suit to prevent the plot.
However, Obaseki and Blessing Agbebaku, speaker of the Edo house of assembly, denied the alleged impeachment plot.
On Saturday, Shaibu described Obaseki as his “elder brother”, while pledging his loyalty to the governor.
Chioma Kalu
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