Comrade Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Deputy Governor, has disclosed that in the last almost eight years there was never a time that he was not a deputy governor of the state and he is on ground not on exile.
He made the disclosure on Monday while carrying out inspection of some projects embarked on by the stateu government, including the 170-room Raddison Hotel, State CID Road and the Museum of West African Art (MOOWA) — all located within the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin City.
According to him, “it’s an elective and not an appointive position. I have my certificate of return. I have two certificates of return. I will be going round in the next two weeks starting with Edo South, after then Central and then North to check what we have done.
“A new sheriff is in town and we must handover to him. That’s where we are. I am doing my work as deputy governor of Edo State.”
At his first port of call, the Radisson Hotel, he and his team were led on a guided tour of the facilities by the Project Manager, Engr. Samuel Adeyemi, who assured the completion of the first phase of the project by November.
While expressing satisfaction with the level of work done in the last few months, estimated at 52 per cent by the contractors, Shapoorji Pallonji Construction Company, Shaibu emphasized the importance of adhering to the timeline and delivering standard and quality job.
Comrade Shaibu was also at the State CID (concrete) Road, where he monitored the progress of work done and engaged the contractor on-site.
At the Museum of West African Arts(MOWAA) the deputy governor was led on a guided tour of the facilities including the storage facilities, laboratories for conservation, digital production, and archaeology.
Addressing the media at the end of the exercise, Comrade Shaibu said that though the work at the edifice was about 80 percent completed he has his reservation.
On his resumption of office after a rigorous court case that reinstated him, he stated: “We should not respond to people on exile who release press releases because we are here. We are homeboys here in Edo. Anybody who wants to release press release should come here and not to be on exile and start releasing press statements.
“We should ignore them. I have since resumed since my reinstatement. The issue of reinstatement should be a thing of the past. I don’t think we should be talking of it. Judgement has been made. We should move forward. The issue is if I can work with Obaseki. Can I work with him? I can work with him but he cannot work with me.
“The office of the deputy governor is not an office under Obaseki. It’s an office created by the Constitution. Until you understand the difference between the office of the governor and office of the deputy governor and the constitutionality of the office. I am deputy governor and my role is clearly defined.
“There was never a time I was never a deputy governor. It’s an elective and not an appointive position. I have my certificate of return. I have two certificates of return. I will be going round in the next two weeks starting with Edo South, after then Central and then North to check what we have done. A new sheriff is in town and we must handover to him. That’s where we are. I am doing my work as deputy governor of Edo State.”
Going further, he asserted that the Governor elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, “will do what he wants to do with the museum when he resumes duty as governor of Edo State. My own duty as deputy governor is to discharge my duties as deputy governor. I have come to inspect what is going on here at the museum. We went around and to other projects.
“Administratively, there are issues that have to be sorted out. There are administrative issues at Raddison Blu which have to be sorted out. It’s work and work. In the next six weeks, we have to put things in proper perspective so that the next sheriff in town will know where we are. I am doing my work as deputy governor. I am on ground and not on exile.”
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