Tony Osauzo, Benin
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of embarking on a secret inauguration of the Edo State Judicial Service Commission, following its exposure of alleged deceitful announcement made by the Edo Governor for the commencement of public service promotions despite lacking the constitutional powers to follow through on the directive.
The party, in a statement by its state Chairman, Media Campaign Council, Mr John Mayaki, said the Governor had spurned requests to properly inaugurate a functional Judicial Service Commission in the state for months because he desired to lord over the state like an emperor.
It alleged that the Governor is now scampering about, running from pillar to post, to carry out a secret inauguration exercise, similar to the sham he orchestrated at the Edo Assembly during nocturnal hours, to justify a public service promotion claim he made but was exposed by the APC as a mere empty gesture, play to the gallery, and a deceitful announcement made to obtain votes.
The party challenged Governor Obaseki to explain his refusal to inaugurate the Commission for months despite approving a reconstitution, and why he is now secretly doing same at the eve of the election and days after his purported directive for the commencement of due promotions in the public service was revealed as a weightless announcement outside the powers of his office.
‘Mr Godwin Obaseki is a dangerous autocrat and a deceitful leader who thinks the organs of government are meant to further his self-aggrandizement. He has destroyed the state’s civil service with his disregard for the rule of law and imperilled the state’s democracy with his depraved ambition to Lord over the state as an emperor.
‘For months, after purportedly approving a reconstitution, this man refused to inaugurate the Edo State Judicial Commission, thus weakening the state judiciary in the same way he balkanized the legislative arm by orchestrating an illegal inauguration and deployed thugs to uphold his crooked mathematics which says that seven persons are more than seventeen with a siege on the Assembly complex.
‘Inadvertently revealing his poor understanding of civil service rules, Mr Godwin Obaseki proceeded to direct the commencement of promotions in the public service, something he has neglected since 2018, forgetting that promotions cannot be effected without statutory interviews of candidates either before the civil service commission or judicial service commission, as the case may be.
‘When we pointed out this folly, the Governor, seeking to slap legality on his weightless directive, is now scampering about to stage a secret inauguration exercise into the Judicial Service Commission.
‘Obaseki’s affinity for midnight and secret affairs, all of which are in breach of due process, is a manifestation of the darkness of his heart and belief that as Governor, he holds supreme powers. However, in a democracy, all elected offices have both limits and stipulated tenure. For failures like the Edo Governor, elections exist so that their affliction does not rise a second time,’ the statement said.