By Monday Ajogun
Gov. Godwin Obaseki has received names of potential political appointees that will make his cabinet from the 15-man screening committee he inaugurated for the exercise.
Obaseki, who received the names of the appointees in Edo Government House in Benin on Friday, thanked the committee for doing a great job within the stipulated time of three weeks given to them.
According to him, the political elite in Edo have a sense of preservation, knowing where the state should be rather than where they will be.
“We must have a clear demarcation between political roles and technical roles in government.
“The purpose of political appointment in government and the role of the civil servants are different and should not be mixed.
“Political office holders set the agenda following the mandate given to them by the electorate.
“They come into office to give the directions while the civil servants do their work, as they work together in harmony to develop the state,’’ he said.
Obaseki urged the people of the state to have the interest of the people at heart, participate in their communities activities and support the administration’s agenda to develop the state.
“Appointees must deliver on their responsibility and duties as they will be evaluated based on their performance.
“Our party is working to ensure that we carry everybody along. We must win the heart of our people by fufiling our electioneering promises and ensure that our party continues to serve Edo people,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the screening Committee Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor, said that the committee examined and screened 129 Commissioner nominees, 113 Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and 576 Special Assistants (SAs).
Agbonlahor said that the committee did a good job as all the political appointees were properly examined, screened and their performances scored accordingly.
Obaseki was inaugurated for a second term on Nov 12, 2020, after he won re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.