The office of Edo State’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has been moved to a new building outside the Government House in Benin, the state’s capital, by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The rift between the governor and his deputy over the upcoming governorship election may be related to the relocation of the office.
The new office, which formerly housed the Edo State Public Procurement office, is located beside the Government House at 7 Dennis Osadebey Avenue.
On December 16, 2014, former governor Adams Oshiomhole inaugurated the building, which has a signboard at the entrance reading, “Office of the Deputy Governor.”
A visit to the building by The Punch on Friday shows that workers were seen renovating the building and the compound while the renovation had yet to commence on the security post.
One of the workers handling the renovation, who did not give his name, said that the job was expected to be delivered on Monday.
He added that he didn’t know what the building was going to be used for as he also had no idea about how the signboard was placed at the entrance.
The worker said, “I work for the company handling this renovation of this building. Our job is to deliver the project on Monday as agreed. I do not know how the signboard got to the entrance of the building, and I don’t have an idea of what the building will be used for.”
Reacting, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, confirmed the relocation of the office of the deputy governor.
He said, “If there is a government signboard saying so, then it must be so.”
Ada Peter
