The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Edo State government exchanged sharp words on Wednesday over recent recruitment into the state’s civil service, with both sides accusing each other of playing politics in the run-up to the November 12 transition of power.
Kassim Afegbua, a member of the APC Transition Committee, issued a statement accusing Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration of attempting to overburden the incoming government with unnecessary financial obligations.
Afegbua raised concerns about the recruitment of new civil servants, which he argued would add significant recurring expenses to the state’s budget.
“We have received reports that Governor Obaseki is currently converting his Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants into full-time civil service staff. In September alone, he added 186 of these appointees to an already inflated pool of aides, and has now initiated the process of absorbing another 152,” Afegbua said.
“This recruitment drive, which is ongoing, appears to be a deliberate effort to saddle the incoming administration with a heavy recurrent expenditure burden, especially when the state is already grappling with a significant debt load.”
Afegbua further criticized Obaseki’s administration for failing to recruit civil servants over the past eight years to fill vacant positions. He also pointed out that the governor only recently established the Civil Service Commission, two weeks before the end of his tenure.
The APC committee member accused Obaseki of “deliberately stifling the state’s resources” and claimed the move would create financial strain for the incoming government under Governor-elect Monday Okpebholo.
“This is not just a reckless act but a disservice to the incoming administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo,” he added.
In response, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Public Affairs, dismissed the APC’s claims as baseless and politically motivated. Osagie characterized the APC’s accusations as part of a broader effort to discredit the state government ahead of the transition, warning that the party was already resorting to “spurious claims” about the state’s finances.
“The Edo State government’s approach to public service recruitment has always been focused on serving the people,” Osagie said in his statement. “We are seeing a disturbing trend from the APC even before they assume office, making unfounded claims that the state is overburdened by debt and threatening to sack workers.”
Osagie also took aim at Afegbua, who had suggested that the incoming APC administration might lay off workers to free up funds for their own interests. “This is a clear reflection of the APC’s priorities—self-interest over the welfare of the people of Edo State,” Osagie said.
He further explained that the state government had been engaging new workers across various sectors for over six years, and that the APC’s late objections were disingenuous. “It is misleading for the APC to now claim that this recruitment is a last-minute move to entrap the incoming government,” Osagie added. “The recruitment of civil servants has been part of our strategy to strengthen the state’s governance and improve public service delivery.”
As tensions rise between the two sides, both parties are preparing for the upcoming transition of power. Governor Obaseki’s tenure is set to end on November 11, 2024, following the APC’s victory in the September 21 gubernatorial election, with Okpebholo scheduled to take office the following day.
The ongoing dispute is part of a broader pattern of disagreements between the outgoing government and the APC transition team as they prepare for the handover.
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