Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has been advised against going ahead with his planned appointment of 20,000 senior special advisers (SSAs) and special advisers (SAs).
A pro-democracy group, the International Transparency and Good Governance for Africa Initiative, which gave the admonition yesterday, said the appointment of numerous aides by state governors has become a strategy of winning election in the midst of poor performance by such states’ chief executives.
The group described the practice as a grievous act of corruption and urged the legislative and anti-graft agencies to intervene to prevent public resources from being wasted on unproductive and unwanted aides.
In a statement issued by the group yesterday, it charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies to demonstrate the political will to deal with the situation.
The group also condemned the recent appointment of no fewer than 40,000 special assistants and senior special assistants by the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as the 2023 general elections approach.
The group’s executive director, Cheryl Olusanya, who signed the statement, described the move by Obaseki as an “act capable of discrediting elections in the country.” Olusanya said similar appointments by Obaseki in 2020 contributed largely to the tension that followed the election in Edo.
