History Made as Gov. Okpebholo Swears in Edo’s First Visually Impaired Permanent Secretary

By Rosemary Okoduwa

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Friday made history by swearing in the state’s first visually impaired Permanent Secretary, Mr. Melody Omosah, alongside 19 others at the Government House, Benin City.

The ceremony also featured the inauguration of two commissioners and seven members of the Governing Council of the Edo State College of Health Sciences and Technology.

Governor Okpebholo described the appointments as the outcome of a transparent, merit-based selection process, noting that only 20 candidates emerged successful from about 250 officers who participated in the exercise.

He urged the new Permanent Secretaries to uphold professionalism and due process, warning them against acting on directives falsely attributed to him.

The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fairness, inclusiveness and equal opportunities for all, irrespective of ethnic background.

Responding on behalf of the appointees, Mr. Omosah thanked the Governor for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their commitment to supporting the administration’s development agenda.

Also speaking, the newly sworn-in Commissioner, Mr. Martin Oli, who is the first non-indigene appointed into Governor Okpebholo’s cabinet, described the appointments as clear evidence that the Governor places premium on competence, integrity and capacity rather than ethnic or regional considerations.
“Governor Okpebholo does not consider tribe or place of origin in making appointments. His guiding principles are competence, integrity and capacity. Those are the values that define his administration,” Oli said.