By Editor
Former Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Mr. John Mayaki, has warned against attempts to give an ethnic spin to Governor Monday Okpebholo’s recent suspension of government officials. Mayaki emphasized that such blackmail will not succeed, stressing that governance cannot be dictated by emotional manipulation.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Mayaki criticized those claiming the suspensions were ethnically motivated. He pointed out that the governor suspended officials from various regions, including Edo North and Edo Central, without sparking ethnic conspiracy allegations.
However, when an official from Edo South was involved, “ethnic merchants and chauvinists” quickly turned it into a tribal issue, falsely claiming persecution of the Benin people. Mayaki described this double standard as unacceptable.
Mayaki alleged that those pushing this narrative are loyalists and sympathizers of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, who are bitter about their political losses. He urged Governor Okpebholo to remain firm and exercise his authority without hesitation, emphasizing the need for a government with zero tolerance for corruption.
He also hinted on the need for a government with zero tolerance for corruption, stating that those truly interested in Edo State’s progress should support the governor’s actions.
“We cannot develop as a state if public officials continue to see government resources as personal property,” Mayaki concluded. “If Edo State must move forward, we must all be willing to make sacrifices rather than engage in prebendal and nepotistic politics.”