TELL Magazine

I am yet to receive letter but will accept when it comes – Obaseki

There appears to be a crack in the hitherto cohesive, or so it seemed, political family of Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki with the sudden resignation of his chief of staff, Francis Taiwo Akerele. Akerele had in his resignation letter dated April 25, 2020 said “My decision to exit the government is based on administrative and governance grounds”. The government in its reaction on Saturday when Akerele’s resignation took effect said it was yet to receive any official communication of his resignation though the story had only been making the rounds on social media.

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Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, however said in a statement that whenever it received it, it would accept it. The terse statement by Osagie said “In the past few hours, it emerged on social media that the Chief of Staff, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, has resigned his appointment with the Edo State Government. While the governor has not received any formal communication to this effect, he believes that this is a personal decision of Mr. Akerele. However, whenever the resignation letter gets to the governor, he would accept it, and he wishes Akerele all the best in his future endeavours.”

In his resignation letter, Akerele who was an aide to the immediate past governor of the state, and national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Economic Planning and Policy said “I am solidly with His Excellency Mr. Godwin Obaseki in his quest to transform Edo state. His mission and vision resonates with mine. This is all I have to say. I will like to be given opportunity to go private as I part ways administratively with the government based on principles”. 

Akerele who assumed office as chief of staff November 14, 2016, two days after Obaseki was sworn in as governor, thanked his former principal “for the opportunity given to me to serve in this capacity”. He also thanked the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11 “for his immense leadership and support during the period I served in this capacity”.