Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has accepted the public apology tendered by his estranged Deputy, Philip Shaibu, adding that as a man of faith, he was bound to accept the apology.
Obaseki, in a letter titled, “Re: Public Apology By The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu,” said in good faith, he believes that the public apology made by Shaibu was genuine and will be followed by contrite steps to improve his conflict resolution skills.
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The letter reads: “I have noted the public apology made by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu. This apology followed an aberrant behaviour that contradicts what the people of Edo State stand for.
“To name a few, the Deputy Governor needlessly filed unfounded petitions in the Nigerian courts restraining me, the State House of Assembly and Security agencies from a non-existent impeachment process, followed by repeated breaches of protocol; unwarranted and unprovoked attacks in the media on my person and the State Government. The media frenzy as a result of the above and more, provided an impression of crises that has been precarious and distasteful to Edo people in the State and across the world.
“Although these unwarranted provocations caused me severe personal discomfort, as a person of faith, I am under obligation to accept this apology because as they say, “to err is human, to forgive is divine.
“In good faith, I trust that the public apology as expressed by the Deputy Governor is genuine and followed by contrite steps to improve his conflict resolution skills. I also enjoin the Deputy Governor to guide his proxies to act in accordance with his piety.
“It is my sincere hope and that of my other colleagues in government and all well-meaning Edo people, that these rhetorics will be put to an end forthwith to enable this administration finish strong and deliver the dividends of democracy to the greatest number of Edo people over this final twelve (12) months.”
Recalls that Obaseki and Shaibu have been at daggers drawn for some months over alleged plot to impeach the deputy governor, which both Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly has denied.
The crisis between the two men got to a head last week when Shaibu was shut out of his office within the Government House, Benin. This came after Obaseki had allocated a new office to the deputy governor outside the promises of the Government House.