By DADA AYOKHAI
The payment of salaries for the 4,800 Special Assistants recently issued appointment letters by the Edo State Government will be borne by the 18 Local Government Councils in the state.
Governor Monday Okpebholo had on August 10, 2026 announced the appointments during a meeting with All Progressives Congress stakeholders at the Government House in Benin City.
According to the Governor, the appointments were meant to strengthen grassroots governance and reward party members for their role in the electoral victory.
A breakdown of the figure shows that 25 slots were allocated to each of the 192 wards across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
The directive, however, has raised a critical question among observers: Is the administration prioritizing political patronage over grassroots development?
This concern stems from the fact that saddling local councils with the wage bill of unsolicited appointees may cripple their capacity to deliver basic services to the people.
Already, available information indicates that payment of salaries and allowances of workers and existing appointees consumes over 75 percent of monthly allocations to the LGAs.
With the addition of 4,800 new SAs, stakeholders fear that little or nothing will be left for capital projects, rural roads, primary healthcare and other grassroots needs.
In a related development, the Edo State House of Assembly has approved for council chairmen to appoint 5 Special Advisers in addition to the statutory 5 Supervisory Councillors.
This further increases the number of political appointees at the third tier of government, making the structure larger than what obtained under previous administrations.
The development has therefore left many wondering whether the governor’s preference for a large political workforce will come at the expense of genuine grassroots development that local governments are created to provide.
