Obaseki redeploys director over kolanut

For failing to present kolanut when Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State visited the palace of the Oba of Benin for his re-election campaign, the Director of Protocol (DoP), Mr. Osayande Aisagbon, has been re-deployed to the Ministry of Culture and Diaspora Affairs.

Gov. Obaseki visited the Benin monarch on July 25, for royal blessing as part of his re-election campaign, but was unable to present kolanut and drink in line with the palace tradition for the royal blessing.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obaseki, accompanied by the party’s National Campaign Chairman, Gov. Nyesom Wike, was embarrassed when the monarch asked for the kolanut to offer prayers for the visitors to have a successful campaign, but none was provided.

A source at the Government House, Benin, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The governor was embarrassed. It’s the responsibility of the protocol department to handle such an assignment, so somebody has to take responsibility.”

In a memo obtained by NAN correspondent in Benin, the governor ordered for the redeployment of the DoP over the embarrassment.

In the same memo, the redeployed DoP was replaced with Mr. Mosis Obakpolor, also a staff of the Ministry of Culture and Diaspora Affairs.

It would be recalled that the campaign train also included Governors Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Duoye Diri of Bayelsa; Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi.

Others on the campaign team were the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, Chairman of DAAR Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, Chief Tom Ikimi, Sen. Clifford Ordia and Mr. Ken Imasuagbon. (NAN)