The Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), Mr. Osarodion Ogie, has formally resigned his position to pursue an elective office.
Ogie, who tendered his resignation on August 9, 2024, has already been nominated as the running mate to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the forthcoming Edo State election, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
LEADERSHIP reports that the governorship election has been slated for Saturday, September 21, 2024, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on his decision, Ogie said his resignation was in tandem with the Electoral Law, which mandates political appointees who want to contest elections to resign 30 days before the exercise.
“It was in fulfilment of this requirement that I had to resign to face my deputy governorship ambition in the forthcoming election in the state,” Ogie stated.
Reacting to the resignation, the Publisher of Midwest Herald, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, described Ogie as a colossus who bestrode Edo State political landscape and shaped it like no other statesman.
Omo-Ojo, who was in the cabinet class of 2012 with Ogie under the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomohle, said: “Politics would not be in such perilous state if more players followed Ogie’s wise, but ruthlessly pragmatic approach to it.”
He further said: “The humane, clement and tolerant Osarodion Ogie Esq., bow out of his office as Secretary to Edo State Government after a meritorious Service that lasted two months short of 16 years.”
Also, the twin brother to former Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Taiwo Francis Akerele, Kehinde Ozeto Akerele, while congratulating Ogie, described him as a great man who has always operated an open-door policy both in the office and at home.
“The first time I had a personal encounter with you (Ogie), I went home thinking ‘so this is SSG like this’. From the gate to your living room nobody asked me who I was looking for. Next day you asked me to see you in the office with another person, it was still the same thing, all doors were opened. In deed you are a great man. I wish you well in your future endeavours, good health, long life and prosperity Sir,” Akerele said.
Before now, Ogie was the Principal Partner at Osarodion Ogie & Co. He was also Chief of Staff (CoS) to former Governor Oshiomohle in 2008 and later appointed Commissioner for Works from 2012 – 2016 after which he became SSG in Governor Obaseki administration, a position he held untill his resignation on Friday, August 9, 2024.
