Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu has apologised to Governor Godwin Obaseki and asked for his forgiveness if he had offended him unknowingly to enable them to finish well and strong.
He spoke to newsmen shortly after his investiture as grand patron of the Catholic Men’s Organisation (CMO) of the Catholic Archdioceses of Benin, yesterday.
“As I have always said, I am a loyal servant and there is nothing that has changed. I took a vow to support my governor and that is what I will do. As you can see the Catholic people are here. I can only wish that the relationship we had is sustained. I prayed and knew that in the next few weeks, it would come back. I am missing my governor and I pray that God will touch my governor’s heart and the hearts of those who are trying to come in between us to know that I mean well.
“If there is any mistake I have made, I am just human and did not act out of wickedness because I am not wicked and I have a clean heart.”
Shaibu has been at loggerheads with Obaseki over his ambition to contest the forthcoming 2024 governorship election.
He was recently relocated to another office outside the government house while his media crew had been disbanded.
Shaibu called on the governor to forgive him so as to develop the state together with him.
“I used this medium to appeal to Mr. Governor that if there is any mistake I have made or if there is anything that I have done that I do not know of, he should please forgive me so that we can develop our state together.
“So, Mr. Governor, if there is anything wrong you feel I have done please, I am sorry, and I need us to work together to finish well and strong because that is my prayer for you.”
He disclosed that he has resumed in his new office as directed by the governor.
Earlier, the CMO of the Archdiocese of Benin City said they came to honour Shaibu as the Grand Patron of the organization.
President of the Archdiocese of Benin CMO, Barr. Austin Odigie said the decision to honour him was a result of his commitment to God’s work in the church.
Odigie said “The Catholic Men’s Organization of the Archdiocese of Benin came to inform you that the Men in the church have come to honour you as our Grand Patron.
“We have seen your commitment to all activities in the church. You have brought yourself low to the level of all of us in the church.
“You are the only deputy governor who served mass during the Father’s Day celebration. No other deputy governor has been captured serving mass,” he said.
According to him, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Benin, Archbishop Augustine Akubeze, will personally invest in you on September 24 during the first mass.
Responding, Shaibu thanked the CMO for the honour and vowed to continue to serve God who has been merciful to him and his family. “l live my life in God, everything about me is God. When you remember that the life you have does not belong to you, you have no reason not to serve God.”
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