Embrace unity, transparency, Okpebholo urges new Edo assembly leaders

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has called on the newly elected leadership of the State House of Assembly to prioritize humility, unity, transparency, and teamwork. Speaking at the Government House in Benin City, Okpebholo charged the lawmakers to set aside personal differences and concentrate on their mandate to serve the people.

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We must put arrogance aside to serve our people better because today we are here and tomorrow we don’t know where we will be.

The governor reminded the new Speaker, Yekini Idiaye, who represents Akoko-Edo Constituency I, of the temporary nature of political office and the need for a strong sense of responsibility. He advised that disagreements among members should be resolved internally within the Assembly, rather than being aired on social media. Okpebholo stressed that respecting one another is crucial, drawing from his own experience as a former parliamentarian.

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It’s a new leadership. I don’t know what happened. Whatever must have happened in the House is for the House, and it remains there. I was also a parliamentarian, and I know that we respect one another.

Okpebholo highlighted that the emergence of new leadership presents an opportunity for renewed collaboration. He urged the Speaker to be a responsible leader who carries all members along, warning that exclusion could foster divisions. Teamwork, he stated, is the bedrock of effective leadership, and encouraged open dialogue to voice concerns. The governor expressed his desire for a peaceful House, noting the Assembly's recent history of operating without major crises.

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The only way you can have effective leadership is for you to carry everybody along. I will urge the new speaker to live up to the positive comments made about him by his colleagues.