Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Deputy Governor, on Thursday, sought forgiveness from his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The Informant247 had reported that Shaibu had long fallen out with the governor over his ambition to contest the forthcoming governorship election in the state. This rift led to the deputy governor being moved to another office outside the government house.
However, Shaibu, while speaking with reporters shortly after his investiture as the Grand Patron of the Catholic Men Organisation of Nigeria (CMO) of the Catholic Archdioceses of Benin, said, “Like I have always said, I am a loyal servant and nothing has changed. I vowed to support my governor, and as you can see, the Catholic people are here.
“Everything about me is that if I have a vow with God, there is nothing that can change it. I can only wish that the relationship that we had before I prayed and knew that in the next few weeks, it would come back.
“I am missing my governor, and I prayed that God will touch my governor’s and all us heart, and even those trying to be in between us, God would touch their hearts to know that I mean well. If there is any mistake I have made as a human, it is just human and not act of wickedness because I am not wicked, and I have a clean heart.
“I use this medium to appeal to Mr Governor that if there is any mistake I have made or if there anything that I have done that I don’t know of, he should please forgive me so that we can develop our state together.”
Shaibu said he and the governor had just one year to go and that they had been the envy of the entire country because many saw it impossible.
“So, Mr. Governor, if there is anything 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 added.
Shaibu said he had obeyed the governor’s directive to relocate to his new office, adding that he would gladly carry out any responsibility given to him by his principal.
Shaibu thanked the CMO for the honour, saying, “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,”.
Barr. Austin Odigie, the CMO President of the Archdiocese of Benin, in his earlier remarks, said the decision to invest in Shaibu was a result of his commitment to the of God in the church activities.
“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 serve mass during father’s day celebration other deputy governor have been captured serving mass. The Archdiocese of Benin, Archbishop Augustine Akubeze, will personally invest you on September 24 during the first mass,” he said.