Benin, Edo – Buoyed by his recent victory at the court which denied Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki stay of execution order in his impeachment, Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu Monday fully resumed official duty with an inspection of ongoing contract awarded by the state government.

As part of his itinerary, Comrade Shaibu, who was accompanied by a retinue of aides and security details had a private audience with the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edwin Iwo-Nemi, before continuing with the inspection.

The deputy governor visited the government owned Raddisson Blu Hotel on Golf Course Road after which he inspected work on Central Road and Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) all in Benin City.

On the claim by Edo State Commissioner Information and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare that the inspection was in clear violation of a court order following his impeachment, the deputy governor retorted with a dismissive wave of the hand, saying that he would not respond to people in exile, a veiled reference to Governor Obaseki, who hurriedly went on vacation, following the defeat of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded governorship election.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the end of impromptu meetings with the contractors, Comrade Shaibu insisted that he had since resumed duties following his reinstatement by Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

He said: "The issue of reinstatement should be a thing of the past. I don't think we should be talking about it. Judgement has been made. We should move forward. The issue is if i can work with Obaseki. Can I work with him? I can work with him but he cannot work with me."

He continued: "The Office of the Deputy Governor is not an office under Obaseki. It's an office created by the Constitution. You should understand the difference between the Office of the Governor and Office of the Deputy Governor and the Constitutionality of the office.

"I am deputy governor and my role is clearly defined. There was never a time I was never a deputy governor. It's an elective and not an appointive position. I have my certificate of return. I have two certificates of return."

Brushing Mr. Nehikhare's objection aside, he added that he will be going round in the next two weeks starting with Edo South, after then Central and then North to check what the outgoing administration has done.

"My own duty as deputy governor is to discharge my duties as deputy governor. I have come to inspect what is going on here at the museum. We went round and to other projects. Administratively, there are issues that have to be sorted out.

"There are administrative issues at Raddisson Blu which have to be sorted out. It's work and work. In the next six weeks, we have to put things in proper perspective so that the next sheriff in town will know where we are. I am doing my work as deputy governor. I am on ground and not on exile. A new sheriff is in town and we must handover to him. That's where we are. I am doing my work as deputy governor of Edo State."