Governor Monday Okpebholo has reshuffled his cabinet, dismissing Justice Commissioner Samson Osagie.
The move signals Edo’s push for stronger governance through ministry reorganization and new leadership.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has dismissed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie, and replaced him with Professor Roland Otaru, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The move marks part of a broader cabinet reshuffle aimed at repositioning the state’s ministries for improved governance.
Dr. Osagie’s removal comes months after his earlier suspension and reinstatement. He was first suspended on February 5, 2025, alongside Hon. Lawani Damian, the former Chairman of the Edo State Local Government Service Commission, following allegations of serious official and financial misconduct. However, a panel of inquiry later cleared him, leading to his reinstatement on March 12, 2025.
Despite being cleared earlier this year, Osagie’s name was missing from the new list of commissioners announced after the governor swore in 19 new cabinet members on October 14, 2025. His position has now been taken over by Prof. Otaru, whose appointment signals a shift in the state’s legal leadership.
Governor Okpebholo also approved other adjustments within his cabinet. The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, was replaced by Prince Kassim Afegbua. The ministry has also been renamed the Ministry of Information and Strategy to reflect its expanded mandate. Ohonbamu has been redeployed to head the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
In another change, Dr. Lucky Eseigbe, who previously served in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. Similarly, Barrister Bisi Idaomi has been moved from the Ministry of Women Affairs to the newly formed Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, while Eugenia Abdallah will now oversee the Ministry of Women Affairs.
The Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy remains without a commissioner, and Osi Akhigbe has yet to be assigned a specific portfolio. The confirmation of Hon. Chris Okaeben by the Edo State House of Assembly is also still pending.
Governor Okpebholo explained that the cabinet changes were part of a strategic restructuring to expand the number of ministries from 24 to 28. He said the reform aligns the state’s structure with that of the Federal Government and supports the seamless implementation of his administration’s SHINE Agenda alongside President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, the restructuring included the creation of new ministries such as Livestock Development, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Power, and Labour and Productivity. Additionally, the former Ministry of Mining, Gas and Oil has been divided into two distinct entities, the Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Oil and Gas Resources, each with separate commissioners.
Governor Okpebholo described the reorganization as a deliberate step to strengthen governance and improve service delivery across key sectors, assuring that the new team would work collectively to achieve the government’s development goals for Edo State.
