Against the backdrop of the ongoing competency test for same categories of civil servants embarked upon by the Edo State government, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of sustaining an unpopular policy of his immediate predecessor. This was as a result of the non-compliance as majority of the civil servants including teachers, who were supposed to write the competency test, boycotted the exercise while a pronouncement by Governor Obaseki that those who declined writing the test among the levels 16 and 17 civil servants would not be promoted. When reacting through a statement issued on Thursday, the party state chairman, Dan Orbih urged the Obaseki government to learn from the Ambrose Alli administration on content development for civil servants and stop testing the resolve of workers in the state. The party hereby supported the civil servants who boycotted the test, advising the state government to cultivate the habit of organizing in-house training for workers and to stop dehumanizing them in the name of competency test. He said, “Edo PDP condemns in strong terms the clandestine and wicked reintroduction of competency test by Governor Godwin Obaseki. The test itself is an illegal one as a restraining order given by the Industrial Court in 2014 against the conduct of such tests has not been vacated. “With this, it has shown clearly that the only thing that has changed in the Edo government house is the personality because the present government is a continuation of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s anti-people policies. “We challenge the state government to come out with the real motive behind the competency test as it is a common knowledge that there is more than meets the eye in the exercise. Remember that Oshiomhole set up committee and wasted millions of taxpayers’ money to organize the failed test in 2014. It is shameful that just like Oshiomhole, Governor Obaseki has shown great knack for frivolities.” Meanwhile, it could be recalled that Governor Obaseki, who was at Imaguero College, Benin City, venue of the assessment had on Wednesday defended the conduct of the test, saying that the test was not compulsory for all teachers and that it was unfortunate that many teachers failed to understand details of the test. He said, “It is not competency test. It is part of strengthening the civil service. The test is part of promotion exercise. They are already competent and that is why they are working and in the service.”