₦airaland Forum

Plot to postpone polls,exercise in futility says Oshiomhole.  


‎Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says  the subterranean plot by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led Federal Government to postpone the 2015 General Elections is a futile attempt to postpone the evil day.
Speaking yesterday at the Palace of the Otaru of Igarra when he presented the candidates of the All Progressive Congress APC vying to represent  the party at both the Federal and State Legislatives Chambers,  Oshiomhole said, "The issues are very clear. They have seen it and are now calling for the postponement of the February 14th elections. You cannot postpone the evil day. Nigeria must go for a peaceful election and the election will be peaceful. When God has decreed, no man can do otherwise, when your time is up you can't postpone it.
"What we need now is a leader with courage. The courage to stand for Nigeria and that is why after trying PDP for 16 years, we believe we need General Muhammadu Buhari to take over and secure our country so we can live our lives".
He continued: "When General Buhari was in power, the war against indiscipline was felt everywhere. Nigerians have to make a very bold decision; we must make Nigeria work. When General Buhari was a Commanding Officer in the Military and some extremists rose up around Kano, he led a squad and pursued them as far as Chad.
"Those are the kind of leaders we need now. Leaders that will confront issues of security squarely, not to lament. Leaders don't lament. You don't change your wife's condition by joining her to cry; wife is crying, husband is crying, children are crying, who then will fix the issues? A man has to come out, this election is about our survival", he said.
Oshiomhole decried the present security challenges facing the territorial integrity and accused the PDP government of gross incompetence and lacking in vision to steer the nation to safety.
He said, "we now have Nigerians who are refugees in their own land. So even to secure the territorial integrity of Nigeria, PDP has shown gross incompetence and today insurgents are controlling a number of our Local Governments. So the issues this year is about our survival.
"I think the President needs to agree that he failed Nigeria and we cannot give him our key anymore. He needs to go back home so we can try another driver. We don't want him to crash the vehicle because I am a passenger in that vehicle and you are also passengers in that vehicle. Better to remove one driver so that the passengers can remain on the road.
Governor Oshiomhole while highlighting the many sins of the PDP urged the people to put into cognisance the decay that PDP led Federal Government have plunged the nation into in the past 16 years.
He said, "You must always remember where we are coming from. For us to make good use of our tomorrow, we must interrogate our yesterday. A country that was the pride of Africa. A country that was in the front line in the fight against apartheid and discrimination has today been reduced to a laughing stock among the comity of nations even by African standard.
"If PDP remains in power, the people will never have power. A vote for PDP will mean a vote for backwardness. They deserve to be punished for 16 years of gross mismanagement of our national assets", he emphasised.
The Governor however assured the people of Afemai land that his administration will continue to embark on projects and programmes aimed at bringing development to the people and urged them to ensure they collect their Permanent Voters Card, PVC to vote en mass for all APC candidates.
He told the people of Afemai that the party parades the best and competent individuals at all levels who have the will power, the courage and integrity to effectively represent them and bring meaningful representation to them.
He presented Mr Francis Alimikhena for Senate, Hon Peter Akpatasson for the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Kabiru Adjoto and Mr Emmanuel Agbaje for the House of Assembly.
Responding, the Otaru of Igarra, HRH, Oba E. Adeche Saiki 11JP assured the Governor and the APC candidates of the support of people of his kingdom, saying they are not tired of the leadership provided by the Governor, and that no previous governor had performed up to his standard in the state.
He said he was sure that the Governor would present the best candidates that would work for the people.
Some defecting PDP chieftains in the area where later received into the fold of the All Progressive Congress.

FG’s N2.4bn water project in Edo fraudulent —Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole has challenged the Federal Government to show the people of Edo Central where its N2.4 billion water project is sited saying even when the PDP Federal Government claims the project has been completed and commissioned, the local people still can’t get potable water.

Speaking at Uromi during the campaign of the All Progressives Congress in Edo Central on Wednesday, Oshiomhole said  “the problem we have today is that in the books of Abuja, PDP says they have brought water to Esanland. If you ask the Onojie of Ugboha, the Onojie of Uromi and all the other Onojies in Esanland, they will tell you that there is no water in Esanland. They came to my office and said they are not going to allow the Vice President to come.”

Speaking to the mammoth crowd at the rally, Governor Oshiomhole queried the People’s Democratic Party-led Federal Government’s claim of completion of a N2.4 billion Esan Water Project maintaining that no such project was executed in the area.

“For 16 years, year after year, PDP keep promising they will give us power yet no power. APC State Government gave you transformers but you still don’t have light because transmission and generation which is required for the transformers to produce light have been sold by PDP Federal Government to their relatives.”

Oshiomhole maintained, “PDP have failed the nation. Instead of light, they produce darkness. They couldn’t produce jobs hence millions of Nigerians are unemployed and there is no light, industries cannot function. Are we going to allow them remain?

Oshiomhole added, “PDP brought kidnapping to Nigeria. Are we going to fold our hands till they kidnap us all? Today we are told that part of Nigeria is occupied by insurgents. What is insurgent? Were they sleeping? They took one local government, two local governments, three local governments and they couldn’t respond to the extent they took the village of the Chief of Defense Staff.

“This is a serious issue. When the righteous rule, the people rejoice but when the wicked are in power, the people perish. If you do not have light, do you need any other evidence to know that they are not righteous? So I want you to go back to your various destinations and take time to evaluate the performance of PDP in the past 16years”.

Oshiomhole said, “Nigeria at this stage need fighters to drive the required changes. We need a man of courage. It is not about who have more money, it is about who have clean hearts, who have more determination, who will fight for the people and General Muhammadu Buhari is the man to bring about these needed changes.

“They say General Buhari has no money but look at it critically, a man who was once Head of State, a man who was once Chairman of PTF, he rose to become Minister of Petroleum and was once a military governor, yet they say he has no money. Is that not clear evidence that he is not corrupt?

“How come those that are Head of State for few years have billions of naira yet the one that has been Head of State, Military Governor, Minister and General has no money. That shows that Buhari is the man who can fight corruption in Nigeria and if you don’t fight against corruption, our youths will have no future and our people will never have light because the money for light have been stolen by them.

Oshiomhole said the Edo State government will make available the sum of N20 million for the reconstruction of the Uromi Market which was razed by fire recently.

He said, “I am on my way from Ubiaja for the APC rally and I felt the need to see for myself the extent of damage by the fire outbreak in this market recently. We do not know those responsible for this devilish act but God is on his throne watching every one of us.

“Just to say that government is aware of the huge financial loss by the traders. The essence of governance is the provision of welfare and ameliorating the sufferings of the people, hence Edo State Government will assist the victims with the sum of N20 million. This money will be given to the Local Government Chairman before Monday next week”, he assured.

The Governor Rally Train was at Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area, Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area and Ugbegun-Ebudin in Esan Central Local Government Local Government where he presented the various candidates including Mr Francis Inegbeneki for Sentae, Comrade Onikolease Irabor and Gideon Obhakhan for House of Representatives, Henry Okpamen and Anselm Adima and Victor Edoror for House of Assembly

Buhari: PDP has run out of lies, says Oshiomhole
 

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says the Peoples’ Democratic Party has run out of lies and is fishing for new ones having failed with the School Certificate lie they tried to pin on the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari,.

Speaking during an inspection of road projects which culminated in a campaign at the Egor market in Upper Siluko area of the state capital, Oshiomhole said: “I’m happy that you people are following what is happening and one young man said even Buhari doesn’t have a school certificate, if it’s just a NEPA bill he presents as certificate it’s enough and the people will vote for him. Another said the other man has a doctorate in Zoology, but we can’t even get fish on our table.

The truth is that everybody is tired. Today in this market, I’m sure you don’t have light. We have provided the electric poles and the transformer but they will not give us light. So the only solution is, after sixteen years of PDP, they have exhausted their lies. We have to bring General Buhari because we want a leader with courage, when he says I will do, he will do it. Not a leader that will promise during campaigns but will disappear after the campaigns.

“Today in Edo, they have enriched a few individuals, and they are telling us they are going to bring a lot of money to buy our votes. When they bring the money collect it, it’s the money they stole from you, but we will not vote for them.”

He urged the people who have not collected their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) to do so by going to the nearest INEC office at the Local Government Area so as to be able to vote for APC candidates at all levels.

Spokesman of Egor Market, Mr. Egbon Edowonyi, said “When PDP was in power, they could not fix this road. They referred to it as waterside and blamed it on what they called mermaid. But you came, we do not know how you removed the mermaid and got the road fixed.”

On his part, Mr. Elvis Osamede said, “What the PDP is trying to do even at the Federal level in relation to Buhari certificate, if at the end of the day, it is only NEPA bill that General Buhari has, Egor people are ready to vote for APC. All we are clamoring for is change.

“The people of Egor want to restate their commitment to vote for APC because since you came, we have been able to know the difference between light and darkness. We do not need to be told, it is quite obvious that those people that need change will support change in the political space of Nigeria.

Osamede further stated that what is happening in Edo today is unprecedented as the people of Egor have been liberated from the shackles of the previous PDP government. “Right from Ring Road to Egor, you can see that the road is at the point of completion. This is the handwork of Governor Oshiomhole.

“Despite the manipulation of the agents of darkness, the people of Egor remain resolute to support the government of Comrade Oshiomhole”, he stressed.

Governor Oshiomholetold them, “the truth is that PDP never wanted to work so they find excuse to take the money without doing the job and today you have seen by yourselves what is happening and very soon, the road will be asphalted with street light. This will enable those who want to trade at night to carry out their trading activities”.

Igbinedion’s TV apologises to Oshiomhole, Edo govt


The Independent Television owned by a PDP chieftain, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, has apologized to the Governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for airing a false report on both its Television and Radio stations that the Governor’s aides allegedly beat up a Catholic Priest at Ujogba.

In a retraction and apology aired on Friday, the Television station said “we hereby tender our unreserved apology for the embarrassment the broadcast must have caused the Governor and Government of Edo State. We want to reassure the Government and the people of our commitment to the peace and stability of our dear state.”

The TV station which had been adversarial to the Government had aired a fabricated report on January 12 that the Governor’s aides allegedly beat up a Catholic Priest for refusing to yield the way for the Governor’s convoy.

The station reported that the incident happened at Ujogba, Esan West Local Government Area of the state where the Governor had gone to commission a project. However, the Governor neither went to Ujogba nor commissioned a project there, rather the Governor had commissioned the Amedokhian-Ugboha road in the company of his Lagos State counterpart and no such incident took place.

The Governor had refuted the report in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary and asked the Television station to retract same and issue an apology on same station.

According to Okhiria, “the said report is not only callous, malicious and wicked, but clearly portrays ITV and its proprietor as the devil’s advocates who churn out falsehood to denigrate the Oshiomhole administration.

“While we state that the Governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, the Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora.

“It is a fact that the Governor enjoys a robust relationship with the Catholic Church moreso as a baptized practicing Catholic. He is also in good standing with the Archbishop, Priests and Laity of Benin City Archdiocese, Auchi Diocese and Uromi Diocese. To the best of our knowledge, the ITV report was deliberately fabricated to promote hate sentiment against the Governor by the Catholic faithful.”

The Catholic Church also refuted the report in a statement issued by Reverend Father Andrew Obinyan, the Parish Priest of St Albert’s Catholic Church, University of Benin while giving a homily.

According to the Church, the ITV report “was a tale concocted to drag the Holy Catholic Church into the fray of politics of the APC and the PDP”, adding that “what is happening is a sad reflection of the intensity of the wave of political sentiments and the length to which some parties would go to paint the opposition black.”

Oshiomhole chides PDP as APC flags off campaigns
 
 
The All Progressive Congress, Wednesday, flagged off its senatorial campaign in Benin City with Governor Adams Oshiomhole taking a swipe at Senator Ehigie Uzamere who rode to the Senate on the back of the Action Congress of Nigeria only to decamp to the Peoples Democratic Party afterwards
He said he was warned that Uzamere is like the leopard which cannot change its spot, but he thought he would have repented and was ready to serve the people.
Unveiling the candidates of the APC at the mega rally held at Urokpota Hall in Benin City, Oshiomhole said the party had carefully chosen its best to represent it.
Speaking on the Edo South senatorial candidate the governor said “there can be no man however generous who will give you what he does not possess. If a man is kind, he will give you everything that he has. You look and I ask you over the past four years, he has been the minority whip at the federal House of Representatives.
“When you listen to Samson speak on issues of Edo State, and the Nigerian economy, on issues of Nigeria well being, how do you feel as an Edo man. I want you to recall the contributions of Osagie as a member of Edo House of Assembly. He discharged himself creditably, he has paid his dues and he has acquitted himself well on the floor of the Assembly. He went to Abuja and he has been a pride of the APC in the Federal House of Representatives.
“For the important job of the senate, we should not risk the danger of sending half baked contractors, swindlers dealers to Abuja. Osagie speaks the truth, he demonstrates the courage of an Edo man. He demonstrates the rich commitment to truth. He has used that to defend the interest of the Edo people. It is on that basis that we are sending him to Abuja”, he said.
According to him, the candidate of the PDP, Mr Matthew Urhoghide has never contested as a Councilor, or for House of Assembly or House of Representatives, adding that the PDP is only out to deceive the people by presenting a political neophyte who will learn the rope from the top at the Senate.
Speaking on the Oredo candidate, Hon Uyi Igbe, he said: “When PDP were in the House of Assembly, they made all efforts to frustrate my first budget by reducing development in Benin City by fifty percent. Money for school infrastructure was not released. When God answered our prayers, Uyi Igbe became speaker.
“When they brought millions, fifty million to ordinary members and seventy five million for the speaker, but the speaker knowing his family background as the son of the Iyase of Benin Kingdom refused the PDP money and said I cannot betray the people of my constituency, because of money.
Oshiomhole said “This is the man I present to you this afternoon. He has done us well, he has worked and we are proud of him. He has my support and that is why he should be sent to Abuja to represent Oredo Federal Costituency.
The Governor also presented a two-time APC member in the House of Assembly, Barrister Paul Ohonbamu as APC standard bearer for Ikpoba Okha and Egor Federal constituency, Charity Amayanvbuo as APC standard bearer for Ovia Federal Constituency and Hon Patrick Aisowieren for Orhionmwon and Uhunwode Federal constituency.
Others presented before the crowd were the candidates for the House of Assembly. Asoro Osadebamwen for Orhiomwon constituency 11, Hon. Eribo Crosby for Egor, Hon Osazimede Sunday for Ovia North East constituency11, Hon Bright Osayande Ovia North East constituency 1, Hon Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, Uhumwonde, Hon. Iyoha Osagbove for Oredo East, Hon Chris Okaigben, Oredo West.
Other speakers at the rally i nuncluded APC state chairman, Hon. Anslem Ojezua and APC vice chairman Edo South, Mr. Gentleman Amegor.
 ------------------------------------------------------------Pix 1: From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Hon Samson Osagie, Majority Leader, House of Representatives and Mr Anselm Ojezua, Chairman All Progressives Congress, Edo State at the mega rally of the APC in Edo South held at the Urhokpota Hall, Benin City, on Wednesday.

Pix2: Governor Adams Oshiomhole addresses the people of Edo South Senatorial district at the mega rally of the All Progressives Congress in Edo South held at the Urhokpota Hall, Benin City, on Wednesday.

It is sad that many commentators here fell for a fabricated news item that originated from ITV. This TV station has since ceased to be independent and it is solely used to promote PDP agenda in Edo state. Has anyone asked why ITV is the only station that reported a priest was beaten by Oshiomhole aides. Why didn't NTA, AIT, Channels, Silverbird and EBS who also have stations in Edo state report the news, if it was true? It is easy to use a general term like "Oshiomhole Aides " Why didn't ITV tell viewers who the aides are, the car they drove, if they are political appointees or security personnel to the governor. Why has there not been an update about the incident from ITV, since the earlier bogus report. The Edo state government has reported ITV to the broadcast regulatory body. Let us wait and see the outcome of their investigation, before we draw conclusions on this matter.

Oshiomhole’s aides didn’t attack priest, says Cleric

A Catholic Cleric, Reverend Father Andrew Obinyan has dismissed reports that Governor Oshiomhole’s aides attacked his Cleric brother at Ujogba in Edo Central.

Giving his homily at a mass on Tuesday, Father Obinyan who is the Parish Priest of St Albert’s Catholic Church, University of Benin said: “I heard in the news a report that a Catholic Priest in Esan Central of Edo State was grievously oppressed and beaten to a state of coma by aides of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

“If I am sure of anything about Governor Oshiomhole, it is his reverential fear and respect for all ordained ministers especially Bishops, Priests, and Religious of the Catholic Church to which he proudly belongs. Governor Oshiomhole has maintained a very cordial relationship with Catholic Bishops, Priests and Laity beyond Benin City.

“As a priest, I have an obligation, in conscience, based on privileged information, to let the public know that neither the Governor nor any of his aides was involved in such incident as reported. It was a tale concocted to drag the Holy Catholic Church into the fray of politics.”

The Cleric who admonished politicians to always say the truth at all times said: “we should never forget that God regards with extreme repugnance those who bear false witness against their neighbours for whatever reasons. Speaking the truth as it is, is one of the noblest virtues we should not expunge from our lips.

“What is happening, I suspect, is a reflection of the intensity of the wave of political sentiments in the state.

“I solemnly admonish all politicians, in charity not to condescend to the extent that their consciences can no longer control their thoughts, opinions and utterances. I also appeal to them, passionately, to leave the Catholic Church out of their political fray.

“As a Priest of God, I can vouch that Governor Adams Oshiomhole would never encourage anyone to beat up a Priest who gives him the Holy Communion.

“I recall that sometimes ago, a clergyman of high repute in the state had an embarrassing confrontation with some officials of the state on the road. I recall how the Governor was so disappointed and the officials were instantly reprimanded.

“Scoring political points should not compel anybody to proclaim as truth, what in his heart, he knows to be falsehood.

“May God help us to know the truth, because the scriptures say you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

Oshiomhole has done very well, says PDP chieftain

BENIN CITY — A FORMER member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, Mr Ehiogie West-Idahosa, on Tuesday, declared that despite the criticisms against Governor Adams Oshiomhole from the PDP, the governor has” done very well”.

He therefore urged the governor to ensure that a credible candidate succeeds him in office in 2016, in order not to draw the state backward. The three-term Federal lawmaker who was one of the senatorial aspirants of the PDP in Edo South, in the last primaries of the party, stated this in Benin City.

According to him, “There is no question that the governor has performed well even though you want to deny the governor some credit because he is in the APC while I am in the PDP but conscience will not allow you to completely deny him the credit. When you fly into Benin City for example, and take an aerial look at Benin you will see that things have changed, it is no longer what it used to be.

“When you go out of Benin and go to the Local Governments and you see what you see there, you cannot but in your quiet moment appreciate him. I have been tempted to deny him some credit myself. Each time I see primary schools in the rural areas, each time I see his machines working on infrastructures, I always tell myself that notwithstanding the difference in platform, this man is doing well.

“No man is God, no man is perfect. Many will accuse him of taking some erratic decision, but for a Comrade, a mobilizer somebody who gave all his life and is from the Aluta background, you must allow some excesses to be excused on his part. But in terms of focus on government, I will say that infrastructurally, he has done well. Again in terms of cutting areas of waste, he has also done well. Again whether you hate him or not, in terms of improving on our Internally Generated Revenue, he has also done very well.

“He has blocked the leakages and upgraded the intake because we know what we were getting before, we know where we are now. And we hope that if somebody else were to continue in his stead and do exactly these things and even improve on them, in another eight years, you will not say the state has not made progress. I concede it to Comrade that he has done well in infrastructure, even though I will say that a few areas have been questioned in his tenure.

“But no one can be perfect in every area, what is significant is whether he has added value to public life and added value to governance. The big answer is yes there is no doubt about that, whether he has been able to communicate with the people that he governs the big answer is yes. Communication is key and he has used that asset very well, some grudge him for that, but in every developed part of the world that is a key requirement for leadership, so he has done that extremely well.

“He will tell you we have tarred a number of roads, you will make all the noise in the world and the next day you will see them commissioning the roads. So if you ask, I rate him very well. Some people may not like his behavior, but Comrade has done very well”, he stated.

Edo revokes deal with Igbinedion varsity over N350m debt


Edo State Government has terminated an agreement to train medical students of the Igbinedion University, Okada, at its specialist hospitals over debts totaling N350 million.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Louis Odion, at a press briefing yesterday said the University had not paid anything to the Government since the agreement was entered into on September 1, 2006.

In view of the failure of the management of Igbinedion University to honour the terms of a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the State Government, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has approved the termination of same with immediate effect.

The MOU in question was entered into on September 1, 2006 under the Lucky Igbinedion administration to enable the Igbinedion University enjoy the use of the state-owned Central Hospital Benin and Stella Obasanjo Hospital for the practicals of her medical students. It was part of the condition precedent demanded by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to grant the Igbinedion University accreditation to train medical students in the clinical specialties.

Part of the terms of the said MOU is that the Igbinedion University pay a token as concessionary levy annually to the Edo State Government for the use of the Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital for which medical students pay commercial fees to the Igbinedion University.

However, upon his assumption of office in 2008, Comrade Oshiomhole discovered that not only had the terms of MOU been mostly dishonored despite being too generous to the university, no kobo had been paid to the Edo State Government over the years. Interestingly, whereas the MOU in question enabled the Igbinedion University exclusive use of the facilities at the state-owned Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital together with our highly skilled personnel/specialists paid by Edo taxpayers, the state-owned Ambrose Alli University was denied accreditation for medical course by NUC and MDCN for lack of a teaching hospital.

In the circumstance, Ambrose Alli University practically became an orphan who had to depend on the generosity of first University of Benin Teaching Hospital, then University of Jos Teaching Hospital and finally the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital for the sustenance of its own medical courses.

Consistent with his avowed commitment to the principle of probity, accountability and transparency, Comrade Oshiomhole in 2013 directed the State Ministry of Health to invite the management of Igbinedion University to settle the outstanding liabilities as well as convey to the university management a notification for an upward review of the annual fee to reflect current economic realities. By our own calculations, the liabilities of Igbinedion University to the Edo State Government stood at N350m as at 2013 at N50m per annum. This was duly conveyed to the university in writing.

However, the university wrote back and offered to pay a ridiculous N50,000 per month for use of the facilities and highly skilled personnel/consultants at Benin Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital.

Regrettably, concerted efforts made ever since by the State Government to make the management of Igbinedion University to pay the debt that had accumulated over the years and also agree to an upward review of the annual charge have proved abortive.

In the circumstance, the government is left with no other option than terminate the MOU in public interest. The Ministry of Health has equally been directed to inform the Nigerian University Commission and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria that the Benin Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital will no longer be made available for the use of the medical students of Igbinedion University.

Edo withdraws ITV's accreditation
 
Edo State Government has withdrawn the accreditation of the Correspondent and Cameraman of the Independent Television (ITV) attached to the Government House, for the TV station’s unprofessional reportage of news and events aimed at deliberately misinforming the people on the government’s programmes and activities.

In a letter to the General Manager, Independent Television (ITV), Benin City, owned by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Special Adviser to the Governor, Prince Kassim Afegbua said: “You will recall our earlier discussion with you on the series of fabricated and adversarial reportage of issues in the state which has continued to misinform, misrepresent and confuse the people of the State.

“As you know, these deliberate false reports which have become your editorial policy offend the ethics of broadcast journalism and the code of conduct spelt out by the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC].

“In view of the above, we are withdrawing the accreditation of your correspondent earlier attached to Government House with immediate effect.”

The station was also sacked from the Government House during the short tenure of former Governor Oserheimen Osunbor for unprofessional conduct.

Oshiomhole congratulates Emir, Tambuwal


Governor Adams Oshiomhole has congratulated the Emir of Zaria, HRH Alhaji Shehu Idris on his 40th coronation anniversary.
He also felicitated with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Aminu Tambuwal on his 49th birthday.
In a letter to the Royal father, Oshiomhole said: “I heartily write on behalf of the Government and the good people of Edo State to pay tribute and celebrate with Your Royal Highness on this momentous occasion of your landmark 40th coronation anniversary, as Emir of Zazzau.
“Under Your Royal Highness’s glorious reign, Zazzau Emirate witnessed phenomenal socio-economic, political, educational and cultural advancement and, more than at any time in its history affirmed its status, as a world-renowned Emirate, centre of learning and scholarship, and a home for all Nigerians.
“Despite the fast changing Nigeria’s developmental trajectory, it is significant that Your Royal Highness has remained a veritable bridge builder and a stabilizing force across the generational, religious, regional and inter-continental divides, which further affirmed your enduring relevance and the respect you command amongst your subjects and non-subjects alike.
“I can testify as someone who could proudly call himself your subject, having lived in Kaduna for most of my adult life, that Your Royal Highness’ reign has provided a unifying and rallying point for all Nigerians, irrespective of their religious or ethnic background and we cannot appreciate you enough for truly being the father of all.
“As embodiment of wisdom and public spiritedness, Your Royal Highness has continued to inspire millions, as a reference point in service to the Community. Your equally outstanding contributions to nation building and the promotion of peaceful co-existence within and beyond the Zazzau Emirate, have firmly secured for Your Royal Highness a special place in posterity.”

To the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Oshiomhole said “it is significant that at such a young age you have chosen the path less traveled and accordingly re-defined the Nigerian political landscape by your uncommon courage, discipline, selflessness and patriotism. This is evident in your unequivocal identification with the hopes and aspiration of Nigerian people, in our quest to build a more just, fair and democratic nation. It is no longer in contention that by dint of hard work, honesty and humility you have raised the bar in political representation and parliamentary governance.
“It is also worthy of note that you have stood as a bright spot in the Nigerian political firmament, a beacon of hope and a symbol of what an ideal politician should be. All patriotic Nigerians appreciate the quality of leadership you have provided, as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which no doubt will go down in Nigeria’s legislative history, as a watershed in entrenching democratic values and constitutionalism in the Nigerian polity.
“As we all reflect on the significance of this day, it is quite apposite to say that everything points to a future of immense possibilities for your good self, the people of Sokoto State and the nation at large, as you get set to assume the mantle of leadership in a new capacity, as Governor of Sokoto State.”

BUHARI ON THE MARBLE

"People accuse me of many things. But one thing they never accuse me of is corruption. They never accuse me of mediocrity, or of lying. People accuse me of many things. I have led this country and I have a record. We were not perfect, but we were effective; we solved problems, and we made Nigerians proud.
In our government, we fought corruption, we stabilised the naira, and we shut down insurgencies. We shouldn't forget so soon that there was Maitatsine ravaging the north east and we dealt with it. We also overran the Chadian rebels. We rebuilt industries, Nigerians queued up and treated each other with respect; Nigerians took pride in our reputation for discipline. The world admired us. We were proud to be Nigerians. Because they can't attack our record, they accuse me falsely of ethnic jingoism; they accuse me
falsely of religious fundamentalism. Because they cannot attack our record, they accuse us falsely of calling for election violence - when we have only insisted on peace.

Even as Head of State, we never imposed Sha’riah. All my running mates have been either Igbo or Yoruba and always Christian. I have and will continue to condemn those who burn God's places of worship, be they churches or mosques and wish God's judgment upon them.

As your President, their punishment won't stop there, we will also ensure
Boko Haram and other such elements, are found, are arrested and face the full wrath of the law as punishment for their crimes against our country.

My dear friends, this is very important to note: It doesn’t matter if you are Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, Idoma, Efik, Ekwere, Urhobo, Igala and, no, it does not matter if you are Christian, Muslim, animist or atheist: we need a new direction under a new leadership.

The task ahead will be challenging and daunting, but it is surmountable. This is what leadership is about. My only desire is to prove to you that Nigeria can truly work. Allow me prove to you that in your lifetime, you can be proud of this country.
Let me make you this promise today: We will protect your children. Wewill protect your wealth. We will make this country work again. This is why I am running for the office of the president of Nigeria. This is my promise."

-Muhammadu Buhari

Oshiomhole:  PDP campaigning with lies, divisive issues


Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the Peoples Democratic Party has begun a campaign of lies to deceive the people and further impoverish them since they have no record of performance to present to the people.

Speaking yesterday at the commissioning of the Auchi-Jattu-Afashio-Ikabigbo road, the Governor said “in the next couple of weeks, in fact the season is already here, politicians are already into marketing. Politicians are making deliberate efforts to remove the issues of development from political discourse. They prefer to discuss issues of ethnicity, where you come from, where I come from. They prefer to buffet us with issues of religion, primordial sentiments and all kinds of ridiculous issues. But what you the electorate must insist on is that sixteen years after democracy, the learning curve is over.

He said “If you were doing apprentice and you have not gotten your freedom after sixteen years, your case is hopeless. If you were pursuing a university degree and after sixteen years, you could not obtain a degree you would be advised to withdraw. Sixteen years of democracy, we cannot continue to do trial and error governance.

“We must now approach governance on the basis of skills, competence and courage. We must have clarity of industrial policies that are not contradictory, policies designed to reduce and bring Nigeria back to work and give work to our young people. We must move away from the tradition where we engage in fraud in the name of Sure P and give to individuals to share so that we might use them as thugs.

Oshiomhole argued that “we must move away from empowering individuals to building institutions. When politicians come to ask you to vote for them like I was reading today where somebody said he was going to provide bursary to our students we must ask them when you were here for ten years, how many people did you give bursary to. Did you have primary schools in Auchi with red roofs?

“In the next few weeks, we will be commissioning a number of schools in Auchi and I will be doing so with much arrogance. This is because whatever they say is not possible, we have shown that it is possible. The previous government created an environment that would lead to a dynasty of the poor. Where the poor man gives birth to another poor, where the labourer gives birth to the labourer, because they disconnected the ladder of upward mobility.

“How can there be upward mobility if in my village there was no school. How could I have become a governor as the son of a cassava woman? The only ladder of upward mobility is that we must have quality education even in the remotest part of our community. But even in the heart of Benin City they dumped our children in classrooms without roofs. We had potholes in our classrooms and we had  primary one and two competing for space”, he noted.

“We had teachers that were not paid for five months, they told us that Edo case is hopeless as it was a civil service state, that we are a cursed people, that we had no reason to benefit from derivations. They asked us to give up hope that it is our fault. Six years ago this state was always reported in the negative.

“But today we have proved that it is not how much you earn that determines the quality of life of your family; it is how responsibly you manage the little resource that accrue to you. There is no country in the planet that has all that is required to meet the greed of leaders who are detained by primitive culture of accumulation. We cannot be a country that is the largest in the continent, manipulating statistics and yet our people are dying in hunger”, he said.

Speaking shortly after commissioning the road, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Saad Abubakar the 111 said whatever leaders want to do must be tied to the aspirations of the citizens.
The Sultan said “It is important to organize people to continuously pray for the country, because prayer is the best weapon that we can deploy to face any problem confronting us. I did not know that the Governor is a road engineer, I thought he was a common labour leader in a textiles factory, but he went straight and told us how roads were constructed.

“This goes to show the passion a leader must have to get things done and done rightly. Leaders must learn on how to lead right. The purpose of any leader is to see to spiritual and temporal development of the people. Seeing to the development of the people is more important than the use of force.

“When I came in yesterday I asked the governor how long it took him to organize this event and he told me forty eight hours and now coming here this morning I can see the large crowd which shows the respect the people have for the governor. Keep on supporting such government at all levels”, he said.

He advised “When you support the governor at all levels ensure you tell them the truth. Don’t tell them what he wants to hear always. There is nothing they can do to you which God Almighty has not destined for you. When leaders are doing right you tell them when they are going off the road you bring them back”.
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Pix 1: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and His Eminence, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto at the commissioning of the Auchi-Jattu-Afashio 6-lane dual carriageway in Etsako West Local Government Area, on Thursday.


Pix 2: From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto and HRH, Alhaji Haliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, Otaru of Auchi  at the commissioning of the Auchi-Jattu-Afashio 6-lane dual carriageway in Etsako West Local Government Area, on Thursday.

UNIBEN got 3-yr notice to vacate govt property, says Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said that the state Government served authorities of the University of Benin a notice, three years ago, to vacate eighteen properties belonging to the Edo State Government, but rather than vacate, they took the government to court.

The Governor said to fulfill all righteousness, the government waited for the court to deliver judgment, which it did on December 16, last year, ordering the university authorities to vacate the said properties “forthwith” ruling that the 18 properties belonged to the state government.

According to him, having waited from December 16, 2014 for the illegal tenants to vacate the properties and they refused, the government took steps granted by the court to recover the properties in the interest of the people of the state.

Fielding questions from journalists on the issue, Tuesday, Oshiomhole said as the Governor, he has a duty and responsibility to hold in trust and protect all assets belonging to the People of Edo State that are entrusted to the government of the State.

He said, “As the Governor of this state, I have responsibility and duty to protect the interest and assets of Edo State and those properties are not in the names of any individual. They are in the names of Edo State Government and we cannot fold our hands and allow individuals to continue to occupy properties belonging to Edo State Government and paying rents to the wrong authority. I remain firm that if the interest of Edo State is involved, I must stand firm and execute it without fear or favor and that is exactly what we have done.”

Giving a background on how the properties got to the university authorities, he said: “As I am sure you will recall, when UNIBEN was set up, the then Military Governor, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, in his wisdom, decided as a young institution to assist some of the officers and staff with accommodation and so, some houses were made available to accommodate some of the staff of UNIBEN.

“However, they have occupied these properties without paying any rent to Edo State Government but a couple of years ago, just before I assumed office as governor, the Federal Government in line with the policy of monetization under which salaries of employees including other allowances were abolished so that rather than provide these for certain categories of public officers, they were to be paid in lieu of either official quarters or cars.

“Subsequently, the Federal Government announced the policy under which they had put on sale all apartments and quarters occupied by public officers having monetized the allowances of such officers and so, in Edo State, Federal Government and some of its agencies had published their intention to sell off the houses that were previously occupied by Public officers.

“As a result of the decision, my predecessor in office, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor, as the governor then, disputed the claim of the Federal Government and the University of Benin that these assets from our records were assets of Edo State Government”.

The Governor said shortly after assuming office, he was approached by counsel of the University of Benin asking him to sign some documents to transfer the landed properties to the university which he declined, saying, “I told him if UNIBEN needs any favor from Edo State Government, I expect the leadership or the VC to approach the government of Edo State for such a favor, not to approach us through their legal adviser.

“I also reminded him that I am aware and it is the truth that salaries of lecturers, academic and non- academic staff have been monetized and even the salary of the VC is now over N1.5 million monthly because the provision for official quarters, car, driver have been monetized and added to their pay. In any event, the official lodge of the Vice Chancellor of Benin is within the premises of the University of Benin at Ugbowo and so he is not entitled to hold several other government properties. He is not even entitled under the Federal Government policy now to occupy even the official lodge of the VC except he pays rent for it”, he said.

Oshiomhole said, “Thereafter I was informed by the Attorney-General that UNIBEN had decided to go to court. Meanwhile, I did not take any further steps. I had directed that a letter be written to the management of the University of Benin advising their officials to vacate those quarters because the University authority was now collecting rent on properties belonging to Edo State Government and this, in my view, was unacceptable and they were advised to vacate. Once we dropped the letter, we didn’t take any further steps.

“On their own, they chose to go to court to challenge our claims that these properties belonged to Edo State Government. Of course we were obliged to enter appearance and we contracted a SAN to represent us in the suit.

“In the end, the court ruled in our favor that these properties belonged to Edo State Government and the fact that you asked a tenant to stay in your quarters doesn’t confer ownership on him and the attempt to sell means that these persons no longer need the assistance. So the court ruled in our favor but the court also proceeded and ruled, based on our own prayers, that having served them notice over 3 years ago, that they should vacate and they failed to vacate, the court ordered that they should vacate the properties forthwith”, he noted.

Oshiomhole stressed, “To vacate forthwith means without any further notice because the court took judicial notice of the fact that they have been asked to vacate these properties for over a period of 3 years so they can’t claim that they have not been advised to leave but they stubbornly refused to vacate the properties. This judgment was delivered on the 16th of December, 2014.

“Now I would have thought that if the management of the university had any problem with this to approach us to either give them time or make proposals on how we can manage to accommodate them. However from all we have watched on TV, they were not ready, rather they were still threatening here and there.

“We have also found out that even the former VC, Professor Oshodin is not directly occupying even the property that he is occupying. One of the properties, he allocated to himself, from what we now know, he actually allocated that property to his senior wife while Professor Oshodin lives outside in another property with his younger wife. You cannot give Edo State Government properties to individuals like that.

“There are many of the lecturers, who have retired, who are no longer in the employment of the University of Benin who are still occupying some of these properties. They have lived there for the past 30years, have retired from UNIBEN several years ago and yet they occupy these properties. Is this in line with public service rule? Are these properties meant to be retirement benefits? He asked.

“So the steps we have taken are purely in the interest of the Edo Public whose taxes were used to procure those assets. I have a duty to secure those assets. I also want to use this opportunity to make the point that I am not like others. I am not selling any of these assets to myself, nor am I allocating any of them to myself or to any of my friends. It is a matter of principle. Everybody is under the law and nobody can resort to blackmail.

“I am aware that they have tried to mobilize all manners of people, people who have no interest whatsoever in the matter. These properties are not student hostels. If the properties are not student hostels, how is the interest of the student community affected? If the wife of Professor Oshodin lives in one of the properties, how does that affect the interest of the student community?

“Clearly, people are being mobilized believing that they can twist the facts and create all kinds of distractions but as far as I am concerned, I am clear, my duties here sometimes can be very pleasant, some other times, it requires a level of courage. The courage to protect the public interest and governance requires that sometimes, you step on toes of people you respect”, he added.

On the issue of the case being in court of appeal, the governor said, “Now if they claim they have a court order to stay, it is not with their mouth, they have to show it to you exactly the same way we have shown you in black and white, the judgment of the court, let them show you the court order that granted them stay. If the court granted stay, we cannot proceed but also it is an elementary principle in law that the fact that you verbalize your intentions to appeal doesn’t mean you have filed an appeal”

Excess crude account not shared in 18 months, says Oshiomhole


Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the inability of the Federal Government to share excess crude account in the last 18 months has distorted the developmental plans of the state governments.

Speaking during a visit of the Association of Enigies from Edo South to him today, Oshiomhole said, “Over the past 18 months, we have not shared the excess crude account and yet, the account is empty. Sometimes we are told they have taken money from it to fund subsidies including subsidy on kerosene but your royal highnesses, there is nowhere in your various domains where kerosene is sold for N50. So in the name of subsidy, large sums of money is being stolen.

“Things are tough now around the country because the Federal Government mismanaged our national resources and what is being stolen, nobody agrees it is being stolen. What is arguable is who is responsible for this stealing. When the Federal Government and the President talk about oil theft and the amount that is allegedly stolen is huge such that whereas we have the capacity to produce about 2.4 million barrels a day, what accrues into the federal government account is less than 1.8 million barrel a day.

“From the last time we had a meeting, the handouts they distributed shows that sometime for a period of two weeks, we were losing as much as 700,000 barrels a day and that has been on for the past twelve years. I am not able to understand why, suddenly, Nigeria cannot protect its territorial waters because the boundaries have not changed and the people are still the same and at the peak of the so-called militancy, we were still exporting about 2 million barrels a day.

“Then how can we explain that after we have resolved the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta, we have rehabilitated the ex-militants and even awarded contracts to them, that we are losing as much crude oil as that to oil thieves and to the best of my knowledge, there is no major known person who has been prosecuted and convicted for oil theft in a way that reflects the magnitude of what is allegedly stolen

“What this means is that our budgets have not performed over the past 3 years whereas the budgets have been based on an average of between $77 to $78 and $79 a barrel. The average price of Nigeria’s sweet crude has been around $108 per barrel. That gives a surplus of over $30. Ideally, we ought to be saving $36 per barrel and 2.3 million barrel a day over the past three years and if you look at these numbers you will find that what we have in our excess crude oil account should be over $30billion but as we speak, we have barely $3 billon in our excess crude account.

 “Now oil price has dropped to $60 and because we have not saved, the naira is undergoing devaluation. Already as low as N180 per dollar and I believe by February when the elections are over, nobody is going to want to hold the naira. Wherever the election goes, I expect that the naira will hit over N200 per dollar. The inflationary consequence of that is prices of everything will go up and part of the vicious cycle of the devalued naira in the manner that is being done is that the price of petroleum products imported in dollars will go up in naira and government will be asking people who are already poor to pay more money for petroleum products.

“I see this vicious cycle setting in and people are likely to get poorer and that will lead to more tension and we already have our fair share of insecurity.”

He urged the royal fathers to pray for Nigeria, saying “the year that is coming is going to be a very tough one. Pray for Nigeria, 2015 will be tough”.

On the ongoing projects in the state, the Governor said the Central Hospital complex will be completed and ready for use by August next year, while contractors will be mobilized to site on the 2nd East Circular road in the new year. Also, the Governor said 16 roads have been identified in the GRA for immediate rehabilation and contractors have already bid for the projects, saying the roads will be completely fixed in the first half of next year.

He said, “It’s not that government is unwilling to work on roads in GRA but because of the lean financial resources.”

Responding, the Ogiegbaen of Egbaen commended the governor for the achievements recorded so far by his administration. He pledged that the Enigies will continue to support his government with prayers and advice to enable him succeed.

Xmas: Oshiomhole calls for vigilance, pays Dec wages

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has enjoined the people of the state to remain vigilant and security conscious as Nigerians celebrate Christmas.

In his message to the people, the Governor said while many PDP states are unable to pay salaries in arrears of three to four months, the Edo State Government has met its salary obligation up to date.

According to him, next year presents Nigerians with unique opportunity to vote out bad leadership that have been a clog in the wheel of progress.

He said: “despite the economic hardship and lean resources accruing to the state from the federation account, the good news is that the state government has paid all workers in the state civil service, including the teachers their salaries for December, 2014 to enable them enjoy the yuletide with their loved ones.

“This is in contrast to what obtains in many states of the federation, especially the PDP–controlled states, where workers are being owed salaries in arrears of three, four months and even in some cases up to eight months.

“As we approach the General elections holding in February next year, less than two months away, Nigerians have another opportunity to elect credible leaders who will rise above the present empty rhetorics of the PDP government to confront the challenges facing the nation.

“Even as they admonish the masses to tighten their belts, the few rich ones display nauseating ostentatious affluence in the midst of grinding poverty staring Nigerians in the face.

“As progressives, we must remain optimistic in the Nigerian project as we have another opportunity, next year, to punish bad leaders with our votes and ensure that the desired change is achieved for the benefit of all.

“Nigerians must rise above ethnicity, religious preference and clannish inclinations which they seek to exploit to divide the masses. We must never forget that poverty and bad governance are not defined by religion or ethnicity but by inefficient leadership. This is why the time for change is now, more than ever before.

“While wishing the people of Edo State a Merry Christmas and a bountiful New Year, we urge them to continue to support the state Government in its drive and determination to move the state to the next level.”

OSHIOMHOLE WOOS INVESTORS

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has called on Private Investors to take advantage of the enabling environment provided by the State Government in investing in the State.

Speaking while commissioning the newly constructed Udoh Road and opening of Randekhi Royal Hotel, Gold Wing in GRA Benin City, yesterday, Oshiomhole said, that Edo State is unarguably the safest State in the South- South and indeed the country

He said, “Part of what we have tried to do in our Urban renewal program is not only meant to deal with the flooding crisis of Benin, to commit resources to building roads and making Benin City a modern city, our hope is that when we have made some progress in this regard, the Private sector will respond appropriately by taking advantage of the enabling environment we have created to invest in various aspects of the economy of this state."

 “I therefore want to see this your investment as one of those clear response to the changes that has taken place in this great state."

The Governor said his administration has opened up the city through construction of modern roads, infrastructures and other social amenities which has resulted in massive inflow of visitors and investors to the state on daily basis.  

He said, “What has changed is that this government has given people confidence and by some of the interventions we had in Benin, and in other parts of the state, more people now come into Benin and out of Benin without fear.  Also, in spite of the fact that we have our own share of insecurity, this state compared to our neighboring states and other states in the country, is unarguably the safest place in the entire South-South if not in the entire country”.

The Governor continued, “At this time when people of little heart are running, you have shown that this country remains the first stop for any investor that wants to create wealth, create jobs and add to the development of our great country. Where some people of little minds have voted with their feet, you have not only made investment, you are reinvesting what you have earned over the period to create employment for Edo people and even for those that are not from Edo State.

“By this project you have shown that you have remarkable confidence not only in the future of this great state but in our great country. In Nigeria today we have rich people who have no business address. They are very rich, they spend lavishly but if you ask them how do you make your money, they can’t explain and they are not ready even to invest part of that money so that other people can have jobs”, he said.

Oshiomhole continued, “I am extremely delighted that we have Edo people like you who recognize that you can contribute to the growth and the development of this country by making huge investments such as this. There are some who believe that the best business in town is to buy and sell because with that one you can take your file and run if the going is tough but with an edifice like this you have to be on ground to grow your business”.

In a welcome address read by the General Manager on behalf of the Chairman, Randekhi Royal Hotel, Chief Andrew Ebalunode JP, said  “In doing business, we have also come to identify the need to give back to the society in partnership with the government in fulfilling the yearnings and aspirations of our immediate environment.

“Udoh Street had been for decades, an inaccessible street, abandoned by successive administrations albeit one of the many connecting streets in the centre of the Government Reservation Area.  We undertook the construction of this road, involving extensive sand filling, earthwork, stone base compacting and concrete stone laying and it has since become the preferred route for many commuters in GRA”, he said.

PDP man hails Oshiomhole on projects

A member of the opposition Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Edo State, Mr. Nathaniel Awala has given kudos to the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, for the quality projects embarked on by his administration which have put smiles on the faces of Edo people.

Mr Awala who met the Governor during one of his inspection tour of ongoing projects in the state capital said “this is not about PDP or APC. I am a PDP man and I am congratulating you today because you have put smiles on the faces of the people of Edo state who never thought of smiling again. You see those houses that were submerged; many of the owners are coming back.”

Speaking after cornering the Governor during his inspection of the 6-lane Upper Siluko road in Benin City Monday, Awala continued, “it is good to be good. The good you are doing now, you will enjoy it. You are not doing this good for yourself, you are doing it for the children yet unborn. It is not the money, because you cannot keep money for them but you can keep a good environment for them and that is what you are doing. What you are doing is a continuous process, we appreciate you and we will always preach the good news to others”, he said.

Also speaking, a community leader in the area, Mr Iyen Godfrey said “Our Governor, I can see the development that you are doing and I want to urge you to continue with the speed with which you are going presently”.

Earlier, while inspecting the level of work done at the Ultra-Modern Central Hospital, the Governor expressed satisfaction with the pace of work presently done. He however urged the Contracting Firm to expedite work in order to meet the deadline.

Speaking to newsmen after the inspection of the 200-bed Accident and Emergency Ward at the Central Hospital, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aihunuwa Eregie said, “Work is progressing satisfactorily. Right now we are at the stage of doing some of the work outside but a lot more is going on inside. Some of the areas we had some issues with we have pointed out to those doing the work here and we are satisfied with the progress.

“We have brought in state-of-the-art equipment for the benefit of Edo State citizens and for all those that will use this facility, we hope to finish it in the shortest possible time and when we equip it and the staff are brought in, we will definitely deliver on our promise to improve on the health status of the people of Edo State”, she said.

On his part, the Project Manager, A & K Construction Company, Engineer Serge Hatoum said, “We are right now at the finishing stage. The glass is already here and we have started the laying of tiles inside the hall of the Accident and Emergency ward.”

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Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State checks the quality and the laying of tiles at the 200-bed Central Hospital Complex, in Benin City, Monday.

Ex-Minister, 26 chiefs, 2,500 others join APC in Edo

A former Minister of State for Works, Engnr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, 26 Palace Chiefs in Benin Kingdom and over 2,500 others today decamped from the Peoples Democratic party into the All Progressives Congress.

Benin City literarily stood still as supporters of the decamping former Minister and Palace Chiefs at the Urhokpota Hall in the heart of the City, turned the event to a carnival.

The 26 Palace Chiefs, under the aegis of Odolebho Chiefs Association from Edo South declared their support for the All Progressive Congress.

Speaking on the occasion, the former Minister said, “when I pitched my tent with the PDP some years ago, I was with the genuine expectation that it was a platform that will truly enable me continue my service to humanity and that it will truly return power to the people as the name depicts.

“PDP has continued the impoverishment of our people. The PDP have continued to lead us to perdition and the unreformed, anti-people and undemocratic Peoples Democratic Party has set us on the path of retrogression.

“15 years of uninterrupted PDP national administration has woefully failed to approximate the expectations, dreams and yearnings of Nigerians. After very deep retrospection and wide consultation, I have come to the inevitable conclusion that I must join hands with the purposeful leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to help consolidate in the monumental transformation in all spheres as being witnessed in Edo State.

“My supporters and I have therefore decided to publicly renounce our membership of the PDP and to formally embrace the Party that is destined to bring positive change and development to Nigeria”.

Paying glowing tribute to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Ogiewonyi said, “The signposts of development are visible for all to see. Across the 192 wards of Edo State, solid standard school buildings with red roofs have brought resurgence to our educational system. Massive road constructions of international standards have confounded critics.”

Receiving Ogiewonyi and his supporters into the APC fold, Governor Oshiomhole said, “I want to welcome you to our great party. You haven’t come because of your personal stomach infrastructure. You have been inspired by sheer determination to join the Progressive political machinery that is in business only for the purpose of adding value to the lives of Edo people. You are concerned about the failed past and you are inspired by the quality development of the moment and you are committed to ensuring that governance is properly delivered.

“We need to filter out those who represent the forces of darkness and the politics of share the money to those who believe in the politics of ‘develop the state’ and uplift the people. I know you will bring on board additional resourcefulness which every organisation needs to face the challenges of the future.

Taking a swipe at the PDP, Oshiomhole said: “Like the Esogban of Benin Kingdom said, the amount of reparation which PDP have to do to this generation of Edo People will take them more than a 100years to do. If anybody imagined what has happened in this state for 6 years, then you can better calculate how much they stole from the treasury of this state and how many miles they set us back in terms of where we are supposed to be.”

Oshiomhole said in spite of the massive support given to the President in the last Presidential election, Edo People have nothing to show for it. “The erosion caused by PDP at Queen Ede has destroyed the School, the Catholic Church, rendered many hopeless and killed many of our people.

“In Auchi, erosion has swept out many houses and killed several people. They shared the ecological money and gave no dime to the people of Auchi. In Esan Central and Esan West, erosion has destroyed so many houses yet PDP produced most of its leaders from Edo Central and yet they have done nothing.”

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From left: Mr Anselm Ojezua, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo State; Mrs Joy Ogiemwonyi, Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi, former Minister of State for Works and Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the decamping of Engineer Ogiemwonyi from the PDP to the APC in Benin City, today Friday 28th November 2014.

PDP imports mercenaries to register in Edo, says Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has accused some politicians in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state of importing mercenaries to register in their wards to boost their numbers for the forthcoming elections in the state.

Speaking on Monday 17th November 2014 after monitoring the ongoing Continuous Voter’s Registration Exercise at Ward 10, Iyamho, Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state, Oshiomhole said bus-loads of mercenaries were imported into the state and were given cover by suspected soldiers.

According to him, “I have heard that some politicians are bringing in people from neighbouring states and I find that very strange. I was told that somewhere in Uromi, a PDP Leader brought in soldiers to provide escort while they brought in people with buses from neighbouring states to register in one of the Wards in Uromi and I find that very worrisome because the whole idea is not to import mercenary voters.

“The whole idea was to give an opportunity to those who didn’t register before to register. I can understand if someone who is resident outside his village wants to go back to the village for the purpose of election but the villagers know everybody. So, when you now import people who are not from the village and register them, that distorts the numbers and creates problems. It creates problem for the electoral system”.

He said, “I want to appeal strongly to INEC to have a way of monitoring the exercise to ensure that there are no mercenary voters. In Uromi, the leaders protested when the politician brought the mercenaries to register, but because of the soldiers that were escorting them, they had to leave. And these people were brought in with several buses, they were brought in buses owned by a popular transport company. This is very disturbing and I hope that INEC will check these kind of malpractices”, he stressed.

Also, the Governor said the time allotted for the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise in the State is inadequate due to the large number of people who still wish to register and the allocation of one Direct Data Capture Machine per ward to cater for the large numbers.

The Governor said “there are lots of people who cannot register because of logistic problems. In many Wards, the machines were not available the first day and the second day and it took time apparently for INEC to prepare a lot of the machines before putting them to the various Wards.

“As you can see for variety of reasons, there are lots of people who wish to register. So because of INEC not having enough Data Capture Machines, effectively, in the first two days or so, in many cases, the machines were not available”, he said.

Governor Oshiomhole said, “What is encouraging is that many people want to register which for me is a positive sign because it means people recognize the need to have this power; the power to hire and fire politicians and that is the most potent power in the hand of very ordinary people and it is the only instrument that equalizes every Nigerian. Whether you are big or small, rich or poor, employed or unemployed, on Election Day, it is one man one vote, everybody is equal.

“The people want to register but because of logistics challenges, INEC is not able to cope with the people turning up. All of us must play our part to raise awareness and encourage our people to take advantage of this exercise so that they can retain their power to hire, to fire and to discipline politicians who they empower with their voter’s card.”

Oshiomhole lays foundation stone for N7.4bn Shopping Mall

 
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State today laid the foundation stone for a N7.4 billion ($45 million) ultra-modern Shopping Mall in Benin City with an assurance that government will continue to create a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive in the State.

Oshiomhole said government’s investment in infrastructure and the urban renewal programme is to make Edo State attractive to investors from within and outside the state.

He said “our investment in urban renewal and our investment in other infrastructure by way of road expansion and building new ones in both urban and rural areas, the provision of electricity, procurement of transformers, building health centres and all of the other things we have been doing is to make Edo State so attractive not only for the people here also to attract those who are not here.

“I like to recall that six years ago, during my campaign in 2007, anytime I was coming from Lagos to Benin, there was only one old aircraft with about fifteen or twenty passengers seat, house rent in Benin was very low, many houses were abandoned. This is to make the point that as we speak today, we have two or three airlines that now fly to Benin

“Edo people are moving in and out of Edo doing businesses. There is no better way to measure the progress of a community, a neighbourhood and a state. We have also witnessed the construction of several new hotels; you hardly find spaces in those hotels which means more people are coming to Benin to do businesses.

“Today we are witnessing the ground breaking ceremony of a facility that would be the very first modern shopping mall anywhere in Edo State under a group that has built a reputation for itself that is popularly known and referred to as Shoprite”, he said.

The Governor stated “I think for this community they readily understood that this is truly bringing development to this neighbourhood. In addition, as we speak, the company has employed and will employ more people to work on this site.

“Let me state for the records that this government recognizes we are here because you ask us to be here by your votes and that we hold our office at your pleasure and that our future is in your hands. To keep the privilege of being entrusted with the responsibility of managing this state, we must continue to ask God to guide us and guide our thoughts such that we will deliver the greatest good to the a good number of Edo people”, he said

He said: “Today God in his infinite powers has used us, your stewards, to attract to Edo State a company that has international reputation to build a shopping mall. We agreed to allocate this government land to them, demolish whatever is left of the building, so that in its place we will have a modern facility that both the rich and the poor can patronize.

“As a matter of necessesity, the company in their design must deal with the problem of flooding so that their property can be secured. If they do not deal with the problem of flooding, the facility would not be accessible and when they deal with problem of flooding, the entire neighbourhood will now benefit”, he said.

Oshiomhole assured the company “Edo State government will give you all the support you need and I will urge you to fast track the pace of construction so that  I will have the opportunity of commissioning the shopping mall”.

In a remark the Commissioner of Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Hon Frank Evbuomwan said the coming of Shoprite and other international brands to Edo State is a clear endorsement of the far reaching urban renewal drive and initiatives of the Oshiomhole administration.

He said “several investors in different parts of the state are working hard to create industries, markets, housing estates, agricultural estates all of which is part of an integrated plan to develop the state and create well paying employment for our teeming youth”.

The spokesman for the company, Mr. Huarden Marshall said the choice of Edo State is as a result of the economic viability of the state and the need to create job opportunities for primary and secondary workers.

He said the project would gulp about $45million and the company would strive to meet its completion date of eighteen months..

Tinubu, Buhari, Masari storm Edo for Oshiomhole, APC launch

Top chieftains of the All Progressives Party (APC) including General Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, among others stormed Benin City today, to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the formal launch of the All Progressives party (APC) in the state.

The Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was filled to capacity at a rally to climax the activities marking the anniversary, even as the Governor assured the people that his administration would focus on on the economy in the second term.

The event which also was used for the launch of the All Progressive Congress attracted the cream of top APC chieftains including the Interim Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, the national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, former Head of State, Gen Mohammadu Buhari , Audu Ogbeh, Alhaji Bello Masari and Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Addressing the mammoth crowd, Oshiomhole said “the challenge is to focus on the economy. Having spent so much to build infrastructure, that is meant to create enabling environment for business to thrive. I am happy at the response we are getting. The private sector, from agriculture to industry, they are all coming to Edo State to set up businesses”.

“We have people who are coming to Edo state to set up fertilizer plant. We are refocusing on security and appreciate the role of our security agencies. Our House of Assembly have risen to the occasion and has approved death penalty for kidnappers and Edo state is no longer safe for criminals because this governor will sign death warrant as soon as it comes my way.

“We are delivering and not just talking. In our second term we have started commissioning projects. Over the past three days we have commissioned five roads and the five junction and we have more than one hundred projects to commission between now and December, you will  see all the things that we have been doing with your money’

“Between November last year and November this year we have paid to major contractors about 36 billion naira for conpleted jobs on road construction, schools construction and hospital construction and we recognize that our allocation from Abuja is barely over four billion” he said.

Oshiomole declared “every month we pay to contractors about three billon naira. Edo State devotes about 85% of the federal revenue on capital projects that people can see. Our market women who were in the past used during election and abandoned, we have empowered them by giving them cash to rebuild their markets.

“Today I want to remind you of how we started. In the past, Edo State was a one party state, controlled and manipulated and dehumanised by a few godfathers who turned the state to a personal estate. They were celebrated not for fixing roads, electricity, education or healthcare, but celebrated for declaring winners as losers.

“Based on my background, I know that anything that is not based on truth, anyone who did not derive his power from the affection of the people, and anyone who relies on hidden instrument of coercion as a basis of compelling the people will not last.

“Today anywhere in the world every, Edo man can beat his chest and say that we are responsible for the election of our steward. The security of the tenure of that steward is in the hands of the electorate. We recognize that relying on the federation account will not bring development and the responsibility of government goes beyond going to Abuja to collect a check and coming back home to pay salaries”, he added.

“From Edo South to North to Central, our people are witnessing new roads, new schools, new health centres . In Esan land where they told us water is impossible; as we speak they are fetching water in Ekpoma. Everything  they said was impossible, your steward, guided by your leader , we are delivering.

In a good will message, the Interim Chairman of the APC Chief Bisi Akande said Edo State people had always wanted to be counted among the progressives.

On his part the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said Oshiomhole has made a change in  the state.

“Five years ago, Oshiomhole won the election and made the people the cornerstone of his development. Ever since he started he has not looked back. Today we have witnessed a phenomenal development in Edo State”, he said.

General Muhammadu Buhari on his part  said the people of Edo State  have witnessed five years of tremendous development and now know the difference and the people outside have also seen the difference.

He said the APC is determined to come and secure this country so that people can move, adding that the APC is also determined to stop terrorism and kidnapping  when it assumes power at the centre.

The Esogban of Benin, Chief David Edebiri, who also spoke at the anniversary celebration said the APC is destined to win the Presidency.

He said: “the new party you people belong to, the APC is destined to rule this country. I want to say again and again that for many years to come, anybody sponsored by Oshiomhole’s party will continue to win elections in Edo State.

“I want to say that the same oracle that spoke before has again spoken that in the coming election, your party will win the Presidency. Oshiomhole is a man to be respected”, he said.

Crown Prince hails Edo govt over 5-Junction project
 
The Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, HRH Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken N’Uselu has praised the Edo State Government for reconstructing the 5-Junction area of Benin City, urging the Federal Government to join hands with the state Government to bring development closer to the people.
Speaking weekend at the commissioning of the reconstructed 5-Junction area with massive underground storm water structure and street lights, a project which the state government embarked on as part of rebuilding the state capital, the crown Prince heaped praises on Governor Adams Oshiomhole for his development efforts.
He said: “I want to appeal to the Federal Government to please cooperate with the state Government, party or no party, to keep working together for the benefit of all Nigerians. All individuals that live here belong to all the parties. I would like to appeal to the Federal Government to cooperate with the state to develop the area.
“I’ll like to thank the Governor for vindicating what I said earlier that I have not really seen any Governor that has developed infrastructure like this one. Now here we are, commissioning a project at night”, he said.

Speaking at the commissioning, Governor Oshiomhole said the project was completed in fulfillment of his electoral promises.
He said “you will recall in several of my statements that we have commissioned sound and reputable engineers to study the Benin water storm project and give us workable document on the basis of which we would deal with the problem of flooding which is a precondition for us to deal and restore the beautiful roads in Benin city”.
“Five junction was typically one of the most complicated areas that had defied solutions over the past twenty five years.
“Over the years when it rains for five minutes, you cannot pass through the area because of the excessive problem of flooding.
“It was called five-Junction as a way of describing complete confusion. Different roads crisscrossing a particular location without a particular order, such that in broad day light you have traffic jam.
“I did say that the responsibility of Government is not to lament problems, but fix it. When people  complain, Government listens, put on thinking caps and deal with the issues.
“What you see now on the surface, only those who knew this place before will understand the beauty you see. The real beauty is not what is on the surface.
“As far as my recollection goes, it took several months and several design options before we took a particular design that translated into what you now see he said”.
The Governor added “this place is going to be as interesting and attractive like Kings Square”. It is still work in progress we have also decided to construct Ewa street as well as Wire road, complete with streets light.
Oshiomhole declared “I am committed not only to sustaining what we have started, we will do more for the people of the state. Our commitment to rebuilding Edo state is total. We have regained the confidence of Edo people.
“As you can see this Five junction is a product of our first year in office. I have heard people say , we will not work in the second term. This and other roads we commissioned today were done in my second term”, he noted.

In an address of welcome, the Commissioner for Environment and Public Utilities, Prince Clem Agba said when they were appointed, the Governor directed them to tackle the flood in the Five junction area.
“In 2010, government commissioned Eureka to do a design that will deflood  the Five junction . What we see today is a design by Eureka of South Africa and commissioned by Edo state Government. The job is paid for by the Edo state government”, he noted.

Governor Oshiomhole appoints Eguavon as Insurance Coach.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has approved the appointment of Coach Austin Eguavoen as the Administrator of Insurance Football Club of Benin.Also appointed on the board of the club are; Amodu Shaibu (Technical Adviser), Chief Abel Ehigie (Edo FA chairman), Charles Ihemekpen will serve as secretary. Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere is the chairman of the interim Board.Oshimhole in a special broadcast said that Insurance FA must be returned to the elite class of Nigerian football and not the lower rank it has sank now.The governor mandated the interim board to oversee the transition of  Bendel Insurance FC  for a period  of three months preparatory to the appointment of a substantive board.Part of the term of reference of the interim board is to ascertain the financial position of the club.“They are to verify debts and salaries owed by the club, and prepare the club for the new football season;“Its mandate includes to disband the team and replace it with the Amodu-tutored academy players, and any other responsibilities as may be desired to make the club progress.However, the fate of players already screened by Coach Loveday Omoruyi hangs as they may not be needed with the new directive to the interim board.Football stakeholders in Benin hailed Eguavoen’s appointment as one of the ways of returning sanity to the team. “This is the right step Comrade Oshiomhole has taken since five years ago about Insurance.”

There was never a time governor Oshiomhole paused in his determination to deliver on his promises to the Edo people. The fact that within one year of his second term, four new roads were initited, completed and commissioned in Benin City alone, shows that the man is in a hurry to take Edo State to a higher level. Of course this determination gives the opposition PDP panic attacks and without any viable options to slow down Oshiomhole, they resort to all kinds of diversionary measures to take people's attention away from the unprecedented transformation going on all over the state.

I heartily congratulate the Eaglets for doing Nigerians proud in far-away United Arab Emirates. The Eaglets displayed the can-do spirit of the Nigerian; the will to excel even in the face of excruciating challenges.

The Boys represent a new generation of Nigerians whose faith in the country remain unwavering as they forged a formidable team to win the coveted trophy despite coming from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

I urge the authorities of the Nigerian Football Federation to keep this talented team together as the boys have the potential of even bringing greater honour to the country.

The government and good people of Edo State give kudos to the Golden Eaglets for this great feat.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
Governor Edo State.

Nyiam's sack: Good riddance to bad rubbish

Our attention has been drawn to the face-saving “resignation letter” hurriedly tendered by Lt Col Tony Nyiam (rtd) after his sack as member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, following his unruly outburst at the committee’s sitting in Benin City on Monday, October 28, 2013.

While we welcome Nyiam’s sack as good riddance to bad rubbish, we note that his purported “resignation letter” is filled with half-truths and outright lies. We are however not surprised by this, as it is consistent with his inconsistent character.

In his confusion, Nyiam in paragraph seven of the “resignation letter” said Governor Adams Oshiomhole spoke for forty minutes but he contradicted himself in paragraph 10, when he said the Governor spoke for an hour. We make bold to say that Governor Oshiomhole spoke for less than 25 minutes during the courtesy visit of the Committee to him in his office and he spoke for less than seven minutes at the sitting at Imaguero College Hall. We have video evidence of the whole proceedings to buttress this fact and we challenge Nyiam to bring his own recording of it. Afterall, Cameramen and reporters attached to the Committee recorded the whole event.

At any rate, when has it become a crime for anyone to speak for a particular length of time. We pity Nyiam because he brought this up for want of things to say.

Yes, Governor Oshiomhole said he is a Kaduna-made man and sees himself first as a Nigerian because of his pan-Nigeria background rather than as an Afemai man from Edo State. He mentioned this to disabuse the minds of people like Nyiam from the narrow angle of ethnicity rather than seeing themselves first as Nigerians; we now know that it rankles Nyiam’s myopic view for anyone to see himself first as a Nigerian than as a tribal champion. Comrade Oshiomhole has no apology to tender for his pan-Nigeria view.

As a mark of respect for the person and office of the President, the Edo State Executive Council meeting which holds every Monday was first halted midway to accommodate the courtesy visit of the Presidential Advisory Committee and it was eventually adjourned for the Governor to attend the Committee’s sitting to which he had been officially invited by the Dialogue Committee. That is the highest honour any state government can accord the committee.

It was also in honour of the President that the Governor stuck to the agenda of the Committee which indicated that he was expected to make his presentation, even as he had his personal reservations.

What Nyiam does not realize is that if Governor Oshiomhole had contempt for the office and person of the President, he would rather have stayed away from the Conference and would not have given the committee its full respect by meeting all their needs as stated in their earlier letter.

Again, we wonder what Nyiam means by ‘talking down’. To him, expressing an opinion contrary to his preconceived position means ‘talking down on the people’. He is intolerant to other peoples’ views which he finds ‘derogatory’.

We are glad that Tony Nyiam has been sacked from the Committee, because it is now clear that his membership of the Committee might have been made in error given his history as a confused man, a divisionist, who in uniform planned a coup d’etat against the country and wanted parts of the country forcefully excised.

We are of the belief that Nyiam, who has no faith in the country and has such deep-seated hatred for her people should, ab initio, not have been assigned such an important duty as the current one which is meant to further cement the people of Nigeria.

In spite of Nyiam’s resignation, the Comrade Governor still believes that the real challenge is getting Nigeria back to production. The real challenge is creating an industrial base to provide employment opportunity for our teeming youths.

Prince Kassim Afegbua,

Special Adviser Media and Public Affairs

To the Edo State Governor.