Investigation: Why criminal activities persist in Edo

•Obaseki: We won’t be intimidated by kidnappers

The recent upsurge in criminal activities in Edo State is said to be part of an elaborate scheme orchestrated by the leadership of the Police Command in the state, with support from the Police high command and some elements in the presidency, investigations have revealed.

This emerged on a day the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, warned that the state would not be forced by criminal elements and organised crime overlords to the negotiation table, stressing that law and order, as well as the liberty of the ordinary law-abiding citizens and residents, were not for sale. Recall that there has been a rise in high profile kidnapping in the state in recent time, with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ogba Zoo, Mr. Andy Ehanire; popular musician, Osayomore Joseph, and a Catholic priest, Rv. Fr. Lawrence Adorolo, abducted by unknown gunmen.

A lecturer at the University of Benin, Prof. Paul Otasowie, was also killed early this week. Though the priest has been released, the whereabouts of Ehanire and Osayomore is still unknown. It was gathered that the top hierarchy of the Edo Police command is either complicit in the growing insecurity or are compromised and providing cover for a ring of organised criminals, who are working to undermine the state government.

The organised criminal network is said to be taking advantage of the ‘lax’ police command to wreck mayhem in the state. This is as there are subsisting allegations of widespread corruption at the state Police Command with its leadership accused of running the command as ‘a business centre,’ with ‘delivery targets’ set for Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).

It was also learnt that the Police Service Commission (PSC), in July, deployed former Commissioner of Police, Armament, Johnson Kokumo, to head the Edo State Command, but the incumbent, CP Haliru Gwandu, has held tightly to the position, in violation of the PSC’s posting. Curiously, CP Garba Umar, who was deployed from Bayelsa State to Anambra State at the same time as CP Kokumo, who was deployed to Edo Command, has since resumed in Anambra State.

It was gathered that efforts by Obaseki to influence adherence to the transfer notice so as to pave way for a new security template in the state proved abortive, as the effort was rebuffed by both the commissioner and the IGP, who by the action suggests that the PSC lacks the power to effect the transfer of police officers. It was gathered that when efforts to prevail on the CP to vacate the position for the newly deployed commissioner failed, moves were made to get the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, and the presidency to act on the matter.

“Since July till date, nothing has happened. And we are beginning to suspect that something is amiss. For the CP to remain at his post even after the Police Service Commission has posted him out of the command, it only means he has the backing of the IGP, who has also not done anything to get the CP to heed the directive. “Recently, Obaseki embarked on a trip to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari, with the aim of persuading him to prevail on the IG to honour the posting carried out by the PSC, which is yet to yield any fruits.

“By these turn of events, Edo People and the state’s operating environment are now at the mercy of these criminals,” a reliable source, who sought anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said. It was learnt that members of the dislodged organised criminal network in Edo State, who were upstaged when the Obaseki administration stopped them from intimidating and extorting money from innocent Edo people, have now taken advantage of the laxity of Gwandu to perpetrate crimes.

To heighten tension in the state, the criminal overlords, it was learnt, conscripted social media influencers to lead a campaign against the government in the hope that outrage over increased criminal activity would force the government to negotiate for a return to the old order. Meanwhile, Obaseki, who called on Edo people to remain calm but vigilant, noted that an elaborate scheme was being finalised to rein in the orchestrators of the recent violence, bring them to justice and restore sustainable peace and safety in the state. He said: “Edo people, the majority of whom are law-abiding, should be rest assured that the promises to restore sanity to the state have been fulfilled.


https://newtelegraphonline.com/2017/10/investigation-criminal-activities-persist-edo/

Obaseki, Mahindra Group conclude arrangement on Benin Industrial Park

…Report on sequence of project implementation ready

All is set for the smooth take-off of the planned Benin Industrial Park with the receipt of the Preliminary Report by Governor Godwin Obaseki from the Mahindra Group in India, on Monday.

A visibly elated Obaseki, who is accompanied by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kadiri Bashiru, on the investment drive in Asia, said the Industrial park would serve as the catalyst for the industrialisation of Edo State.

Receiving the Preliminary Report of the Industrial Park from officials of Mahindra Group, at their headquarters in Chennai, India, Obaseki expressed confidence in the capacity of the company to deliver the project in line with the vision of the state government.

The governor said he “was impressed with the Preliminary Report by the Mahindra Group, which outlines the sequence of the project implementation, after their visit to Benin City for a thorough assessment of the economic viability of developing an industrial park in Edo State.”

He explained that the project was well thought out, as it would maximise the location of Benin City, from where all parts of the country can be accessed, coupled with the abundance of natural gas, the low cost of production, access to water and availability of affordable labour.

He assured that his administration was committed to leveraging on the gains of technology to boost economic activities by replicating in Nigeria, a Silicon Valley.

“We visited the headquarters of the Indian company in March, this year, to share our idea of an Industrial Park with officials of the company. Three months later, the company came to Benin City for a feasibility study and today we are happy that we are ready to hit the ground running” Obaseki said.



Photo Caption:

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State (2nd right); Emmanuel Usoh, Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment (3rd right); Kadiri Bashiru, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Edo State (1st right); receiving the Preliminary Report on the Benin Industrial Park from Narayanan M.C., Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra Consulting (3rd left); Pradeep D.P., Mahindra Principal Engineer (1st Left) at Mahindra Headquarters in Chennai, India on Monday, September 11, 2017.

The Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osaze Osemwegie-Ero has disclosed plans by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to revive and rebrand 58 tourist sites across the state.
Osemwegie-Ero made the disclosure while receiving members of the Benin Cultural Heritage Centre, on a courtesy visit, led by Squadron Leader Ehi Ighile (rtd.), on Friday.
According to him: “Governor Obaseki has handed over his vision to promote arts and culture in the state to us and has given us a marching order to identify all the cultural and tourism assets in all parts of the state, be it a festival or site, and repackage them for domestic and international tourists.”
He said the Aba Festival that was recently held in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state, boosted the local economy with about N450million naira.
He added that the tourist receipts were injected into the state economy by the over one million people who graced the occasion from all over Nigeria and the Diaspora.
“The festival was a huge success due to the presence and participation of the Edo State Government, which is committed to supporting all the cultural festivals brought to its notice in the state,” Osemwegie-Ero said.
“Our moat is a major tourist attraction and can be compared to the walls of China, but it has suffered neglect over the years. The vision of the present administration is to maintain and beautify the moat across the city and make it a tourist attraction that will generate revenue for the state.”
He assured that the state government was prepared to develop the 58 tourist sites into world class sites to attract visitors from all over the world and told his visitors that his ministry was working with the Ministry of Education to ensure that Edo Language is part of the curriculum of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning across the state.
He expressed the readiness of the Obaseki’s led administration to raise the profile of Igun bronze works, promote the rich cultural heritage of the people of Benin Kingdom and create wealth for the artisans and state government.
Members of the Benin Cultural Heritage Centre, led by Squadron Leader Ehi Ighile (rtd.), said the non- partisan and non-governmental organisation, with over 100 members, is committed to promoting the glory of the Benin people.He said the Benin Kingdom ruled the world for over 400 years before it was conquered by the British and the advancements in the Arts led to the adoption of the Queen Idia mask as the symbol of FESTAC 77.
“As a body, we have held discussions with the Ministry of Education on the lack of Edo teachers in our schools. We have decided to train 300 teachers to teach the language in our schools,” he said.
He explained that another achievement of the group is the planned Benin Cultural Heritage Complex, which will be built on a land given to the body by the Oba of Benin, for which the group has been receiving donations from people at home and in the Diaspora.


Photo Caption:

L-R: Secretary General of Benin Cultural Heritage Center, Hon. Isaac Ehanah (JP); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Obayagbona Itohan; Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osazee Osemwengie-Ero; Vice President of Benin Cultural Heritage Center, Ehi Ighile; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Special Duties and member of the Heritage Center, Dr. Osayuware Idahosa during a courtsey visit to the commissioner in Benin City on Friday, September 8, 2017

'We are Restoring Sanity to Edo State'
The Edo State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that law and order are maintained in the state in line with its ‘Operation Clean Up Edo’ initiative, assuring that ‘the exercise would bring sanity to public spaces and enhance the business climate.’
The state government noted that the ‘Operation Clean Up Edo,’ which has elicited commendations from residents in Benin City, would be expanded to other parts of the state, including Ekpoma and Auchi.
The Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), Barr. Osarodion Ogie, who disclosed this to newsmen, Friday, during the review of the exercise, said the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration intends to make Edo cities more habitable and welcoming, without comprising on the dictates of the law.The ‘Operation Clean Up Edo’ is an initiative of the state government aimed at decongesting major areas in the city centre and restoring order and sanity to improve the business climate and attract visitors, tourists and investors.
Ogie said the exercise is being carried out in consultation with relevant stakeholders in the state, noting that union leaders in major parts and markets in the metropolis are carried along.
“To ensure public buy-in and contribute to the success of the initiative, we have a public enlightenment team that ensures everyone is carried along. We engage the unions and their leaders to communicate the plans of the government before embarking on an exercise such as this. We have been on this exercise for three months now and have recorded good results. So, we will expand our operations to other parts of the state such as Ekpoma, Auchi, Iguobazuwa," Ogie said.
He hinted that the introduction of the Edo State Traffic Management and Control Agency (EDSTMA) has fast-tracked the implementation of the initiative, adding, “We have six zones of EDSTMA now in Benin; we have to create additional zones and move out of Benin to other parts of the state and ensure that traffic situation is improved.”
He expressed government’s appreciation to residents in the Benin metropolis for cooperating with officials of state in decongesting the city, noting that government is “glad with the feedback from the people. I assure everyone that this administration will leave Edo better than it met it.”


Photo Caption:

The Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., addressing journalists on the progress that has been made in the ‘Operation Clean Up Edo’ initiative at the Government House, Benin City on Friday, September 8, 2017.

The Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), on Thursday, donated beverages and other items worth about N20 million to victims of the North East crisis, living at the Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in Edo State.

President of the association, Chief Patrick Anegbe, while presenting the items at the Camp, which is situated at Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, said the gesture was part of the group’s Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

Anegbe said: “As an association, we know we cannot donate some of the items we produce to the Internally Displaced Persons. We appealed to member companies to make donations and we got positive responses. The result is what we are presenting to the occupants of the camp.”

He expressed his empathy with the inmates and called on the federal government to expedite action on resettling them.

“These people, for no fault of theirs, found themselves in this camp. They need to be catered for and empowered to live independent lives outside this place,” he said.

The Edo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, received the items on behalf of the state government and expressed her gratitude to the association for the gesture.

Ohenhen said that the donation would bring succour to the inmates, and assured that the state government would ensure that they receive all the items.

Mrs Evelyn Omigie, the camp supervisor, who received the items on behalf of the inmates, said the materials would go a long way in meeting the needs of the over 2, 500 inmates.




PHOTO CAPTION

L-R: Representative of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mr. Walson Brandon; Supervisor of the Internally Displaced Persons' camp in Edo State, Mrs Evelyn Omigie; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Mrs. Magdalene Ohenhen; Director, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Elizabeth Enakhimion; and President of the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Chief Patrick Anegbe, during the handover of relief materials worth over N20m million from AFBTE to the IDPs at Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday, September 7, 2017.

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has taken his job creation and investment drive to Singapore, where arrangements are being fine tuned to attract a $50million worth of investment that will create 50, 000 jobs in the state.

The deals cover investments in agriculture, specifically, oil palm and cassava to feed the processing plants of a leading Singaporean company, Tolaram Group.

Other areas of the ongoing talks with Singaporean enterprises include infrastructure, digital services, real estate - the Edo New City Development project, amongst others.

Obaseki is accompanied on the business visit by the First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kadiri Bashiru.

The visit to Singapore is consolidating on an earlier visit to Indonesia, where the Governor sealed deals with the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute in Medan, to leverage on the institute’s research capacity in reinvigorating Edo State oil palm and allied industries.

According to Obaseki, economic diversification into areas where the state has competitive advantage, like agriculture, is the key to job and wealth creation on a sustainable basis.



Photo Caption



L-R: First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; Executive of Tolaram Group, Deepak Chainani; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Edo State, Kadiri Bashiru; Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Emmanuel Usoh; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, and the Consular General of Singapore to Nigeria, Haresh Aswani, during the discussion of Tolaram’s proposed $50million investment in cassava and oil palm expected to create 50,000 jobs.

To guard against corrupt practices, abuse of office and entrench accountability in governance, commissioners, and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Edo State have been charged to abide by the provisions of the state’s Procurement Law.

This was the submission of experts at the seminar tagged “Essentials in Public Procurement Process and Organisation” organized by the Edo State Strategic Planning Team and hosted by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Edo State Public Procurement Agency, (ESPPA), Mr. Henry Idogun, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Benin City, on Thursday.

The seminar was an initiative of the state government to sensitise its officials and other stakeholders on the supremacy of the Public Procurement Law enacted in the state in 2012, for the sourcing of services and goods to ensure optimal service delivery and good governance.

Mr. Idogun, in his presentation, said complications with procurement often arise because government agencies do not keep to the conventional methods of sourcing services, goods and jobs such as the national and international competitive bidding procedures.

He noted that the use of unconventional methods, though lawful, often create conflict, which public servants ought to guard against if they are to maintain transparency and accountability.

He said: “Many would argue that drug procurement falls into emergency service. But it isn’t, because, if the official in charge requested to replenish stock as and when due, there wouldn’t be a need to classify drugs as an emergency good. We are to work in the background to ensure that everyone complies with the law, and we are committed to ensuring that this is done.”

The Head of the Edo State’s Strategic Planning Committee, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said the Edo State government wants everyone involved with procurement to understand the import, implication, and essence of the Procurement Act.

He said: “That is why we have brought in experts to speak with commissioners, permanent secretaries and those heading all the MDAs in the state for this intensive one-day workshop on compliance with the Procurement Act.”

Prof. Ihonvbere explained: “This is a different era. First, we started with a strategic plan for the state, which started with a strategic dialogue attended by all stakeholders. Thereafter, we did targeted workshops for each ministry and some departments. Then, we developed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each commissioner. Then we required that using their initiative, they develop a work plan, which is aligned to the budget. We want to ensure that absolutely no procurement would be done in Edo State without compliance with the Procurement Law. So, it is part of our effort on the war against corruption and abuse of office.”

The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, said the seminar was to expose government officials and other stakeholders in the procurement space to the legal and institutional framework for doing business with the state government.

According to him, “The intent of this workshop is to ensure that government is for governance and not for looting. Once we have that as the watchword, we would bid goodbye to the days of looting. We want to ensure that sanity is brought into the way goods and services are procured. At the end of the day, when these loop holes are covered, stealing and fraud would become things of the past.”



Photo Caption:

Cross-section of Edo State Executive Council members attending the seminar on “Essentials in Public Procurement Process and Organisation” at the Government House in Benin City on Thursday, September 07, 2017.

Obaseki in Quest to Revamp Agriculture, Create Jobs, Visits Indonesia

· Begins talks on commercial oil palm production in Edo

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is currently in Indonesia to deepen his administration's partnership with the Asian country, in a bid to revamp the agricultural sector and reposition the state as the oil palm capital of Nigeria.

Speaking at the 101-year-old Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute in Medan, Indonesia, Obaseki said his administration was keen on diversifying the economy of Edo State by taking advantage of its oil palm industry.

He stated that "with the present pace of research in the agricultural sector, oil palm can replace crude oil as a major source of food, industrial materials and energy.”

Obaseki said already, discussions are in progress to develop a business case to reinvigorate the oil palm sector in Edo State at a commercial level, after the Edo State delegation was taken through the entire integrated process of oil palm production and processing.

The Indonesian research institute is made up of an oil palm plantation, processing plant, laboratories, nursery and oil palm refining facility.

The governor, who is accompanied by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kadiri Bashiru, said the visit would explore the possibility of reaching agreements with the Indonesian government to support the development of the oil palm sector in Edo State.

Indonesia is currently the largest exporter of palm oil in the world and agricultural sector is the country's most valuable export sector.

The agricultural sector of Indonesia accounted for 32 per cent of the total labor force in 2016 and in 2013, the sector's contribution to national Gross Domestic Product was 14.43 percent.

In 2014, Indonesia's production figure for palm oil was 33.5 million tonnes and the product accounts for 11 per cent of export earnings of $5.7billion.

The choice of Indonesia for the strategic partnership, according to Obaseki, was informed by these statistics, including the fact that Indonesia is a global leader in palm oil export and is followed closely by Malaysia which came to Benin City to collect oil palm seedlings several years ago, precisely from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).

He assured that the visit would yield results that the Edo State agricultural sector requires to create jobs, raw materials for local industries, produce for export and time-tested research approaches to strengthen institutes like NIFOR and the College of Agriculture in Iguoriakhi, which is being repositioned to support the agricultural sector.


Photo Caption:

R-L: Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh; an official of the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute in Medan, Indonesia; and the Permanent Secretary in the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kadiri Bashiru, during the Governor's working visit to the Institute in Indonesia.

Edo Local Govt pensioners get over N212 million for August

*as Obaseki says it holds Edo senior citizens in high esteem

The commitment made by the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to continue to cater to the needs of pensioners who are the state's senior citizens, has again been demonstrated, with the payment of N212,879,888 million naira to local government pensioners.

According to Obaseki, the state will continue to accord its pensioners the respect they have earned and deserve, in the scheme of things in the state.

He explained that the over N212 million naira was for the month of August and urged Edo pensioners and workers to support the ongoing reform embarked upon by his administration in key areas such as education, primary healthcare, infrastructure, security, job creation and industrialisation amongst others.

The governor tasked heads of local government areas to creatively harness the huge human and natural resources that abound in all parts of the state for the good of all Edo people.

He assured that the newly commissioned BUA Cement company and the Edo Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited have started impacting positively on the economy of the state through the creation of jobs, access to affordable fertilizer by farmers and the emergence of several allied businesses.

Edo State exited the committee of civil service states last week, when the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo commissioned the 60,000 metric tonnes fertilizer plant in Auchi and the two million metric tonnes BUA Cement plant in Okpella in the state, setting the stage for huge industrial activities in the two key sectors of the state.

The Edo Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) on Wednesday said that the total allocation for the 18 Local Government Councils in the state for the month of August was N2, 146,235,377.

Head of Owan East Local Government Administration, Mr. Akeena Ade-Akhani, presented the figures after the JAAC Meeting presided over by Governor Godwin Obaseki, at the Government House in Benin City.

He said the amount spent on mandatory expenditures was N1, 440, 618, 407, which includes N1, 091, 012, 888 for teachers’ salary, while the distributable sum left for the 18 local councils was put at N705, 616, 970.

Ade-Akhani added that the sum of N212, 879,888 was used for the payment of local government pensioners.

He further said that the meeting reviewed the use of electronic-system for revenue collection in the state which has recorded appreciable success and emphasized that the state government was not deducting any money from the local government allocations.


Photo Caption:

Head of Owan East Local Government Administration, Mr. Akeena Ade-Akhani (2nd from left), addressing journalists after the monthly JAAC meeting at the Government House in Benin City on Wednesday, August 30, 2017

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has made a case for a global digital database that will have the information of victims of enforced disappearances across the world.

Obaseki made the recommendation on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed on August 30, each year.

He noted that “over the years, the number of victims of enforced disappearances has been on the increase while the face of the oppressive act keeps changing from people who oppose draconian military governments to civil rights agitators, and innocent women and children during internal strife such as the Chibok girls, as well as witnesses of the act, all in a bid to propagate terror.”

The governor explained that “with a global database shared by security agencies across the world, the search for the victims of this dastardly act would be easier.”

He condemned any act designed to instill fear and spread terror and stressed: “that civility and not barbarism should rule the world.”

He commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari at rescuing all the missing Chibok girls and urged Nigerians to keep faith with the APC-led administration.

The United Nations General Assembly in 2010 adopted August 30 for the observance of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, with the maiden edition in 2011

The Edo State Executive Council on Wednesday approved the bill for the Edo State Health Law 2017, from the Ministry of Health, seeking to domesticate the National Health Act of 2014.

The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, who addressed journalists after the weekly meeting, said that: The immediate benefits of the bill includes the remodeling and standardization of the health system in the state particularly, the primary healthcare sub-sector which covers 70% of the state’s health challenges.”

He explained that the proposed Edo State Health Law 2017, “will also reduce the burden on the tertiary and secondary health care systems and provide the legal authority for the state to establish the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Board and the proposed Edo State Contributory Health Commission, with shared responsibility for funding from the three tiers of Government, beneficiaries and partners to ensure Universal Health Coverage.”

The EXCO headed by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, also approved the introduction of the Edo State Geographic Information Service (GIS) Agency, that will automate land administration and development control in the state.

The agency will also undertake the aerial mapping of Edo State for the formation of a geographic information system and improve the ease of doing business in the state.

“EXCO reiterated its earlier position that all structures under the high tension electricity transmission lines be removed.”

Ohonbamu further said: “To show the seriousness of the matter, EXCO ordered the immediate relocation of a public school, Etete Primary School, which has been in that location for decades.”

According to him, “The Chairman in Council is particular about the health and safety of pupils of the primary school and has ordered that they should not resume next academic session in that location.” He assured that the affected pupils, teachers and parents would be informed of their new location before resumption date for the next academic session.

His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, on Wednesday commissioned the revamped Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA), with a charge to the officials to be committed to their jobs.

According to Oba Ewuare II, Benin City has always had a well designed layout of roads; feeder roads, streets and lanes since pre-colonial times, and added that over the years, the increase in vehicular movement coupled with bad roads and poor traffic management, resulted in chaotic traffic situations, made worse by some motorists with a penchant for disregarding traffic rules.

“The officials of EDSTMA must not see their appointments as an avenue for enriching themselves by accepting bribes from motorists who may want to undermine traffic rules. I am glad that the government deemed it appropriate to create a Public Complaints Department for the agency, where members of the public can lodge their complaints. It is hoped that such complaints will be addressed speedily,” the Benin Monarch said.

He commended the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki for creating job opportunities for the 351 employees through the traffic control agency, and stressed that the initiative deserves commendation.

In his remark, Governor Obaseki expressed his delight at the presence of the Oba of Benin, which he described as an official royal visit and an honour to his administration.

He said the rebranding of EDSTMA became necessary considering the fact that the state serves as a transportation hub to the country, with heavy vehicular traffic.

“This re-branded EDSTMA is made up of trained men and women who are more civil, operate within the ambit of the law and citizens are to relate with them as such,” Obaseki said, and assured that Edo people will not be exploited by officials of the traffic control agency as “there is a Public Complaints Unit that will attend to all the complaints from road users.”

He commended the former governor of the state Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who had the foresight to create EDSTMA to manage vehicular traffic in the state.

The Managing Director of EDTSMA Oloriegbe Dennis Ade said the Agency would adopt unique and advance strategies to overcome the challenges that they may face.



Photo Caption



L-R: His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu and Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto at the commissioning of the revamped Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA).

PHOTOS FROM THE EDO STATE FERTILIZER AND CHEMICAL COY LTD COMMISSIONING

The Governor of Edo State Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Monday commended the team that coordinated the distribution of insecticidal nets across the state with a first time record of 88 percent distribution rate.

According to Obaseki: “The exercise and the distribution figures are significant as we were able to reach over two million people. I am excited that the program was a huge success despite the short time that was given to the team to reach every nook and cranny of the state.”

Chairman of the distribution team and Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu expressed the team’s appreciation for the opportunity given to them by the governor to serve.

He said the team set out to achieve the 100 percent distribution target given to them by the governor and commended international bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) that assisted with statistical data of international standard.

A representative of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), a major partner in the Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets Replacement Campaign, Mr. Godson Kingsley, said a total of 12,233 personnel were trained for the exercise, and 2,110,150 nets were distributed as against the proposed 2,647,108, to residents in the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

He commended the political will of the state governor and the participation of high level officials of the state government in the exercise.



Photo Caption:



Chairman of the team that coordinated the distribution of insecticidal nets and Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, presenting a report of their activities to Governor Godwin Obaseki, at Government House in Benin City on Monday, August 28, 2017.

The Edo State Government and WACOT Limited will receive the Vice President of Nigeria - Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, to commission the Edo State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (ESFCCL) located in Auchi, Edo State.

The Edo Fertilizer plant was rehabilitated by WACOT Limited in collaboration with the Edo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The Vice President will be commissioning the NPK fertilizer plant to reiterate the Federal Government’s actualization of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI).

Launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, the initiative is part of the administration’s drive towards achieving food self-sufficiency and economic diversification through agriculture, to which WACOT Limited has been contributing.

It would be recalled that the Vice President recently commissioned the multi-billion naira WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi State. The objective of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative is to ‘disrupt’ the importation of blended NPK fertilizer, by directly negotiating discounted contracts for procuring core raw materials, locally blending same, and selling NPK fertilizer to farmers at a significantly lower price.

The rejuvenation of the Edo State fertilizer plant is an integral part of Governor Obaseki’s Accelerated Agriculture Initiative designed to support and actualize the job creation and food sustainability vision of the Buhari’s administration, through Public Private Partnership (PPP). This according to the Governor will not only enhance the state’s socio-economic status but will also create an avenue for the youths to leverage on the expertise of major players in the Agricultural sector.

The Edo State fertilizer plant managed by WACOT Limited will benefit from the unprecedented bilateral cooperation between the Governments of Nigeria and Morocco, which has already resulted in the revitalization of 11 fertilizer blending plants across the country.

Speaking recently while inspecting the Edo State fertilizer plant, Governor Obaseki commended WACOT Limited and used the opportunity to reiterate his administration’s commitment towards helping to achieve the Federal Government’s agricultural self-sufficiency drive for the country.

Mr. Rahul Savara, the Group Managing Director of TGI Group, the parent company of WACOT Limited, said that the plant has been optimized for both physical and compound blending and that it was ready for operation.

Speaking on the Group’s involvement in the Agricultural sector, Mr. Savara said, “We are firm believers in this administration’s vision of attaining food self-sufficiency. Therefore we will continue to invest in the agricultural sector significantly, with interventions targeted at the various agricultural value chains”.

Also commenting on the development, Mr. Ujwal Senapati, Managing Director of WACOT Limited said, “we will continue to deliver quality agricultural inputs at affordable prices, and in the near future, we will be producing crop-specific fertilizer for a diverse range of crops locally”.

WACOT Limited is a market leader in agro-processing, manufacturing, and distribution of certified agricultural inputs including seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.
Photo Caption:


Governor Obaseki at the Edo fertilizer and chemical company before it was rehabilitated by WACOT Limited, in collaboration with the Edo State Government.

The Edo State Government has expressed its readiness to harness the scientific research capacity of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in its efforts at revamping the state’s economy.

Governor Godwin Obaseki said this yesterday when the management of the university paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Benin City, to intimate him of the institution’s plan to organize a summit on Agriculture and Innovation.

Obaseki commended the management of the university, for initiating the summit and said: “It is heartwarming to see that the academia have seen the wisdom in utilizing the outcomes of your research efforts for the benefit of the society.”

He further said that although his administration was already in partnership with UNIBEN in its efforts at transforming the education sector of the state, he added that he would like to extend the partnership to the development of agriculture and infrastructure.

“In the area of infrastructure, we will like to create an Information Technology Park close to the Power Plant you want to set up. There is so much we can do around you,’’ the governor said, and urged the ivory tower to rebrand the summit Edo-UNIBEN Agriculture and Innovation Summit so that the state government can play more roles at the summit.

‘’The summit is in line with our administration’s goal for agriculture, it makes sense that we partner with you. We believe it should be co-hosted by the Edo State Government and we are ready to work with the summit committee and embellish what you have done, using our experience,” Obaseki said.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Professor Faraday Orumwense, who led the management team on the visit, said the summit would help “develop practical framework and structures that will engender the establishment of businesses along the agricultural value chain for about 1,800 unemployed graduate youths and graduating students drawn from 15 universities as well as other tertiary institutions.”

Orumwense said the summit will be organized in September in collaboration with the International Institute for Security and Governance Studies and the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority and solicited the state government’s support through the provision of 2,500 hectares of land in each of the Senatorial Districts to be used for farming by youths as well funds to host the summit.



Photo Caption:

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State shaking hands with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orumwense (left), after a meeting with the Governor at the Government House in Benin City on Monday, August 28, 2017.

Edo State at 26: Obaseki pledges to transform fortunes of ordinary people
...salutes resilience, unalloyed support of Edo people

The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki on Sunday pledged to transform the fortunes of the many ordinary people in the state as the state attained 26 years.
In a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the state's creation, Obaseki saluted the unalloyed support of Edo people to his administration in the collective match towards the lofty and attainable heights as envisioned by the founding fathers.
"On this day, 26 years ago, our dear state was created with its people beaming with pride, high hopes and lofty dreams, excited about what had become a unique opportunity to take their collective destiny in their own hands.
"From 1991 when this landmark event occurred till now, one leader after the other has taken the mantle, promising to deliver an egalitarian society where the interplay between state and its constituents produces a symphony of faith, trust and zeal to build," Obaseki said.
He, however, noted that "although the state and indeed the nation has evolved pleasantly from unacceptable dictatorship to a government of the will of the people, democracy has not sufficiently bequeathed all its sacred promises to the people."
The governor assured that "As the 10th in the lineup of governors to lead this great state since it adopted the name Edo and took on the current landmass and population, which has continued to grow, I consider the task I now bear as a divine assignment. I am committed to the transformation of the fortunes of the many ordinary people in Edo State despite the inclement environment."
He further said that the APC led state government under his watch was consolidating on the gains of his predecessor and committed to creating a safe and secure environment for people to live, work and do business.
"Our administration has sanitised land acquisition and ownership to the extent that today in Edo State, you can acquire a plot of land through the right means and build your house with all the necessary approvals without any fears of harassment by thugs.
"Infrastructural development is a top priority for us as you must have seen ongoing road construction work across the state, which will be accelerated as the dry season approaches. We are revamping all our educational institutions and repositioning support structures such as media houses to deliver quality education to our people.
“We promised to create jobs, and we have kept our word so far, and many more jobs are on the way. Healthcare, Rule of Law and other critical areas are receiving equal attention, and we are ready to intensify these efforts to deliver to you, the electorates, a new Edo State that we will all be proud of," Obaseki said.
He expressed his appreciation to the Royal Father, Omo N' Oba N' Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11, the Oba of Benin, other leaders and elders as well as all Edo people who have kept the faith, volunteered wise counsels and showed understanding when tough decisions had to be made.
He promises that "with God on our side, our goal is to give you an Edo State that will reinforce our age-long sense of pride and honour that is rooted in integrity, hard work and focus."


Photo Caption:



Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.

After undergoing trainings that have been described as best-in-class, officials of the Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA) will in a matter of days take over the control of vehicular traffic on major roads across the state.

Already, expectations are high amongst motorists that the agency will restore order and sanity on the roads through the strict enforcement of traffic laws that will check unprofessional conducts of drivers which make commuting especially within Benin City a terrifying experience, despite the network of wide and motorable roads.

According to Governor Godwin Obaseki, the traffic agency will also eliminate the number of man-hours lost by workers and businesspeople to traffic congestion and the resulting chaos in parts of the state.

He said the traffic control initiative was part of a bigger plan by his administration to remove any snag that impedes on the ease of doing business in the state.

Obaseki explained that the agency was the product of a painstaking effort that adopted best-in-class procedure in designing the structure, recruitment and training of personnel and in equipping them for the job.

To ensure that the initiative is well received by all the stakeholders in the road transportation sector, the governor said, “we are working with various stakeholders in the sector including bus drivers’ unions, tricycle drivers’ associations and everybody or group that has stakes in the road transport sector.”

He urged motorists to put their vehicles in order and be ready to abide by the laws guiding their trade as mobile courts will have been set up to swiftly dispense with cases of traffic law infractions.

“With these measures we have put in place, we are confident that once we roll out, we will be able to bring an end to the traffic menace in the state,” Obaseki said.



Photo Caption:



An official of the Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA) during training in Benin City.

Edo Govt rolls out the drums for Aba Festival

By Crusoe Osagie



It has been four days of a spectacle of unadulterated culture for culture enthusiasts, domestic and international tourists in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State as the much awaited Aba Festival got underway on Monday, August 21, 2017.



The week-long event parades the rhythmic dance steps of the Igarra people, their songs that are rich in symbolisms, the age-long drumming sessions and the colorful and very significant initiation rites, amid feasting and an accompaniment of side attractions.



This year’s outing is living up to the expectations of the organizers as the State Government made true its promise to raise the profile of the 228-year-old festival to attract more foreign tourist receipts. This is in line with the resolve of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to reset the tourism sector in the state for the optimal socio-economic benefit of the Edo people.



Obaseki’s holistic approach to the development of its culture and tourism sector, is weighing on the development of a master plan for the sector, in line with global best practices, to ensure that all culture and tourism events such as the Aba Festival, impact on the Edo economy through hotel receipts, patronage of food and drink vendors, collection of art works and memorabilia by art enthusiasts, boom in commercial and private transport activities and visits to cultural sites and destinations, amongst others.



The state government’s endorsement of the ABA Festival has since paved the way for the placement of this colourful event on the country’s festival calendar by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).



Speaking on the festival recently, the Chairman Central Organizing Committee, Obed Alli, assured of an unforgetable Aba Festival outing this year. He explained that the festival was rated by energy giant, Total E & P in 2006, as the sixth most indigenous cultural festival in West Africa.



According to him, the festival started as “a celebration of victory by hunters over the initial settlers of the land now known as Etuno (Igarra). The Aba Festival is the most spectacular singular event in the celebration of the Irepa Festival. It is the highest crowd pulling of all Irepa Festival events. It marks the climax of activities as it indicates the end of a seven-year traditional administrative tenure and the beginning of the new one.”



The uniqueness and distinct appeal of Aba Festival have earned it a prestigious place on the country’s festival league table, as corporate bodies, governments and individuals jostle to be a part of it and this year’s is no different.



As the drummers and dancers thrill visitors and Edo people to the rich cultural heritage of the Igarra people, until Saturday, August 26, our doors and hearts are open to receiving you in Igarra, Edo State.



Osagie is the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

The First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, on Wednesday, said the state government in collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BOI), would soon commence the disbursement of interest-free loans to two thousand women to grow their businesses in the state.



Mrs. Obaseki who said this while speaking on the activities of her pet project, Edo Women for Agriculture and Enterprise (EWAE), assured women leaders from the eighteen local government councils of the state, that the scope of the project has been expanded.



"The Edo Women for Agriculture and Enterprise initiative has been successful. We have recorded over 85 per cent success rate, and most of our women have done well. Due to this success, I have decided to expand the scope of the programme to include general enterprise that can grow the state's economy and empower our people,” Mrs. Obaseki said.



She explained that there were several programmes in the bouquet of the Bank of Industry, designed to support the initiative, and grow the micro, small and medium enterprise sub-sectors. She added: “I am also working towards getting support and funding from outside the state and country as part of my contributions to the economy of the state."



She said the criteria for qualifying for the loan facility includes membership of a registered cooperative that has serious and credible executives, whose members must be diligent traders who are ready to pay back the loans at the stipulated time.



Mrs. Obaseki said the loan amount would be between fifty and one hundred thousand naira with a repayment period of six months.





Photo Caption



The First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, speaking on the activities of her pet project, Edo Women for Agriculture and Enterprise (EWAE), in Benin City, Edo State on Wednesday, August 23, 2017.

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has proffered transnational partnerships between state and non-state actors as the only way to end slavery in all its forms.



Obaseki made the proposition on the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition on August 23, 2017, a day set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to memorialize the Transatlantic slave trade.



Obaseki said that while “the transatlantic trade in human beings ended over 200 years ago, slavery has refused to go away as it still thrives in several other forms, with millions of children, teenagers and even adults, sold daily across the world by human traffickers to greedy masters and mistresses who use them for slave labour and turn them into sex slaves.”



He decried the negative backlash of human trafficking on the society which includes the erosion of age-old progressive values such as hard work, integrity, and self-worth and emphasized that international coalition and partnership is needed to put an end to the dehumanizing practice.



“In Edo State, our administration is committed to the fight against human trafficking as many Edo youths have lost their lives to the illicit trade. We have set up an Anti-human Trafficking Task-force, to go after human traffickers in the state,” Obaseki said.



He further said that his administration had thrown its weight behind the federal government’s plan to extend the whistle-blowing policy to human trafficking.



The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition had its maiden celebration in Haiti on August 23, 1998

Edo State is not testing the competence of Public Servants, Says Obaseki

*Assures that no employee will be sacked



The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has dismissed the fear looming in some quarters that the ongoing assessment of senior civil servants in the state was designed to fish out incompetent workers for sack, assuring that such fears are baseless.



Obaseki who was at Imaguero College, Benin City, venue of the assessment, on Wednesday, said that the exercise was in good faith and not a competency test as being rumoured.



He explained that Edo civil servants are competent and do not require any further competency test. “Before they were employed, their competency was tested and that is why they are working in the Civil Service. But before promotions are made in the Civil Service, senior civil servants go through assessments to fill vacant positions in the directorate cadre,”



He added that the exercise was part of the strategy to strengthen the Civil Service for effective service delivery and assured that no employee writing the examination will be sacked.



The governor disclosed that the recent examination conducted for staff members on levels 16 and 17 in the state was an eye opener as some civil servants were discovered to be very good and were appointed Permanent Secretaries.



“We are not sacking anybody, but want to strengthen the service so that it can deliver quality services to the state. The assessment is not compulsory but necessary for promotion as those who need to be promoted would have to be assessed. If you refuse, then there may be no basis for your promotion,” Obaseki said.





For teachers who kicked against the assessment, the governor said it was unfortunate as his administration did not intend to exclude teachers from the resulting promotion exercise and added that the two teachers that performed very well in the last exercise were appointed Permanent Secretaries.



“We want to give everyone the opportunity to participate but if teachers say they don’t want to be part of the process, no one will force them, we would have no basis to promote their senior colleagues,” he added.



Photo Caption:

Extreme left: Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State monitoring the ongoing assessment of public servants for capacity enhancement at the Imaguero College Hall, Sapale Rd. , Benin City.

Leadership Change at the Edo State House of Assembly.

By Chris Azebamwan


That honourable members of Edo State House of Assembly recently effected a change of leadership is no longer news. The leadership of the APC, Edo State is dismayed however by the spate of misinformation and disinformation that has been brought to bear on a normal and routine democratic process.

As was to be expected, the erstwhile leaders of the House resisted the move to effect a change but ultimately recalled this position when it became apparent that those who were in favour of the exercise were in the majority.

The State Exco has since prevailed on the two sides to the initial misunderstanding to come together and dialogue on ways to reach an amicable settlement. The State Governor Godwin Obaseki also lent his voice to the appeal for an amicable resolution. Following these requests from the Party leadership, the honourable members have since come together to discuss and resolve their differences.

The APC leadership in Edo State is fully conscious that good governance is a collective and collaborative effort of all critical stakeholders and have impressed it on the honourable members that no sacrifice is too great on their part, to ensure that the vision and policies of the APC administration in Edo State are fully realized for the overall benefit of our people. The leadership has further assured all members of the APC, our teeming supporters and all indigenes of Edo State that the recent change in the leadership of the State House of Assembly has been successfully and amicably settled, and that the honourable members of the House have returned to their constitutionally assigned role of making laws for the good governance of Edo State.

All the speculations of an irreparable rift in the House or the APC Edo State are false and unfounded. The APC in Edo State remains one united and indivisible family, and the leadership is poised to take Edo State to the next level as promised during the campaigns.


Azebamwan is the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC

APC’s Battle to Restore Meritocracy in Edo



By Crusoe Osagie



The logic and reason behind the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) criticism of the policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State are often disturbingly shallow and many times, absolutely ridiculous.



This is especially so because this same political party ruled over this country and indeed Edo State for nearly two decades and literarily left the nation and all the states where they held sway in ruins.



You only need to look at the pages of the newspapers on any day, and you are certain to see revelations of the mindless looting which was supervised by the now degenerating political entity.



Under the guidance of the PDP, an estimated N400 billion, or the equivalent of $4.6 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP), representing 39 per cent of the combined federal and state education budgets in 2016, was paid out as bribes to public officials in Nigeria annually. As shown in a new report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), revealed last week.



The National Corruption Report, which covered the period between June 2015 and May 2016 also showed that almost a third of Nigerian adults (32.3 percent) who had contact with public officials between June 2015 and May 2016 had to pay, or were requested to pay a bribe to such public officials.



This was the sort of culture which the PDP promoted both in Edo State and in other parts of the country, invariably resulting in a failed system where people had to resort to corruption to get ahead.



So terrible was the situation that adults in the public and private sectors; young people and children in Universities, Secondary and Primary Schools, were introduced to a new ‘normal’ where success, wealth and victory did not come to you based on your competence but based on how much bribe you are willing and able to pay or how many people you knew on the corridors of power.

Essentially, meritocracy was sacrificed on the altar of malpractices and corruption, leading civil servants, teachers, businessmen, students, pupils among others to abandon their quest for knowledge and capacity enhancement for the simple reason that promotion or increase was no longer secured on the basis of how good you were or how much you knew.



Such was the state of Edo when the APC wrestled it from the PDP. Unfortunately, as they say, old habits die hard, and so the new ruling party in the state has been riding tirelessly against the tide of the culture of corruption enthroned by the PDP, trying to get the people to see that merit as the only currency for success and promotion has been restored.



This same problem surfaced recently when Governor Godwin Obaseki introduced capacity enhancement testing for civil servants to identify the areas where government workers have skills gap to be able to fashion out appropriate training programmes for them.



The same PDP leaders who damaged the system which the APC is now making efforts to fix began to scream and misinform government workers that the testing being done by the current government was designed to select workers for victimization and sack.



Nothing could be further from the truth.

Governor Obaseki has since dismissed the fear looming in some quarters that the ongoing assessment of senior civil servants in the state was designed to fish out incompetent workers for sack, assuring that such fears are baseless.

Obaseki who was at Imaguero College, Benin City, venue of the assessment, last Wednesday, said that the exercise was in good faith and not a competency test as being rumoured.



He explained that Edo civil servants are competent and do not require any further competency test. “Before they were employed, their competency was tested, and that is why they are working in the Civil Service. But before promotions are made in the Civil Service, senior civil servants go through assessments to fill vacant positions in the directorate cadre,”



He added that the exercise was part of the strategy to strengthen the Civil Service for effective service delivery and assured that no employee writing the examination would be sacked.



The governor disclosed that the recent examination conducted for staff members on levels 16 and 17 in the state was an eye opener as some civil servants were discovered to be very good and were appointed Permanent Secretaries.



“We are not sacking anybody, but want to strengthen the service so that it can deliver quality services to the state. The assessment is not compulsory but necessary for promotion as those who need to be promoted would have to be assessed. If you refuse, then there may be no basis for your promotion,” Obaseki said.



For teachers who kicked against the assessment, the governor said it was unfortunate as his administration did not intend to exclude teachers from the resulting promotion exercise and added that the two teachers that performed very well in the last exercise were appointed Permanent Secretaries.



“We want to give everyone the opportunity to participate, but if teachers say they don’t want to be part of the process, no one will force them, we would, however, have no basis to promote their senior colleagues,” he added.



This explanation of the issue by the governor has been completely sidestepped by mischief makers who are bent on constantly stirring a storm in a teacup, with the intention of smearing the good reputation of Governor Obaseki.



Suffice to say however that this propaganda is an effort in futility.



The Edo people who chose Obaseki as their governor did so with deep discernment and this ability to assess peoples’ character very much resides with them. They know without doubt that Obaseki in all his actions is fighting for their best interest.

Osagie is the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

Photo Caption:
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

Governor Obaseki and Chairman Ojezua are on the same page

By Chris Azebamwan



The very misleading report by Urhokpota Reporters that Governor Obaseki walked out on the Chairman of the APC, Edo State, Barr. Anselm Ojezua at a meeting to address the recent misunderstanding in Edo State House of Assembly could not have been further from the truth.

Remarkably, the story had no byline and was not credited to anyone but if your reporter was at the APC Secretariat on Monday the 14th of August, he should have had the honesty and integrity to admit that the meeting with the honorable members was behind closed doors to which the press corps was not admitted. There is no way the reporter could have witnessed a walkout by the Governor.

The Governor of Edo State and the APC as the ruling party are working in synergy and are determined to run an open and responsive government. Your reporter had ample opportunity to clear his suspicion when the Chairman addressed the press corps at the end of the meeting. He chose instead, to go to town with the product of his own imagination in place of facts.

The press as the fourth estate of the realm, owes a fundamental duty to the reading public to publish the truth and nothing else. Falsehood and sensationalism do not conform to the ethics of your noble profession which is to inform and educate.

The facts are these. A majority of members of the Edo State House of Assembly effected a change in the leadership of the House in accordance with the House rules. Those who were in favor and those who were against the change thereafter proceeded to the State Secretariat of the APC to inform the party leadership of the development.

The Governor was duly informed and he chose to meet with the honorable members and the Party leadership on the same platform. Both sides to the misunderstanding presented their versions of the incident. At that juncture, it was decided that the signatures on the impeachment notice needed to be verified.

The other major issue that was of concern to the Party leadership was the balance of power in the State. The honorable members and in particular the new leadership were urged to be sensitive to this long standing tripod arrangement which ensures that the positions of Governor, his deputy and the Speaker of the House are shared equally to the three senatorial districts in the state. This is what guarantees political stability in Edo State and the point was made that failure to adhere to it would surely generate needless and avoidable agitation from Edo Central Senatorial District. Recognizing that tension was high, and nerves were frayed, it was amicably agreed that all parties should meet with the Governor and the Party leadership the next day at 9.00am. The State Chairman Anselm Ojezua was mandated to brief the press and he said, and I quote, “We are talking. As soon as we finish talking, we will let you know the outcome. But know that we are all still talking”. That the Governor exited the conference room ahead of everyone present is standard protocol and did not in any way translate to storming out or walking out on the Chairman.

All the conspiracy theories are false and baseless. The immediate past Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole holds his successor Godwin Obaseki in high regard and their relationship is based on mutual respect. Comrade Oshiomhole left office a fulfilled man, knowing that Governor Obaseki would build on his legacies of development and good governance. Any and every attempt to drive a wedge into the cohesive leadership of the APC in Edo State is doomed to fail.

The Edo State House of Assembly is made up of loyal party men and women who are independent-minded in the discharge of their legislative functions and will not lend themselves to manipulation or blackmail by anyone, no matter how highly placed as insinuated in your article. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole served the good people of Edo State meritoriously for eight years and has honorably bowed out of the stage. He should be left to enjoy his life as a private citizen without intrigues and conspiracy theories.

Finally, we hope Urhokpota Reporters will give this rejoinder the same prominence and circulation that it gave their misleading article.

Azebamwan is the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC



Photo Caption



Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Azebamwan

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Sunday condoled with Mrs. Belinda Ogiefa at her residence in Benin City over the death of her mother, Deaconess Alice Orobor, who died at the age of 85 years.

The governor who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, said the visit was to empathize with Mrs. Belinda Ogiefa, who is a strong member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and played an active role during the 2016 governorship election.

“We are here to commiserate with her as she mourns her late mother. She was very close to her late mum and we know how painful it is when you lose a loved one.

“As members of the same political family we taught we should come around to give her support during this painful moment,” the governor remarked.

Governor Obaseki signed the condolence register and prayed that God will give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

In her response, Mrs. Ogiefa said her mother died on August 15 this year and appreciated the governor and his wife for coming to sympathize with the family.





PHOTO CAPTION

L-R: Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Mrs. Belinda Ogiefa and the First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, during a condolence visit to Mrs. Ogiefa on the loss of her mother, Deaconess Alice Orobor in Benin City on Sunday, 20th August, 2017.

Obaseki inaugurates 11-Man Committee to set up Edo Sports Commission



The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has inaugurated an 11-man committee to assist with the modalities for setting up a sports commission that will help the state reclaim her top position in sports in the country.



Inaugurating the committee, Obaseki said the idea of a commission of experts was the product of a workshop organised by the state government earlier in the year as part of his administration’s resolve to reposition sports in the state.



“As a government, our desire is to establish a sports commission that will help us meet our aspirations in the sector. We believe that those chosen for this task have the experience, skills, and knowledge in the world of sports, and will provide the framework for a premier sports commission in Nigeria,” he said.



The terms of reference for the committee include: to design a holistic sports policy for Edo State to help reclaim its pride of place in the nation; help produce a legal framework to help establish a sports commission; prioritize the content and direction of sports in the state; design a framework to help rebuild sporting institutions and facilities to world class standards, as well as assist to design a strategy for private sector funding for sports in the state, among others.



In his response, the chairman of the committee and Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in them and promised that the team would do its best to ensure that the state government achieves its desire to reposition sports in the state.



“When you talk about sports in Nigeria, the committee members are the best names and faces in Nigeria, and I want to assure you that the committee will not fail in this task. The report will capture the essence of the vision of sports by this administration,” the chairman said.



The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Special Duties, Edo State, Dr. Mrs. Osayuware Idahosa is to serve as Secretary of the committee. The members are Godwin Dudu-Orumen; Aisha Falode; Ejiro Omonode; Isaac Ikhuoria; Barr. Osayaba Osarenren; Mike Itemuagbor; Austin Eguavoen; Frank Ilaboya and Dr. Kweku Tandoh. The committee has six weeks to submit its report.





Photo Caption:



R-L: Hon. Commissioner for Youth and Special Duties, Mika Amanokha; Chairman of the newly inaugurated committee and Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; CEO, MultiSports, Godwin Dudu-Orumen and Chairperson, Nigeria Women Football League, Aisha Falode at the Government House on Monday, August 21. 2017.

The World Bank Implementation Support Team, monitoring the implementation of State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) projects in the Niger Delta region, has ranked Edo State high on transparency and job creation for youths.

The leader of the support team, Mr. Ismaila Ceesay, who led his members on a courtesy visit to the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, at the Government House in Benin City on Monday, said the state was doing well in the execution of component A1 of the projects.

The Component A1 projects include the creation of direct jobs for unemployed youths in Edo State.

According to Ceesay, the World Bank team was on a working visit to assess the execution of the various components of the SEEFOR Projects in the four implementing states of Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.

“Edo is one of the four states that produce its financial statements and have them audited within six to seven months of the fiscal year and have the report published,” Mr. Ceesay said.

He urged Governor Obaseki to sustain the culture of financial accountability and remain a beacon of transparency in public finance.

The team leader, however, noted that the state should ensure that all segments of the projects are active in the state.

He pledged that his team was ready to work with the state execution team to address challenges that may arise in the process of executing the projects .

In his remarks, Obaseki said his administration would work with the team to develop work plans for the reactivation of the TVET and FADAMMA activities in the state,

The governor noted that the state has paid over N400 million as counterpart fund since his administration was inaugurated and commended the World Bank for releasing $1.6 million for the renovation of the Benin Technical College.



Photo Caption:

R-L: Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; Ismaila Ceesay, Task Team Leader (TTL) ,World Bank; Foluso Okunmaduwa, Team Member, World Bank; Tunde Adekola, Team Member, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), World Bank during a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House in Benin City on Monday, August 21, 2017