A jubilant crowd is gathering at the Benin Airport to receive the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

The Vice President is billed to launch the TraderMoni component of the Federal Government's Social Investment Programme in the state, as well as flag-off of a number of other projects by the state government.


#LetsGOFurtherTogether
#EdoWelcomesOsinbajo
#ObasekiReceivesOsinbajo

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President Muhammadu Buhari (2nd right); Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (left), during the President’s arrival at the Benin Airport for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

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L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu; wife of Edo State Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; and wife of Deputy Governor, Mrs. Maryann Shaibu, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

President Buhari Campaigns In Benin, Assures EFCC, ICPC To Release FG’s Plans For Recovered Loots

…Obaseki reveals how PDP’s demand for $20 million bribe almost scuttled Edo-Azura Power Project

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that he will continue to work for the interest of ordinary Nigerians, urging them to vote for him in the presidential elections on February 16, so he can continue to deliver on the pledge to fight corruption, revitalize the economy and improve security, which are the cardinal policy thrusts of his administration.

The President said this at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Rally in Edo State, which held at Garrick Memorial School, in Ekehuan Road, Benin City, the state capital.

He assured that he will get the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to make public how much money has been recovered and what government intends to do with it.

“We are doing our best in fighting corruption. I assure you that very soon, I will instruct the EFCC and the ICPC to address a joint press conference to tell Nigerians what has been recovered and what we will do with the recovered funds,” he said.

The President was accompanied to the venue of the rally by Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and other party leaders across the nation.

Buhari said he is in the state to remind Edo people of the fundamental promises made in 2015, relaying what his administration has achieved in the areas of security, agricultural policies and the fight against corruption.

“We have made the North-East safer than we met it. We have given soft loans to farmers to enable the nation to attain food security. We have saved a lot of money in dollars by not importing.

“Please vote APC from top to bottom for the party to occupy the States’ Houses of Assembly; National Assembly and the Presidency," he urged.

Governor Obaseki said that the progress being recorded in the state was made possible by the President’s support.

He said, “In Edo, when you see a masquerade dancing very well, you must know that somebody is beating the drum that is making it dance. Are we dancing well in Edo? Is your governor doing well? Are we paying salaries? Are we paying pensions? Are we training our teachers?

“Are we building our industrial park? Are we going to build a River Port? The drummer who is making all of these happen is here today. He is our president, President Muhammadu Buhari. There is nothing I could have done in the last two years without President Buhari,” he added.

Noting that the President came to the rescue of the state when the previous government almost scuttled the plan to build the Edo-Azura Power Plant, he said, “The president has done what we expected him to do. He has given us direction. I said to him, remember when you resumed office, within 60 days, former Governor Oshiomhole came to you and said you should help us with Azura Power Plant. He asked the President to give us a letter so that we can raise money to build that power Plant. The people before them refused to give us that letter. They were demanding for $20 million bribe, which we did not have.”

National Chairman of APC, Comrade Oshiomhole commended the President on his support for the state and the governor, noting that the president’s efforts helped in paying off debts incurred by the previous administration.

Hailing the President for his social investment programmes, he said “There are things that you have done that has shown where your heart is. Your constituency is the masses, which is why you created the social investment programme, which includes the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer, N-Power and MarketMoni.”

He said he was proud of Governor Obaseki for improving on what was done in his time as a governor, noting that the governor has added value to governance.

Earlier, Governor Obaseki led other members of the State’s Executive Council in receiving the President at the Benin Airport, at 3.05pm. The President was on board the presidential aircraft marked 5N-FGN.

After arriving the Airport, the President was driven to the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, where he went to pay homage to the revered monarch.

In anticipation of the President’s arrival, a mammoth crowd had besieged the Benin Airport by noon on Thursday, to receive the President for the state’s leg of his re-election campaign.

Members of the ruling APC from different parts of the state as well as the party’s supporters were colourfully dressed to receive the country’s number one citizen at the Airport.

Chairman, Buhari Supporters Organization, Arewa Chapter, Edo State, Abdullah Baba, said the president’s visit to the state is a welcome development.

Baba said the organization was at the Airport to receive him because of his developmental strides across the country.


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L-R: Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II; President Muhammadu Buhari; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; and National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, during President’s visit to the Oba’s Palace, in Benin City on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Benin City, to continue his re-election bid as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 16 Presidential election.

The president arrived the Benin Airport at 3.05pm to the waiting hands of top members of the APC in the state as well his supporters, who had gathered at the Airport in anticipation of his arrival.

President Buhari was received by Governor Godwin Obaseki and other members of Edo APC’s Presidential Campaign Council, who will drive the President's re-election bid in the state.

The President’s delegation includes National Chairman, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Minister of State for Health, Hon. Dr. Osagie Ehanire, among others.

The President is expected to visit the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, and grace the presidential campaign rally holding at Garrick Memorial Secondary School, in Ekehuan Road, Benin City.

The Edo State Government has announced that there will be a restriction of movement from 12 noon to 4pm on Thursday, January 17, on Ekehuan Road axis of the Benin Metropolis as a result of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Benin City, the Edo State capital.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., the state government said that movement will be restricted on parts of Ekehuan Road, particularly between Ehaekpen Junction and Agho Junction, as the President will be hosted at Garrick Memorial School, opposite University of Benin Ekehuan campus.

According to Ogie, “As a result of the visit of His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to Edo State tomorrow, Thursday, January 17, there will be a restriction of movement in the Ekehuan Road axis of the Benin Metropolis from 12 noon to 4pm.

“Residents in the area are advised to avoid this route, particularly between Ehaekpen Junction and Agho Junction.”

He added, “Residents, who must move within the area during this period, should use alternative routes that will help them cut-off Garrick Memorial Secondary School, opposite the University of Benin, Ekehuan Campus, which is the venue of the event.”

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R-L: Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Deputy Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Leo Atakpu; Chairman, Edo State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Roland Osakue, during a meeting between the governor and members of the State Steering Committee on Open Government Partnership, at Government House, in Benin City, Edo State.

…Gov advocates use of technology, stakeholder engagement to improve transparency, accountability in governance

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has applauded Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, for leading the campaign on open governance in the South-South region with his administration’s implementation of policies which promote transparency and accountability in governance.

The Deputy Executive Director, ANEEJ, Mr. Leo Atakpu, made the submission during a meeting between the governor and members of the State Steering Committee on Open Government Partnership, at Government House, in Benin City, Edo State.

He noted, “Governor Obaseki is the first governor in the South-South who signed on to the Open Governance Partnership (OGP). The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state are happy with the development, ease of doing business, access to government information and justice reforms in the state.”

Responding, Governor Obaseki said that his administration is running a transparent and accountable governance to build and win the trust of Edo people, adding that the state government signed and deployed open government portal in partnership with the World Bank eight years ago.

He said, “Our emphasis as a government is to go back to OGP, reopen it and feed the portal with information from across various spectrum of governments. Our premise rests on the principle underlying the open government initiative. We believe that we must run government transparently to build and win the trust of our people, to be able at any point in time, tell them what we are doing in terms of resources that come into the state and what we are doing and how we spend the state’s resources.”

Obaseki added that his administration is working hard on deploying energy and resources on the easy of doing business in the state, embracing Information Communication Technology (ICT) to make the process easy and transparent which will enable his administration to be accountable to the people.

He averred that the fundamentals to open government is opening up the process and procedures within government itself, noting that, technology will play a major role in enabling the process, which is why his administration has adopted the use of ICT for transparency and accountability.

Obaseki advocated for synergy between government and relevant stakeholders including civil servants in the state for the OGP partnership process to work.

He said his administration will create the system and environment and also build capacity to drive the process, noting “As a government, our focus this year is to train and retrain public servants. Every individual that works for the government must be trained on what to do and the components underlying open government partnership.”

Earlier, the chairman of the Steering Committee who is also the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe said OGP is a body composed of different stakeholders who are committed to transparency and anti-corruption at the international level.

She said Nigeria as a country signed the OGP in July 2016 as the 70th sovereign state, adding that only few states like Kaduna, Lagos, Anambra, Edo states, are signatory to OGP.

She said in line with OGP, Edo State has improved in the Ease of Doing Business, and has policies targeted at improving transparency, accountability and integrity, and good governance between government and citizens.



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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (middle); his Chief of Staff, Chief Taiwo Akerele (2nd right); Chairman, Edo State Open Government Partnership (OGP) and Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe (right); Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Edo State Public Procurement Agency (EDPPA), Mr. Henry Idogun (left); and Deputy Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Leo Atakpu (2nd left), during a meeting between the governor and members of the State Steering Committee on Open Government Partnership, at Government House, in Benin City, Edo State.

– Crusoe Osagie

The Abuja meeting of governors of Delta, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states, on the corruption trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, was a meeting of governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and not a meeting of South-South governors.

Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih is economical with the truth and most uncharitable to the personality of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, with his unnecessary attacks on the Edo State Governor.

Chief Orbih should tell Edo people the last time the South-South Governors’ meeting was held, how many times the meeting was held in 2018 and its agenda for 2019.

Governor Obaseki is committed to the wellbeing of Edo people and our brothers and sisters in our sister South-South states and all Nigerians, and will support any meeting, devoid of political colouration, that genuinely seeks to improve the welfare of people of the south-south region and elsewhere in the country.

Obaseki will not attend a PDP Governors’ meeting like the one held in Abuja last Sunday, but will attend meetings that are not politically-tainted, and called to proffer time-tested solutions to the developmental challenges faced by the millions of Edo and other people of the south-south region.

Crusoe Osagie is the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy

SOURCE: https://thebellng.com/abuja-meeting-over-justice-onnoghen-was-a-pdp-governors-meeting/

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Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen

- Crusoe Osagie

The Dan Orbih-led campaign train of the failed Edo People's Democratic Party (PDP) has resorted to falsehood, the latest being a non-existing N7billion travel allowance in the 2019 Budget of Edo State.

The Edo State 2019 Budget is a public document and there is no such provision from page one to the last, of the document.

To sink so low and input items that do not exist into a public document, amounts to crossing the line.

With Governor Obaseki's achievements in the last two years, Edo people can tell who 'ate their yams' and who is frugally applying our resources on impactful projects such as road infrastructure, health centres, the education of our children and the security of our people and our property, to mention only a few.

Our latest proof of superior management ability is the promotion of Bendel Insurance to the elite soccer league in Nigeria, an achievement that all Edo sons and daughters, irrespective of their political convictions have hailed the Obaseki administration for.

Just like in soccer, everything the Edo PDP ruined, Obaseki is, with his midas touch bringing back to life.

We understand the frustration in trying to sell a party notorious for looting public funds, but telling lies and propagating falsehoods at campaign grounds will not help the difficult position that the Edo PDP has put itself.

The eight years of PDP leadership in Edo remain our dark ages, and all Edo people know that so well. No lies by Dan Orbi and his co-travellers can change that because Edo people are too intelligent to be swayed so cheaply.

Obaseki is retelling our developmental story as a state with roads that are springing up daily, everywhere in the three senatorial districts, health centres, job creation and empowerment opportunities, improved education etc.

Crusoe Osagie is the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy

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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki addressing supporters of Bendel Insurance Football Club, when the governor received them at Government House, in Benin City, after their qualification to Nigeria's topflight division, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), after 11 years in relegation.

...as team, supporters club get N30m

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has celebrated Bendel Insurance Football Club for qualifying to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), charging the team to give account of themselves in the topflight division.

Bendel Insurance qualified to the NPFL after picking maximum 9 points at the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 Playoffs, ending 11 years relegation.

The governor who hosted the victorious team at Government House, said the team has lived up to the challenge thrown at them at the unveiling of the re-branded club in 2018.

He charged the team to ensure that they put in their best to win the Premier League.

"I am happy for this new year's present you have given me and the state. Nothing can be better than this. I asked you to do your best and be promoted to NPFL, that you have achieved. For this feat and victory, I will give you N25 million."

"The supporters' club will get N5 million for doing a great job supporting the club all the way to victory," Obaseki said.

The governor promised that in addition to the cash gifts, the team will get a new bus, while the supporters' club will get one as well, noting, "These buses will provide comfort to the club and the supporters whenever they are traveling for matches."

Obaseki, who rejected award giving to him by the Edo State Football Federation, said, as governor, he doesn't receive awards.

"I don't receive reward for now, your award can't be an exception. I will not receive it but will only receive it from you when you win the Nigeria Premier League this season."

Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, who presented the players of the team to the governor, said that they were in Government House to inform the governor that they have fulfilled the mandate he gave them.

"You asked us to go to Aba to conquer and we went there and have achieved that feat by winning our three matches. We have gone around Benin City with the victorious boys and they have been appreciated by the people of the state," Shaibu said.

He urged for support for the team to spur them to win the NPFL, which is the new target given to them by the governor.

The team's coach, Monday Odigie, thanked the governor and his deputy for the great support and encouragement, adding, "We thank Edo State Government, the players, fans and the media for this great feat. We will do our best to win the NPFL."


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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (with the microphone); his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu (right) and Captain of Bendel Insurance Football Club, Charles Omokaro (middle), when the governor received them at Government House, in Benin City, after their qualification to Nigeria's topflight division, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), after 11 years in relegation.

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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki addressing supporters of Bendel Insurance Football Club, when the governor received them at Government House, in Benin City, after their qualification to Nigeria’s topflight division, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), after 11 years in relegation, on Friday, January 11, 2018.

Bendel Insurance: Fans Hail Obaseki, Shaibu For Team’s Return To NPFL, Charge Them On Title

Fans of Bendel Insurance Football Club have hailed Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, for initiating reforms which spurred the club’s resurgence and eventual return to Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), after 11 years.

Bendel Insurance gained promotion to the elite league after an excellent outing with three wins at the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 Playoffs, which held in Aba.

A cross-section of fans of the club, who spoke with journalists, hailed Governor Obaseki’s clear vision for the club which brought about the impressive outings during the NNL season as well as during the playoffs.

Mr. Ovbiosa Charles, said the club’s promotion came as remarkable as it is emotional for anyone who knew the club in its heydays, noting “I sincerely thank the Edo State Government for responding speedily to the cries of our people for the return of Bendel Insurance to the NPFL.”

“This promotion has been long overdue. Bendel Insurance is one of the first set of clubs to play in the Nigerian topflight division in the 1970s. So, I was wondering where we got it all wrong that the club had to be in relegation for 11 years. For spearheading the campaign that returned the team to the professional league, Governor Obaseki and his team have done us proud,” Ovbiosa added.

Another fan, Mr. Barnabas Efosa, hailed Governor Obaseki for his role in returning the club to its past glory, noting that the impressive performance of the team after its rebranding by the governor, showed that the state government really does have good plans for sports development in the state.

He said it would be delightful to watch the team take on opponents in the topflight division at the home ground in Benin City.

“As we await the completion of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, I can’t wait to see Bendel Insurance play on home ground. For allowing the deputy governor to spearhead the rebranding of the team, Governor Obaseki has proven to us that he is a leader who is interested in things that will benefit the people.”

Peter Odion, a sports analysist said the return of Bendel Insurance to the professional football league will put Edo State back on the spotlight in sports and boost the state’s economy, as it will attract more investors, sponsors and development.


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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (with the microphone); his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu (right) and Captain of Bendel Insurance Football Club, Charles Omokaro (middle), when the governor received them at Government House, in Benin City, after their qualification to Nigeria’s topflight division, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), after 11 years in relegation, on Friday, January 11, 2018.

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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (middle); Edo State Commissioner for Health, Hon. Dr. David Osifo (2nd right); Chairperson, Primary Healthcare Advisory Committee, Dr. Julie Erhabor (2nd left); Chairperson, Secondary Healthcare Advisory Committee, Dr. Patrick Okundia (right) and Chairperson, Health Financing Advisory Committee, Dr. Alex Okoh (left), at the inauguration of the Edo Health Improvement Programme (HIP) Advisory Committee, in Government House, Benin City, Edo State.