₦airaland Forum

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Second Anniversary Thanksgiving of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Christian Prayer/Contact Committee, held at Government House in Benin City, on Friday, August 17, 2018

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R-L: Edo State Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor; Representative of Governor Godwin Obaseki and Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Senior Special Assistant to Edo State Governor on Christian Religious Matters, Pastor Eghosa Omoruyi; Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Barr. Emmanuel Usoh; and General Overseer, Covenant Ministry International, Bishop Chukwu Anayo, during the 2nd Anniversary Thanksgiving Service of APC Christian Prayer/ Contact Committee Edo State, at the Government House, Benin City, on Friday, August 17, 2018.

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Obaseki Pays August Salaries Ahead Of Eid-el Kabir Holidays, Attributes Edo’s Progress To People-Centric Governance

The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has ordered the immediate payment of workers’ August salaries ahead of the Eid-el Kabir celebrations next week, noting that the progress being recorded in the state is the result of a people-centric governance model adopted by his administration.

According to Obaseki, the focus of his team is the wellbeing of Edo people and residents and not a few individuals.

The payment of August salary on the 17th day of the month, the governor explained, is the result of the prudent and sound management of the state’s resources, which has prioritised a robust reserve, grown over time, despite the massive investment in infrastructure and other critical sectors of the state.

Recall that in June, the state governor released funds to the local government councils to settle workers’ salaries following the stand-off between the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and the state governments, which resulted in the delay in salary payments in other states of the country.

Obaseki gave the order during the Second Anniversary Thanksgiving of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Christian Prayer/Contact Committee, held at Government House in Benin City, on Friday, August 17, 2018.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie Esq., said: "We cannot be sharing the money for the development of the state and still be able to meet up with our electoral promises to the people. Our focus is on the people, to develop the state and make life better for everyone."

He maintained that his administration has done well by fulfilling some of the promises he made during the electioneering campaign, such as the restoration of law and order, strengthening of critical institutions of government, creation of jobs and provision of infrastructure.

He added that pensioners no longer protest over delayed payment of their entitlements as they are now paid, as and when due, while the civil servants receive their credit alerts, on the 26th of every month.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to quality education with the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme, which is revolutionising teaching and learning in Edo schools.

“We spend $40 on every Edo child in the Edo-BEST programme and our children in the primary schools can now read. Every primary school in the state will be part of the Edo-BEST programme before the end of this administration," he assured, adding that the dream of his administration is to turn the state into the economic hub of the country.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the governor on religious matters and chairman APC Prayer/Contact Committee, Edo State, Pastor Eghosa Omoruyi, said that governor Obaseki is a blessing from God, to Edo people and residents, as he has touched the lives of many people in the state.

“This is just the second year and as a state we have experienced good governance with landmark achievements in critical sectors of the state, and it can only get better," Omoruyi said.

The General Overseer of Covenant Ministry International, Imo State, Bishop Chukwu Anayo, who also participated in the Thanksgiving Service, said the governor has made the state peaceful for people of various religious convictions to worship God.

“Prayer is very helpful, and you can see the impact as the governor has achieved huge developmental strides and the people are benefiting from his leadership style” Bishop Anayo added.

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R-L: Edo State Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor; Representative of Governor Godwin Obaseki and Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Senior Special Assistant to Edo State Governor on Christian Religious Matters, Pastor Eghosa Omoruyi; Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Barr. Emmanuel Usoh; and General Overseer, Covenant Ministry International, Bishop Chukwu Anayo, during the 2nd Anniversary Thanksgiving Service of APC Christian Prayer/ Contact Committee Edo State, at the Government House, Benin City, on Friday, August 17, 2018.

SOURCE: http://thebellng.com/obaseki-pays-august-salaries-ahead-of-eid-el-kabir-holidays/

Obaseki’s Education Reform: Edo Poly Usen Hosts Buratai, Ibas, Others For 2nd Eminent Lecture Series

…seeks solutions to security challenges

In line with the drive of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to revamp state-owned tertiary institutions to world-class solution centres, the Edo State Polytechnic Usen, will feature the Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Auchi, Brig. Gen. Dickson Ehiorobo, for the school’s second Eminent Scholar Lecture Series, to proffer engineering-based solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

A statement signed by the institution’s Registrar, Simire Cyril, said the lecture will hold at the institute’s complex, with the theme: “Security Challenges and the Implications on National Development in Nigeria: Engineering Technology perspective.”

In an interview with journalists, Rector of the institute, Professor Abiodun Falodun, said other military chiefs, who are invited to the lecture series include Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the Chief of Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas.

Professor Falodun said the guest speaker for the second lecture series, Brigadier General Ehiorobo is a renowned expert in the use of engineering technology, and he will be sharing his knowledge and experience in the use of technology to address security challenges.

He explained that the lecture scheduled for September 3, 2018, is part of ongoing effort by the management of the institution to provide practical solutions to problems confronting the society, in line with current global trends.

“The second lecture series will strengthen collaboration with the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Auchi,” Falodun said.

Recall that in May 2018, the Polytechnic played host to Professors Eddy Erhagbe and Christian Oduma in its first Eminent Scholar Lecture Series, on the topics: Right to Education and Work: Panacea for Insecurity in Nigeria; and Polytechnic Education: A gateway for Youth Empowerment, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Economic Development.

Falodun noted that “Governor Godwin Obaseki has thrown his support behind the lecture series and has also shown that he is indeed happy with the lecture series. The second lecture series will deepen our collaboration with the Army School as we have an arrangement for our students to undertake their internship at the School.”

“During their internship, our students will assist the Army School refurbish some of its equipment. The internship will also expose our students to the industry, especially in repair of military equipment. We also have an arrangement for staff exchange between the two schools,” he added.

The Edo State Government has constituted the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) following the approval of the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

A statement issued by the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., on Wednesday, said the appointments are in line with the provisions in Part II of Sections 6 and 7 of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Law, 2015, and subject to the confirmation by the Edo State House of Assembly.

The appointees are:


(i) Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe – Chairman

(ii) Hon. Elizabeth Ighodaro – Member (Edo South)

(iii) Rev. Fr. Anthony Oshiowekhai Ekhaisomi – Member (Edo North)

(iv). Mr. Stevenson Ehime – Member (Edo Central)

The constitution of the board will strengthen the ongoing reform in the education sector embarked upon by the Godwin Obaseki-led administration to ensure quality education that is driven by well trained teachers who would leverage on modern technology in teaching.

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The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the deepening of partnership with the World Bank in agricultural development would usher the state into a new era of prosperity, which will directly impact on the lives of Edo people.

The governor, who said this during a lunch with a team from the World Bank at the Government House in Benin City, noted that the state government has implemented crucial reforms to engender transparency, probity, and accountability in public finance and policy implementation.

The visiting World Bank team consists of its Agricultural Economist, Adetunji Oredipe and Lead Financial Management Specialist, Governance Global Practice, Parminder Brar.

The meeting is coming on the heels of extensive engagements with top hierarchy of the World Bank, which has sent expanded teams to the state in the last couple of months, to assess the progress of development efforts and landmark projects such as the Edo-Azura Power Project, which the Bretton Woods institution is a major partner.

According to the governor, the state government has ensured the implementation of reforms that have made the state attractive to investors and development partners, who have committed to invest in capacity building, technical education, innovation and technology development as well as in attaining the sustainable development goals in the state.

He added that the focus on technical education has attracted investment from the World Bank, in the rehabilitation project, which will see the school offer top-of-the-range education in technical areas, and award globally-respected certificates to the students.

The state government has been pursuing a multipronged agricultural development plan, which led to a recent visit to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

At the meeting with IITA Director General (DG), Nteranya Sanginga, Governor Obaseki reiterated his administration’s vision was to establish a cassava production zone of at least 50,000 hectares where cassava will be produced and processed with the active participation of smallholder farmers and the private sector.

He demanded an actionable plan from IITA, that will guide the state in becoming a hub of agricultural development in the region.

The World Bank team assured the governor of continued support on his developmental projects, noting that the World Bank will support the state’s reforms for the benefit of the people.


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L-R: Chief of Staff to Edo State Governor, Chief Taiwo Akerele; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Lead Financial Management Specialist, Governance Global Practice, Parminder Brar, and Senior Agricultural Economist, World Bank, Adetunji Oredipe, during a lunch with the governor at the Government House, in Benin City.

Our attention has been drawn to publications with headline suggesting that the Obaseki government is hindered by huge inherited debts.

We want to unequivocally state that this report is completely false and none of the media outfits that published it can provide any proof what so ever, either by voice recording or signed statement, to show that Obaseki made this comment.

This is simply because the statement is not true and was never made.

Edo people and all Nigerians are advised to completely disregard and discountenance the report as fake news and a mere fabrication with no basis whatsoever in fact.

The report is the figment of the imagination of the individuals who published it. The publication goes a long way to show how much the noble journalism profession has been invaded by people who do not have any training what so ever to do the job.

The Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki is not hindered by debt obligations.

All our projects are being undertaken as planned and the terms of our facilities from the World Bank and the Federal Government are liberal with repayment period of over twenty (20) years.

As chairman of the Economic Team, under former governor Adams Oshiomhole, Governor Obaseki negotiated most of these concessionary loans from International Development Agencies (IDAs).

Thankfully, we have road and other infrastructure to show for these facilities across the state today.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that ruled the state for close to a decade ran the state aground as Edo infrastructural facilities were in a state of decay as at the time the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led interventionist administration took over power.

Edo roads were called "Lucky Stones", a metaphor for the shoddy road patchwork done by the then PDP administration, using oversize stones. Some roads were 'constructed' on paper, but were not constructed in real life.

The allocated funds were used for frivolous birthday parties at a time thousands of Lower and Upper Sokponba residents were declared as people living in 'Morocco' and others in 'Spain', separated by the impassable and abandoned St Maria Goretti Road Junction.

Today, Teachers' House in Ogida area, the popular Five Junction on Uselu-Lagos Road, and several such areas in the state that were cut off from Benin City are being accessed by road users with great pleasure.

The ongoing efforts at consolidating on these achievements have ushered our people into a new era that is driven by industrialisation, with the coming on stream of the fertiliser plant in Auchi, which will be followed by the Benin Industrial Park, the Benin River Port amongst others.



Crusoe Osagie,

Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to Edo State Governor

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L-R: Music producer, Osabuohien Osaretin, also known as Sarz; beneficiary of EdoJobs, Lucky Idiase; and Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje, at the Open Space for Youth, organised to mark the 2018 International Youth Day, at the Edo Innovation Hub in Benin City, Edo State.

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Cross-section of youths at the Open Space for Youth event organised to mark the 2018 International Youth Day, at the Edo Innovation Hub in Benin City, Edo State.

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Musician, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje, addressing youths during the Open Space for Youth event, organised to mark the 2018 International Youth Day, at the Edo Innovation Hub in Benin City, Edo State.

Edo Youths, Oxfam, Others Brainstorm On Mainstreaming Young People In Development, Innovation

Not less than 500 youths in Edo State converged at the Edo Innovates Hub to engage policymakers and development experts on approaches to mainstreaming young people in development as well as deploying technology in solving social and economic problems.

The event tagged Safe Spaces for Youths, was organised by the State government in partnership with Oxfam, a non-governmental organisation, to mark the 2018 International Youths Day, at the Edo Innovation Hub, in Benin City.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said that the event was packaged to give youths the opportunity to engage policymakers, youth icons and development partners, on their peculiar challenges so that government can serve them better.

According to her, “We have brought illustrious sons and daughters of Edo State, who have created their own ways of doing things. They have gone through the educational system and have come out tops in their careers. We want youths to pick the brains of these icons. The state government wants to hear from the youths, especially the challenges they are facing in their careers and other things they are going through.”

Explaining that the biggest message for youths is that of hope, she said, “Many of them spoke about challenges they are facing. But we have a facility like Edo Innovates, where we have power and internet access and other support structures. This will help them overcome many challenges. Many of the youths are beginning to see that the state government knows what is happening. Some of the facilities they need to function are here. We want the youths to know that there is hope and that the more they speak, government understands and responds better to their needs.”

Project Lead/Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Programme Coordinator, Oxfam, Mr. Michael Adeola, said that the collaboration to organise the event is built on the fact that the state has a progressive approach to youth development.

He said that Edo State was chosen for the event because of the progressive approach of the state government in putting young people on their priority list, adding that youths at the event have engaged with policymakers and decisionmakers expressed the challenges they face.

He said, “The key thing is the outspoken nature of the young people. They are doing great things. There is a lady who is packaging pepper, but expressed challenges with getting National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)'s certification. So, young people are not sitting; they are doing a lot. But they also need policymakers and duty bearers to support them.”

Musician, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje, said that the African continent is 60 to 70 percent young and hence setting the right foundation for young people to thrive in business is important, because that is the only way to grow.

“I think it is a nice initiative to have this young people here as we are celebrating the International Youth Day. I also think that it won’t just be all talk, but that they would be inspired to solve challenges. This will ensure that they do more with what they get from the system,” she said.

Aigbovo Victor, a Tony Elumelu Foundation awardee, hailed the governor’s strides with EdoJobs, and how he is opening up space for youths to express themselves and contribute to development.

“The youths are empowered with the right ideas. Tony Elumelu gave youths like us from Edo State the opportunity to start our own businesses by giving us grants, and we also want the youths to know that what the governor is doing here is great. The facilities and trainings here will give youths the opportunity to start their own businesses.”

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L-R: Head of EdoJobs and Senior Special Assistant to Edo State Governor on Skills Development and Job Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare; musician, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje; music producer, Osabuohien Osaretin, also known as Sarz, during the Open Space for Youth event, organised to mark the 2018 International Youth Day, at the Edo Innovation Hub in Benin City, Edo State.

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The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured youths in the state of policies that tap from their energies to create wealth and advance society.

The governor said this when he met with young Edo Icons in Abuja, as part of activities lined up for the celebration of the International Youth Day in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

He said that the state government is keen on building structures to support innovations by young people, noting that the Edo Innovates Hub would unleash the energies of youths in the state to proffer solutions to social and economic challenges in the state with the use of technology.

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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (2nd right), with young icons from Edo State and other participants in the #SafeSpacesForYouths empowerment programme organised by the Edo State Government, during a session with the governor in Abuja. The meeting with the governor was a prelude to the series of events lined up to celebrate the International Youths Day in Benin City, at the Edo Innovation Hub, holding on Friday, August 10, 2018. Participants include the Mandela Washington Fellows, Tony Elumelu Foundation and Oxfam, amongst others.

- By Crusoe Osagie

Again the Publicity Secretary of Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Nehikhare, has hit the panic button in the face of ongoing developments in the nation's polity.

While we are unperturbed by his armchair and imaginary permutations, we wish to make less his worries by restating that a government that is committed to the wellbeing of her people like the Governor Godwin Obaseki's administration, has nothing to worry about.

In his shameless mischief, Nehikhare can hardly organise his thoughts to even make his lies believable.
In one breath, he says the "high handedness of Governor Godwin Obaseki" is pushing people out of the party, and in the same thought line, he portrayed the governor as 'too weak and handicapped to refuse demands...."

Can a high handed man be too weak? It is a case of classical oxymoron for a high "handed man" to also be "too weak" at the same time. Clear headed people do not reason this way.

Nehikhare, we learnt has been struggling with his bills in recent times, due to dwindling patronage from states controlled by the PDP and he is desperate to cash in on the ongoing political developments in the country and raise his value in the publicity market place through lies and falsehood, poor reasoning and contradictions.

Edo people are at home with their governor because they have seen proof of a thorough bred manager of resources who has put an end to the protest by pensioners at Ring Road.

Civil servants get their pay regularly, Market women and bus drivers operate in saner environments now and the youths are being employed through the various programmes of EdoJobs. Primary school teachers are having the fun of a lifetime as they are being migrated on to the digital ecosystem by being trained to teach with handheld technological devices.

The Obaseki administration has no reason what so ever to be swayed by some panic reactions from an unstable critic. Not when our eyes are on the good and wellbeing of the largest number of Edo people and residents.

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

- By Crusoe Osagie

In what clearly is a deliberate plot to instil fear in Edo people and residents, some faceless people who do not mean well for the state, have been circulating hate communication materials designed to fuel ethnic disaffection and promote violence in Edo State.

This outright falsehood is subtly presented to look like a true warning against an impending doomsday, but lies are what they are. No matter how well worked to appeal to certain morbid sentiment, they can never take the place of truth.

We have advised in the past and it is worth reiterating that the issue of national security and allied matters are not for charlatans.

While it is important to be vigilant and pay more than the usual attention to developments around us, more so, in the light of the activities of terrorists in some parts of the country, it is dangerous to disseminate falsehood and present an unsubstantiated and unrealistic scenario of people of a certain tribe ‘versus the rest of us.’

We urge Edo people and residents as well as friends of our dear state to ignore and discountenance all such fear murmuring and mongering as Edo is arguably the safest state in the south-south region and is going to be so for a long time to come.

Crime according to sociologists has no singular ethnic identity. We have lived peacefully with our Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulani brothers and sisters as well as people of other ethnic groups, for decades, who have been doing business with us, some as hewers of wood, petty traders, dealers in gold Jewellery, cobblers to mention a few.

We will not be swayed by the feeble attempt by failed politicians, who are hell-bent on inverting this age-old narrative of peaceful coexistence, with fear murmuring and mongering, conjecture and conspiracy theory.

The Nigerian Constitution 1999, which is the nation’s ground norm, provides in Chapter 4, Section 41, (1) that “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom.”

What the fear mongers have prescribed, runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and is clearly a recipe for disaster.

The Edo State Governor is in constant touch with the various security agencies in the state and has also deployed some traditional intelligence gathering mechanism and the feedbacks by no means support the vile fabrications which these faceless individuals are propagating.

The summary designation of people of any particular tribe as killers is erroneous, racist and could pass for a case of extreme ethnic profiling, as crimes are not the exclusive preserve of a singular ethnic groups.

All tribes have a mix of people with varied religious convictions, vocations, professions, good and bad people and their share of criminals.

There are Igbo people in virtually all parts of the world, same as people of other ethnic groups. There are bad and good Igbo, Edo and Fulani people. The constitution promotes interaction among the several ethnic groups in Nigeria to move freely across the country for social and economic interactions, and this we must uphold.

The few criminals amongst us all must be called what they are. We must not fuel the crisis by labelling anybody a killer and murderer when he has not been found guilty of such charge.

We will not be held hostage by ethnic politics at a time over 40 African countries have signed to be part of the African Free Trade Area to open up the African continent to a common market, where all the countries in Africa will showcase their resources and trade with each other, on their own terms.

We implore all residents in the state to be calm and unmoved by these lies being propagated by dispensers of phantom doom.

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

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