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Tag: Adams Oshiomhole

  • Edo House: Court to rule on jurisdiction

    Edo House: Court to rule on jurisdiction

    Lagos High Court, Igbosere, will on April 15 decide whether it has jurisdiction to hear a suit, which seeks to stop the Edo State government from selling the Edo House in Lagos.

    An estate agent, Albert Elaiho, approached the court to stop Governor Adams Oshiomhole from selling the property at 1225, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island.

    Last year, Oshiomhole announced plans to sell the building and use the proceeds to build a five-star hotel and shopping plaza in Benin City.

    Elaiho, through his lawyer, Segun Oladimeji, urged the court to stop the government from carrying out the sale.

    Joined as defendants with the governor (first defendant) are Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice (second defendant) as well as an estate agent, Segun Asaju (third defendant).

    Justice Samuel Candide-Johnson restrained the government and its agents from the planned sale, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by Elaiho.

    But at the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to Edo State Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) argued that the court lacks jurisdiction to interpret Edo State Procurement Law ( 2012).

    He added that the claimant has no right or interest over the said property.

    Ajogwu urged the court to strike out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

  • Edo gives N10m to rainstorm victims

    Edo gives N10m to rainstorm victims

    EDO State government has donated N10 million and 200 bundles of roofing sheets to rainstorm victims in Ozalla in Owan West Local Government Area.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole announced the donation yesterday in the community.

    During his visit to the Onotare of Ozalla, Albert Aieloshan, the governor said: “The disaster that occurred here was an act of God but we thank God that no life was lost.

    “Buildings can be destroyed, it can be rebuilt, I have seen some of the buildings and they were badly affected.

    “I saw an elderly woman, whose roof was blown off by the rainstorm and she is now homeless. I have seen several other buildings.

    “I would have sent relief material earlier but I insisted to see the devastation, so that is why I have come.”

     

    He praised the council chairman and his management for their support.

    Oshiomhole said a committee would be set up to identify those affected and determine how to share the N10 million donation, adding that government may review the donation.

     

  • NLC shelves proposed strike

    NLC shelves proposed strike

    Organised labour in Edo State has suspended its planned indefinite strike scheduled to begin yesterday.

    The decision to suspend the strike was contained in a communique issued after an enlarged state executive council session on Monday.

    NLC threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the government refused to pay the arrears of 10.5 per cent Teachers Salary Allowance (TSA), release of backlog of promotions, recall the 920 teachers whose salaries were stopped in December, among others.

    The State Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Emmanuel Ademokun, had said there was no going back on the strike until all their demands were met.

    The communique noted that the government has made an offer to meet the request of organised labour in relation to the 53.37 per cent salary relativity in question.

    Ademokun said Governor Adams Oshiomhole wrote an apology letter to the unions on the alleged manhandling of some labour leaders by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Lawrence Loye, last year.

    He said the government agreed to pay a part of the salary relativity and added that the unions were waiting on the directive of the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on the next line of action based on the assessment test and on the sacked 920 teachers.

    The NLC chairman said they would support whatever action the planned to take.

     

  • PDP lawmaker defects to APC

    PDP lawmaker defects to APC

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker in the Edo State House of Assembly has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    With this, the PDP now has four members in the Assembly.

    Victor Edoror ,who represents Esan Central Constituency, expressed reservations about how the PDP treated him when he was abducted last year.

    The lawmaker said his defection was based on the developmental strides of the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration.

    In a letter addressed to the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, Edoror said no member of his former party called to inqire about his welfare and find out what transpired when he was kidnapped.

    The letter titled: “Notice of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)” reads: “I write to formally notify you of my decision to defect from the PDP to APC.

    “Mr. Speaker sir, and my most respected colleagues, I have ceased to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and I am now a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC),” he said.

     

  • Oshiomhole faults INEC timetable

    Oshiomhole faults INEC timetable

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has faulted the 2015 timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The governor said the poll schedule left much loopholes for rigging.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Asaba, Delta State, after a stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oshiomhole said: “Nigerians cannot afford to continue to be a laughing stock, even by West African standard.”

    The governor said there were fears that elections would be rigged and the people were worried.

    According to him, INEC must recognise that matches were determined by the conduct of the referee and not the attitude of the players.

    Oshiomhole said: “I don’t understand why INEC wants to climb the tree from the top; they do recognise they have explanations to make. Common sense demands that you climb a tree from the bottom for good reason.

    “In any case, we have been in this democracy for 15 years since 1999. What makes Nigeria is the collection of the federating sates.

    “When you want to do Presidential election first, and you are deviating from an old pattern, you have some explanations to do.

    “But it is more so when under the leadership of this INEC, National Assembly election was first done the last time and people complained that the House of Assembly should have been first.

    “If you know you still have to do some test- running, you rather try some test-running with smaller units because the governorship election will not be taking place in the 36 states. The election into the Houses of Assembly can’t be as problematic as the Presidential election.

    “INEC has to convince us that its policies have been formed by strategy they can speak to, that they need to speak to it by the commitment to deliver on free and fair election.

    He said “the noise that has heated up the polity points to the fact that the political class still take the people for granted’’.

    While urging the leadership of INEC to take another look at the the timetable, Governor Oshiomhole stressed that conducting the election from House of Assembly to governorship and National Assembly before the Presidential would pay off.

    Oshiomhole hailed the Delta State leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its determination to develop the party.

    He said: “When you have a party that is not organised around godfathers, where you recognise that the party is about the people, free people must engage in free contests because party and democracy are a contest of ideas and not monologue but dialogue.”

    The governor stressed that the All Progressive Congress (APC) is different from other parties based on the principle of popular participation, inclusiveness rather than exclusion.

    He advised the residents to register in the APC membership registration exercise today.

  • Group to Jonathan: ‘Confirm Edo NDDC commissioner’

    Group to Jonathan: ‘Confirm Edo NDDC commissioner’

    A socio-political group, the Edo/Delta Movement for Equity and Progress has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to confirm the nominee of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Henry Okhuarobo, to the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Edo State is yet to get a representative into the NDDC board months after the new board was inaugurated.

    The group said they approved the nomination of Okhuarobo because of his performances within two years at the NDDC board and the fact that the president confirmed the Delta State Governor nominee, Mr. Tuoyo Omatsuli.

    This was contained in a communiqué.

     

  • Oshiomhole sacks commissioner

    Oshiomhole sacks commissioner

    IT was time for Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Lady Omorede Osifo to go home yesterda. She has been sacked.

    Her sack, according to government sources was as a result of the youth summit organised by the state government last weekend.

    The source said Ms Omorede was not happy that she was informed about the event through a text message on her mobile phone.

    It was also learnt that Governor Adams Oshiomhole was angry that Ms Omorede arrived at the summit in a tracksuit after the opening ceremony and walked away before the event ended.

    Sources said the governor was peeved by the poor lightning at the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia stadium where a musical concert was held for the youths.

    Commissioner for Information and Orientation Mr. Louis Odion said Omorede removal was a normal administrative process.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria said the governor wished the sacked official well and appointed Chris Okaeben to oversee the affairs of the ministry pending the approval of the state House of Assembly.

     

  • Oshiomhole will have my vote for presidency, says Fashola

    Oshiomhole will have my vote for presidency, says Fashola

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State can bank on the support of his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, should he decide to have a shot at the presidency in 2015.

    The support stems from what Fashola described as Oshomhole’s infrastructural transformation of Edo State.

    Speaking yesterday at the 2014 Edo Youth summit in Benin City, the Lagos State governor said the state in which he had his university education and served the nation as a youth corps members has never had it so good.

    He said:”I spent five memorable years in Edo State and I can tell the difference now. From Airport road to Ring Road, Akpakpava and several roads I used to know have been transformed. He is the kind of leader we need in this country. If Oshiomhole wants to contest for presidency, I will give my vote to him.”

    Fashola asked Edo youths to believe in the ‘Nigeria Dream’ the same way Americans believe in the American dream.

    Governor Fashola recalled how he left a N600 job in Benin City for a N1050 job in Lagos State, saying his success story was made possible by the country.

    He told the youths to define their individual dreams according to their choice but reminded them that “there will never be an end to problems.”

    Fashola who queried Nigeria’s centenary celebration by the federal government said he was confused about whether Nigeria is 54 or 100 years.

    Another speaker, Mr. Festus Keyamo, asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to apologise to Nigerians for foisting a weak leadership in President Jonathan on the country instead of writing letters to the President.

    Keyamo said it was time the youths should take up leadership positions in the state and in the country and advised Governor Oshiomhole to begin to find a successor that can deliver on campaign promises as against a successor he (Oshiomhole) will control. Former President of Trade Union Congress, Peter Esele, warned youths against choosing leaders based on ethnic sentiments.

    “Improve on your capabilities. If you feel the country has given up on you, don’t give up hope on yourself. This country is a paradise,” he said.

    Motivational speaker, Toyosi Akerele, said the country needs to start leadership and mentoring programmes to look for next generation of leaders.

    Akerele advised the youths to develop skills and vocational education and called for revolution or vocational centres as well as demand accountability from elected leaders.

     

  • APC’s presidential permutations

    APC’s presidential permutations

    THE euphoria that greeted APC’s dramatic arrival on the Nigerian political scene and the extended honeymoon it enjoyed after its polygamous marriage have both come to a crushing end. Two reasons account for this. First, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party famous for its ad hoc form of governance and gluttonous craving for self-inflicted punishment, has embarked on a campaign of unrelenting calumny against the opposition party. Second, a few newspapers have started to adorn their front pages with sensational stories of the opposition party’s presidential permutations, after exhausting itself regaling the public with staid and routine party stories. For today, let us ignore the calumniating of the APC, lest this column be dismissed as a self-appointed advocate of the APC.

    Judging from the media hysteria over the APC’s permutations, especially the frenetic pace with which the party is reported to be juggling its very many presidential ticket options, it is unlikely the party itself would recognise its leaders were engaged in such fancy footwork. One day, say the newspapers, the party proposes to give the presidential ticket, sans primaries, to General Buhari, and the running mate ticket to Asiwaju Tinubu. Barely two days later, and totally ignoring what they reported earlier, the papers announce that the ticket is believed to be safe in the hands of Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and either Edo’s Adams Oshiomhole or Rivers’ Rotimi Amaechi as running mate.

    Not so, say other papers. Quoting ‘reliable’ APC sources, the papers suggest that the tickets have been shared to House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, and either Lagos governor, Fashola, or Amaechi. Former Kano governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, and former FCT minister, Nasir el-Rufai, are fall-back options, the papers announce satisfyingly. If they don’t run out of ‘credible sources,’ the papers will soon begin to name the dark horses they speculate the party may be considering. Yes, of course, no political reporting is complete in an election year without dark and crimson horses.

    Overall, going by newspaper reports, the APC is spoilt for choice. This contrasts with the dearth of aspirants in the PDP; for many hopefuls in that ageing and recriminative party have been smothered by the gargantuan ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and his hawkish aides. If in doubt, ask the vacillating Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido. What seems to be happening, given the avalanche of newspaper reports, is nothing more than the ordinary speculations of analysts within the APC, passed on with poignant dubiety to careless ears.

    The PDP is luckier. If not Jonathan, the question is who else, for it is clear that Jonathan hopes to run, but failing that will probably determine who will succeed him. For the APC, no top leader (or credible source) will speculate carelessly about whom the party will give the ticket to. The reason is simple: the party is super anxious to win the presidency, and its potential candidates are either too strong to be ignored or two powerful to be denied the ticket without repercussions to the party’s fortunes. It is, therefore, unlikely the party leaders have actively considered who will take the ticket either democratically or through the backdoor, let alone officially permit the news to filter out to the newspapers.

  • Gunmen kill ex-Edo director of pensions

    A former Director of Pensions in Edo State, Mr. Friday Ewansigha, has been killed by gunmen suspected to be hired assassins.

    He was shot in his home at Evbuotubu in Egor Local Government.

    The deceased, 56, was the director responsible for conveying executive council (exco) meetings.

    He was said to have been shot on December 13, but died two weeks later at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

    Family sources said the late Ewansigha was shot when finding out why his geanerator suddenly went off.

    The source said the killers disconnected the generator to force the victim to come out of his home.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole and exco members held a minute’s silence for the deceased during yesterday’s meeting.

    The governor, who described the slain director as a dedicated worker, vowed that the assassins would be arrested.

    Said he: “The late director was a dedicated man. He was dedicated to his duties. We will miss him.

    “The police are investigating the incident. We will do our best to get the killers and bring them to justice.”

    Police spokesman Moses Eguavoen pleaded for time to allow him confirm the “incident from the DPO of Evbotubu Police Station.”