The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adams Oshiomhole

  • Edo executions did not follow due process – Lawyers

    Edo executions did not follow due process – Lawyers

    Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASFF) otherwise known as lawyers without borders has condemned Monday’s execution of four death row inmates in Edo

    State.

    ASFF argued that the execution did not follow due process as the inmates were not allowed to fully exhaust all legal options available to them.

    According to a statement issued by the group, the executions were carried out despite the application for stay of execution by a human rights

    organisation.

    It stated that the executed inmates still had rights to appeal the decision of the Federal High Court.

    It said, “Recall that in October 2012, the execution warrants of the just executed inmates were signed but a legal suit was filed by the Legal

    Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) an NGO to stop the execution.

    Although the judgment delivered Monday in this case was not in favour of the inmates, an appeal was promptly filed against this decision.

    Unfortunately the appeal was not respected and the executions were carried out in total disregard of the processes filed before the court. ASF France

    has been rightly informed that the Attorney General of Edo State and the Nigerian prisons were duly served with the court processes comprising of

    the notice of appeal and motion for stay of execution.

    “The move by the federal government to resume execution of over 700 inmates on death row in Nigeria is contrary to commitments made by the

    Nigerian government at international level and is a huge dent on the human rights record of Nigeria. In November 2008, the African Commission

    on Human and Peoples’ Rights at its 44th Ordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria, adopted a resolution calling on state parties to the African

    Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to observe a moratorium on the death penalty.”

    It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had on Fathers’ Day celebration on June 16 in Abuja directed governors to exercise their

    constitutional responsibility by the signing death warrants for condemned prisoners.

  • NGF poll crisis: Oshiomhole urges Labour to step in

    NGF poll crisis: Oshiomhole urges Labour to step in

    The ripples of the disputed Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) election continued yesterday at the ninth Triennial Delegates Conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Abuja.

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), held the delegates spell-bound on what transpired at the NGF election.

    He spoke of his shock at the attitude of some of his colleagues who are disputing the result of an election of only 35 electors.

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi won the election, but Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, who lost by 16 votes to 19, with the backing of the Presidency, is claiming victory.

    Oshiomhole urged Labour leaders to speak out on the matter, saying they should advise Jang to stop parading himself as the NGF chair.

    Oshiomhole said: “When the facts are so clear, Comrade President of TUC, you can’t be quiet. You must take a position, if you believe from all that you have heard and seen. If you believe that Jang won, say so. And if you know that he did not, tell him to stop Janging.”

    “Thirty five people went into a poll and, then they were saying ‘let us make this open, the world is watching us. And then they were talking. One by one, they were sermonising; very seasoned pentecostal pastors.

    “They said we must do open ballot and I said how can we do open ballot when you were already fighting before the ballot. Let’s do secret ballots. I said secret ballot has been domesticated worldwide and I said we are products of secret ballots, why are we afraid to do secret ballot. I said one man, one vote.

    “And 35 men voted and my twin brother from Delta State (Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan) became the chief agent of the two candidates. He went to stand by the Director-General of the NGF, Dr. Asissana Okauru, who was unanimously appointed one month earlier as the returning officer.

    They counted 35 ballot papers. They had 36, but one person was absent. So, one by one in the open, open-secret ballot, we voted. The papers were with two names; pick the one you want.

    “And they counted these votes and they were 35 representing the 35 people that were present. And when they were counting ‘Jang! Jang!!, the Niger Governor (Babangida Aliyu) said ‘Jang in early lead’. I said early lead indeed. After that they said Amaechi! Ameachi!! , Amaechi!!’

    “And in the end, the votes were counted and Jang janged in 16 votes and Ameachi mashalled in 19 votes. The winner emerged and the same people started saying ‘no! no!!; we are going to walk out’. I said ‘how can you walk out? Even in madness, there are levels of madness’. “

    Outgoing TUC President General Peter Esele said he was yet to recover from the shock of the NGF election. He added that the crisis surrounded the election was needless and unneccessary.

    Esele urged the government to diversify the economy if the realisation of its Vision 20:20:20 agenda must be taken seriously.

    He said: “The oil and gas sector still remains the determinant of our economic growth. Regrettably, this has created an unhealthy situation as other sectors have been neglected. A country with this mindset cannot fulfill the Vision 20:20:20 agenda. The only way out is to diversify the economy urgently if we must take our rightful place in the comity of nations.

    “We strongly condemn the unwarranted importation of petroleum products, which, no doubt, has led to loss of foreign exchange. It does not make sense if we continue to create jobs in other countries while our youths constitute nuisance here in our country out of frustration.”

    Esele said the TUC believes in the PIB, if passed exactly the way TUC saw it.

  • Edo bans Okada, to demolish kidnappers den

    Edo State Government has  banned the use of commercial motorcycles, popularly called Okada in three Local Government Areas of the state with effect from next Monday.

    Some houses used by kidnappers as hideout has also been identifies and would be  demolished  in the next few days.

    The State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who disclosed this on Tuesday shortly after the state Security Council meeting in Benin City, said the affected local Government Areas are Ikpoba Okha, Oredo and Egor which constitute the Benin Metropolis.

    He said it was now increasingly evident that Edo state is gradually becoming a safe haven for all manners of bike riders.

    Oshiomhole said, “In fact there are confirmed Okada riders who have been involved in kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes including robbery. We have tried as a government over the years to take steps to counsel Okada riders to observe certain codes, to watch out and ensure that criminals do not infiltrate their ranks and hide under commercial vehicles to perpetrate crime. It is clear to me now that we have not been particularly successful. More and more Okada riders have been found to be involved in various acts of violent crimes.

    “Also, because of the influx of bike riders, arising from the decision of some of our neighbouring states where bike riders have been prohibited, Edo State has become a safe haven for all manners of bike riders and because they do not get enough commercial patronage, some bike riders have to resort to crime in other to sustain a living while posing to be bike riders,” he noted.

    Oshiomhole declared, “I am convinced that we cannot continue to allow this situation to continue. While I am very concerned about the fact of the level of unemployment in the country, and in Edo state we have our own fair share of unemployment, I am convinced that the long term interest of job creation requires that you attract investors and investment to the state. It is a settled issue that investors will not be in a hurry to go to any state that the level of crime has risen beyond acceptable level.

    “Therefore,  everything considered, we have resolved as a government,  effective from Monday next week, bike riders will not be allowed to operate in any part of Oredo, Ikpoba Okha and Egor Local Government Areas. These three local governments constitute the heart of Benin City. The law enforcement agencies have been informed accordingly and directed to strictly enforce this law,” he noted.

    The governor stated that for now the other fifteen local government areas in the state will not be affected by this law, adding that “should situation deteriorate in those areas, we will meet as a government and review the situation and take the necessary next step.

    Comrade Oshiomhole said that more than eighty percent of accident victims in the hospital are bike riders, noting that “we cannot continue like this. I therefore reached the painful conclusion that it is time to do something and we cannot postpone it further.”

    “I am not in doubt that there are many Okada riders who are not criminals and they have no criminal intentions. I am also convinced that there are many Okada riders who are into legitimate business, unfortunately there isn’t any mechanism for us to distinguish criminals who are also bike operators and decent citizens who are doing their very best to cope with the rigours of life, this is just one sacrifice we all have to make to make our state safer,” he added.

    The Governor therefore appealed to the Okada riders to appreciate the government’s efforts and advised them to abide by the law strictly because a violation will be severely dealt with.

    The Governor disclosed that the security meeting also resolved that all residents in the state, whether they are landlords or tenants should ensure that those they employ as private security guards or maids in their homes have been properly scrutinized and certified that they have the right to reside in Nigeria.

    “That is to say that it is the responsibility of every landlord or tenants to ensure that those they employ or hire as gatemen or security have got proper security scrutiny. The security chiefs have been directed to conduct random checks on security guards in various areas to establish their legal status whether they are Nigerians and if they are not Nigerians whether they have the right to reside in the state, and or have the right to engage in employment,” the governor added.

    While reiterating government’s resolve to demolish buildings used by kidnappers, Comrade Oshiomhole said some of such buildings have been identified and action will be taken on then in soon. He however announced that government will appropriately reward anybody who is able to provide useful information to any arm of the security agencies on criminal elements in the society.

     

  • Edo to probe UNIBEN student’s killing

    Edo to probe UNIBEN student’s killing

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole has promised to set-up a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the killing of a 500-level student of the University of Benin, Ibrahim Momodu, by policemen.

    Ibrahim, who was in the department of Laboratory Science at the university, was allegedly shot by a team of policemen led by the DPO of Ogida Division, Mrs. Carol Afegbua.

    Oshiomhole said the state government would do everything possible to unravel the circumstances leading to the killing of Ibrahim.

    He spoke when members of civil society groups, students, family members and the family legal team took a protest letter to his office on Tuesday.

    The governor said the corpse of Ibrahim would be exhumed for examination to determine the possible cause of death.

    He condoled with the family of the deceased, assuring that the state government would not allow any unlawful killings in the state.

    Lawyer to the family, Jefferson Uwoghiren, in the letter said Ibrahim was hurriedly buried by the police “to obscure evidence of the illegal killing.”

    The letter reads in parts, “Arising thereof, we demand an urgent exhumation of the body for a proper inquest to determine manner and cause of death.”

    “We demand the immediate suspension and arrest of Mrs. Carol Afegbua, the DPO of Ogida Police Station who carried out the killing.”

     

  • QUOTE OF THE DAY

    QUOTE OF THE DAY

    QUOTE OF THE DAY

    For every one person I have offended, there are 10 others that are happy. Workers should be interested in the overall security of the people and the state. I hate lazy people. I have deep seated hatred for loafers. Should we promote people who are sleeping? We are wage earners and not wage takers. I am not a cheap politicians, I want to be a leader. Those who work, we will promote them, those who do not work will be sacked.

    Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole at May Day celebration in Benin

  • My life is a life of miracles- Oshiomhole

    My life is a life of miracles- Oshiomhole

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State who turned 60 Thursday has promised to re-dedicate himself to the service of God and humanity.

     Oshiomhole spoke at a thanksgiving mass held at the Government House Chapel to mark his birthday celebration.
    The Governor disclosed that he wanted a quite celebration with members of his family but his children and friends insisted that his 60th birthday celebration must be elaborate.
    Governor Oshiomhole recalled how he was touched when his ten year old son then told him that the only thing he would do to make the children happy was to accompany them to church regularly.
    He said he was fortunate to have had a wife that encouraged him to be baptised and whose spiritual influence had great impact on his children.
    Oshiomhole recounted his early struggles through life and how he slept at the police station for three days when he first went to Kaduna because he had no place to stay.
    His words, “My life is a life of miracles. One of those that was to testify at the tribunal but was not called wanted to say how the villagers association supported by secondary education but he lied when he said I didn’t finish school.”
    “When I went to Kaduna, I ended up sleeping at the police station for the first three nights because I didn’t have anywhere to stay.”
    “My struggles through the NLC to becoming the governor and for Edo people to unite around me to build a very powerful political forces was an act of God.”
    “Whatever we are is that which have been decreed by God. You might be working and no one will seem to notice it.”
    Oshiomhole called for more prayers for him to overcome his weakness and not to do things that would benefit a few at the expense of the majority.
    Reverend Father Andrew Obinyan in his homily described Oshiomhole as a man of good works and creativity.
    The thanksgiving mass was attended by the Deputy Governor, Pius Odubu, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe, Chief Tom Ikimi, his children and political associates.

     

  • Obasanjo rues failure of indigenization policy

    Obasanjo rues failure of indigenization policy

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday regretted that the indigenization policy he introduced as a military head of state did not succeed as planned.

    Obasanjo said he believed then that there was no way to manage Nigeria’s economy except by indigenization.

    The former president spoke in Benin City during a courtesy visit to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

    He said, “One time you were living the life of a radical but now I have seen that you are now living the life of realism. But we all do that, because when I was head of state and I believed that there was no way to manage the Nigeria economy except by indigenization.

    “And we have to work for indigenization, and the truth is that indigenization did not succeed as we wanted it to succeed. So when I had the opportunity and God gave me the second chance I learnt from my past and I became an apostle of genuine private sector led economic drive.

    “And I do hope that the governor is learning the lesson I have learnt in the past. I can see the signs that the state which was ruined down before is now being run up. I commended the governor for that,” he said.

    In a chat with journalists, Obasanjo said he has nothing to say on corruption and insecurity because he had been insulted severally over his previous comments.

    He said, “I have flogged the issue of corruption internally and externally. I flogged it every day and some people go along with me because they agreed that it is a problem that we have to face squarely while some persons also accused me. Some people do all sort of things.”

    “The point is that when you have a problem and you attempt to cover it you are not solving the problem if anything you are complicating it.

    “On the issue of security I have talked about it. I have been called names and I have gone out on fact- finding missions and I have found out what is there and what is not there. I have talked and reported and I have nothing more to say,” he added.

     

  • Time to go back to production

    Time to go back to production

    Once, an interviewer asked me a mischievous question. He wanted to know if engagement in partisan politics today would not made me modify – if not disavow – the cardinal beliefs I held as a labour activist. For a while, I reflected and soon replied, ‘Not in all cases’. For instance, I would say that my experience in public office in the past five years has rather deepened my conviction that production is the sole guarantor of national wealth. We cannot grow economically as a nation if all we do is engage in rent-seeking and speculation.

    I share President Jonathan Goodluck’s optimism that 2013 will be better for us as a nation as the massive investments of his administration in key sectors like power generation and Agriculture begin to bear fruits. No doubt, with more stable power, minimum condition would have been created for the nation’s industrial take-off. No true industrial nation depends on power generators.

    As leaders at our own individual level, part of our duty is to inspire the people to action. But the truth is that words will remain empty if we fail to match them with action. Let us begin by connecting the dots. I believe the time has come to do away with an economic template which tends to profit importation against local production. As philosopher Kahil Gilbran puts it, pity a nation which flaunts a fabric she does not make or is addicted to a staple food she does not grow.

    Let me tell you a small story. Given that I started my working life in the textile industry way back in the 70s in Kaduna , I have over the years formed this habit of buying and giving out yards of locally-made fabric to family, friends and neighbours during the yuletide season every year as a gesture of goodwill.

    But this last yuletide season, I made a disturbing discovery. What was supplied to me as ‘locally-produced fabrics’ from the local market actually had made-in-Ghana inscription on them! Well, I’m not about to suggest that the big textiles mills of Kaduna , Aba and Lagos just closed down because of harsh operating environment. Of course, it is now public knowledge how the big textile companies, employers of tens of thousands of Nigerians, shut down one after the other.

    Rather, for me, the ‘made-in-Ghana’ logo is only a sad confirmation that some of the textile industries which shut down in Nigeria have relocated to Ghana . Of course, the bigger tragedy is that they still target the Nigerian market!

    But the good news is that all hope is not yet lost. I believe we can reclaim the territories we have lost if we begin to do the right thing. In the new year, I believe the challenge we face as a nation is how to create a conducive environment for the real sector like the afore-mentioned big textile industries to roar back to full production. We must develop the political will to resist the pressure to surrender our country to interest bent on turning it into a dumping ground for foreign goods. One of the ways this happens is the indiscriminate granting of duty waivers.

    For instance, not too long ago, the airwaves were filled with the cheering news that the nation was at the threshold to self-sufficiency in cement production with the ramping up of production capacities by the local investors. But the next thing we heard is that some people got waivers to flood the country with imported cement. Now, the question is: which economy are we thus helping – Nigeria or foreign? The consequence is predictable: non-patronage of the local goods means the manufacturers can’t remain in business, leading to job losses.

    To halt this drift, I believe we need to creatively formulate policies to defend our local industries. Indiscriminate granting of waivers will only kill our economy. There is need to bring coherence to our fiscal policies.

    For us in Edo , we have taken many tough decisions to prepare our environment to meet opportunities. From the outset, we resolved to cut down on waste in government. For instance, the system we inherited devoted more than eighty percent to recurrent expenditure, leaving only twenty percent for capital. We have re-ordered the priorities such that the lion’s share of public expenditure now goes to capital project in Edo . The result is the modest achievements we have recorded in infrastructural transformation in public schools, roads etc.

    Deploying ICT, we have also created a one-stop information centre for investors who come to Edo today. We have deliberately created a bouquet of incentives for them. Many in the agro-allied sector are already taking advantage of this. For instance, anyone with genuine business proposal who come to Edo today not only has free access to land and will have most of the statutory charges waived for him/her, but also enjoy network of world-class roads connecting the rural and urban Edo to drive economic activities. These are decisions we consciously made as a government. Though we remain convinced that the social purpose of government is to create jobs, we believe the commanding height of the economy is better handled by the private sector. In a liberal environment, the private sector is better positioned and equipped to create more jobs than the government.

    A corollary to the foregoing is the question of security. Even though the 1999 Constitution puts the police exclusively under federal control, states today substantially bear the burden of funding. Yet all the thirty-six states put together control less than half of the resources at the disposal of Federal Government. I believe if the Federal Government provides more funding, police would be able to rise up to the contemporary security challenge. There is a popular saying that the currency of foreign investment is cowardly; it flees at the slightest hint of trouble. So, to attract and retain foreign investment, we need to keep our streets and highways more secure.

    If we do the right thing, we can make this Nigeria ’s golden decade.

  • Oshiomhole retires permsec, seals off museum

    Edo State governor, Aams Oshiomhole  has approved the immediate retirement of the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities, Mr. H. A. Ikhelowa for alleged dereliction of duty.

    The Governor also  ordered the immediate sealing of the Museum in the state capital and arrest of the Manager over illegal operation and non-maintenance of the ground.

    The  approval for the retirement of the Permanent Secretary is contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.

    According to the letter dated January 4, “the Governor also approved the immediate suspension of Mr. Nicholas Osemwengie, Acting General Manager, Edo State Waste Management Board and the Director-in-charge of Street Lights in the Edo State Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities, Engineer Ejemai Martins.”

    According to the letter, “their cases have been referred to the Edo State Civil Service Commission for further action.”

    The Government’s action is not unconnected with an inspection of the Governor round Benin City, the state capital, Friday where he saw heaps of refuse in parts of the city and people displaying wares on the walkways and roads.

    During his inspection of the Museum ground, the Governor expressed dissatisfaction with the heaps of refuse left by fun-seekers at the place.

    He said the manager of the Museum sublet the place for business without the government’s authority. Oshiomhole also ordered the arrest of a woman found cooking on a sensitive equipment connected to the water fountain at the Musuem.

    During his inspection of the Oba Market road, Governor Oshiomhole ordered the instant seizure of wares displayed on the walkways and the road by traders and directed the immediate evacuation of dirt which littered the road.

    Speaking with reporters, the Governor said: “we are back to work in the New Year and I am happy that the contractor are back to work. Most of them will return fully to work after the New Year holidays.

    “I am satisfied with the quality of work and people are excited that the work is going on. You have noticed the job they are doing at the airport road and the challenge of the underground drainage and that is extremely important. Once the drainage is completed, flood from the adjoining streets will now drain into the primary drain which will now drain it into the river. That means the issue of flooding in this area will be a thing of the past. We are remodelling the road and creating bus stops. We will do more in the second term than we did in the first term”, he assured.

  • Oshiomhole seizes traders’ wares

    Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday ordered the seizure of wares displayed along walkways on the newly constructed Oba Market roads.

    Oshiomhole also ordered the traders to immediately evacuate refuse that littered the market surroundings.

    It was the governor’s first official work of the New Year and he was peeved at the refuse heaps around the Oba Ovoranmwen Square and the littering of impounded vehicles along the road especially near the Oba Market Police Station.

    Governor Oshiomhole ordered the vehicles to be towed away and warned the Divisional Police Officer of the station to desist from parking impounded vehicles along the road.

    At the Benin Museum ground, Oshiomhole ordered the arrest of the manager for illegal operation and non-maintenance of the place.

    Heaps of refuse littered the museum ground and some parts were leased out by the manager to business operators.

    A woman caught cooking on the machine connected to the water fountain at the Museum was also arrested.

    The manager said the place was given to the woman and others for use because of demands by fun seekers.

    Oshiomhole later ordered that the museum ground be sealed up until further notice.

    In an interview with newsmen, Oshiomhole said he was to be back to work in the New Year and assured that the contractors will return to site next week.