The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Benin

  • Water, water nowhere in Benin…!

    I write to draw the attention of the Edo State government to the sorry state of potable drinking water in Benin City.

    I recall that as a young lad, we used to have public water taps where we went to get water.  The water from these taps were not only good for all domestic purposes, we could also drink from them as well. You could find these water taps on almost every street in Benin, and as a matter of fact, they were more in areas where the poor man, who couldn’t afford to rent a three-bedroom flat, lived.

    But today, sir, all the water taps have disappeared. What has gone wrong, and if indeed something has gone wrong, why is it taking the government this long to provide a very basic human need like water?

    I recall that there was once a reservoir of water built during the military government of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia. It was from here that the whole of Benin City got water. Therefore, I do not understand why the government in Edo State cannot build another one, just so as to give the poor people of Edo State access to clean, safe and potable water. Do you know how much an average family, school or hospital spend on buying sachet and bottle water?

    Trust me, sir, the current method of relying on sachet water which source and quality is suspect only helps to endanger the health of the good people of Edo State and Nigeria in general. May I also use this medium to decry the present habit of sinking boreholes in nearly every home in Benin City, especially in the GRA. Sinking of boreholes in residential areas like the GRA is a threat to the environment because there are cities around the world today which have experienced earthquakes because of the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes.

    I make bold to say that it is the failure of government, across board, from the local, state and federal levels, that has forced Nigerians from all walks of life to resort to water from boreholes and sachets. This has to stop. These governments must sit up.

     

    •By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku,

    Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice, (ANEEJ),

    Benin City.

  • Jonathan, Buhari in struggle for Benin monarch’s endorsement

    Jonathan, Buhari in struggle for Benin monarch’s endorsement

    President Goodluck Jonathan and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari are struggling for the endorsement of stakeholders in Edo State. With the recent endorsement of the former military Head of State by Benin palace chiefs, there are indications that the APC will have an upper hand at the general elections. OTABOR OSAGIE reports.

    The Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, seldom makes speeches whenever he welcomes visitors in his palace. His responses are usually brief. But, palace chiefs who understands his body language know what to say when they are asked to speak on behalf of the monarch.

    However, for the first time, the in-fighting among top Benin chiefs over whether Oba Erediauwa should support President Goodluck Jonathan re-election bid or back the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu buhari has been a source of worry to the people of Edo State.

    During the last governorship contest between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and General Charles Airhiavbere, the monarch did not openly endorse any candidate. But, speeches by palace chiefs suggested the monarch’s preference.

    To General Airhiavbere, Oba Erediauwa said: “I have been watching you on the television and I will continue to watch you on the television.” But, the royal father, who spoke through Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, during the campaign visit of Governor Oshiomhole, said: “Adams Oshiomhole is the Benin candidate. He is the one who wants Benin City to join other modern cities in the country. So, he is our candidate. Some people said the palace is playing politics. What is politics? The Oba himself is an embodiment of politics.

    “If you have a house and you are old and your children did not come to paint the house and somebody from outside came and painted it and decorate it for you, will you leave that person? Once again, we are voting for Adams Oshiomhole.

    “As the Odionwere of Bini Kingdom, and I am speaking on behalf of the Oba, you are going to win. The oracle has spoken. Anyone who disputes it or fights against the oracle, then, let him fight on. We will wait and see the result.” Governor Oshiomhole later won the election in a landslide.

    In 1991, when Lucky Igbinedion of the defjunct National Republican Convention (NRC) contested against Chief John Odigie-Oyegun of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), the support of Oba Erediauwa saw Oyegun to victory. Chief Gabrial Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin and father to Lucky, later dragged the Oba before the tribunal.

    During the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan on February 4 for royal blessing, the Benin monarch, in a letter read by the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, said the Benins would accept whoever God chooses to lead the country after the presidential elections

    He said: “God and our ancestors already know your (President Jonathan) aims. Whoever God has chosen is our choice.”

    There was controversy over royal support for candidates recently when Chief Edebiri, who doubles as Chairman of the Benin Forum, said at a press briefing that Benins would not support President Jonathan. The statement was seen by many as the voice of the Oba because the forum, which is the umbrella body of  body all Benins in Nigeria and the Diaspora, reports to the Oba and its is personally appointed by the Oba.

    Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin, is the Odionwere (head) of all witches and wizards in Benin Kingdom. He listed the sins of the President against the kingdom. He said President Jonathan sacked the Minister of State for Works, Chris Ogiemwonyi, an engineer, and gave it to his (Ogiemwonyi) ex-wife, Stella Oduah, who hails from Anambra State.

    Edebiri added: “What was for the Benins was taken to Anambra by the present administration. That is why the Benin people will not vote for the PDP. Besides robbing the Benin people of the ministerial appointment, the home of the former minister, Ogiemwonyi, was completely broken by the action of the Presidency.

    “Is that what they have done for the Benin people that will make us to vote PDP? Impossible. If they want to postpone elections 20 times, the people are here waiting for them. The consequences of what Jonathan has done will be very grievous for him and his party. You met a man who was appointed half minister by the previous administration. His people in Benin voted massively for you during the elections. You now want to compose a new executive, you dropped him and took his wife, who comes from across the Niger.

    “Consequently, his home became divided and irretrievably broken. Robbing Benin of their ministerial appointment, destroying their son’s home for the interest of some people in Abuja. And this time around, you are coming to campaign here that we should vote for you. It is not possible that we will vote for such people because the Benin nation has been sidelined with ignominy in the present arrangement.

    “Nothing that the Federal Government can come to point to in Edo state that this is what he has done in the last four years. We have a governor who is performing. We have a governor we all love because of his developmental strides. The same Federal Government is starving the state government of funds. They don’t want the government to perform any more for us. How do we vote for people like that? The die is cast, whether they like it or not, the defeat of the present Federal Government is imminent and irreversible”.

    The Esogban’s statement did not go down well with members of the opposition parties. Chief Patrick Eholor, the Enobore of Ute Kingdom and President of One Love Foundation, frowned at it. Chief Eholor said Chief Edebiri should desist from using his position as the Odionwere of Benin to speak on behalf of the Binis on political choices. But, the Esogban said the criticism was inconsequential.

    Eholor pointed out that Chief Edebiri has no moral right to speak for the Binis since the Binis are enlightened people who have the right to their freedom of political expression. He said: “This is a rat race. The Esogban must remain neutral and should not use the Benin Forum to conclude that the palace has taken a stand on who the Binis should vote for and he should desist from such utterances or we will resist him

    “The Binis has its proud culture, which must be separated from politics and, if we are to maintain our cultural heritage, the palace should not be dragged into politics. That is why we are worried about what he said.”

    A chieftain of the PDP and palace chief, who is lower in rank to the Esogban, Chief Amos Osunbor, the Eson of Benin, described the comments from the Benin Forum as “vexatious.”  He warned that such mis-formation portends an inherent danger to the Benins. “I wish to state categorically that Omo N’ Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, through our revered Crown Prince Ehenede, had already expressed his desire to have President Goodluck Jonathan serve a second term to enable him complete the transformation that he has already started.

    “Every Nigerian witnessed the epoch royal visit. I am therefore, wondering about the intention of Chief Edebiri because his latest comments amount to an affront on His Royal Majesty. No one, except the monarch, has right to speak for the Binis,” he said.

    President Jonathan has sent a powerful PDP delegation led by his campaign coordinator in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to woo the Chief Priest of Benin Kingdom, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure. Chief Isekhure was nominated as a delegate to the National Conference by President Jonathan. Isekhure, who reiterated the Oba’s support for the President’s re-election bid, promised to mobilise all southerners to vote for him.

    He said: “I have not seen a person who has dedicated himself to Nigeria like Jonathan. I am very confident that he has good agenda. Therefore, I will vote for Jonathan more than one hundred and ten times. Even though I am of the APC, I will not only vote for him, I will mobilise all the traditional institutions in Benin and elsewhere in the South and I believe he will win. The only candidate I know is Jonathan and I will vote for him. If heaven is going to fall, let it fall.

    “Those calling Benin people not to vote for Jonathan are just wasting their time because there is no such platform that can tell the people who they should vote for. During the 2011 presidential election, the Oba of Benin not only endorsed Jonathan, but was the one who set the impetus for the president to run and so, I do not think the monarch has change his stand on that.”

    The campaign team of President Jonathan also visited the Holy Arosa Cathedral, the traditional church of the Benins where the Oba is the General Overseer. At the church, Pastor Ize-Iyamu met with some palace chiefs led by Chief Sunny Omorogbe, the Osafuoba of Benin.

    However, the Benin Royal family in its reaction condemned the presence of Jonathan Campaign Organisation at the Holy Aruosa Cathedral and warned against its desecration. The Oba’s younger brother and Enogie of Obazuwa, Prince Edun Akenzua, hinted that some of the palace chiefs would be sanctioned by the appropriate authorities.

    “We will not allow the Holy Arousa to be desecreted. Invading the Holy Arousa Cathedral, as Pastor Ize-Iyamu-Iyamu’s team did, shows how desperate they are to capture the royal institution. It is even more so when the leader or the coordinator is a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church. I wonder if he will do that in his church.”

    Prince Akenzua explained that it was against the rules of the palace for Chief Amos Osunbor to openly castigate the Esogban, since the Eson is lower in rank after the Esogban in the hierarchy of the palace Chiefs.

    He said: “The disturbing aspect of the whole episode is the indiscipline and disloyalty to the Benin cause and our revered institution. In order to comprehend the gravity and implication of Eson’s act, it is important to explain briefly the organogram of Benin chieftaincy.

    “Palace or royal chiefs belong mainly to three groups namely: Eghaevbo n’ore, Eghaevbo n’Ogbe and Ibiwe. Iyase is the head of Eghaevbo n’orhe. Esogban, Eson and Osuma belong to the same group and are in that order of seniority. That means Eson is next to Esogban in the hierarchy of that group.”

    “Both Esogban, Eson and Isekhure can exercise their freedom of speech, but that freedom of speech does not extend to a chief or member of the Royal Court to publicly and derisively criticize his colleague, more so a senior one. In the military or the uniformed forces, the erring person would be court marshalled”.

    “I have even said it myself that. after the Benins voted the President in 2011,when Oshiomhole said we should support him, the man has not done anything for our people. And when the Esogban spoke, he did not say he was speaking on behalf of the Benin Forum which I am a member, he said he was speaking his mind. And let us not forget that as chairman of the forum, he protects the interest of the Binis and not that of a few, so if he says Benins will not vote for Jonathan because he has not done anything for the Benins what is wrong with that comment. Personally I have not seen anything that Jonathan has done for us as a people and if there is anything let them come and show me”.

    The Benin Royal Family was however, shocked when a sponsored advertorial by the PDP on the television showed last year’s visit of Benin Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa to President Jonathan at the behest of his father. A replay of the interview granted journalists by the Crown Prince was perhaps to hoodwink people that the Benin Monarch endorsed President Jonathan.

    Crown Prince Erediauwa warned the PDP to desist from politicising his visit to garner votes, ahead of the general election. He urged the public to discountenance the use of his pictures, images, audio and video to campaign for votes.

    The Benin Prince noted that his visit to the Presidential villa as directed by his father, Oba Erediuawa, was to douse negative comments that the Oba does not support the government of President Jonathan. He maintained that the palace has not endorsed the President for a second term.

    A statement by Royal Palace Chiefs last week and read by the traditional Prime Minister of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, the Iyase of Benin, reiterated that the Benin monarch has not endorsed any candidate for the March 28 election.

    Chief Igbe, whose son, the Speaker of the House of assembly is an APC candidate for the House of Representatives election, said the media should stop the partisan advert showing the Crown Prince’s visit to President Jonathan.

    He said the palace seriously consider the continuous use of the video to boost support for a particular party as image-tarnishing of the palace.

    Also, the Southsouth sentiment is collapsing. Apart from Ijaw, other ethnic groups are accusing the President of being clannish. Can the President still get bloc vote from the Southsouth? March 28 will tell.

  • ‘No crisis in Benin Forum’

    The umbrella body of Bini indigenes in the country and in the Diaspora, led by the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, the Benin Forum (BF), at the weekend said those peddling the rumour that there was a crisis in the forum were enemies of the ethnic nationality.

    The Enogie of Obazuwa and younger brother to the Oba of Benin, Prince Edun Akenzua, had said those calling for the resignation of the Esogban as BF’s chairman, lacked the powers to do so because he was nominated by the Benin monarch, Oba Erediuwa.

    The forum was reacting to a publication in which some persons, who claimed to be members of the forum called on Edebiri to resign for his alleged comments that the Bini would not vote for President Goodluck Jonathan.

  • Edo: ASUU Protest Assault on Members

    Edo: ASUU Protest Assault on Members

    Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), University of Benin chapter yesterday raised concern over the alleged manhandling of its members by suspected hoodlums who unleashed terror on them over disputed parcels of land allegedly belonging to the Ivory tower.

    In a statement signed by Dr. Anthony Monye-Emina, union state Chairman and Okeri Henry, union Secretary and made available to newsmen in Benin, Edo state capital, the union called on the law enforcement agencies to intervene in the matter to save the lives of its members.

    It reads in part: “We write to the attention of the general public to the resort to lawlessness and gangsterism against some of our members on Friday, 19, December, 2014.

    “For the information of the Public, the University of Benin was in court over landed properties in the GRA, Benin City and judgment was delivered on Tuesday 16th December, 2014. During the pendency of the matter, the res was tempered with and we strongly believe that this is against the rule of law”

    Emina further added: “The University of Benin promptly filed an appeal against the judgment of the High Court and appealed for a stay of execution on Wednesday, 17th December, 2014 which has been scheduled for determination sometime in January 2015.

    “Our major concern is the inhuman and barbaric manner in which some academic staff were mercilessly beaten to stupor by hoodlums and their properties forcefully thrown out of their apartment even when the University of Benin is yet to be officially served the ruling of their High Court. This is summarily self-help without due recourse to the laws of the land.”

  • Niger Delta Report causes changes at Benin Musuem

    Niger Delta Report causes changes at Benin Musuem

    A Niger Delta Report cover story on the state of the Benin Musuem has brought about changes in the monument. Governor Adams Oshiomhole visited the edifice after reading the report.

    Permanent Secretary of the Edo State Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities, Major Lawrence Loye, who faulted the report was chided by the governor.

    He was fixated and speechless during the visit of Oshiomhole to the Benin Museum after the Niger Delta Report published a report about the unkempt surroundings of the Benin Museum ground. Fun seekers had in the report lambasted the state government for spending a fortune to beautify the Museum ground only to leave it to rot away.

    The verdict of Oshiomhole to Major Loye was “You have abandoned your duty.”

    Millions of naira was spent to erect a musical water fountain and provide an artificial garden at the Museum which is a located at the heart of Benin City. It was renamed Oba Ovoramen Square.

    The Museum surrounding became an eyesore as the artificial garden was overgrown with weed. Parts of the perimeter fence had fallen due to vehicles crashing into them.

    Oshiomhole did not hide his displeasure as he lampooned Major Loye for allowing infrastructure at the place to rot away.

    The governor was taken aback when Loye informed him that officials of the Oredo Local Government promised to erect the broken fence.

    An angry Oshiomhole said: “Perm Sec, you guys have decided to abandon your work. Is this now a local government territory?”

    Loye replied: “We had problem with the museum people. They are on strike and they said we want to take over their property. We are still in court.”

    “Did the judge tell you not to maintain it and you gave this part to the museum for maintenance?” Oshiomhole quipped.

    “We are in court sir,” Loye said.

    The governor queried again, “But is there any injunction preventing you from cutting the grass?”

    “Those in charge of beautification are supposed to clear it and they have started,” Loye said.

    “Look at this place, the heart of Benin City. You have no policy to deal with those who destroy the fence.”

    Loye explained: “We don’t know where the vehicles are. Nobody has been able to tell us where the vehicles are.”

    Oshiomhole was peeved when he walked inside the museum and saw a bush bar and restaurant erected at a place where some structures were pulled down.

    Oshiomhole said: “Have we not removed illegal structure here? Who gave out the permission? We remove something and you bring them back. Who gave you authority to allow illegal structure here? Why did you return them back? Is this place meant to be a mama put? Remove this thing within 24 hours.

    “This is forest. You are making conflicting statements. You have the powers to give out that place but you don’t have the powers to clean this place. Does that make sense to you. Don’t make excuses. You guys have abandoned this place.”

    Loye replied that the bar was meant for relaxation.

    Some officials of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, who were overjoyed by the governor’s visit, blamed the state intervention in the affairs of the museum ground as responsible for the unkempt premises.

    The officials, who pleaded anonymity, said Oshiomhole kicked against closing the museum gate at 5pm.

    According to the official, “We used to do green tourism and control when people come in here. Governor Oshiomhole came and asked me to leave the museum gate open. The government would give the place out and we will be cleaning the mess.”

    A visit to the place showed that much of the overgrown weeds have been cleared, and the bush bar removed.

    Before the Oshiomhole administration, the museum mainly attracted tourists, who came to sight the huge collection of archaeological, historical and ethnographical artifacts on display. Much of the place was also used for recreational activities during festive periods and public holidays.

    However, as part of  Oshiomhole’s urban renewal project, the museum was given a facelift – but not without a battle on who owns the land. Oshiomhole demolished some supposed illegal structures erected on the Benin Museum ground to make way for the beautiful garden planted along and built a water fountain, which changed the landscape of not only the museum ground, but the scene around the famous Ring Road. The cost of the resuscitation and fountain is believed to be over N200m. The water fountain was erected at a place where a disused, smelly pond once laid.

    The now beautiful museum ground attracts thousands of visitors weekly. It was reception venue of choice for newly wedded couples, who not only go there for the social activities of after-wedding reception, but to have the scenic beauty of the surrounding engraved in their wedding albums. Families and visitors to the city and residents choose the museum and its expansive ground place for their picnic outings. The sights of gaily dressed children running and playing around, beautiful couple and old holding hands and swaying to the silent music of their company, became a common sight.

    But things fell apart after some time. Hard times fell upon the museum ground once again. The sordid sights around the once beautiful ground were reminiscent of the pre-Oshiomhole. Although the beauty remains, the museum ground was like a pretty woman aging ungracefully. Our check revealed a place badly in need of repair and maintenance. Large part of the lawn where visitors used to sit for relaxation was overgrown with weed. The artificial rocky garden constructed around the water fountain was also badly in need. The  sparklingly blue water spurting from tiny needles  became algae-ridden pool.

    The report on this sad state of the facilities around the musuem in this pullout was what led Oshiomhole to visit and caused changes there.

  • Benin hosts Whose centenary

    Whose Centenary, a multi-series exhibition will open at Igun Street, Benin City, Edo State on December 6, featuring performance art, installation art, poetry reading, community workshops, songs/choreography, painting, photography and video. The collaborative project is being curated by   Inês Valle and will feature Jude Anogwih, Jelili Atiku, Josephine Ebiuwa Abbe, Victor Ehikhamenor, Andrew Esiebo, Taiye Idahor, Peju Layiwola, Elizabeth Olowu, Wura Ogunji, George Osodi and Jumoke Verissimo.

    The event is the first time a multi-dimensional art show is being held in the country focusing on a historic event that borders on our nationhood and the global issues concerning restitution and vandalisation of arts.

    According to one of the participants, Jude Anogwih, there are plans to take the show to other parts of the globe such as Portugal and UK next year. He said local artists and artisans in Benin will be strongly involved in the interactive sessions of the show. “It is a shift from the regular format of presenting art event. It will be preceeding the famous Igue festival in Benin while complementing the 100 years anniversary celebration of Nigeria,” he said.

    The ground breaking art intervention will begin with public art exhibitions and life performances following a procession route from the King’s quarters at Akenzua Street, through Airport Road, Ring Road and will culminate at Igun Street – a world heritage site and the home of traditional bronze casters in Benin City who for centuries have produced the bronze works the city and country is renowned for.

    The project is a critical analysis of significant historical aspects of Nigerian social, political and cultural memory, with a particular emphasis on 1914. The multi-series exhibitions will include performance art, installation art, poetry reading, community workshops, songs/choreography, painting, photography, video and collaboration between contemporary Nigerian artists with traditional Edo bronze casters and their wards, in a series of community based art projects in Benin City.

    The exhibition will explore themes around the centennial commemoration of Nigeria’s amalgamation, as well as and the multilayered nature and prevalent results of colonialism in the country, revealed in the primordial space of Benin, where history was itself played out a hundred years ago with the exile of Oba Ovonramwen to Calabar in 1897 and eventual entrenchment of British rule.

    The year 1914 also brings to mind the passing of the king who stood against British imperialism in defense of his kingdom. In its rhetorical form, several questions emerge: Who and what is being commemorated? In what forms do these memorialisations occur?

    Whose Centenary? is a two year long series of artistic collaborations that also aims to redefine the boundaries of museological spaces in Africa, where places, people and their memories continuously enrich our understanding of life, art and history. Therefore, Igun Street is apprehended as a living museum, becoming an ideal space for this first intervention.

  • ITF Africa Circuit: Nigeria heads to Benin with winning form

    •Itodo battles for Masters in Cairo

    Fresh from their successful outing at the ITF West & Central Africa Junior Circuit in Togo where they won six gold, four silver and three bronze medals to emerge overall winners of the double-phased tournament, Nigerian players are looking good for another dominant outing as the tournament moved to Benin Republic with hostilities commencing today.

    An eventful period for Nigerian tennis will also see youngster, Christopher Itodo competing at the 14&U African Masters which holds from September 22 to 28 in Cairo, Egypt. Itodo was invited due to his performance at the African Junior Championship held last March in Nairobi, Kenya.

    For the Circuit, Joseph Ubon, who accounted for three of Nigeria’s six gold medals in Togo, will be spearheading the country’s quest for honour at the event holding at the Tennis Club de L’Amitie, Cotonou.

    Ubon completed a great tournament on Saturday by beating Malawi’s Chisomo Luweta 6-3, 6-3 in the boy’s final to retain the title he won against compatriot, Mohammed Mohammed in the first phase. Nigerian duo of Emmanuel Audu and Abubakar Tswako won the doubles title by beating Gueninle Ouattara and Chisomo Luweta of Malawi in the final

    The tournament in Togo is rated as Grade 5 by the ITF and will have 48 players in the boy’s main draw while 32 players feature in the girl’s draw which will also serve off today.

  • I came to Benin in a lorry, says industrialist

    I came to Benin in a lorry, says industrialist

    Deacon Vincent Agemonmen is an industrialist, philanthropist and an evangelist. The chairman, Freedom Group of Companies was recently honoured by the Benson Idahosa University with a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration. OSAGIE OTABOR met him.  

    How do you feel to be honored by the BIU?

    I am very happy about it. I feel it came at the right time but some people say it was overdue. I feel God’s time is the best. I feel great.

    Looking at your background? What advice do you have for young men?

    I will let them know that if they do well and they are not in a hurry to make money, a time will come that blessings will over run them as blessing is overrunning me now. As one is coming another is on its way.

    How was your growing up like?

    I sold palm wine, biscuits when I was growing up. I grew up in a difficult circumstance in a village setting you will not understand today. I trekked 16 km everyday to and from school every day without breakfast. My breakfast was eaten at 2:30pm.

    What happen that you are now an entrepreneur?

    I became an entrepreneur to give freedom to myself because I had suffered so much in poverty that I thought I had to do something about it. The hands of God were also pushing me. It was in a way to free myself from the bondage of poverty that brought about all these things we are seeing in business. When God finish with me in business, he gave me another business which is evangelism. My children are now taking care of the business.

    What lessons do you have for elders that are yet to embrace Christ?

    If God could arrest a church-goer like myself. I used to go to church to fulfill all righteousness for God not to be annoyed. Sometime I will be reading newspaper inside the church. I did not go out to look for Christ, he came looking for me. He told me to get people like me and I obeyed. It was later streamlined to me to meet people like me, elders and others that need to be in Christ.

    How much did you use to start your business?

    I came to Benin in a lorry. I sat on a bench at the back of the lorry without knowing where I was going. I came to Benin without a place to stay. If there were bridges in Benin like in Lagos, it would have been okay. I was surviving by just lying that I could no longer go home and the person would allow me to stay. I later went to hire an uncompleted boys’ quarter at Oza Street. I could count the stars from my room. Imagine living in a house without aceiling. It took a time for me to get a menial job at the Ministry of Works as a helper. While there, I learnt how to do plumbing. As I was doing that, it got to a point that I learnt a lot to be able to do contract work outside the ministry’s job. I was one of the first people to bring water system to homes to Benin. When we came to Benin, there was no water in people’s homes. There was only public taps where we used to fight. I was also selling palm wine and a taxi cab I drove at night to make more money. After a point I had to resign to give more time to business because my records showed that I was making more money than I was getting at the ministry. I didn’t had to go and look for seed money.

    How did you manage all of these without education?

    Necessity is the mother of invention. I would not have gone to secondary if we did not make effort. We had to fend for ourselves. Before I could go to secondary school, somebody promised to help my father but midway the person dropped and we had to do other things to make money. I sold Oxford gen biscuits. Young people cannot retail it and make profit because it was so sweet. To sell it one has to be very discipline. We did a number of things to take care of those things my father could not handle. In doing that, it helped us in business.

    How did you come about setting up a sand dredging company and others?

    Immediately I started doing plumbing contract, I added plumbing material sales and then building materials. At a point there was so much demand for sand at that time. People used to dive into the river to bring out sand on the canoe because no dredging. With the creation of the defunct Midwest State, government was here at the capital, Benin city and there was high demand for sand for road construction in the city. It was beyond what people could do manually. Going to buy a dredger was not an easy thing. God helped us that some of the people we were dealing with in building materials brought a dredger and we took off. I went to university after the business was so big. I employed graduates and without education, I did not understand the workers I had. I felt something was wrong and I needed to sharpen it. I went to the great University of Ife. While there, I decided to do project on what would be useful to me. I did a project on quarrying and immediately, I left the university, we started a quarry company and inaugurated it at Ukpilla. It was from there I established marble industry and then water factory. After so much and having spent 50 years doing business, I felt I was tired of doing business but I am still in the business of God.

    As a businessman, how were you able to combine your business and family life?

    My wife was instrumental. She played a wonderful role in the family. At a point, to come home for lunch was difficult so my wife suggested I bought an alarm watch to remind me of lunch. After I bought it, when the first alarm rang, I said I could not leave business opportunities for food. It did not work. My wife stood by me and took care of the children. It was my wife that helped more to care for the children.

  • Attention, Benin Electricity Company

    SIR: I hereby call the attention of Benin Electricity Company to the anomalies being perpetrated by its office in Ikole-Ekiti. I refer to the exploitation of the people and residents of Ikole-Ekiti through what I call criminal shedding of electricity.

    I believe that before the company can shed power, it should be with prior notice to the client/customer. Secondly, the method used in shedding is such that there will be epileptic power supply for a day and the following day there will be total blackout. This will amount to supplying epileptic power for just 15 days in a month without corresponding reduction in the monthly bill.

    I feel this criminal act should be checked and corrected. The staff should not skin the customers in order to make profit. The era of logical stealing and exploitation should be over by now as the electricity distribution company now belongs to private body which is expected to promote the culture of transparency and integrity.

    • Adewumi Tope Humble

    Odo-Oro Ekiti, Ekiti State

     

  • Benin power Co. to train Elizade varsity students

    The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has entered into a partnership with the Elizade University to train its students on Power Engineering.

    Managing Director of BEDC, Funke Osibodu, who made this known to journalists, said the partnership would allow the students “to understand the reality on ground” while they are still in school.

    She said such practical exposure to realities in the work place would benefit the students when the firm considers recruiting people.

    “Every year, we are open to their engineering students coming in during their vacation for internship. By the time they would be graduating the students might have spent eight months learning the practical aspects of their courses. We also have the chance to know them. It is easier for such people to get jobs through that process,” she said.

    Mrs Osibodu added that the firm would also run courses in collaboration with the university, located in Ilara-Mokin in Ondo State, to provide training for its workers.

    “The second aspect is that we are jointly setting up certain curriculum. We have it at three levels – there  is the beginners, basic, intermediate and executive levels. The location of the Elizade University makes it easy for us to run three-month training programme for our staff. We will make use of their lecturers and some of our staff. We have gone far. We will be having 30 engineers and 35 lines men that will be running three weeks training. It is the process of getting to retrain ourselves.”