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Tag: Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

  • Edo Assembly approves N200m house for Oshiomhole

    Edo Assembly approves N200m house for Oshiomhole

    …Deputy gets N100m building 

     

     

    Edo State House of Assembly has amended the “2007 Pension Rights of the Governor and Deputy Governor Law” to provide a residential building worth N200million for the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

     

    The amended also provided N100million worth of house to his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu.

     

    Oshiomhole left office last Saturday after the end of his tenure.

     

    If the amended law is assented to by Governor Godwin Obaseki, the former governor and his deputy stand to enjoy the pension benefit of residential buildings worth N200 million and N100 million.

     

    The provision of the residential building was the only amendment to the law.

     

    Both the former governor and his deputy are to have the residential buildings worth N200 million and N100 million in any location of their choice in Nigeria.

     

    According to the bill with the subhead titled, “provision of a house” read thus; a house in a location of choice in Nigeria of the Governor provided that the total cost of building the house shall not be in excess of 200 million naira while 100 million naira for the deputy governor.

     

    Other benefits to be enjoyed by former governors in the state are, a pension for life at a rate equivalent to 100 percent of his last annual salary in addition to an officer not above salary grade level 12 as Special Assistant, a personal secretary not below grade level 10 who shall be selected by the former governors from the public service of Edo state.

     

    Former governors are also entitled to have two cooks, two armed policemen as security, three vehicles to be bought by the State Government and liable to be replaced every five years, three drivers who shall be selected by the former governor and paid by the state government as well as free medical treatment for the governor and his immediate family.

     

    Former deputy governors are entitled to 100 percent of their last annual salary as pension, a personal staff not above salary grade level 12 as Special Assistant, a personal secretary not below grade level 09 who shall be selected by the former deputy governor from the public service of the state, a cook, two policemen as security.

     

    Two vehicles bought by the state government and liable to be replaced every five years are to be provided, two drivers who shall be selected by former deputy governors and paid by the state government and free medical treatment for them and their immediate family.

  • Oshiomhole commutes four death row inmates to life imprisonment

    Oshiomhole commutes four death row inmates to life imprisonment

    …Pardons impersonators

     

    Outgoing Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole Friday marked his last days in office by commuting four death row inmates to life imprisonment.

     

    The inmates whose names were not made available as at press time had served over 25 years waiting for the hangman.

     

    Oshiomhole disclosed this at a thanksgiving mass in response to call by the Archbishop of Benin Diocese, Obiora Akubeze, on Oshiomhole to forgive those that offended him.

     

    Oshiomhole said he believed the four inmates have suffered enough but they need to remain in prison to know that murder is not fun.

     

    He said he acted in line with the advice of the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

     

    Governor Oshiomhole also granted pardon to two persons, a boy and a girl who impersonated the governor and his wife, Iara, on facebook in 2011

     

    Both of them were arrested and the boy was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after confessing to the crime while the trial of the girl is still on.

     

    Oshiomhole said he has ordered the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Henry Idahagbon to sign the necessary documents and get the boy released from prison.

     

    He promised to send both of them back to school and make them become better citizens.

     

    Governor Oshiomhole however refused to forgive the now deposed Onojie of Uromi, HRH Anslem Eidenojie 11.

     

    Oshiomhole said those seeking forgiveness must confess their sins and he would not allow a situation where the suspended Monarch asked his victim to apologize.

     

    He said to forgive everyone is to compromise on corruption.

  • God answered my prayers to end well – Oshiomhole 

    God answered my prayers to end well – Oshiomhole 

    After the death of his wife, Clara, in 2010 following a three years battle with cancer, Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole vowed to build a well-equipped hospital that will end medical tourism in Nigeria. The hospital, according to Oshiomhole, when completed will also be a cancer screening centre where the disease could be diagnosed early.

    It was an elated Oshiomhole that on Tuesday declared that God has answered his prayers to finish strong and to finish well. He made the declaration when President Mohammadu Buhari visited the state to inaugurate projects among them a new five-star Central hospital as Oshiomhole promised.

    Other projects inaugurated by President Buhari were the dual carriage way Upper Siluko road, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia College formerly New Era College, the 7.3km Ugbegun-Ujiogba-Ebudin-Igueben-Ewohinmi-Ohordua-Emu road that connects five local government in Edo Central senatorial district and the new Edo University, Iyamho in Estako West Local Government.

    All the projects executed by Oshiomhole that were inaugurated by President Buhari were projects that critics said were impossible due to dwindling financial resources. For over 15 years, the Upper Siluko road was impassable. Flood sacked over 150 landlords in the area. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party told the people it was impossible to construct the road because of mermaid spirit in the flood. Residents in Egor village and other communities had to pay over N200 to get to the Benin City centre because of the bad road but today they pay only N70 while many landlords have returned to their houses even as economy activities have bounced back.

    The Dr. Ogbemudia College was one of the three model secondary schools Governor Oshiomhole promised to build in each of the three senatorial district in 2009. It is equipped with a laboratory, library, a standard hall with floor tiles and PVC ceilings. 

    Before Oshiomhole constructed the 7.3km Ugbegun-Ujiogba-Ebudin-Igueben-Ewohinmi-Ohordua-Emu road, it was difficult to transverse the five local government areas in Edo Central. The road has reduce travel time within the localities.

    The Benin Central hospital which the new five-star hospital now replaces was first built in 1902 with only 10 beds. Successive administration saw the bed space expanded to about 200 but the hospital lacked modern medical facilities including x-ray machine.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the hospital, Oshiomhole said the hospital was fitted with the latest technology and that the contract for equipping the hospital was given to a reputable firm. He said the hospital will deliver quality health care in 11 key areas.

    According to him, “We demolished a portion of the old hospital built in 1902 and built this new hospital. My own idea is that public health institutions should not be inferior to private health institutions.

    “I almost wept when I first visited this hospital. What I found here was shocking and I concluded that even if a healthy man visited the hospital, the healthy would be admitted the next day.”

    “This hospital is fitted with the latest technology in health care delivery. This hospital will not be run as public service.

    “We will make that effort to work are rewarded and not for those that want to embark on strike.”

    On the six-lane Upper Siluko road which was completed with street lights, walkways and underground drains, Governor Oshiomhole said he decided to put resources where it would maximum impact on the lives of the people.

    Oshiomhole noted that his administration focused on those things that would deliver the greatest happiness to the greatest number of citizens in the shortest possible time. 

    “As you can see, this is not a GRA, but this road leads to where the real people are the real forgotten majority. They are the ones we use for census purposes so that we can attract revenue allocation. They are the ones who queue to vote, whether it is raining or it is sunny, without whom we democrats cannot be in office. But oftentimes, when they have finished, they are forgotten until the next four years. We have tried to bond with them by addressing the critical areas of their needs. That informed the choice of this area.

    “I am glad that this road has opened up two other local government areas, and it has made life a lot easier. I want to thank the Enogie, I want to thank His Royal Majesty, Omo n’Oba n’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II for his support without which it could have been impossible to do some of the things we had to do. 

    “I am grateful to Mr President for graciously accepting to come to commission this major project.”

    President Buhari who took out time to inspect all the projects described them as very solid and of high quality.

    Speaking at the commissioning of the Ugbegun-Ujiogba-Ebudin-Igueben-Ewohinmi-Ohordua-Emu road, President Buhari said Oshiomhole had shown the importance of rural roads to the economic and security lives of the people.

    Buhari said he ask Oshiomhole who owned the central hospital edifice when he first saw it without knowing it was the project he was coming to inaugurate.

    He said: “the quality of the projects I was made to commission, are very, very solid, whether it’s the roads, the educational institutions or the hospital.  Certainly, Governor Oshiomhole is lucky to last his two terms and to engrave his name in a golden historical plate.

    “I believe the roads and the bridges will bring more people to live more comfortably and securely. He has done for well for the people. He built a good hospital, again he served the people.

    “I congratulate the incoming Governor, I thank him for his stamina going through the primaries and going through the elections and importantly, winning it.

    “We believe this system, the multi-party democracy system is the best for us. We are doing best because we found ourselves as part of this great country called Nigeria. We are blessed with human and material resources. We made a terrible mistake in allowing ourselves to be cornered into a mono-economy and we are now paying dearly for our mistake.

    “Now we have to go back to the land, solid minerals and do a lot of savings so that we can leave a lot of savings for our children and grandchildren.

    “I very much congratulate the Governor, he has shown a lot of foresight by the quality of infrastructure he has put on the ground. May God reward him abundantly.

    “I stand here to congratulate Adams Oshiomhole for his foresight, for his hard work and for his personal integrity. I hope when he successfully hands over, he will take some leave away from the local problems maybe for a couple of months, before he comes back to square one.”

  • Oshiomhole lauds Ambode’s initiatives on Lagos traffic logjam

    Oshiomhole lauds Ambode’s initiatives on Lagos traffic logjam

    Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Wednesday commended his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for his various interventions in the last 18 months of his administration, saying that it has greatly impacted on the State, especially in the area of traffic reduction.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at the closing ceremony of the 16th National Women Conference, organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), commended the wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, particularly for sustaining COWLSO since its establishment, adding that the choice of the theme for this year’s Conference “Strong Family, Strong Nation’, was quite instructive.

    Speaking on the specific challenges posed by modern lifestyle on the family where the parents would have to leave home early and come home late, Oshiomhole said Governor Ambode, with his strategic traffic management initiatives was to a very large extent addressing the challenges.

    Oshiomhole said, “As I was coming to this place today, I noticed something that I think is worth celebrating because of its impact in helping family unity and family union. Why will you wake up at 5am or 4am just to be at work at 8am devoting all the time to traffic?

    “The reason was because of the huge traffic challenges but when I received the invitation for today’s event and I was advised that it was 10am and I know my brother, Governor Ambode keeps to time, I said we have to get up early and I told my wife that we are going to spend about two hours from Ikeja Airport to get to Ikoyi, but I was very pleasantly surprised that coming from Ikeja to this place, it was like flying a first class aircraft from Alausa to the heart of Ikoyi.”

    “When I got here, I was asking the Governor on how he did it and he shared with me the interventions put in place within months of his assumption of office that have helped to completely reorder the traffic in Lagos such that when we slow down to about 20km per hour, we noticed people asking what is causing this go slow but things have changed so much.”

    He said the interventions of the Governor was not only reducing traffic and fuel consumption, but was also bringing back the good times of family bonding as travel time has reduced, hence husbands and wives don’t have excuse of traffic to get home late or leave very early.

    Oshiomhole said over the years as Governor of Edo State, he has had cause to learn and borrow from the template Lagos was running, expressing optimism that his successor and Governor-elect, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, would be willing to borrow a leaf from the COWLSO Conference as well as the traffic management strategy of Lagos.

    “We borrowed what is happening in Lagos to make the case for Godwin Obaseki in Edo that Nigeria must move away from a tradition in which you have to be a celebrated politician to become eligible to contest for a political office, and that what we need in times like this are skills and people with managerial acumen and competence and we readily referred to Lagos as an example of what works with a seasoned and indisputable leader like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu laying the foundation, dreaming big, dreaming clearly and setting the vision and identifying capable young men and women to translate those vision in a manner that is unprecedented in the history of our country,” Oshiomhole said.

    He added that with the achievements of Governor Ambode, so far, he (the Governor) has shown that the only poverty to address is the poverty of ideas, adding that once the brain is creative and imaginative with a Governor that is ready to apply himself, there is no problem that would defer solution.

    “You have shown that our task as leaders is not to lament what does not work but to think through how to make it work and that you are doing; that you have done and I know that you will continue to do,” Oshiomhole said.

    Earlier in her remarks, wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said the three-day conference had opened the mind of participants to new ideas, information and statistics, saying that the women are better empowered to become change agents.

    She explained that the success story of the conference could not have been without the excellent cooperation of the women who form COWLSO, just as she admonished them to put all what they were taught at the conference into use in their respective offices and homes.

     

  • Odubu denies rift with Oshiomhole

    Odubu denies rift with Oshiomhole

    The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr Pius Odubu has denied having an altercation with the Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, over the shift in the Governorship election from September 10 to September 28.

    In a statement, the Deputy Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kelly Odaro, said: “Our attention has been drawn to the falsehood being circulated by some disgruntled elements on the social media especially by one Ugiagbe Josh Eseiwi that the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr Pius Odubu is at war with his boss, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, over the shift in date of the Edo Gubernatorial Election.

    “The said post even went further to suggest that the Deputy Governor had an altercation with the Governor to the extent that the Governor directed his security details to walk his Deputy out of his (Governor’s) office.

    “This statement is entirely false, a figment of the authors’ imagination and a desperate and continuous move to drive a wedge between the Governor and his deputy.

    “For emphasis’ sake, Dr Pius Odubu is a perfect gentleman who is imbued with the principles of honesty, integrity, and respect for authority and above all the fear of God.

    Edo State Government and Governor Adams Oshiomhole have no power to fix, regulate or shift elections as being canvassed by the authors of this falsehood. It is the sole responsibility of INEC to regulate and conduct elections in Nigeria.

    “Edo people should disregard this post as Governor Oshiomhole and Dr Odubu will continue to enjoy a harmonious relationship.

    “Dr Odubu and his supporters have put the issue of the APC Primaries behind them. He is currently mobilising his supporters across the state to campaign and vote en masse for the APC candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki.”

  • Edo 2016: PDP has no plans to recruit militants

    Edo 2016: PDP has no plans to recruit militants

    The Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign organization Thursday condemned the remarks credited to Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole that the PDP has made arrangements with militants from neighboring states with the aim of disrupting the September elections in the state.

    The chairman of the Media Committee Of the organization Mr Chris Nehikhare in a statement said it is case of the pot calling the kettle black because it is the APC and the Governor Adams Oshiomhole that are spoiling for Violence!

    He said, “We have announced and drawn the attention of the security services to his many infractions and in his characteristic manner to divert attention from himself, the accused turns around to become the accuser”.

    It will be recalled that the Governor on Wednesday called on the Police to checkmate plans by some opposition politicians to import thugs into the state from neighbouring states with a view to causing mayhem during the election in the state.

    He was speaking during a visit to him by the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of Zone 5, Benin City, Mr. Adeyinka Kolawole Sodipo, to his office in Benin City.

    According to Nehikhare, “It is on record that renowned Niger Delta Militant Ayirimi Emami who is alleged to be helping Oshiomhole recruit ex-militants to perpetuate violence at the forthcoming Guber election was seen today campaigning with the Governor of the outgoing Party in Benin City”.

    He added that, “Ayiri as he’s popularly called has been given N240million by Adams Oshiomhole for the dirty job. He is said to have already received the First instalment a few months back when Adams Oshiomhole in company of Philip Shuaibu took Ayiri to pin-point hot locations of the PDP stronghold where violence will be required on the Election Day”.

    “Ayiri was taken yesterday to Egor LGA which is a sure LGA for the PDP and he’s to be taken to the Hometown of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and other locations today”.

    He said while the PDP and the Ize-Iyamu campaign organization sees  the governor’s position as laughable, “we wish to point out that this is indeed the sign that the APC with the comrade governor in the lead has stepped up their propaganda machinery to the level of misleading the security agencies.”

    He then called on the police and other relevant security agencies to be proactive in arresting any security breach that may lead to the disruption of elections in all parts of the state.

  • Ambode lauds Oshiomhole’s development strides

    Ambode lauds Oshiomhole’s development strides

    …drums support for APC guber candidate, Obaseki

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday lauded his Edo State counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for his achievements in the last seven years, saying that it has impacted positively on not just the economy of the State but the country in general.

    Ambode who spoke when he visited Governor Oshiomhole at the Government House, Benin, said he draws inspiration from Oshiomhole’s style of leadership to bring good governance to the people of the State.

    Governor Ambode who was recently appointed as the Chairman, All progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the Edo Governorship Election slated for September 10, 2016, said, “On a personal note, I am very proud of all the things you have done for Edo State and even this country Nigeria, and I can say the few achievements I have actually attained in Lagos State were driven and inspired by the kind of energy you bring to governance and I am very proud to be associated with you and the government of Edo State.”

    He said he was pleased and humbled to be saddled with the task of leading the APC campaign to retain the State, adding that continuity was germane to sustain the path already laid down by the present administration.

    “I have come here this afternoon to accept physically the daunting task which has been laid upon me by our national party and appointing me as the chairman of the gubernatorial campaign committee of the gubernatorial election coming up in Edo State.

    “I am very pleased and humbled by that appointment. And I have come here, firstly, to apologize for not being around on Saturday when the committee was inaugurated because of some exigencies, and to show my presence a few days after, and my commitment to ensure that our gubernatorial candidate not only wins the election, but he is able to show his footprints just like what the present governor has done, that the APC and the change mantra is really in totality about what we want governance to be in Nigeria,” he said.

    Governor Ambode further added, “I like to also say that what we have ahead of us as a party, that is, APC, is beyond ordinary election. We need to take Nigeria out of its doldrums, and the only party that can do that is APC, of which we are happy to be aligned with your state and other progressive states in the country. And that is why we are here as brothers, we offer ourselves and we will continue to also send the same message across board across all the progressive states.”

    He said that Lagos State would explore the opportunities available to develop a major commerce and economic relationship with Edo State as soon as the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki emerges as Governor of Edo State, expressing optimism that the partnership would ensure that Edo develops at a faster pace.

    He said, “What I can promise your Excellency is that we have decided that we will bring the whole machinery of the Lagos model to Edo State. In addition to that, we believe strongly that Edo State has the potential of becoming a giant in Africa also, and this relationship is beyond the fact that it is historic, we also want to use this platform of this campaign to start a major paradigm shift in terms of economic and political relationship between Edo State and Lagos State.

    “If we are to look deeply, we believe strongly in the potential of Edo State which actually lies in the symbolic relationship that it can have with Lagos.

    And that is why I am personally taking this responsibility of being the campaign chairman to ensure that beyond the campaign and the success of the election, a major commerce and economic relationship commences immediately with the in-coming governor, and also to let us actually start to have bilateral economic and political relations that will be of benefit to the people of Edo State, firstly, and then to the improvement of the economic growth of Edo State.”

    On his part, Governor Oshiomhole commended the Lagos Governor for taking his assignment as the Chairman, APC National Campaign Council for Edo State governorship election very seriously.

    He said, “For us in Edo, it is clear that you have taken this assignment seriously. It is one thing to accept an assignment, but the passion with which you have accepted it, and to the extent to which you are determined to go to ensure that we do everything we need to do to continue to retain the governance of this state.

    “Under your leadership, I have no doubt. We couldn’t have had a better campaign organization. So, I thank you for that.”

    Oshiomhole who introduced the Governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his running mate, Mr Philip Shaibu to Governor Ambode said, “We have a credible messenger that you are going to be able to help us to market, and we also have a compelling message to put across to Edo State. And we believe the election will be won on the basis of the pedigree of the political parties, the pedigree of the individual and what the two parties have to show to the people.”

     

     

  • We have not touched World Bank loan – Oshiomhole

    We have not touched World Bank loan – Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has chided critics saying ongoing projects in the state were being executed with the $75m World Bank loan.

    Oshiomhole said his administration was yet to spend the loan.

    He spoke while inspecting projects at the Upper Siluko Road, the eight Kilometre underground Storm Water drainage ‎at Igbinaduwa linking Textile Mill Road, 2nd East Circular Road dualization project and Erediauwa Road Project, including 25 adjoining streets roads.

    The governor said his administration would provide‎ dividends of democracy for the greatest number of Edo people until his last day in office with or without oil money.

    Oshiomhole said he was moved to do more because of prayers from the hearts of old men and old women in the state.

    He said the ongoing projects were not conceived because of upcoming election but because it was his conviction that government must work for the people‎.

    He said, “For us working for the person is a way of life, it is in the blood. It is in the gene of our party because we derive our essence from our bond with the very ordinary people.”

    “And you can see that by our statement we have made a conscious choice that to deliver the greatest good to the greatest number we must look at where the ordinary people are and touch their life. People who cannot do a petition, those are the people we represent.”

    ‎”The much talked about 75million dollars we have not touched it, so this not the result of any loan.”

    ‎

     

  • Edo: Thugs invade APC leader’s home, beat up ward chairman

    Edo: Thugs invade APC leader’s home, beat up ward chairman

    Unknown thugs on Monday invaded the resident of All Progressives Congress leader, Mr. Ehisco Matthew at Benoni, Government Reservation Area, Benin City and beat up a ward chairman.

    It was gathered that the suspected thugs  learnt that Mr. Ehisco Matthew with the connivance of some ward leaders in the party, has shifted their usual meetings held at the party’s secretariat in Orionmwon to his house with the intension of engaging in some shady deals.

    Another thug who preferred anonymity said Mr. Ehisco Matthew who is a leader of the All Progressives Congress in Orhionmwon in Orhionmwon local government area  is not happy that the Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole  has thrown his weight behind Mr. Godwin Obaseki ahead of the 2016 governorship election against their choice candidate and thus decided to covey an emergency meeting in his house to suspend those in support of the choice of the state governor.

    He said having learnt of the meeting, they decided to invade the place and disrupt the proceeding of the meeting.

    The situation however went out of control when Mr. Okoro Sylvester of evbuosi  ward chairman wanted to gain entrance into the place of the meeting but was vehemently prevented from entering. He  was however rough handled and got  his clothes  torn to pieces.

    Narrating his ordeal, Mr. Okoro Sylvester said it was yesterday that he got a notice of a meeting at the party’s chairman’s house and he chooses to attend but to his greatest surprise getting to the place of the meeting, he was given the beatings of his life and barred from entering.

    “it was yesterday we got a message that we will be having a meeting today in our party’s chairman’s house. So, we said ok, what is the time? They said 10 o’clock this morning. I could not go back yesterday because we were still having another meeting in Benin. So I have to pass the night here in Benin.

    “Getting to this morning, I got prepared and parked my pathfinder jeep somewhere. Coming in, i saw people chasing me out saying I should not come  into the house. I asked what is happening?  This a meeting. They called that the whole ward chairmen should assemble here today by 10 0clock. Before I could know it, they have started beating me. They tore my clothes, collected one of my phones, took two hundred thousand from the back of my pocket. I do not tell lies as you can see. It was after much investigations that they returned the money,” he lamented in pains.

    Mr. Okoro noted that he could pinpoint why they have to beat him up in that manner adding that it is not wrong to honour the invitation of a party’s chairman.

    He said though those who beat him up are from Orhionmwon but he cannot identify anyone.

    Expressing dissatisfaction on the incidence that played out in his house, Mr. Ehisco Matthew said the elders of the party from Orhionmwon usually meet in his house to brainstorm on how each wards is faring and to profer solution to those having problem adding that it was on that note he invited the twelve ward chairmen.