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Tag: Crusoe Osagie

  • Obaseki awards contract for refurbishment of 230 primary schools in Edo

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has approved the contract for the refurbishment of 230 primary schools across the state, to provide for conducive learning environment for pupils in the schools.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said this in Benin City, the state capital on Wednesday.

    He noted that the state government is committed to making learning pleasurable for pupils in the state, adding that the review of a list of another 230 primary schools is in progress, after which contracts for their refurbishment will be awarded.

    According to him, “The governor has approved the contract for the renovation of 230 primary schools in the state. This is in furtherance of his commitment to ensuring that students in the state learn in a conducive environment.

    “It is also coming as the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) is set to roll out the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) in more schools across the state.

    Read Also: Obaseki mourns as former President Shagari passes at 93

    “With the award, contractors are expected to be on site working on the schools. As that is ongoing, we are also in the process of compiling another batch of 230 public primary schools for which contracts would be awarded in the first quarter of 2019. This will bring the number of schools marked for renovation to 460.”

    He said that an audit of another 800 schools is also ongoing, after which schools found to be in need of renovation would be added to the 460, noting that the state government is not going to leave any school behind in the rollout of the renovation programme.

    “We are committed to ensuring that the schools in Edo State are in good shape. We have had to take our time to do this because we wanted the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) to be in place so they can play a critical role in ensuring that the schools are well run and that whatever is provided for the schools are not vandalised,” he said.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Edo pays workers’ December salary

    …Obaseki urges peaceful celebrations

    The Edo State Government on Friday paid salaries of workers for the month of December, following the directive of the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, said “the governor’s decision to pay workers, mid-way into the month, was informed by the need to make money available for workers to do early shopping for the yuletide and avoid the artificial inflation caused by commodity distributors.”

    He added: “Governor Obaseki wants workers to get value for their money before all the players in the commodity distribution chain cash in on the season and hike food prices.

    Read Also: Police kill suspected robber in Edo

    “The governor does not want Edo workers to be caught in the middle of such manipulative tendency of middlemen and has urged workers to go about their celebrations peacefully. 

    “Edo workers can storm the market from today and shop for the season. 2019 promises to be a better year for workers in the state.”

    The governor’s aide further said that governor Obaseki is committed to the welfare of workers in the state through innovative ways.

    “ Several reforms have been carried out in the Edo State civil service, including world-class trainings for the workers, revamp of their work environment, timely payment of salary and the migration of work culture from analogue to digital platform for efficiency,” Osagie added.

  • Xmas: Edo residents upbeat about Obaseki’s discount Food, Agric Market

    …bag of rice to sell for N15,000, cow N150,000 

    Residents of Edo State are gearing up for discount shopping at the government’s food market initiated by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to mitigate the impact of the nation’s current economic reality on people in the state.

    Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, said the state government has undertaken to provide trucks that will be sent to farmers in villages and peri-urban areas, to convey farm produce to venue of the Food and Agric Fair, Imaguero College, in Benin City.

    “The farmers will not pay for the transportation of their produce to the fair, the transportation burden will be borne by the state government. With this and other incentives, we are certain that the costs of food items will reduce significantly at the fair,” Osagie said.

    “We are urging Edo people and residents in the state to take advantage of the fair as there will be free drinks and free indomie meals for children.

    “The price of a bag of rice will begin from N15,000 and the price of a big cow will begin from N150,000 while tomatoes, tubers of yam, plantain and other foodstuffs will be sold at affordable prices,” the governor’s aide added.

    Madam Eseosa Igbinidu, a civil servant who resides in Benin City, said she is waiting for the fair to open to shoppers.

    “We are aware of the Food and Agric Fair and the timing is also right because we have been paid our November salary. We want to spend our salary wisely and give our families the best treatment in the Yuletide,” she said.

    Other residents interviewed, expressed delight at the initiative and commended governor Obaseki for always seeking ways to make life easier for the common man.

    “We commend the governor for always seeking ways to reduce the impact of the struggling national economy on Edo people. The idea of a food and agric fair is brilliant and it will be a win-win for farmers who have challenges transporting their produce to the market and consumers, who want more value for their money,” Mr Ugbo Sunday said.

    Read Also: Obaseki presents two-year score card

    The state government earlier in the week announced that  arrangements were on top gear to ensure residents have memorable Christmas celebration with the hosting of the first Food and Agric Fair with the intention to slash prices of foodstuff.

    State Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperative and Employment, Emmanuel Usoh, who disclosed this at a press briefing said the fair would show case food produced in the state and also sell same to Edo people at low prices during this Yuletide season.

    He said a day would be set aside for farmers and players in the agro allied industries to meet and exchange ideas on the best practices globally, adding that the fair would attend to challenges facing small scale farmers and showcase opportunities in the agric industry, including funding capacities of development banks and partners.

    He said; “Products ranging from rice, vegetable oil, onions and all sorts of farm produce will be sold at promotional prices. Poultry products would also be available. There will be a mobile abattoir. Frozen chicken will be available for sale.

    “There will be a stand for local cuisine. Beverage companies have indicated interest to participate in the fair. Father Christmas will be there for the children to visit. The children will get free drinks and free food from Dufil foods. Commissioners are to be dressed in Father’s Christmas costumes.

    “There will be subsidy for farmers to transport their farm produce to the venue. Farmers in the northern part of the state producing onions have agreed to sell at very low prices.”

  • Obaseki mobilizes stakeholders to back plan on security architecture

    As the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, fine tunes plans for the launch of the state’s Security Architecture later in the month, private companies in the state are upbeat about the prospect of having a robust security support structure that will further boost the ease of doing business in the state.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, told journalists in Benin City, the state capital, that feedbacks from the engagements between the governor and private companies in the state, on the security architecture, have been encouraging.

    Edo State is host to several companies, namely; Dangote Cement, BUA Cement, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Pan Ocean Oil Corporation, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Okomu Oil Plc, Presco Plc, Rubber Estates Nigeria Ltd, hotels, steel and ceramic companies, amongst others.

    “We are delighted to receive heart-warming response from our development partners who are corporate citizens of the state. As you are aware, security is everybody’s business. Governor Obaseki has set aside N2 billion in the proposed 2019 budget for this initiative and the companies in Benin are queueing behind the governor to ensure that the state is rid of all forms of crimes,” Osagie said.

    “The engagement is ongoing and we are reaching out to everyone so that we can bring everyone on board, in the fight against crimes in the state. Our dear state is the most peaceful in the Niger Delta region, but we want to raise the bar, considering our huge investment in the development of an industrial park, a modular refinery and a seaport and the attendant human traffic that these investments will pull to the state,” he added.

    Read Also: Obaseki presents N175.7b budget

    According to the governor’s aide, “Already procured for unveiling by the state government are three Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs); ninety (90) patrol vehicles; fifty (50) patrol cars and forty (40) pick-up patrol vans; thirty (30) motorcycles and three ambulances.

    “They are all fitted with digital communication equipment for real time information sharing among the various security agencies.”

    He said manpower will be drawn from the Nigeria Police Force; the Military; Department of State Services; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the state’s Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV) scheme.

    The governor’s aide explained that 1000 members of PUWOV will support men and women of the various security agencies in executing the goals set in the security blueprint.

    “The first batch of two hundred (200) PUWOV personnel are being trained at the Police Training School (PTS), Ogida, and another 800 volunteers will be fit for deployment before the launch date.

    “They will be kitted in the approved uniform and will form bulk of the first batch that will be unveiled at the launch date of December 13,” Osagie said.

    To kick-start the Security Trust Fund, he said the governor has set aside N2billion in the 2019 proposed budget, which will be supported by private companies in the state and other organisations.

    “The Edo State Security Trust Fund is a pool of fund set up by the Obaseki-led administration, which companies, charitable groups and individuals would contribute to, as part of a collective effort to fight crimes,” he added.

  • Obaseki directs health ministry to curtail yellow fever outbreak

    …Commissioner dispels strange illness rumour, says tests show 2 yellow fever cases

     

    Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has directed the state Ministry of Health to curtail the outbreak of yellow fever in some communities in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state.

    Obaseki gave the directive following media reports of the death of two persons in the area, after exhibiting symptoms such as vomiting, high fever and stomach pain.

    Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, said: “The Governor is disturbed by the development and has directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr. David Osifo, to deploy experts in the ministry to the communities affected by the illness.”

    Osagie added that the governor has promised to mobilize additional resources, if the need arises, to support the ministry of health to enable it establish the cause of the illness and death of two persons in the area.

    Read Also: Obaseki unveils multi-skills centre

    When contacted, Commissioner for Health, Dr. David Osifo, said: “We have deployed a team of experts to the communities and the result of the initial tests showed symptoms of cases of yellow fever.

    “They tested negative to Lassa Fever. We are doing contact tracing and sensitising people in the communities to clean up their environment.”

    Dismissing claim of a strange illness by journalists, Dr. Osifo, said “there is no such thing as a strange illness in Edo State. We have identified yellowness of the eyes and related symptoms, which led us to the conclusion that the illness is yellow fever. We are on top of the situation and will curb the spread of the disease as directed by the state governor.”

  • Edo finalizes audit of roads as contractors mobilize to site

    The Edo State Government has finalized the audit of roads across the state to determine the areas and level of intervention needed to bring them to good shape, as part of efforts to fast-track improvement in road infrastructure across the state.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the road audit was carried out to provide government with a reliable assessment of road infrastructure with a view to categorizing the level of intervention and mobilizing resources to fix the roads.

    According to Osagie, “Governor Obaseki means business in Edo State. He is out to ensure that contracts awarded for road construction and reconstruction are carried out to specifications and are of the best quality.”

    “The data from the audit carried out on the roads give details of roads that need intervention, outlining those that need serious or minimal work to put them in good shape. On a number of the roads,  contractors are returning to site to commence work. This will give tax payers value for their money,” he added.

    Read Also: Edo unveils paid Graduate Internship Programme

    He said that “In areas where construction or reconstruction work is still ongoing, the audit measures progress that has been made and the challenges, if any. Governor Obaseki is clear about the quality of work and expected dates for the completion. The road projects must meet the agreed terms.”

    Osagie added that roads are critical components of the Governor Obaseki led-administration’s vision for economic transformation and wealth creation for Edo people as the road projects will not only connect the different parts of the state but open up more areas to economic activities.

    He said, “After completing the road audit, contractors will mobilize equipment from their locations towards the various project sites. The governor will be on selected sites to personally flag-off the construction work.”

  • Obaseki mobilizes traditional rulers for 2018 Alaghodaro Summit

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has begun the mobilization of traditional rulers across the state ahead of the second edition of the Alaghodaro Summit, scheduled for November.

    The move to galvanise occupiers of the revered traditional seats is predicated on the crucial role traditional rulers play in the lives of Edo people and residents, as custodians of the people’s culture and traditions.

    Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie said: “Our royal fathers and chiefs across the state are being mobilized by the governor for a colourful Alaghodaro Summit which has Edo people as its focus.

    “As representatives of various communities and clans, these traditional rulers are in the best position to gauge the impact of the Obaseki-led administration on the people, in the last two years.”

    Osagie explained, “They are very influential. Most of the traditional rulers are opinion leaders and moulders. They foster peace and unity in their domains and have proven to be dependable allies in the state’s growth trajectory, as enunciated by governor Obaseki.”

    Read Also: Obaseki commiserates with Ohiwerei’s family

    The governor’s aide maintained that “traditional rulers in the state have been supportive of the various reforms executed in critical sectors of the states, such as the fight against human trafficking and child molestation; the scrapping of Community Development Associations (CDAs); efforts at maintaining law and order, and the ban on the use of thugs for the collection of revenue in parts of the state amongst others.”

    Osagie added that the traditional rulers will be at the Alaghodaro Summit to share their experiences with other participants at the event.

    “For example, the traditional rulers in Edo North and central senatorial districts would talk about the impact the Edo Fertiliser and Chemical Plant in Auchi, is having on agricultural activities in the area.

    “Worthy of note is the role the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, has played in mobilising parents for the immunisation programme; his royal backing for the fight against human trafficking and illegal migration as well as the outlawed Community Development Association (CDAs),” he added.

    The 2018 edition of the Alaghodaro Summit will focus on Edo people, showcasing how the state is designing and implementing policies, programmes and initiative to improve the lives of the people, engender inclusive growth and enhance law and order.

    Recall that the 2017 edition of the Alaghodaro Summit tagged Envisioning the Future, hosted the crème of Nigeria’s investment climate, drawn from within and outside the country, who hailed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s efforts to re position the state as the most viable investment destination in the country.

  • Edo not owing workers’ salaries – BudgIT

    An independent survey by civic start-up, BudgIT, has shown that Edo State is not owing workers’ salaries.

    The survey which was conducted across Nigeria’s 36 states showed state governments that currently owe outstanding workers’ salaries in the education and health sectors, secretariats as well as backlog of pension.

    The survey, tagged State of States: 2018 Sub-National Salary Survey, which is valid as of September 24, 2018, showed that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration does not owe salaries due school teachers, midwives in government hospitals and secretariat workers.

    In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said that the survey confirms the state government’s stance on the early payment of workers’ salaries, and “civil servants can testify that they get their salaries before the 26th of every month.”

    According to him, “The verdict of the survey by the independent researchers once again affirms what is already known by all. It goes to show everyone what workers in Edo enjoy and the fact that we are indeed committed to the welfare of workers.”

    He said that the ability to pay workers as and when due is the result of the frugal, time-tested resource management strategy adopted by Governor Godwin Obaseki in managing the state’s resources.

    Osagie said, “The state government has been able to meet her statutory financial obligation to workers as a result of her efficient financial management principle. We are happy that other people are also acknowledging this with surveys like this.

    Read Also: BudgIT knocks NASS

    “At this juncture, it is pertinent to stress that the Governor Obaseki-led administration will, at all times, work for the betterment of the lives of Edo workers, provide enabling environment for them to work and also set the right machinery for capacity building so they can be fulfilled in their jobs as well as their private lives.”

    The survey showed that some states are owing outstanding salaries ranging from one to 36 months, with the worst hit being Kogi, Osun, Imo and Delta states.

    Commenting on some of the states, BudgIT said, “While midwives in Kogi were only paid 40 percent of their agreed salaries and secretariat workers paid 50 percent, in Osun, salaries outstanding is 50 percent for 30 months, but those in levels 1-7 were fully paid.”

  • Obaseki leads global icons to Ekpoma for Ambrose Alli’s memorial

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, will lead a train of global icons, including business and political leaders, activists, academics, and civil society groups, to Ekpoma, in Edo Central Senatorial district, for the 29th Memorial Day Celebration of former governor of old Bendel State (now Edo and Delta states), Prof. Ambrose Alli.

    In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said that the governor would be hosting a large entourage that will be in Emuado in Ekpoma for the celebration.

    He said, “We are very excited to be celebrating late Prof. Ambrose Alli. It is, for many of us in Edo, something remarkable because a lot of the young, upwardly mobile people and businessmen in the state benefited from the impactful policies initiated by Prof. Ambrose Alli when he was the governor.

    “A good number of these people attended either one of the over 600 secondary schools or the Bendel State University, which is now Ambrose Alli University, today. So, for them, it is an opportunity to once again pay homage to a good, enviable son of the state.”

    Read Also: FG hails Obaseki’s basic education reform

    He described the former governor of old Bendel as a hero of good governance and accountability, noting, “We fondly remember the legacies of former governor of the old Bendel state and it is only right to celebrate him. The governor will be leading a delegation to Emuado, for the memorial mass service, which will host a lot of the people from within the state and the Diaspora.”

    One of the events to mark the event is a Memorial Mass at the St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Emaudo, Ekpoma.

    Late Prof. Alli, a professor of Morbid Anatomy, was governor of old Bendel State from 1979 to 1983. He founded the Bendel State University with campuses in Ekpoma, Abraka and Asaba and over 600 secondary schools. He also initiated landmark infrastructural and housing projects within Edo and Delta states.

  • Obaseki attracting foreign investment to Edo – Osagie

    … says he hopes Orbih will be a free man to benefit from projects

     

    The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, has said that the state is on the march towards more prosperity with the recent investment deals signed with Chinese investors in Beijing, China.

    Osagie noted that while the deals further validate the commitment of Obaseki’s administration to industrialise the state, he explained that “on the flip side, the deals in China have dealt a final blow to the lies and falsehood peddled over time, by members of the dying Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

    The governor’s aide said: “After several rounds of engagements with Chinese investors, Edo people received the heart-warming news few days ago, of the successful signing of the investment agreements on all three big ticket investments; the Benin Industrial Park, Benin River Port in Gelegele and the modular refinery projects which were successfully signed in Beijing, China, on the sidelines of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).”

    He added that since the signing of the final investment agreement with the Chinese investors, “Governor Godwin Obaseki, senior officials in his administration and well-meaning Edo people in their millions, residents and friends of the state, have been basking in the euphoria of the prospect of a state on its way to more prosperity.

    “Unfortunately, some elements within the dying Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have a brush with the law for alleged fraud, may be behind bars when these projects come on stream.”

    Read Also: Obaseki urges behavourial change in anti-corruption fight

    According to Osagie, “At various social gatherings of Edo progressives in the state and in the diaspora, the investment agreements with the Chinese companies have dominated discussions.

    “While torrents of goodwill messages and phone calls are being exchanged across the world by people who believe in our dear state and the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki, many are toasting to what experts describe as an action that will turn Edo State from a landlocked state to one of Nigeria’s gateways to the international market.”

    He explained that “The combined impact of an industrial park, a seaport and a refinery will undo the drag in our socio-economic development, which has held us down for decades.”

    “While we await the congratulatory message of the Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the dying Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, on this great feat that will benefit all Edo people, we urge him to salute the Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s triumph in an area – industrialization – where the dying Edo PDP failed abysmally,” he said.

    He assured that “The industrialization of Edo State is a task that the Obaseki administration is committed to and we are reclaiming all the opportunities we missed under the self-serving PDP administration in Edo State.”

    Osagie emphasized that “Never again will Edo people allow charlatans like Dan Orbih, Chris Nehikhare and their co-travellers access to power and reverse our progress.”

    On the fraud allegation case against Orbih, Osagie said: “I wish Chief Dan Orbih a great day in court soon, as he faces justice over his N700 million fraud case and I hope he will be a free man to enjoy the benefits of an industrialized Edo State.”