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Tag: Edo State government

  • Firm partners Edo on consumer foods production

    The Heritage Agro-Allied Foods Nigeria Ltd (H2A) is partnering with the Edo State government, Elephant Group and Von Foods to develop processing of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF).

    The Managing Director of H2A Foods, Dr Tony Bello, said on Wednesday in Lagos that HQCF also known as “Tapioca Flour” would be processed into nutritious consumer foods like snacks in Nigeria.

    ‘The HQCF policy of the Edo Government has gone beyond cassava bread.

    “What we are working on is the transformation of staple crops into industrial food ingredients such as gluten-free tapioca flour and extruded snack foods.

    “Our goal is to engage thousands of small scale cooperative farmers in Edo to grow cassava for processing into tapioca flour, flakes, granules and snack foods,” Bello said in a statement.

    According to him, H2A, a U.S.-based Food Science and Technology company is facilitating the 6 million dollars investment plan as well as institutional investments and private sector partners under a strategic public-private partnership platform with Edo Government.

  • Obaseki streamlines policies, initiatives on open data

    The Edo State Government has commenced capacity building for Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA) to provide investors with a seamless access to government data to further improve the ease of doing business in the state.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Investment Promotion, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, said the initiative is part of the state government’s vision to improve the ease of doing business by providing a one-stop portal for investors to access government information relating to their investment.

    He said Edo will host the Nigeria Investment Certification Programme for State (NICPS) on Tuesday, January 29, to galvanise stakeholders in various MDAs to respond effectively to enquires on investment.

    In a chat with journalists, Uwaibi  noted that the stakeholders’ meeting between the MDAs and the Investment Promotion Office will focus on certification to ensure that civil servants are able to respond to enquiries from local and foreign investors, and get them to invest in the state.

    According to him, “For example, what are the opportunities available in the state? We want civil servants to be able to sell the state in a structured manner to investors and show that we are ready for investment. They should also show that we have opportunities in terms of buildings and sites that the investors can also leverage on in the state,” he added.

    Uwaibi said the process of providing investors with access to data on their investments “started few months ago with the MDAs. We want the MDAs to be able to provide answers to investors’ enquiries accurately when they are approached and there should be that synergy between the Investment Promotion Office and the MDAs so that there is no miscommunication in terms of what we as a state are offering to investors.”

    He added that the state is building a data bank, “which would also fit into the open data portal that the Governor has agreed to develop, and will be open to investors to access data relating to investment opportunities in the state.”

     

  • Emotan Gardens: Obaseki set to handover first set of housing units

    The Edo State Government has said that all is set for the handover of the first set of housing units at Emotan Gardens to the beneficiaries as promised by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

    Executive Chairman, Edo Development and Property Development Agency, (EDPA), Isoken Omo, disclosed this in a chat with journalists, noting that the agency and its joint-venture partner, Mixta Nigeria, are working round the clock to deliver on the project.

    She said Governor Obaseki will soon hand over the first set of housing units to some civil servants, including the Head teacher of Emotan Primary School, Mrs. Noragbon Osaru, in redemption of his pledge to them, and as a demonstration of the fact that the houses are indeed for the people.

    “We are excited that the governor will be handing over the first set of houses to some of the people he has promised housing units in the estate. With this, those who are up-to-date on their subscription are good to move in.”

    According to her, “We have made appreciable progress on Emotan Gardens. As anyone can easily confirm, a good number of housing units are ready for occupation. A lot of people are paying up; the subscriber base is growing and we are really excited.”

    Emotan Gardens, a 1800-unit affordable housing project, sits on a 70-hectare land in the Upper Sakponba axis of Benin metropolis, and is being promoted by the state government.

    The project is being developed through a joint-venture partnership between the EDPA and Mixta Nigeria, and is the first housing project by the state government in the last 16 years.

  • Two die as Edo debunks reports of strange ailments in villages

    EDO State government has debunked reports of strange ailments in some villages in Uhunmwode Local Government Area. It said test carried out on victims showed a case of yellow fever.

    Two persons have been killed by the ailment. Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, in a statement said the governor has directed officials of the state Ministry of Health to curtail the outbreak of yellow fever. According to Crusoe, “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.

    “The governor has promised to mobilise 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. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. David Osifo, said a team of experts have been deployed to the communities and the result of the initial tests showed symptoms of cases of yellow fever. “They tested negative to yellow fever. We are doing contact tracing and sensitising people in the communities to clean up their environment. “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 bans production of pallets outside sawmills

    The Edo State Government has banned the production of wood pallets outside sawmills across the state, citing that some operators of bench mills have been felling under-aged and under-girth trees for production of pallets.

    In a statement, Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Dame Omua Alonge Oni-Okpaku, warned that bench millers who flout the ban will be blacklisted and their licences revoked.

    Read Also:Edo cult killings: Police arrest 58 suspects

    According to her, “The ministry has observed with dismay that operators of Bench-Mills in the State have formed the habit of felling under-aged and under-girth trees and using them in the production of pallets.  This irresponsible behaviour is decimating our already depleted forest resources.

    “In order to stem this ugly trend, it is hereby announced for the information of the general public particularly operators of Bench-Mills in the state that a ban has been placed on the production of pallets outside the sawmills within the state with immediate effect.  It is needless for me to emphasise that felling of under-aged and under-girth trees for any purpose remains an offence.”

    She added, “In view of the above, any Bench-Mill operator that is found still producing pallets in the state would have his or her licence revoked and black-listed.”

    Recall that the ministry has led a strong campaign against unscrupulous businessmen who engage in activities that harm the environment and compromise the state’s environmental sustainability drive for pecuniary gains.

    The state recently suspended the exploitation of forest resources within and outside forest reserves in the state, after licences for tree logging in the state expired on June 30.

    With the suspension, timber licenses, saw-millers and timber contractors were required to halt all forms of forest exploitation and logging activities within the forest reserves and ‘free areas’ of the state.

    Similarly, the state government in August shut down burrow pits in the state, citing threat to the integrity of the environment, danger of flash floods and the need to avoid health hazards.

  • Missing child: Edo evacuates children from God’s Own Orphanage 

    …Three other undocumented children found at facility

     

    The Edo State Government has evacuated 15 children from God’s Own Orphanage, in Benin City, pending conclusion of ongoing investigation of the case of a child that was allegedly stolen at Christ Embassy, Oregun, Lagos and found at the orphanage in Benin.

    The four-year-old, identified as Elo Ogidi, was said to have been stolen in July and was found last Friday in God’s Own Orphanage when policemen raided the facility after a tip-off.

    Read Also:Orphanage owner nabbed over missing child in Lagos

    Speaking after sealing off the centre, located at 25 Davies Street, off 2nd Dr. Garrick Layout, off Siluko Road, Benin City, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Magdalene Ohenhen, noted that management of the centre did not follow due process in admitting Elo into the home.

    During the operation, the commissioner and her team also discovered that the orphanage had three other children who were not documented with the ministry as required by law.

    Ohenhen said, “there are rules and regulations guiding the operations of orphanages, but the management of God’s Own Orphanage did not abide by these rules which is why we have shut it.

    “The procedure is that before you accept a child into an orphanage in the state, the operator of the home must inform the state government through the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.”

    According to Ohenhen, God’s Own Orphanage “has three other children who were admitted into the home without the knowledge of the state government.”

    Noting that the owner of God’s Own Orphanage didn’t inform government before admitting Elo, she said, “The home did not inform us about the child who was reported missing in a church in Lagos, before accommodating the child in the home.”

    She noted that the children in the orphanage numbering about 15 are being moved to a safer centre, where they will be under the custody of the Edo State Government, pending when investigation on the activities of the home is concluded.

  • Edo donates relief materials to communities affected by windstorm 

    Edo State Government has donated relief materials to communities affected by windstorm in Esan West and Owan West local government areas of the state.

    The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Special Duties, Hon. Yakubu Gowon, handed over the relief materials on behalf of the state government to chairmen of the two local councils in Benin City, the state capital.

    Gowon said governor Obaseki had earlier extended similar gesture to some communities in other local government areas in the state where windstorm wreaked havoc three months ago.

    He explained that Governor Obaseki has fulfilled the promise he made shortly after the disaster, to assist the affected communities.

    “This is a continuous exercise; as at date, we have donated relief materials to communities in about 12 local government areas and we have been receiving letters of appreciation from the beneficiaries.

    “While some states in the country that experienced similar disaster are still waiting for the support of the federal government, the Edo State government has gone ahead to render assistance to these communities,” he said.

    Receiving the items, the chairmen of the councils commended the Obaseki-led administration for bringing succour to the affected persons.

    The Chairman of Owan West Council, who was represented by Mr George Ohioma, assured that committees would be set up to oversee the distribution of the items as directed by the state government.

    The Chairman of Esan West LGA, represented by Osborn Elimhele said “we are happy about the intervention from the state government and we will ensure that the affected people get the materials.”

    The relief materials include roofing sheets, bags of cement, ceiling boards and bags of nails.

  • 500 Edo secondary school teachers undergo digital literacy training

    As part of ongoing efforts to improve quality education by leveraging Information Communication Technology (ICT), the Edo State Government has partnered with SAP, an international software company, on a 2-day digital literacy workshop for 500 secondary school teachers across the state.

    The Edo State Government is organising the training tagged Digital Literacy Workshop through its Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA). It will hold from August 30 to 31, at the ICT Agency CBT Center, Government Secretariat Building, High Court Road, Benin City.

    Read Also:Attack on Obaseki’s convoy: Edo Central leaders condemn incident

    Director, Edo State Information Communication Technology Agency, Yuwa Naps, in a statement, noted that the workshop is being put together by the agency and the Post Primary Education Board in partnership with SAP, West Africa. He added that Governor Obaseki will be on ground to launch the training.

    Naps explained “the workshop will take train-the-trainer model and will expose 500 teachers across the state to coding (SCRATCH levels 1 & 2) and web programming.”

    He said the participants will be organised in batches and awarded with certificate at the completion of the workshop.

    The training is coming only few days after the state government approved the full roll-out of the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme, which will see over 60,000 pupils in three local governments of the state access top-of-the-range basic education powered by technology. The Edo-BEST programme is a state-wide basic education reform that will see schools leapfrog and keep track of the emerging issues in digitally-driven pedagogy.

    The state government is overhauling its education sector to be more responsive to needs of the society and the continuous training of teachers to teach in line with the demands of the digital age is one of the Governor Obaseki-led administration’s goals for the sector.

     

  • Edo orders arrest of fake motor licencing syndicate         

    The Edo State Government has ordered the arrest of two persons for allegedly operating a fake motor licencing syndicate and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.

    The two suspects are Igbinidu Osagbemworhue and Austin Nwadili, who were allegedly processing fake motor licence and vehicle particulars.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Surveillance, Comrade Emmanuel Orukpe, said that the suspects were apprehended when a team of surveillance operatives tracked them and uncovered their dealings in fake motor vehicle particulars.

    According to him, “The suspects in the course of a fresh negotiation for the production of drivers’ licences were arrested. The two suspects who were arrested gave their names as Igbinidu Osagbemworhue and Austin Nwadili. The suspects were searched on the spot and found with two sets of drivers’ licences, bearing the name of one of the suspects, Austine Nwadili, suspected to be fake; Courier Service Report belonging to  Mr Igbinidu, which was suspected to have been unlawfully obtained and one suspected fake PCRC ID Card bearing the name  Igbinidu.”

    He said that the suspects claimed that the documents were perfected by another suspect who hangs around the premises of the Board of Internal Revenue.

    He said that investigations on the documents found on them showed that they were fake, as, “the two documents bear the same date, whereas the one with Reg. No. ASB372 RK was handed over before the one with No. EJ543 BEN. The Certificate of Road Worthiness seems to have originated from ML 9. The Road Worthiness Certificates for the two vehicles which were purported to have been issued on the same day were also from different booklets.”

    He said that investigation is in progress at the State Criminal Investigation Department, and that the Chairman of the state’s Board of Internal Revenue will look into the matter.

    He warned others engaging in such criminal act to desist forthwith as the state government has a standing surveillance team which will leave no stone unturned in fishing them out for prosecution.

  • Edo partners landlords on greenery project

    The Edo State Government has disclosed plans to partner landlords in the state capital, Benin City, on a greenery project, describing the move as part of efforts on environmental sustainability.

    Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Dame Omoua Alonge Oni-Okpaku, who said this in a chat with journalists, noted that the project will be driven through a social and behavioural change template that will encourage the landlords to plant and maintain trees in front of their houses.

    Read Also:Edo pays Libya returnees N60.17m in 10 months

    According to her, “There is a big drive at enhancing the beauty of our state. We are looking at parks and gardens. We are also looking at building what the old Edo was in a modern form.

    “Governor Godwin Obaseki’s drive is to create a beautiful Edo, a state where people can come in contact with tradition and with a feel of it, in the 21st century.

    She said, “we are looking at building up our parks, ring road, and intend to get our landscaping right. In the greenery project, we will commence an awareness campaign to appeal to people to plant flowers in front of their houses.”

    The Commissioner explained that the state government will support the people in achieving the greenery project, adding, “If everybody does their bit, it would become easier for government to work on areas that are not owned by individuals.”

    She explained that the state government will roll out a clean-up initiative, noting that the state government is trying to get dustbins in vehicles to for the control and collection of plastic wastes.