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Tag: Edo State

  • Edo Assembly rejects Reps’ moves to disrupt its activities

    The Edo State House of Assembly has rejected moves by the House of Representatives to disrupt activities  in its chamber, calling on the Inspector General of Police and heads of the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to respect a subsisting court order restraining them from interfering in the activities of Edo House of Assembly.

    Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye, said this in a statement he issued in Benin City on Wednesday, following reports of an order by the House of Representatives to seal up the Edo House of Assembly.

    Okiye said: “It has come to our knowledge that the Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives investigating issues surrounding the inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly has recommended that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Department of State Services (DSS) should seal up the Edo Assembly.”

    The Speaker noted that “Considering what we came to know in the course of this process, the recommendation of the Ad-Hoc committee does not come to us as a surprise.

    “For example, the chattered plane marked 5N FCT, which brought the committee members to Benin City was paid for by the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole,who is a major party in the disagreement.”

    He further said: “Also, the younger brother to the National Chairman, Seid Oshiomhole, in a recent leaked audio conversation, revealed the underhand dealings in Abuja regarding the matter. He stated that Oshiomhole and his proxies have been having meetings with the committee members and other actors in the issue in Abuja and dolling out money to ensure the issue goes in their favour.”

    Read Also: PDP decries Edo Assembly crisis

    Rt. Hon Okiye maintained that “With all these, it was clear that the ad-hoc committee was up to no good. Their report was always going to be biased.

    “Moreover, we want to draw the attention of the general public and the police to a subsisting court order restraining the Police, headed by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and their agents,  from interfering in the affairs of the Assembly, as the House has been going about its activities peacefully and without rancour.”

    He advised that “The National Assembly must take note that they are expected to act as agents of peace and not merchants of crisis. Edo State has always been peaceful and any attempt for them to carry out this order will certainly disrupt the peace that is currently being enjoyed in the state.”

    The Speaker stressed that, “In a time like this in which the nation is being engulfed in one form of violence or the other, it is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is seen to be promoting violence and exacerbating the tension in the country.”

  • Obaseki swears-in Commissioners, Advisers, urges them to work for Edo people

    Six Commissioners and five Special Advisers were on Wednesday sworn-in by the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, with a charge to the appointees to work for the betterment of the state and people.

    Speaking during the swearing-in of the commissioners and special advisers at Government House, Benin City, the governor described their appointment as a call to service.

    He noted, “You will be put under pressure but resist it, knowing that you are called to serve and if you do well, your family, friends and the state stand to benefit. Politicians are just agents between the people and public good. I want to admonish all of you because you may end up worse off financially, like me, when you leave office. But a good name is better.”

    The governor said Edo State is marching towards greater heights, moreso, if everyone agrees to diligently work for the progress of the state and people. He noted, “The real challenge in Edo State is our meagre resources, which they are all struggling to share in the name of politics. It is so small. In global terms, the total budget of the four (4) million people in Edo is less than $400 million and that is less than the budget of the New York Police.”

    Read Also: Obaseki has no plan to leave APC, says aide

    “This is an economy that can generate $4 billion a year but when we decide to eat the yam seeds it will become difficult to achieve. Today you are joining me to make Edo State a premium state in Nigeria where we are re-defining and re-enacting public service. Politics is geared towards service to the people,” he added.

    Speaking on behalf of the other appointees, Hon. Damian Lawani, thanked the governor for the opportunity given to them to contribute their quota to the development of Edo State.

    He pledged their loyalty to the service of the people of Edo State and called on the governor to sack any one of them if found wanting in the discharge of their duty.

     

  • Lawmakers-elect deny impeachment notice on Obaseki

    MEMBERS-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly who are yet to be inaugurated have disowned a purported impeachment notice on the Governor Godwin Obaseki, saying the notice circulating the social media did not emanate from them.

    A statement by the 15 lawmakers-elect described the document as fake and a calculated attempt to smear their names for standing on the path of truth.

    The statement reads: “We the elected members of the Edo State House of Assembly, that have been away from our state because of harassment and intimidation we faced for rejecting impunity and standing for the truth, hereby informs the people of Edo State, and the public, that the impeachment notice on Governor Godwin Obaseki, currently circulating the social media, is not from us.

    “The document is fake, treacherous, insipid and a calculated attempt to smear our names for standing on the path of truth.

    “In the first place, the public would have noticed that two of the names mentioned in the fake document – Nosayaba Okunbur and Chief Sunday Ojiezele – with the governor in Benin.

    Read Also: Obaseki salutes ThisDay Publisher Obaigbena at 60

    “In fact Okunbor has done a public disclaimer to that effect. It is also clear that members-elect cannot impeach a governor. The most questionable aspect of the document is the fact that it was typed on an All Progressives Congress (APC) letterhead, but the cheap criminals made the heading invisible.

    “Again, we want to make it clear that our condemnation of the nocturnal kangaroo inauguration is because we want the proper and right thing done. Any Speaker who eventually emerges from a transparent inauguration will work harmoniously with the governor.

    “We are not surprised at the appearance of a fake document on social media, as those behind the nocturnal, shameful and kangaroo inaugurations are capable of doing anything to give us a bad name to whip up public sentiment to support their infamous actions.”

     

  • Obaseki salutes ThisDay Publisher Obaigbena at 60

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has congratulated the publisher of Thisday Newspapers and owner of Arise Television Limited, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, who marks his 60th birthday on Sunday, July 14.

    In a statement, the governor noted: “On behalf of the Government and people of Edo State, I congratulate veteran journalist and publisher, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, who clocks 60 on July 14. He has contributed immensely to the development of the country through innovations in journalism and his enterprising spirit, which have distinguished him among his peers in the profession.”

    Read Also: Obaseki counts gains of NAFEST

    He said Obaigbena’s commitment to the tenets of a free society and accountability are underscored by the success and influence of his media enterprise, noting, “I celebrate you and all that you have accomplished in the journalism profession.

    “I join others to celebrate your commitment to a free society and holding government accountable to the people, with your platforms. You have continued to blaze the trail in the profession despite several challenges, and your innovations have come to define some of the fine points of journalism today. We wish you many more years.”

    “We pray that you continue to inspire the new generation of journalists to serve our fatherland, deepen the culture of  probity and create an enlightened society. I salute your achievements and pray that you enjoy many more years of good health and prosperity,” Obaseki added.

  • Edo lawmakers-elect denounce inauguration

    THE House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly learnt on Wednesday that each inaugurated member got N5 million.

    A member, Washington Osifo, said: “The Edo State House of Assembly was, on June 17, illegally inaugurated.”

    Another member, Christopher Okibe, described the sixth Edo House as a legislative embarrassment as it was an “appendage of the executive”.

    “They even forced us to vote against our own autonomy,” he said.

    The lawmakers came with evidences in 15 flash drives, documents, including screenshots of text messages from the governor, pictures, audio and video recordings for the committee.

    They said because of the threat to their lives, they exiled themselves to the Federal Capital City.

    Committee Chairman Abdulrasak Namdas said though the House of Representatives has the constitutional powers to take over functions of the Edo House of Assembly, members felt there was need to seek the genesis of the problem and look at the possibility of reconciling the two factions.

    Read Also: Experts assure Edo residents of quality health care

    The panel will be visiting the state to take testimony from the governor, as well as speak with the Commissioner of Police, among others. The committee will also visit the Oba of Benin.

    The Senate yesterday constituted a seven-man investigative committee to probe the crisis.

    Deputy Chief Whip Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi will head the panel.

    If the committee establishes that the House is in a crisis, the National Assembly may take over its legislative functions.

  • Experts assure Edo residents of quality health care

    As the Edo State Government intensifies patch up work at the Edo Specialist Hospital, medical consultants at the facility have assured residents of access to quality and affordable health care, with the deployment of state-of-the-art medical facilities.

    A team of consultants, who addressed journalists at the hospital in Benin City, said residents in the state seeking quality medical services at the hospital would get top-of-the-range health services from seasoned medical practitioners who are conversant with modern trends in medicine and would deploy Information Communication Technology (ICT) in their operations.

    Head of Clinical Operation at the hospital, Dr. Okhawere Martin, said the hospital is computerised from the front desk to the consultants’ laboratory, which eliminates delays in booking an appointment with a doctor and searching for patients’ medical records.

    Dr. Martin said there is a phased approach to the opening of the hospital, with the first phase offering radio diagnostic, dialysis, nephrology and geriatric services.

    Read Also: Senate seeks death penalty for rapists, paedophiles

    He noted, “This is the first phase of the services of the hospital as phase two and three will follow subsequently. Edo Specialist Hospital is designed as a referral centre to take referrals from primary healthcare centres and secondary facilities around us here in the state. We hope that people in other states will come to also experience what we have to offer. We stand to offer global content and world-class services.”

    A Renal Service Provider, Dr. Richie Ikhide Odigie, said the hospital has specialised consultancy service, which would meet the tertiary medical need of Edo residents, assuring that the people will enjoy world-class services at the facility.

    Dr. Odigie explained that the selling point for the hospital is the state-of-the-art equipment procured by the state government, adding, “Governor Godwin Obaseki has taken time to provide access to health care in the state, creating room for patients to buy into the state health insurance scheme that will commence soon, which will ensure affordable health care for the people.”

    Journalists were conducted round the facilities at the hospital, with visits to the hospital main theatre, minor theatre, surgical emergency ward,  medical emergency ward, pharmacy, laboratory, consulting room,  centre for sterilisation services, dialysis and mammography sections.

     

     

  • 23-year-old pleads for artificial limb

    Her story is pathetic. She had vision and mission. She wanted to be one of those that will lift Nigeria and make her great.

    She is a multi-talented 23-year old one-legged girl, Doris Samuel. She  was involved in a serious accident that nearly claimed her life. One of her legs had to be amputed. But, despite her condition, she believes in the dictum that “when there is life, there is hope.”

    Doris’s trauma has, however, not dampened her hope of realising her potential no matter the present circumstance.

    Her present predicament resulted from a life-threatening car accident which is a serious.

    Findings from Federal Ministry of Health revealed that deaths as a result of road accident are second to deaths occasioned by Boko Haram insurgency.

    Road mishaps have brought sorrow to many homes; many prospective families have lost their bread winners to road accident while many are incapacitated because of its effects.

    Doris, who is indigenous to Edo State is one of the many victims of road accidents, who lost one of her limbs in an auto crash in Delta State when she was just six.

    While struggling to face her destiny, a kind-hearted man, who is the former Chief Whip of the Ondo State House of Assembly in the Seventh Assembly Hon. Olatunji Dairo representing Owo Constituency 11, came across the girl on the streets of Akure and was sympathetic to her plight. He alerted the media for public attention on the girl’s plight.

    The ex-lawmaker had assisted many people in similar circumstances in the past.

    Doris is currently living with a good Samaritan in Sijuwade area of Akure, the Ondo State capital. Her mother was no more, and his father is also handicapped.

    She lives with another family with whom she has no relationship with but purely on sympathy grounds.

    Doris is very industrious, even with her physical challenge. She use climbs the staircase with just one leg to perform house chores, including fetching of water.

    Despite losing her mother at a very tender age, she is determined to forge ahead in life.

    Before now, she used to help the woman she lives with in her shop, where she sells second-hand clothes and works as a hair stylist.

    In her quest for knowledge, she recently enrolled at a computer training school.

    She was allowed to pay a token by the owner of the computer school apparently because of her condition.

    Doris said: “I am delighted with the training. It will enable me to be computer literate. I am not stopping there. My passion for music has propelled me to enroll at a music school. After school hours, I go to the music school located at Arakale area of Akure on daily basis.”

    At the music centre, Doris is learning how to play bass guitar.

    Even though her ambition to make it in life is hindered by her physical challenge, Doris said: “I want to become a lawyer too, and not even ordinary lawyer but a human rights activist like the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

    For her to achieve all these, well-meaning Nigerians should contribute to enable her to realise her life ambition.

    Dairo and other kind-hearted Nigerians, who have shown sympathy in one way or the other, also want others to join them in making her dream to be realised.

    Doris, in a depressed voice said: “Sympathetic Nigerians, I have vision and ambition. It was the road accident that crushed my plan for life. But I am not done yet. I urgently need an artificial limb to help me become free in my mobility.

    Dairo said: “My story is that of a rugged girl, who is determined to forge ahead. But I need the support of well-meaning Nigerians to make me great.

    “Even with my situation, I am still ready to contribute my  quota to making Nigeria great instead of becoming an apology to the society.”

  • Three policemen detained over stolen rifles

    Three policemen have been detained at the Edo State Police headquarters for two missing   AK 7 rifles.

    Also, a salesgirl, security personnel and manager of a guest house where the guns were stolen, have been quizzed and granted bail.

    Sergeant Uzor Emmanuel, Corporal Michael Akharamen and Constable Jimoh Aliu, were assigned for duty patrol, but could not return the guns to the armoury.

    It was gathered that the two junior officers gave their guns to Sergeant Emmanuel, who checked into a guest house at Uwasota area, Egor Local Government Area.

    Read Also: Troops, policemen rescue 24 in Kaduna, Zamfara

    Sources said Sergeant Emmanuel was with a female friend in the hotel when at about 2am, he raised the alarm that two of the three rifles he took into his room had been stolen while he was in the toilet.

    Owner of the guest house, Mr. Obodo Otuya, who called for probe of the incident, told reporters that the claim by SGT Emmanuel was questionable.

    He stated that reports from his staff showed that Sergeant Emmanuel checked in with one AK-47 rifle and a lady.

    Edo Police spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said an investigation is still ongoing.

  • Obaseki consoles Odubu over father’s death

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has commiserated with former Deputy Governor Pius Odubu over the death of his father, the Okaevbo of Urhomehe, Pa Manson Odubu.

    The late Pa. Odubu was 103.

    The governor thanked God for the deceased’s life, who “worked to transform lives”, adding that “upon reflection, we have every reason to thank God for his life, not because of his longevity, but his accomplishments over ten decades”.

    Obaseki described the deceased as a legend who valued education and ensured that his children took advantage of education to transform their lives.

    Read Also: No rift between Oshiomhole and I, says Obaseki

    According to him, Pa Odubu would be remembered for the development he attracted to his community. “We can see from the way you conducted yourself as a politician, a leader, a lawyer in and out of government, that you were well raised. Certainly, you are exhibiting some of the values which your father imparted in you.”

    Obaseki urged Odubu to take solace in the fact that his late father lived a fulfilled life, stressing the need for his children to follow the good legacy laid by his father.

    Odubu thanked God for the life his late father lived, and thanked Obaseki for identifying with his family in their moment of grief.

    He said his family has every reason to thank God because his father lived an exemplary life, as a consummate politician and one of the pioneers of politics in the then Mid-West Region.

  • Obaseki to probe hospital contracts under Oshiomhole

    The Edo Government says it will probe contracts for construction of structures and supply of equipment to Benin Central Hospital, awarded by the administration of Adams Oshiomhole.

    Mr Cruise Osage, Special Adviser to Edo Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Benin, saying a Commission of enquiry would soon be constituted to probe the contracts.

    According to the Governor’s aide, the action for probe was necessitated by numerous calls on the government to look into the contracts in which billions of taxpayers’ money were expended on poorly executed projects under the regime of Adams  Oshiomhole, past Governor and incumbent APC National Chairman.

    He said the Commission of Enquiry would have a mandate to ascertain if details of contract terms were adhered to, especially the quality of materials used for the building.

    Osagie said the Commission of Enquiry would also determine the extent of irregularities regarding the purchase of equipment among others.

    Read Also: No rift between Oshiomhole and I, says Obaseki

    “The state government will investigate allegations of fraud and irregularities with the contract for procurement of the hospital equipment,” he said.

    The aide stated the commission would unravel why the equipment contracted were yet to be supplied and other claims made by the contractors.

    He said: “The contractors who handled the building had questions to answer including the shoddy jobs done among others.”

    Osagie said works were ongoing at the hospital to patch up parts of the Hospital, as parts of the poorly constructed facilities leading to collapse of the roof in some sections.

    NAN