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Tag: Edo State

  • Rivers bye-election: PDP decries use of police, military for poll

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has decried the use of security forces, including special police and military units, by the federal government during the last bye-election in Rivers State.

    The main opposition party said the security agencies were used to subjugate Nigerians and provide cover for thugs deployed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unleash violence, disrupt polling processes and foist fake results after the poll.

    A statement on Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said such brazen assault on the will of the people was completely provocative and incendiary.

    The party added that such tendencies have unlimited capacity to elicit violent resistance from the people and derail the country’s hard-earned democracy, especially as the 2019 elections draw nigh.

    The statement said, “We invite Nigerians to note that the use of security agencies by the APC to aid the subjugation of the people has become a regular practice as amply witnessed in the July 14, 2018 Ekiti governorship election, the 2016 Edo state governorship election, the bye-elections in Kogi, Bauchi, Katsina and Cross Rivers and most recently, the River state Assembly bye-election, where special police units were used to manhandle voters, while providing cover for APC thugs to attack voters, snatch ballot boxes and disrupt the election.

    “The APC, in its desperation, is resorting to this underhand means, because it knows that there is no way it can win in any peaceful and transparently conducted election in any part of the country, due to the public indignation against its dismal performance in the last three years.

    Read Also: PDP condemns demolition of Aiyefele’s studio

    “Our worry as a party, however, is that Nigerians are daily pushed to the wall and there is a limit to what they can endure, without resorting to violent resistance, particularly in the face of unrelenting subversion of their will and freedom to select leaders or representatives of their choice.

    “The APC and its agents in the police and other security agencies should therefore bear in mind that they are on collision course with the people. Their eventual resistance, if such subversion continues, could come with very dire consequences.

    “The PDP is aware that this resort to violence by the APC is to test-run its plans to rig the 2019 general elections and we ask, what shall it profit a man to gain political power and set his nation ablaze?

    “Finally, the PDP cautions all those being used by the APC to know that history will never forgive them for these atrocities. They will forever be remembered for their ignoble past and have their places in the hall of shame”.

  • World Humanitarian Day: Obaseki urges action against attacks on aid workers

    …lauds sacrifice of humanitarian workers

     

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has called for global action to halt attacks on humanitarian workers delivering aids to victims of conflicts across the world.

    Obaseki who gave the charge in Benin City, in commemoration of the World Humanitarian Day, marked on August 19 each year, decried the growing disregard for international conventions and rules of engagements that protect women, children, civilians and aid workers by parties to conflicts.

    “The scale of attacks on humanitarian workers is disheartening. Leaders across the world and development actors must rise to the occasion to defend individuals and groups who volunteer their skills, expertise and other resources to support vulnerable groups in the theatres of war and conflicts,” the governor said.

    He averred that “new thoughts and attitudes are needed by all stakeholders towards commitments to globally agree upon rules on the use of force, its degree, on whom, in what circumstance, amongst other considerations, as encapsulated in the Rule of Engagement card.”

    Obaseki saluted aid workers’ contributions to the good of society and declared that “to protect those who are protecting others, is the least we can all do, as leaders.”

    The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, notes that “Around the world, conflict is forcing record numbers of people from their homes, with over 65 million people now displaced. Children are recruited by armed groups and used to fight. Women are abused and humiliated. As humanitarian workers deliver aid and medical workers provide for those in needs, they are all too often targeted or treated as threats.”

    Read Also: We will not share Edo people’s money – Obaseki

    The 2018 celebration is being driven with a #NotATarget campaign; to bring attention to the millions of civilians affected by armed conflict every day and demand world leaders to do everything in their power to protect civilians in conflict.

    According to the UN, “People in cities and towns struggle to find food, water, and safe shelter, while fighting drives millions from their homes. Children are recruited and used to fight, and their schools are destroyed. Women are abused and humiliated. As humanitarian workers deliver aid, and medical workers treat the wounded and sick, they are directly targeted, treated as threats, and prevented from bringing relief and care to those in desperate need.”

    World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world, the global body said.

  • Evil spirit told me to kill my madam, says teenager

    A 14-year old girl simply identified as Hannah has said that she killed her 70 years old madam, Mrs. Helen Adodo, with a stone last week because an evil spirit told her to do so.

    Hannah had earlier lied that it was a four-man gang that stormed their residence and killed the woman while attempting to also rape.

    She later recounted after being subjected to series of questioning.

    Speaking to newsmen at the Edo State Police Command, Hannah said the spirit threatened to kill her if she did not lie about the incident.

    Her late madam is said to have been down with stroke which made her children to engage Hannah four months ago to care for her.

    Hannah said she washed clothes, gave her madam food and ensure the victim went to bed.

    According to her “There is one of her friends that usually come around and when she comes, she sends me an errand. After washing the clothes, I went out.

    “Some uncontrollable forces came upon me like breezy. So I lost my senses of what I was doing When the spirit entered my body

    “I left the dishes I was to wash and went straight to stand on a stone. I later went inside the room where I discovered that my mistress was still sleeping so I hit the stone on her head and she died.

    Read Also: Evil spirit made me kill, says suspect

    “So, I scratched my head and turned around four times before I regained my sense.

    “So when I saw that I have killed her, I held her and started crying in her pool of blood”, she said.

    Hannah said she is in JSS II at Itohan Girls Grammar School and that she was brought from Abuja to assist the deceased.

    She said the spirit warned her not to tell anyone and that if she does, she will die.

    Police Commissioner, Babatunde Kokumo, said investigation was still on to ascertain whether other culprits were involved.

  • Obaseki attributes Edo’s progress to people-centric governance

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has ordered the immediate payment of workers’ August salaries ahead of the Eid-el Kabir celebrations next week, noting that the progress being recorded in the state is the result of a people-centric governance model adopted by his administration.

    According to Obaseki, the focus of his team is the well being of Edo people and residents and not a few individuals.

    The payment of August salary on the 17th day of the month, the governor explained, is the result of the prudent and sound management of the state’s resources, which has prioritized a robust reserve, grown over time, despite the massive investment in infrastructure and other critical sectors of the state.

    Recall that in June, the state governor released funds to the local government councils to settle workers’ salaries following the stand-off between the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and the state governments, which resulted in the delay in salary payments in other states of the country.

    Obaseki gave the order during the Second Anniversary Thanksgiving of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Christian Prayer/Contact Committee, held at Government House in Benin City, on Friday, August 17, 2018.

    The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie Esq., said: “We cannot be sharing the money for the development of the state and still be able to meet up with our electoral promises to the people. Our focus is on the people, to develop the state and make life better for everyone.”

    He maintained that his administration has done well by fulfilling some of the promises he made during the electioneering campaign, such as the restoration of law and order, strengthening of critical institutions of government, creation of jobs and provision of infrastructure.

    He added that pensioners no longer protest over delayed payment of their entitlements as they are now paid, as and when due, while the civil servants receive their credit alerts, on the 26th of every month.

    He reiterated his administration’s commitment to quality education with the   Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme, which is revolutionising teaching and learning in Edo schools.

    “We spend $40 on every Edo child in the Edo-BEST programme and our children in the primary schools can now read. Every primary school in the state will be part of the Edo-BEST programme before the end of this administration,” he assured, adding that the dream of his administration is to turn the state into the economic hub of the country.

    Read Also: Human trafficking: Obaseki lauds EU, Benin Monarch

    The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the governor on religious matters and chairman APC Prayer/Contact Committee, Edo State, Pastor Eghosa Omoruyi, said that governor Obaseki is a blessing from God, to Edo people and residents, as he has touched the lives of many people in the state.

    “This is just the second year and as a state we have experienced good governance with landmark achievements in critical sectors of the state, and it can only get better,” Omoruyi said.

    The General Overseer of Covenant Ministry International, Imo State, Bishop Chukwu Anayo, who also participated in the Thanksgiving Service, said the governor has made the state peaceful for people of various religious convictions to worship God.

    “Prayer is very helpful, and you can see the impact as the governor has achieved huge developmental strides and the people are benefiting from his leadership style” Bishop Anayo added.

  • Edo pays Libya returnees N60.17m in 10 months

    Edo State Government said it has paid a total of N60, 170,000 as stipend to Libya returnees in the past ten months.

    The payment, it said, was made to different categories of returnees such S N20, 000 for single returnees, N25, 000 for pregnant returnees, and N10, 000 for children.

    It said a total of 3,883 Libya returnees were received between  November 2017 and August 2018.

    This was contained in a one year report on the activities of the State Taskforce Against Human trafficking.

    The document all the returnees have been profiled and registered in the data base of the taskforce.

    It said 415 of the returnees have been trained on various vocation/skill to enable them useful to the society.

    Read Also: We are hitting our 200,000 jobs target, Edo SSG

    “The payment is usually made to different categories of returnees in the following order; N20, 000 for single returnees, N25, 000 for pregnant returnees, and N10, 000 for children.

    “The first verification exercise was conducted on the 22nd of December, 2017, and the sun of N10.5 million was paid out to returnees in the state as first stipend.

    “Following the second verification exercise on the 9th of January, 2018, the sum of N31.7million was again paid as stipend to these returnees.

    “Then after the third verification exercise on 26th of April, 2018, a total sum of N17. 9 million was paid out as stipend.

    “This bring the total sum to N60, 170,000 (Sixty million, One Hundred and Seventy Thousand left Naira) has been paid out as stipends to the returnees. The payment of stipend is still ongoing,” it stated.

     

  • Human trafficking: Obaseki lauds EU, Benin Monarch

    As Taskforce clocks one year

     

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday saluted the roles of the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II and the European Union in the fight against human trafficking and illegal migration in the state, in the last one year.

    Obaseki gave the commendation while taking stock of the activities of the Edo State Task Force against Human Trafficking, during its one-year anniversary, at the Weekly State Executive Council Meeting at the Government House, in Benin City.

    The governor, one year ago, initiated a multi-pronged fight against human trafficking, few months into assumption of office, deploying a mix of approaches to curb the ugly trend.

    “We believe that if we tackle the issue of poverty by making people more comfortable, they will not want to travel illegally. For us as a government, we have encapsulated the challenge of migration as one that is driven by under-development.

    “We thank the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II for his support and responsiveness, which have been praised by the World. This has shown that trafficking and prostitution are not in our culture,” the governor said.

    He expressed his gratitude to the European Union, Christian Association of Nigeria and Muslim leaders for their support in ensuring that the menace of human trafficking is tamed.

    Earlier, Chairman of the taskforce, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, during her presentation, said that they have received 3, 883 returnees, who have benefited from the state government’s reintegration package.

    Prof. Omorogbe explained that the taskforce’s data showed that 80.17 percent were independent migrants between 18 and 25 years of age, which is alarming, as they are members of the active population.

    Read Also: Obaseki awards contracts for construction of roads

    In a report released to mark its one-year anniversary, the taskforce said the state government received 3883 persons from Libya, noting that the holistic approach includes receive the victims; provision of medical diagnosis and assistance; contact and reunion with family; security screening, investigation and protection, vocational training and empowerment and payment of stipends.

    The taskforce added that it has intensified advocacy in areas where human trafficking is endemic, as “it has fought the scourge through various strategies including vigorous investigation and prosecution of traffickers and their accomplices; the eventual passage of a state law against trafficking in humans; various measures to aid understanding of the nature and causes of this menace.

    “We have engaged communities where trafficking is prevalent, to proactively discourage the practice through knowledge exchanges, and appropriate training packages ranging from basic education to assistance with establishing business. The entire programme is anchored on efficient data collection, analysis and research” Prof. Omorogbe said.

  • Edo-BEST transforming education sector – Obaseki

    …Says govt will protect indigenous languages from extinction

     

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme, an initiative of his administration, is yielding positive outcomes, as pupils in the pilot primary schools can now read, write and add their sums correctly.

    Obaseki said this on Tuesday, when he received members of the board of Centre for Edo Studies, of the Benson Idahosa University, who paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Benin City.

    He explained that the feedback from the 300 pilot schools deployed for the Edo-BEST programme showed that the primary school pupils can now read and write.

    The governor added that his administration and the palace of the Benin Monarch are worried about the challenges posed by the low premium attached to the state’s indigenous languages, and are looking at ways to propagate Edo history and language in schools across the state.

    Read Also: Edo APC lawmakers back Obaseki

    He disclosed that at the recent retreat by members of the state’s executive council at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and added that “the focus was on how to transform the education sector in the state.”

    “We are strengthening our basic education sector as we are presently training 5,000 basic education teachers in addition to the 2,000 we trained a few months ago,” the governor said.

    He expressed his administration’s willingness to partner with the Centre for Edo Studies to include some of the Edo books authored by the center in the state’s school curriculum.

    “Our focus is not only on Edo language but also on Afemai and Esan languages,” he said.

    Earlier, the leader of delegation and Pro-Chancellor of Benson Idahosa University, Dr. Goodie Isibor, commended the governor for his developmental strides across the state.

    He harped on the need to develop Edo language in schools in the state, and stressed that “Edo has a rich history, language and culture but we are not doing enough to make it popular across the world.”

    He called on the government and the traditional institution to promote the use of Edo language in homes and make it compulsory in schools.

     

  • Be patient with APC, Idahosa begs aggrieved APC members

    A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Edo State, Mr. Charles Idahosa, has begged aggrieved members of the party in the state not to defect from the party.

    Idahosa said those threatening to leave the APC should remain in the party and resolve their difference.

    Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City, Idahosa explained that the reason Edo APC must reconcile is because the party need work towards winning next year’s election now that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is the national chairman of the party.

    Idahosa noted that it was a shame that people are defecting from the APC even when President Mohammadu Buhari is performing.

    He said the solution to political problems is not defection but reconciliation for future victory.

    He debunked rumours mills that he planned to defect to other political parties.

    According to him, “Nobody should start threatening that we want to leave because we have a lot of work to do considering the fact that the President of this country, Muhammadu Buhari is doing very well.

    Read Also: Obaseki lauds Archbishop Margaret Idahosa at 75

    “Whether kings are dying or queens are mourning, Buhari is coming back as president of this country come 2019. We took this state from the clutches of dared devil politicians when we were in opposition and to God be the glory we fought battles, we won two elections in this state from the opposition.

    “Our son, Adams Oshiomhole is the national chairman. What shame will it be if he succeeds in doing all the job in 36 states of the federation and Edo state is in disarray?

    “You cannot leave this party for anybody because it is not their property when we voted. Did you see anybody’s name in the ballot paper? There is no Independent candidature here. All these things we are seeing are temporary and not enough to destroy the party.

    “I am one of the founding members of this party in the state, I know the role I played with other leaders. In the last few days and weeks, I have been very worried about the spate of defections, quarrelling and all that so I will use this medium to appeal to my people.

    “I have a lot of grievances against the party and I know a lot of our members have grievances too, but the truth of the matter is that when you are in a political party and you have any kind of disagreement with other members of the party, the solution to such problem is not to leave the party for another party, we all can stay inside this party and solve all our differences.”

  • Obaseki urges aggressive mobilization on breastfeeding

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has urged stakeholders to intensify efforts in raising awareness especially in rural areas on the importance of breastfeeding, which provides infants with best start to life.

    Obaseki, who said this in commemoration of the World Breastfeeding Week celebrated from August 1 to 7, noted that breastfeeding is the bedrock of good nutrition and food security, and helps build the bond between mother and child.

    He reiterated that breastfeeding remains a low-cost way of feeding babies, allows for healthy growth and reduces the risk of illnesses in children.

    He said the theme for the 2018 World Breastfeeding Week, which is “Breastfeeding: Foundation for Life,” captures the essence of breastfeeding for a child’s development, noting, “On this day, I urge mothers to ensure that they stick to the prescribed 6-month exclusive breastfeeding for babies because of its intrinsic value, which ensures bonding between mother and child, as well as its implications for nutrition and poverty reduction.”

    Obaseki stressed that, “It is important to push for adherence to breastfeeding, especially in rural areas, as this will complement our efforts on immunisation and the fight against mal-nutrition.”

    “We have a Food and Nutrition Committee to develop sustainable strategies to tackle the problem of malnutrition in the state, and we believe that the need to adhere to breastfeeding will be captured, for the benefit of mothers and infants in the state” he added.

    Read Also: Obaseki pledges support for NYSC

    He explained that the state government is setting up structures to provide access to quality health care in rural areas as 500 healthcare centres are billed to be constructed across the wards, to fast-track healthcare delivery, noting that the overall strategy is to ensure that infants and mothers have access to quality health care services.

    On the commemoration of the day, World Health Organisation (WHO) maintained that “Establishing exclusive breastfeeding – feeding infants nothing but breastmilk for the first six months of life — helps young children grow, preventing undernutrition, promoting brain development, and reducing the risk that children will become overweight.

    “Breastfeeding is also a newborn’s first vaccine, providing vital antibodies and an immunity boost. From the earliest moments of a child’s life, breastfeeding can mean the difference between life and death. Putting newborns to the breast within the first hour of life safeguards against newborn deaths. In fact, improving breastfeeding practices could save the lives of 823,000 children under age five every year,” the health body said.

  • We foiled Igarra bank robbery, kill three robbers- Edo CP

    Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Babatunde Kokumo, on Friday evening gave details of how its personnel foiled Thursday’s bank robbery in Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area.

    Kokumo said the attack led to the death of two civilians, one police inspector and three of the armed robbers.

    Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Kokumo stated that it was the resistance and courageous fight put up by his men that stopped the robbers.

    He gave the name of one of the victims as Ojo Ukana who was arrested over a domestic issue between him and the wife while the other was  held for invalid vehicle particulars.

    The police CP said debunked reports that two banks were attacked adding that one of the robbers was nabbed.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill police escort, butcher in Edo

    He said the robbers attacked Keystone bank but they met stiff opposition from policemen who were on guard duty both at the Unity Bank and Keystone bank.

    According to him, “In the gun duel that ensued between the criminals and the policemen, three of the criminals were gunned down. The operational weapons of the gang recovered.”

    “What this gang of criminals did was to divide themselves into two halves; one half had gone to the police station ostensibly to prevent the police from responding to possible distress calls from the banks the attack would have been rest on the back.”

    “The first half that actually went to the police station was there, it was the second half that went to the Keystone bank where they attacked the bank and entered into the banking hall forcefully.”

    Residents of Igarra town however insisted that the claim of six victims was untrue as many victims were rushed to the hospital before the Commissioner arrived the scene.