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Tag: Edo State

  • Defunct college’s workers cry out over ‘systematic sack’

    Defunct college’s workers cry out over ‘systematic sack’

    The College of Education, Ekiadolor in Edo State has been phased out.  However, the Tayo Akpata University of Education, which is to replace it, has not started, leaving the workers confused and jittery,  reports OSAGIE OTABOR.

    About 800 members of staff of the defunct College of Education, Ekiadolor, in Edo State are worried about their jobs.  The institution ceased to exist since 2014, when the Edo State government replaced it with the Tayo Akpata University of Education. It stopped admitting new students for the National Certificate on Education (NCE) programme in 2015. Currently, it only has 300-Level students in the final year of their NCE programmes.

    With only one of three levels of students in school, the academic and administrative responsibilities of the workers have become lighter.  But, they are being owed salaries of up to three months, causing them to fear that they would be sacked eventually.

    At a briefing in Benin this week, Fred Omonuwa, chairman of the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) of the defunct college, alleged that Governor Godwin Obaseki planned to sack them by systematically grounding academic activities in the institution.

    Last July, by which time the workers were being owed three  months salary, the Pro-Chancellor of the Tayo Akpata University, Mr. Thomas Okosun, a former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, said the college would be phased out in two years.

    He said the workers did not belong to the new university, adding that they would all have to reapply and only those found to be qualified would be employed.

    “There is currently no professor there. We are going to advertise and many of the staff cannot be part of the university. Those already working are free to apply and we will employ them if they are qualified.

    “They are not presently staff of the Tayo Akpata University, so we don’t owe any body salaries. The state government will decide what to do with those that failed to gain employment into the university,” he told The Nation then.

    But the lecturers accused Okosun of not following a report on the transition documented by a committee headed by Prof Dennis Agbonlahor.

    They said the report recommended that 120 lecturers, who had been screened and found qualified, could be absorbed into the new university provided they upgraded their credentials.

    Okosun also said the new university would admit its pioneer set of students last November and would run alongside the college until the last set of NCE students graduated.  However, that did not materialise.

    In contrast, the Edo University, Iyamho, which was conceived at the same time as the Tayo Akpata University by the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration, is enjoying the government’s support, and it was provided the requisite infrastructure and manpower to admit its first set of students in 2016.

    Omonuwa said there was nothing on ground in the college, including infrastructure, that showed a new institution was starting.

    There may never be.  Last December, when he visited Ekiadolor, Governor Obaseki spoke of building Tayo Akpata University of Education as a brand new institution of world class status from the scratch with the help of the World Bank and other international organisations.

    He said the institution would begin this year with three faculties and would focus on training teachers especially in the areas of industrial and agricultural technology.

    Though the university is yet ot start, Okosun said the government had purchased 500 hectares of land for its campus.

    He said: “We advertised for contract to rebuild that university. We have opened the bid and we are at the stage of awarding the contract. It will span through many facilities including roads within and outside the campus. We have a new design for the hostel, classroom. We have acquired 500 hectares of land.

    “The governor led us to the NUC where we obtained approval to commence academic activities. Academic activities will commence immediately. Staff will come from the public. We will place advert.”

    Omonuwa accused the government of reneging on its promise to refocus the College.

    He warned that the workers would go on strike if the issues were not addressed

    He said: “I am here today to express some fears and worries.  For some time now, we have been very quiet to give the Obaseki-led government some little time but we have seen that there is nothing happening at all. The problem of the College is the problem of government. It seems to us now that Edo State government is not sincere about the College. They are not sincere to the extent that when they converted the College to a university, there is no law backing it as we speak.

    “The school authority told us to stop admitting students; in fact there is no substantive provost for the College. They told us that admission should stop forthwith because they are converting to University.

    “The implication is that there are no first or second year students.  Now there is neither university admission nor NCE admission so if the present final year student leaves who are you going to teach?

    “As we speak, we are owed three months salaries without justification and Edo State government has not been able to pay the gratuities of retirees from the institution, so there is no sincerity on the part of the government. By not admitting, it means that they are trying to shortchange the people and Edo workers.  We expect that when we are talking to a technocrat he should understand.”

    Omonuwa also lamented that the government retired workers at 60 years of age instead of 65, which is the norm nationwide.

    “There are document to show that the retirement age of colleges of Education across the country as enacted by the law is 65 years for academic and non-academic staff.  Now the state government came with a plan that all staff should retire at the age of 60 years for higher institutions. We are very disappointed,” he said.

    When contacted, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation Mr. Paul Ohonbamu said there were no plans to sack workers of the defunct college.

    Ohonbamu said Obaseki was committed to equipping the new university by doing things systematically.

     

  • Obaseki flags off immunisation project, rewards LGAs with N10m

    Obaseki flags off immunisation project, rewards LGAs with N10m

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, flagged off the 2017 routine immunisation intensification project in Egor Local Government Area of the state.

    As an expression of his administration’s high premium on the immunisation project, Obaseki rewarded three local government areas with N10million, for their extensive coverage of people during the immunisation programme from January to September this year.

    He declared that the cash award would be given yearly to encourage local government councils to take the immunisation programme to every doorstep in all the local governments of the state, and assured that more vehicles would be provided to improve surveillance of immunisation activities.

    “This is the third immunisation programme that I am flagging off as the governor of Edo State and we want all children under ages 0-5 years in the state to be immunised against deadly diseases such as Polio. We want health workers to go out and immunise children across the various local government councils in the state. The need for mothers to immunise their children should always top the agenda during social gatherings,” Obaseki said.

    Akoko Edo Local Government Area was given N5 million for clinching the first position with 85.5 percent immunisation coverage. Estako Central LGA was adjudged the second-best council and got N3 million while Esan Central was given N2 million for taking the third position.

    In her remarks, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator, Edo State, Mrs Faith Ireye, commended the governor for initiating the yearly cash award to the best performing LGAs in routine immunisation and said that it would spur every local council and health workers to put in their best during immunisation programme.

    Ireye said that Edo State routine immunisation coverage has been adjudged best in the country, with no variation between its administrative data and the outcome of the National Converge Survey conducted in 2016.

    “There is a huge reduction in vaccine-preventable disease rate in the state: Edo had been able to achieve the measles elimination target of less than one measles case per 1, 000,000 population,” she said.

    The WHO coordinator added that the objective of the routine immunisation intensification project was to improve the current immunisation coverage of 72 percent by 20 percent and reduce the number of unimmunised children in the state of about (26, 968) by 30 percent.

    The high point of the event was when the Edo governor, his wife, Mrs Betsy Obaseki; the Deputy Governor, Hon. Philip Shaibu; his wife, Mrs Maryam Shiabu; and Secretary to the Edo State Government, Mr Osarodion Ogie, made phone calls urging mothers, who were yet to complete immunisation schedules for their wards, to take advantage of the routine programme to do so.

    The governor also made other members of his cabinet including himself to adopt one LGA each to monitor the immunisation coverage.

  • True Federalism: Obaseki hosts panel as APC flags off public hearing

    True Federalism: Obaseki hosts panel as APC flags off public hearing

    ..delegates seek return to regional govt, part-time legislators

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Monday, hosted the All Progressives Congress (APC) panel on True Federalism in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as the party commenced public consultation on Nigeria’s restructuring.

    Welcoming the members of the party’s Team One, in charge of the South-South geopolitical zone, made up of the governors of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje; Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, Obaseki assured the delegates that their submissions would be given due consideration.

    Some of the delegates drawn from Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states made a case for a return to the regional structure, parliamentary system of government and part-time legislators as against the current cumbersome and expensive model.

     Dr. Frank Nwugo, a legal practitioner from Delta State, submitted that the National Assembly should deliberate on restructuring the country and adopt part-time legislator.

     Mr Daniel Usifoh, a representative of Ika Ethnic Nationality said the Ika social group wants the nation to go back to the regional system of government. He recommended the creation of eight new regions; four in the north and four in the southern part of the country.

    He also recommended the adoption of the parliamentary system of government, noting that the presidential system was too cumbersome and expensive to run, and called for the abolishment of the Federation Account.

     Earlier, the host governor, Obaseki, explained that the APC embarked on the public hearing to gather all shades of opinions from the public for the restructuring of the country.

     He urged the delegates to feel free to air their views on all issues, assuring that all submissions would be given due consideration.

     The Edo governor also said the submissions from the various local government Councils as well as from organised labour unions in the state would be collated and submitted to the committee within a seven-day period.

     The Governor of Ogun State, Senator Amosun, who represented the chairman of Team One of the committee and governor of Kano State, Mr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said the idea of the public hearing was to allow Nigerians contribute their quota and have a say on the issue of restructuring of the nation, stressing that the voices of the citizens would be made public and be adhered to.

     Amosun said: “one of our mandates as a party is restructuring and the president has kept to his words in his manifesto hence the need for this event. 

     Governor of Osun State, Aregbesola, said the only way to give bite to true federalism is to hear from critical groups like the youths, women and other important stakeholders, as their views are important in building a strong nation.

    “Youths and women should have their submissions on how the nation should be organised as everyone needs to ensure that Nigeria does not fail.

     Some of the issues deliberated upon included: Local government autonomy, revenue allocation, resources allocation, independent candidacy, fiscal federalism, type of legislation, powersharing, among others.

     The forum had in attendance representatives of civil society organisations, youth and women organisations, the academia and traditional institutions as well as religious groups drawn from Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states, which represent Team One of the APC restructuring team.

     

  • Edo to partner CIBN on Capacity Building

    Edo to partner CIBN on Capacity Building

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) to enhance the capacity of civil servants in the state.

    He made this known while receiving members of the Institute, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, in Benin City, on Monday.

    Obaseki said his administration has finalised plans to launch the state’s Civil Service Training Institute and a training programme for Directors of Finance and Administration in the Civil Service that will expose them to current industry trends.

    He described the institute as a “very important and significant player in the banking sector, with a lot to offer in capacity building.”

    He said: “Almost every bank in Nigeria has a branch in Edo State and, as a government, we will leverage on this advantage by partnering with your institute to help us achieve our goal of making the state a regional banking centre. As a government, our role is to create an atmosphere that is attractive for business and this has informed some of the decisions we have taken since we came into government.”

    “We are in government to create a clean and secure environment, streamline our revenue collection process and rid our cities of traffic congestion so that people can move around easily. For us to sustain these, we need to collaborate with your institute,” the governor added.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation and President/Chairman of the Council, CIBN, Prof. Segun Ajibola, commended the governor for the achievements recorded so far in the state. He said the visit was one of the mandates of the institute, which requires them to liaise and meet with critical stakeholders who have a role to play in moving the nation forward.

    He expressed his appreciation to the governor for appointing members of the institute to his cabinet and noted that the governor’s efforts in electricity generation was worth commending as well as other achievements.

    “We appreciate the leadership quality of the governor especially in the planned development of the Gelegele Sea Port in the state as well as other projects designed to improve the life of the people in the state,” Ajibola said

     

  • Community to hold Akugbe festival

    Community to hold Akugbe festival

    The people of Idumowu Ebelle Community of Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State are ready to host the first Akugbe festival.

    The Chairman of the planning committee, Edmund Oviawe, said the event is scheduled to hold on September 30, 2017, at Chief Ezomon’s Arena in the community.

    According to Oviawe, the Akugbe festival is aimed at bringing sons and daughters of Ebelle community together in a festive mood, while also providing opportunity for them to socialize and exchange pleasantries.

    He expressed confidence that the event will further foster unity and development of the community.

    The festival will be rounded off with a thanksgiving service on October 1 in all the churches in the community.

  • Industrial Revolution: The Case for Gov. Obaseki’s investment visit to Asia

    Industrial Revolution: The Case for Gov. Obaseki’s investment visit to Asia

    Time was when agriculture was the backbone of the Nigerian economy. The agricultural sector was so huge and lucrative that not only did it sustain the regional economies in Nigeria in the early 1960s, it provided jobs for many Nigerians at the time.

     

    The economy was so well calibrated that agriculture underpinned development, as wealth creation was evenly dispersed in rural areas, where farm work was done and urban centers, where industries used processed produce in their plants. Revenue from agriculture was used to drive growth and development in a time that many have come to describe as the golden age of Nigeria.

     

    It is instructive to note that the Nigerian economy in those times was carefully designed such that each region grew industrial systems that prioritised the peculiarities of its comparative agroecological advantage. With this, cocoa served as the bedrock of the economy in the Western Region, groundnut and other cash crops were the cash-cows for the North and oil-palm ruled supreme in the Mid-West, later Bendel, a part of which is now Edo State.

     

    Though fortunes from oil palm production have ebbed due to the impact of poor policies and the detrimental romance with oil money, Edo State has retained a fair share of its industrial base, with the presence of oil palm and cement production companies.

     

    However, much of the state’s agricultural potential have not been fully exploited. More so, industries are not evenly distributed across the state, technical capacity is limited and the inflow of foreign capital is sparse.

     

    In a bid to overturn this narrative, the Edo State government led by Governor Godwin Obaseki, after ensuring that the right policies and investment-friendly legislations are in place, embarked on an investment tour to Asia, with stops in Singapore, Indonesia and India.

     

    There is a background to this drive. An astute investment banker, Obaseki came into government with a mission to grow Edo State into an industrial hub by leveraging his expansive network in development financing.

     

    For the trip to Asia, he intended to strengthen the relationship with some of the big companies in Asia, with whom he had worked to raise financial instruments for investments in the past. So, as governor, Obaseki hopes to drive Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) to engender a private sector-led local economy through investments in agribusiness, manufacturing, digital services, technical education and energy solutions.   

     

    This was the backdrop of the governor’s recent investment visit to the three Asian countries —Indonesia, Singapore and India — that are revered as models in the annals of development, having grown their economies through agriculture, manufacturing, science and technology and innovative governance. The visits are avenues to compare notes and take advantage of ideas and approaches applied by these countries for the benefit of Edo State and its people.

     

    Not only has the governor secured a $50million investment deal for the state that would create 50,000 jobs, he has struck partnerships that would see the state take the lead as a major producer and exporter of oil palm produce.

     

    Already, work is ongoing to revamp Benin Technical College to produce the desired manpower for the various aspects of the state’s economy and host the planned Benin Industrial Park, that will expand the industrial base of the state to include agricultural processing, data services, and manufacturing.

     

    The visit to Indonesia is in acknowledgment of the country’s status as the number one producer of oil palm in the world. Hence, with Edo State being a major producer of oil palm in Nigeria, the governor intends to leverage the expertise of the Indonesians in repositioning Edo State, as the oil palm capital in Nigeria, while providing jobs for the state’s teeming youths.

     

    On arriving Indonesia, the governor headed to the 101-year-old Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute in Medan. He lauded the research capacity of the institute, seeing that Edo people would benefit from not just the advanced research on oil palm at the institute if deployed in the state, but that the institution would serve as good partner to its counterparts in the state.

     

    In his address, Obaseki said he was out to diversify the state’s economy, starting with attracting investments in sectors that the state has comparative advantage. Keen on diversifying the economy of Edo State, he said he intends to take advantage of the state’s oil palm industry as a catalyst for developing rural areas, adding that “with the present pace of research in the agricultural sector, oil palm can replace crude oil as a major source of food, industrial materials and energy.”

     

     During the visit, the state government entered discussions with the institute to help reinvigorate the oil palm sector in Edo State. This, the governor said, would build on shared technical expertise between Edo state and officials of the institute. The Indonesian research institute is made up of an oil palm plantation, processing plant, laboratories, nursery and oil palm refining facility. The oil palm sector is the country’s most valuable sector, as it accounts for 32 percent of its labour force.

     

     He explained that, “The choice of Indonesia for the strategic partnership was informed by these statistics, including the fact that Indonesia is a global leader in palm oil export and is followed closely by Malaysia which came to Benin City to collect oil palm seedlings several years ago, precisely from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).”

     

    He further said that institutes like NIFOR and the College of Agriculture in Iguoriakhi, are being repositioned to support the agricultural sector, and that the support from Indonesia would help kick-start a revolution not just in oil palm production but in its processing and marketing.


    The Edo State delegation headed to Singapore after an eventful outing in Indonesia. The visit to Singapore was aimed at harnessing the capital and expertise of industry actors in the country as strategic partners in the mandate to build viable industries in Edo state. These industries are expected to leverage on the state’s areas of competitive advantage, such as agriculture, manufacturing, technical service, among others.   

     

    As the first fruit of the visit, Governor Obaseki concluded arrangements for the Tolaram Group to invest $50 million in oil palm and cassava production in Edo, an initiative that is expected to create about 50,000 jobs in the state.

    Thereafter, the governor met with an expanded group of industrialists in Singapore. The August meeting was an opportunity for the Edo State government to sell investment opportunities to and build strong ties with leading companies in Singapore and encourage them to invest in the state’s manufacturing, agribusiness, digital services, food processing and urban development sectors.

     

    Obaseki unveiled ongoing reforms in technical education, with the revamping of Benin Technical College, a favourable business climate with investment-friendly laws and the rising profile of the state as a hub to reach other parts of Nigeria.

    The Benin Technical College, he said, would produce resourceful and technology-savvy workforce for industries, while the laws guarantee security of investments and profit repatriation.

     

    He explained that his government places high premium on the electoral promise he made to create 200, 000 jobs in the first instance, and assured that the state adheres to the rule of law and the adoption of cost-efficient, technology-driven processes.

    At the next stop in India, the governor got a preliminary report on the establishment of the Benin Industrial Park, which would fast-track capacity building for the youths in Edo State. The park is to be built in partnership with the Mahindra group.  

     

    The report outlined the project implementation plan, showing how the park will be used to draw up and implement models to be used in repositioning the state as a centre for technical training. This would benefit Edo youths, whose capacity would be needed in industries and factories to be sited in the state.

    “We visited the headquarters of the Indian company in March, this year, to share our idea of an Industrial Park with officials of the company. Three months later, the company came to Benin City for a feasibility study and today we are happy that we are ready to hit the ground running” Obaseki said.

     

    Osagie is the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

  • Community to hold Akugbe festival

    Community to hold Akugbe festival

     

    The entire people of Idumowu Ebelle Community of Igueben local government area, Edo state, have expressed their readiness to host her first ever Akugbe festival.

    Chairman of the planning committee, Edmund Oviawe, said the event is scheduled to hold on September 30, 2017 at Chief Ezomon’s Arena in the community.

    According to Oviawe, the Akugbe festival is aimed at bringing sons and daughters of Ebelle community together in a festive mood, while also providing opportunity for them to socialize and exchange pleasantries.

    He expressed confidence that the event will further foster unity and development of the community.

    The festival will be rounded off with a Thanksgiving service on October 1, 2017, in all the churches domiciled in the community.

  • Edo to develop 58 Tourist Sites, targets domestic, foreign receipts

    Edo to develop 58 Tourist Sites, targets domestic, foreign receipts

    The Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osaze Osemwegie-Ero has disclosed plans by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to revive and rebrand 58 tourist sites across the state.

    Osemwegie-Ero made the disclosure while receiving members of the Benin Cultural Heritage Centre, on a courtesy visit, led by Squadron Leader Ehi Ighile (rtd.), on Friday.

    According to him: “Governor Obaseki has handed over his vision to promote arts and culture in the state to us and has given us a marching order to identify all the cultural and tourism assets in all parts of the state, be it a festival or site, and repackage them for domestic and international tourists.”

    He said the Aba Festival that was recently held in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state, boosted the local economy with about N450million naira.

    He added that the tourist receipts were injected into the state economy by the over one million people who graced the occasion from all over Nigeria and the Diaspora.

    “The festival was a huge success due to the presence and participation of the Edo State Government, which is committed to supporting all the cultural festivals brought to its notice in the state,” Osemwegie-Ero said.

    “Our moat is a major tourist attraction and can be compared to the walls of China, but it has suffered neglect over the years. The vision of the present administration is to maintain and beautify the moat across the city and make it a tourist attraction that will generate revenue for the state.”

    He assured that the state government was prepared to develop the 58 tourist sites into world class sites to attract visitors from all over the world and told his visitors that his ministry was working with the Ministry of Education to ensure that Edo Language is part of the curriculum of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning across the state.

    He expressed the readiness of the Obaseki’s led administration to raise the profile of Igun bronze works, promote the rich cultural heritage of the people of Benin Kingdom and create wealth for the artisans and state government.

    Members of the Benin Cultural Heritage Centre, led by Squadron Leader Ehi Ighile (rtd.), said the non- partisan and non-governmental organisation, with over 100 members, is committed to promoting the glory of the Benin people.He said the Benin Kingdom ruled the world for over 400 years before it was conquered by the British and the advancements in the Arts led to the adoption of the Queen Idia mask as the symbol of FESTAC 77.

    “As a body, we have held discussions with the Ministry of Education on the lack of Edo teachers in our schools. We have decided to train 300 teachers to teach the language in our schools,” he said.

    He explained that another achievement of the group is the planned Benin Cultural Heritage Complex, which will be built on a land given to the body by the Oba of Benin, for which the group has been receiving donations from people at home and in the Diaspora.

  • ‘Gas flaring in Nigeria to end soon’

    ‘Gas flaring in Nigeria to end soon’

    The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that plans to end gas flaring in the country has reached advanced stage through the National Gas Flaring Commercialisation Programme.

    It said 48 sites across the Niger Delta region have been identified in the first phase where the gas would be harnessed for cooking, electricity and other industrial use.

    This was disclosed by Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh,  at Gelegele in Ovia North East local government where he inaugurated a borehole project.

    Brig-General Boroh stated that 36, 000 direct jobs as well as 200, 000 indirect jobs would be created in Niger Delta region alone from the ending of gas flaring.

    Boroh who is also the National Co-ordinator of the Amnesty programme said the programme would be private sector driven.

    He noted that six million households would have access to clean and renewable energy in the Niger Delta when the programme is implemented.

    Boroh assured the people that President Buhari was committed to the development of the Niger Delta region by ensuring implementation of programmes that would uplift the people.

    He noted that part of the plans to end attacks on oil pipelines was to ensure that pipelines monitoring and protection are community driven.

    According to him, “I want  you all to know that the government is quite disturbed about the health and environmental impact of  gas flaring and is working hard to put an end to this very soon.

    “Through this programme also, 6 million house hold would have access to a clean and renewable energy.

    “For the pipeline security scheme, it is going to be community driven. The community People where we have these oil installations and facilities are expected to drive this process.

    The modalities for this is still being worked out.

    “For the modular refinery which is also going to be private driven, it is being initiated in order to put an end to the menace of illegal refinery. The blue print on this will be out soon,” he stated.

    Zonal President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Chief Robinson Ogunkoru, called for the establishment of amnesty office in Edo State.

    He appealed for pipeline surveillance slot for INC in Edo as well as provision of skill acquisition center in five Okay clan of Edo.

  • Association donates items worth N20m to Edo IDP Camp

    Association donates items worth N20m to Edo IDP Camp

    The Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), on Thursday, donated beverages and other items worth about N20 million to victims of the North East crisis, living at the Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in Edo State.

    President of the association, Chief Patrick Anegbe, while presenting the items at the Camp, which is situated at Uhogua, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, said the gesture was part of the group’s Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

    Anegbe said: “As an association, we know we cannot donate some of the items we produce to the Internally Displaced Persons. We appealed to member companies to make donations and we got positive responses. The result is what we are presenting to the occupants of the camp.”

    He expressed his empathy with the inmates and called on the federal government to expedite action on resettling them.

     “These people, for no fault of theirs, found themselves in this camp. They need to be catered for and empowered to live independent lives outside this place,” he said.

    The Edo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, received the items on behalf of the state government and expressed her gratitude to the association for the gesture.

    Ohenhen said that the donation would bring succour to the inmates, and assured that the state government would ensure that they receive all the items.

     Mrs Evelyn Omigie, the camp supervisor, who received the items on behalf of the inmates, said the materials would go a long way in meeting the needs of the over 2, 500 inmates.