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Tag: Edo

  • 54,000 women benefit from World Bank-backed Project in Edo

    Efforts to bridge gender gap in Edo State has received a boost as 54,000 women from the three senatorial districts are set to benefit from the pilot phase of the Nigeria for Women Project, Governor Godwin Obaseki has said.

    Obaseki who inaugurated the State Steering Committee and State Technical Committee of the Nigeria for Women Projects at Government House in Benin City, said the project is supported by the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Government and designed to empower women across Edo, Ogun, Niger, Taraba, Abia and Kebbi states.

    Expatiating on the benefits which the programme holds for women, the governor maintained that his administration was committed to bridging the economic and social gaps that exist between men and women in the state.

    “We are addressing all forms of gender gaps which have encouraged extreme poverty in the state.

    “So much is being done to ensure that women and girls are empowered with relevant skills to enable them to become self-reliant and contribute more to the economy,” he said.

    According to Obaseki, “when women are empowered, it has a multiplier effect on the nation’s economy and poverty reduction.”

    He stressed the importance of a robust data base for the committees’ work and charged members to come up with modalities on how the projects will be executed.

    Read Also: Edo Poly eyes grant for research

    “We need to come up with specific action plans and monitoring mechanism so we can measure outcomes,” he urged, and tasked the various Ward Development Committees to be part of the screening of the project beneficiaries, to allow for fair representation, he said.

    In her votes of thanks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, said the ministry was passionate about the project and would ensure it succeeds.

    Ohenhen commended the governor’s efforts at mainstreaming women in governance and particularly for ensuring that Edo State is part of the project.

    She assured that the committees would act on the terms of reference given by the governor.

  • Edo sponsors world digital exhibition

    Edo State Government has taken up the permanent host city sponsorship of World Digital Exhibition (Worldex), a global technology trade fair hosted annually to link up sub-Saharan Africa with the global technology community.

    In a letter to Alford Conferences Limited Managing Director Mr. Frederick Apeji,  the promoter of the technology trade exhibition, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, Chief of Staff to Edo State Governor, stated that Governor Godwin Obaseki has approved the request for Benin City as permanent host city for the annual digital exhibition. The 2019 edition is scheduled to begin in August 2019.

    Akerele said the government approved the proposal in line with the state’s technology drive, assuring that the state will work with the team in order to achieve the laudable objectives of the exhibition.

    At a meeting with some of the event management partners (EMPs) for Worldex in Abuja recently to formally announce this sponsorship, Apeji said the partnership with Edo State Government will support the state’s vision of a rapid economic growth.

    Apeji explained that Worldex seeks to be a credible innovation platform for sub-Saharan Africa to engage with the rest of the world, noting that the event is a business to business (B2B) and a business to customer (B2C) trade fair, which focuses on the information and communication technology (ICT) and allied sectors.

    According to him, Worldex inaugural edition is expected to attract exhibitors, exhibition attendees, event sponsors, conference speakers and delegates, and media professionals drawn from Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.

    He said Worldex comprises a product exhibition, conferences addressing various critical digital subjects, and various awards programmes. “This technology trade show offers global tech brands a valuable and powerful platform to enter or to expand in several fresh markets across sub-Saharan Africa. Next to Asia, Africa is the world’s 2nd most populous continent. This region has the most youthful population in the world, and the majority of its youths are increasingly mobile, web and social media savvy,” Apeji said.

    Head, Media and Communications, Bukky Olajide noted that despite its challenges in basic economic infrastructure, Africa is the most virgin territory for global technology brands, and the continent very often offers the highest return on investment (ROI) on most tech business lines.

    According to her, with democracy and the rule of law maturing in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Senegal, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, and many other countries, sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly become a more peaceful and more stable place to do business.

    She pointed out that decision makers drawn from ICT, ministries and agencies, telecom regulators, and investment and export promotion agencies from Nigeria and other major African economies, as well as entrepreneurs, chief executives, and top officials of the leading tech and allied companies across sub-Saharan Africa are also expected to attend the exhibition.

     

  • Why we lost to PDP in Edo Central, by ex-Deputy Speaker

    A former Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Frank Okiye, has said that the All Progressives Congress lost the Presidential and National Assembly election in Edo Central Senatorial district because of the campaign of calumny against President Muhammadu Buhari by some religious groups.

    Edo Central comprising of five local government areas is a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party. It was only in Igueben that the APC has been able to overrun the PDP in the February 23 general election.

    Hon Okiye who is the APC House of Assembly candidate for Esan North East constituency 1 said the influence of late Chief Tony Anenih also played a role.

    Okiye noted that the people late Anenih made were still influential and they understand the management of election in a political system.

    He, however, insisted that results declared from the district were manipulated in favour of the PDP as records showed there were compromises in some areas.

    The former Deputy Speaker said many APC leaders in the zone were not committed and argued that the results were not true reflections of what happened in the field.

    On the chances of the APC in Saturday’s election, Okiye said the APC candidates have bright chances of winning the elections.

    His words, “Our chances are very bright. We have a number of things going for us. We have captured the national and our people are conscious of joining mainstream politics.

    “We have the candidates that are credible and have the capacity to win elections. Our candidates have good public relations with people across political divide. Our people have a bigger picture of what we can get in the likely hood of winning the election. Oipnion moulders are involved and the narration has started changing.

    “We have overcome the initial challenges. This election is local. We are facing it ourselves.

    “Our people should understand we are one common people. We mean well for them. They should give us opportunity to demonstrate that we can do better.”

  • Obaseki backs UN’s call for action to change discriminatory laws

    Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has thrown his weight behind the United Nations’ call for global action against discriminatory laws in order to guarantee equality and inclusion.

    According to Obaseki, “respect for people’s rights, irrespective of their classes or status, is a major force driving our ongoing reforms across all sectors of Edo State.”

    The governor said this in commemoration of the United Nations Zero Discrimination Day, marked on March 1, each year.

    According to him, “In Edo State, we are alive to the yearnings and aspirations of the physically challenged, women, children, people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), the disadvantaged and other vulnerable groups in society and have set out to eliminate man-made barriers hindering their progress.”

    He noted that the Edo State Violence Against Persons Law, which he signed recently and the Child Right’s Law, have begun addressing violent behaviour in the state.

    According to Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), “Human rights violations are happening all over the world because of discriminatory laws and practices.”

    Sidibé emphasised that “Laws must protect, not cause harm. All countries must carefully examine their laws and policies in order to ensure equality and protection for all people, without exception.”

    UNAIDS, the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, noted that Zero Discrimination Day provides opportunity to highlight “equal dignity and worth of every person, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

  • Facebook partners MainOne on metro internet infrastructure expansion in Edo

    Riding on the wave of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s reforms in investment promotion and determination to build a robust technology ecosystem in the state, global technology giant, Facebook has invested in providing broadband internet in Edo State, in partnership with MainOne, a submarine cable system operator.

    The investment is part of a 750km terrestrial fibre infrastructure project being implemented by the two companies in Edo and Ogun states. The project would provide an open-access transport network for metro fibre connectivity to reach more than 1,000,000 people in over 12 cities, including Benin City.

    The Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government has prioritised technology as one of the cardinal pillars of his reform agenda in Edo State, introducing Information Communication Technology (ICT)-compliant pedagogy in primary schools; building the Edo Innovation Hub, where school leavers and graduates undergo beginner and advanced training in technology, as well as revamping technical education to increase productivity.

    The new internet infrastructure by Facebook and MainOne will connect mobile operators’ base stations, Internet Service providers (ISPs), Points of Presence (POPs), and public locations including schools and hospitals.

    In Benin City, extensive work has been done in laying the cables, as manholes with MainOne markings now dot different parts of the city, indicating that fibre cables lay underneath.

    Speaking on the project, Network Investments Lead for Emerging Markets at Facebook, Ibrahima Ba, said: “We are working closely with MainOne and other partners to accelerate broadband deployment. In Nigeria, we are bringing together Facebook’s learnings from scaling our global infrastructure with MainOne’s knowledge of the local environment to develop and test new working models for multiple operators to access common infrastructure.”

    MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer, Funke Opeke, lauded the collaboration and the commitment of Facebook and authorities in Nigeria to improving broadband penetration across the country.

    Commenting on the partnership, she added, “MainOne has always been committed to broadband innovation, job creation as well as growing the digital economy of West Africa. We believe that this partnership and the open-access network we have developed, will be beneficial to improving the quality of access and accelerating the digital transformation in Ogun and Edo states.”

  • Senator Urhoghide re-elected in Edo

    Senator Matthew Urhoghide of the Peoples Democratic Party has been re-elected to represent Edo South Senatorial district.

    He polled 135,588 to defeat his All Progressives Congress opponent, Hon Patrick Obahiagbon.

    Returning Officer, Prof Joseph Osemwenkha, who announced the result said Obahiagbon scored 121,957.

  • Atiku leads with 3,034 votes in Edo

    Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is leading with 3034 votes ahead of President Mohammadu Buhari in the 15 local government areas that have been announced.

    President Buhari is leading in eight of the local government areas but the aggregate scores are 239,582 while Atiku had 242,616 from seven local government areas.

    Results are being expected from Esan Central, Uhunwode and Orhiomwon local government areas.

  • APC, PDP in tight race in Edo

    The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are neck to neck in the Presidential and national assembly Elections in Edo State.

    No official results have been announced as collation of results was still going on at each Ward.

    Former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress thrashed  the PDP at his polling unit at Iyamho and Governor Godwin Obaseki won at his polling unit at Emokpae primary school.

    Elections were generally peaceful across Edo State except in some polling units at Egor where ballot boxes were set ablaze.

    Those that spoke hailed the conduct of the elections.

    In some areas, there were initial malfunction of the card readers but they were later rectified.

    In Edo South where Senator Matthew Urhoghide and Patrick Obahiagbon are in the race, unofficial results showed there were no clear winner yet.

    For the House of Representatives seat on Ovia Constituency, Dennis Idahosa of the All Progressives Congress maintained a lead in his stronghold while Barr. Omosede Igbinedion held on to Okada, her hometown.

    Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonnayima took the lead in Ikpoba-Okha while his opponent, Jude Ise-Idehen, is said to win in some wards in Egor.

    Edo State Commissioner of Police, in charge of elections, Dan-Malam Mohammed, who visited several polling units in company of the lnter-Agencies Consultative Committee on Elections warned policemen not to allow anybody enter INEC office.

    Read Also: Ogboru votes, says Buhari’ll be president till 2023

    His words: “Make sure you work with the names on your list. You know lNEC office is very vital during collation of results, make sure it is properly secure.”

    A visit to the Edo College, in Ward 8, in Oredo Local Government in units 27 to 30,  the security agencies made up of Army, DSS, Custom, NCSDC, lmmigration and others to verify the situation on ground, the PDP and APC agents complain about shortage of sensitive materials like ballot papers and other logistic plights to the police.

    ln Udo, Ovia South West, ballot boxes were snatched and a suspect was arrested with arms and ammunition.

    Police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor confirmed the arrest.

  • Polls: Security operatives nab man with 2000 PVCs in Edo

    Barely few hours to the rescheduled general elections, security agencies in Edo State, have apprehended one Mr. Edwin Edosomwan in Iyekogba axis of Oredo Local Government Area for being in possession of 2000 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

    The PVCs, it was learnt, was purchased from residents in Iyekogba, Oredo Ward 2, as the man, nabbed on Thursday evening, allegedly claimed he was a mobiliser for one of the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) contesting in Saturday’s elections.

    The development is coming less than 24 hours after a Benin-based research group, Edo Socio-Political Research Group, released findings of a study on PVC collection in the state, which showed that some candidates of the PDP had engaged in ‘systemic rigging.’

    In the study, it was discovered that there was a dubious rate of PVC collection in Oredo and Ovia North East, areas where the PDP candidates in the state would vote. The research showed that the two local councils were outliers in the rate of PVC collection, while the trend seemed normal in the 16 other local councils.

    Mr. Edosomwan was caught in Oredo local council, one of the councils that the Edo Socio-Political Research Group had raised the alarm of a possible plot of ‘systemic rigging.’

    Speaking to reporters while being paraded by security operatives, Mr. Edosomwan allegedly claimed to be a member of the ‘Operation Show Your Result’ team, a support group for the candidate of the PDP for Oredo Federal Constituency, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama.

    He said he was mandated to get as many PVCs of eligible voters as possible within Oredo Federal Constituency with the aim of buying over their votes.

    He added that he bought the PVCs for as low as 5000 naira per PVC, noting that he and members of his campaign group have been instructed to deliver their units at all costs.

    Mr. Edosomwan was later taken in by law enforcement agencies for further interrogation.

  • INEC begins distribution of sensitive materials in Edo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo, on Thursday began the distribution of sensitive materials to the 18 local government areas in the state for Saturday’s rescheduled elections.

    The first batch of the materials left the Benin branch of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in an articulated truck at about 9.30 a.m.

    Read Also:Falae writes INEC chairman over retirement as SDP chairman

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Emmanuel Alex-Hart, told newsmen that the vehicle was conveying the materials to Uhunmwonde, Owan East, Owan West and Akoko-Edo Local Government Areas.

    The truck was accompanied by some buses conveying security personnel and political party agents.

    “The second batch of materials are loaded into another truck under the watchful eyes of security and party agents and the truck is heading to Etsako East, Etsako West and Etsako Central Local Government Areas.

    “The third truck is going to be loaded now with materials meant for Esan West, Esan Central, Esan North-East, Esan South-East and Igueben local government areas,” he said.

    According to Alex-Hart, the process is going on smoothly under the watchful eyes of security personnel and the party agents.

    “Hopefully, in the next few hours all the materials would have left the CBN to various local government areas.’’