The Edo State government has appealed to community leaders in the state to protect public schools in their domains.
Commissioner for Higher Education, Mr. Washington Osifo made the appeal in an interview with reporters in Benin City, Edo State capital.
He said government-owned schools in the state were constantly being vandalised by hoodlums.
He said it is part of the civic responsibilities of the community leaders as well as other residents of the state to assist government in protecting schools.
“Vandalism is part of the evil in the heart of men. We don’t understand why someone will destroy government property, especially government schools. We have spoken to residents, religious and community leaders where these schools are located, to see government schools as their own and protect them.
“We have continued to urge community leaders to assist us in taking care of these properties. We hope that they will listen to this clarion call,” he said.
Osifo said the employment of security men to protect schools in the state would swell the wage bill of the state government.
He said: “The security men we have in some schools cannot really do much when these hoodlums invade the schools because they find it difficult to overpower the vandals.
“Most times the hoodlums tie and beat them up before vandalising the schools property or stealing them.
“We are appealing to good-spirited people in the localities to protect the schools because their children are the direct beneficiaries. They should not turn their eyes to the other side and allow people to destroy government properties in their area.
“We have complained to the police on several occasions and we are still looking for the perpetrators; nobody has a clue as to who is doing it and why.”
He said principals of government schools have been mandated to stay close to the school premises and do routine checks on schools, especially during weekends.
The Edo State Government has denied owing its workers salary arrears.
The government said it was up-to-date in its obligation to the workers.
The government, in a statement yesterday, insisted that it should not be lumped in the league of some states in default of payment of salaries because it meets its wage obligations before the end of each month.
In the statement, Commissioner for Information and Orientation Louis Odion said: “We read with deep shock the claims that the Government of Edo State owes workers five months’ salary arrears. Nothing could be more misleading and mischievous.
“While it is true that some states are currently unable to meet their financial obligation, Edo remains an exemplar. For the records, Edo State Government does not owe workers salary arrears as the government has fully discharged its obligations. As a matter of state policy since Comrade Adams Oshiomhole assumed office in 2008, pensioners receive their pay first, followed by workers who get paid not later than the 25th of every month. The policy has not changed. For April, all pensioners and workers were also paid on schedule.”
“Oshiomhole’s life has been devoted to the defence and advancement of the workers’ cause. While it is true that states have come under heavy pressure on account of the steep fall in oil price, for the Comrade Governor, the pay day remains sacrosanct.
“Through prudent management, the Comrade Governor is not just paying salaries and pension on schedule but is also able to keep contractors working on sites across the state.”
Death toll in the ongoing rival cults war in Edo State is increasing by the day since cult related killings began last week.
Several persons have been killed in Benin City and environs.
Latest victims are two students of the Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi in Ovia South-West local government area of Edo State.
The two students were shot dead while going to attend lectures on Tuesday morning.
Examinations that were supposed to commence at the institution have been postponed after students of the college barricaded the highway to protest the killings.
Provost of the institution, Dr. Friday Obasogie, who confirmed the killings, said the victims were on their way to school when they were ambushed and killed by the gunmen.
“The students were going to school when the perpetrators ran out of the bush, attacked them and ran back to the bush.
“It is cult clash; you know that it has been in Benin for over a week now. The police have brought the situation under control.
“The semester’s examination has been postponed by one week to enable the tension die down,” the Provost stated.
Spokesman for Edo Police Command, DSP Stephen Onwochei, said investigation has commenced into the killings.
DSP Onwochei assured that those behind the killings would never escape justice as a manhunt for them has been launched.
Over 18 months after oil spills from the facilities of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and fire outbreak ravaged Ikara in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, the people of the Itsekiri community are still waiting for succour, writes SHOLA O’NEIL
Over 18 months after several crude oil spills from the facilities of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and fire outbreak ravaged Ikara, Ajatiton and Kolokolo communities in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, the people of Ikara, an Itsekiri community, are still waiting for the management of the national oil firm and the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) to act on the spill.
It was learnt that the management of NPDC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is resolute that it would neither negotiate with nor pay compensation to the communities, due to an extant policy of not paying for spills caused by “3rd Party Interference”.
•Area impacted by spills in 2014
The people of Ikara, one of the affected communities told Niger Delta Report that the spills, which occurred from late 2013 through January and February of 2014, wreaked untold havoc on the environment and ecology of their land. They said resulting fire from the spills later ravaged the forests, fish ponds and farmlands around the area, leaving in its wake gale of destruction, hunger and poverty.
It was learnt that a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) carried out by NOSDRA and other stakeholders on January 6, 2014, over one month after the first incident, recommended the immediate repair of the pipeline, environmental assessment, clean up and post-clean-up investigation of the impacted areas.
Our findings, collaborated by documents from NOSDRA and other agencies, revealed that the repair of the damaged pipeline was not properly done. One of the independent valuers said, “It was the clamps placed to contain the initial damage that ruptured and led to at least two other spills in the proceeding months.”
Just one month after, on February 18, 2014, there was another report of spillage from the NPDC’s Oziengbe/Oredo 6″ Export pipeline at Ikara swamps. Equipment failure and failed clamp was indicated as the cause of the spill.
The JIV which led to the revelation was carried out on March 13, nearly one month after, contrary to the NOSDRA regulation, which recommended that such investigation should be done within 72 hours (three days) after the spill is reported.
The investigation nonetheless identified oil stains on vegetation, fishing nets, dead floating fishes and withering vegetation as the nature of impact of the spill. Properties affected were listed as crops, fish farm and ponds and fishing nets, among others.
The document signed on behalf of the agency by Adanu Charles and I A Jonathan, remarked that the spill was caused by a previously clamped section of the pipeline, which was leaking and recommended that immediate repair of the facilities be effected. “NPDC should intensify surveillance.”
Two weeks after the visit, a fire outbreak occurred on 27/03/14 at the same facility and around the same area. The impacted areas were delineated as within and outside the company’s ROW (Right of Way). A JIV, three days later remarked that “The cause of the fire incident is not known”. The report though conceded that “crude oil was all over the area before the incident, which was not cleaned-up.”
NPDC was asked to “Commence immediate cleanup and remediation of the impacted area”, by NOSDRA’s Olawumi Oladapo, who led the team along with NPDC and community representatives.
Just a month later, on 23/04/14, there was yet another spill from a “failed clamp” on the 6″ pipeline. The remark on the JIV report, which was obtained by NDR read: “As at the time of visit, the crude oil was seeping out of the failed clamp.”
Although it noted that the spill was still within the confines of the firm’s ROW, the JIV report advised that “NPDC should respond to the spill immediately to prevent the oil from moving out of the ROW”. It also urged the company to do “immediate clean-up of the impacted area”.
One of the community leaders, Chief John Eyejamuro, told our reporter in a telephone chat that the company’s perceived “irresponsibility has led to suffering and hardship in the community”. He accused the company of neglecting the impacted community and shirking its responsibilities to them.
But NPDC source said the community members were responsible for the spill through sabotage of the company’s facilities because they wanted to be compensated.
An environmental consulting and engineering services firm engaged by the communities, Fredorosa Casolini Limited, petitioned the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja, urging for urgent intervention of the House to save the people of Ikara and other impacted areas.
The petition, dated 9th May, 2014 was signed by Eyimofe Brown-Dibofun. It decried “The consequences of the unwholesome environmental practices by the NPDC”, which he said resulted in “continuous pollution of surface and underground water which is the source of drinking water for the people; the unending pollution and degradation of rivers and creeks, mangrove and vegetation leading to a depletion of its flora and fauna.
The consultant also lamented the non-completion of Post-Spill Impact Assessment (PSIA), which usually ends in the damage assessment of resources and properties. “We are to mention that we are also disturbed that the mandatory PSIA, which must come before cleanup and remediation has not been done and yet the polluter (NPDC) is eager to clean-up the polluted sites and the waterways in order to obliterate scientific and visual evidence required for this matter.”
The petition demanded that NPDC proceed to Ikara and other communities with stakeholders for the PSIA and Post-fire Impact Assessment of forest and resources as well as the cleanup and remediation work in the impacted area.
“NPDC must supply adequate relief materials (foodstuffs, water and medication) to be determined by NOSDRA to assuage the sufferings of the people occas0ioned by the oil spill.”
Several months after the 2013 spill, NPDC engaged the service of Mytec Links International Limited for the cleanup, remediation and restoration of the impacted areas. The company mobilized to sight in August 2014.
Apparently unimpressed with the processes leading to the planned cleanup, FREDOROSA, on December 30, 2014, wrote to NOSDRA’s Director General, Sir Peter Idabor, reminding the agency of the legal imperative to ensure the PSIA and Post Impact Assessment for Ikara” are done.
The letter stated that “It is a legal imperative that NOSDRA, as an Agency of the Federal Ministry of Environment, must ensure the assessments.” A further reminder was sent to the agency on January 22, 2015.
The letters, our findings revealed, was the culmination of distrust between Ikara leaders, NOSDRA and NPDC. Before the petition to the NASS, the communities had also raised concern over purported attempted by the NPDC to “destroy JIV evidence”. They claimed that the oil firm tried to mutilate the JIV forms signed by the stakeholders “with a view to destroy evidence against them on their unwholesome environmental practices.”
Speaking with our reporter on Monday, Brown-Dibofun insisted that the ploy to destroy the evidence of the JIV was hatched in connivance with some official of NOSDRA who went for the JIV. “When we noticed this, we protested to the then Zonal Director in Warri, Mr Bunmi Akindele, who later queried some of the officials deployed for the JIV.”
The FREDOROSA boss’ claim could not be independently confirmed because Akindele was no longer the Zonal Director at the agency’s Warri office at the time of this report. The result of the ‘query’ was also unknown.
Nevertheless, Eyimofe-Brown insisted that the NPDC spill management process was not transparent. He said, “Over 80percent of spills are wrongly listed by the company as 3rd party intervention in order to escaped liability.
“It is not only in the cause that they plan pranks; they also under report the quantity of crude oil spill. There was a case when the company said just 40 barrels of crude was spilled but when it awarded the contract for the recovery, the contractor was asked to recovered hundreds of barrels; where did the extra came from?”
Our problem with Ikara, others – Npdc
Our reporter’s effort to reach the Managing Director of the NPDC, Mr. Anthony Ugonna Muoneke and other staff competent to speak for the company was abortive.
However, a very reliable and high ranking officer of NPDC, who spoke on condition that his name would not be mention in this report, explained the company’s position on oil spills and other issues in the area. The source said some inhabitants of the areas were notorious for attacks on oil installations, stressing that it got so bad that the company reached out to prominent leaders in Itsekiri nation to help curb the attack on NPDC’s pipelines.
“When we notice incessant cases of vandalisation of our pipelines in the area – sometimes they put fire on the pipeline – we became concerned. We approached one Chief Johnson and asked him to take up a contract to guard our pipeline. Immediately they started writing petition that they want the contract broken into pieces. We said not because we want to be able to hold somebody responsible. We were sure that he could do it and he has helped us arrest a lot of suspect. “
Speaking on the process of cleanup and remediation of the spill site, the source debunked allegation that a JIV report was tampered, stressing that it was a desperate ploy to malign the company. It noted that the community leaders knew the channel of dealing with the issues .
“The truth is that in any oil spill, we invite DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources), NOSDRA, community for a JIV and they look at to find out if its equipment failure or vandalism. It is DPR that issue report about the JIV it is the report of DPR that determines what happens. If we have done JIV and DPR decides its sabotage, then that is what it is. The DPR is an independent government organ saddled with the responsibility.
“The problem of the community is that they are not willing to accept the report of DPR. Communities are using the press to blackmail and forcing us to do what is not right. They should have reported us to the Ministry of Environment and the NOSDRA; why go to the press? The Ministry of Environment asks questions when there is disagreement and we respond with documents.
“The law is that if it is vandalism which we have been experiencing, no relief materials, no compensation and nothing will be provided. If after vandalizing our equipment, making us lose production, shutdown and spend money on repair they still expect us to give them relief material?”
The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), has declared Mr Roland Asoro of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the rescheduled Edo House of Assembly election for Orhionmhwon South Constituency seat.
Mr Olowu Owin, the Returning Officer for the election, announced the result on Sunday in Orhionmwon.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that INEC declared the April 11 State House of Assembly election inconclusive in 12 units in 4 wards.
According to Owin, Asoro of APC won the election that took place on April 18 with 11, 486 votes, to defeat Mr Friday Ogierake of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) who polled 8, 640 votes.
NAN further reports that the PDP candidate pulled out of the contest before the April 18 election.
Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would boycott Saturday’s rescheduled election in Orhionmwon South Constituency for the Edo State House of Assembly.
Elections in the constituency were declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission because the number of voters in the 12 polling units spread across three wards was large.
Residents Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, said a winner could only be announced after the rescheduled elections.
Chairman of PDP in Orhionmwon, Barr. Nosakhare Ogieva-Okunbor, who announced the boycott at a press briefing yesterday evening said the party has lost confidence in INEC.
Barr. Ogieva-Okunbor alleged that results favorable to the PDP were rejected by INEC while manipulated results were accepted.
He said the party considered the boycott because the outcome of the rescheduled election was already determined.
According to him, “It is unfair to us and our candidate. Of what use is the participation in the election to us when the result is already determined.”
“PDP Orhionmwon will not participate in the election. The people of Orhionmwon voted for PDP but INEC in collaboration with APC has bastardized the results”
Candidate of the PDP in Orhionmwon South, Friday Ogierhiakhi, said he supported the boycott because INEC ignored all complaints made by the PDP.
Ogierhiakhi who vowed to reclaim his mandate at the tribunal said it was ridiculous for results from three units to be higher than results from 11 units.
Edo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Friday lauded the recently concluded elections into the state house of assembly even as it urged the losers to accept their fate and prepare for another contest at the end of their four years term.
A statement by the chairman of the party in the state, Prince Frank Ukonga urged the winners to be dedicated to quality service delivery of dividends of democracy to the electorate.
He said their representation should translate to “quality education for all and sundry, jobs for the unemployed, rapid quality infrastructural development, quality healthcare, portable water, provision of electricity, industrialization and agricultural advancement, housing, support for the youth, women and the vulnerable in the society.”
He said; “The experience of the polls has shown clearly that power belongs to the people and that politicians should learn from the revolution sweeping across Edo state and the Nigerian federation where more than 80 per cent of the former executives and legislatures in several states where voted out of office because of non performance scorecards by the people, the only strategy of being respected by the masses is for the elected officers to be resourceful and dedicated to quality service delivery addressed to leave a lasting legacy. I urge the losers to accept the outcome sports-manly and join hands with the winners to move Edo state to greater heights.”
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has picked holes in claims by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that 140,000 votes of the All Progressive Congress were voided during the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
It said it symphatised with Governor Oshiomhole for his inability to accept defeat adding that the Governor was looking for excuses to make up for the defeat of the APC at the polls.
The PDP said 97,414 votes were cancelled and not voided as claimed by the Governor.
State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, in a press statement said the cancelled votes was in respect of the cancelled votes in Orhiomwon Local Government Area where no vote was recorded.
Chief Orbih noted that votes from Orhiomwon Local Government were not captured in the March 28 election and that the entire people who collected PVCs in the council were disenfranchised.
Orbih said the PDP would have swept the polls “if the forces of darkness had not prevailed on INEC to cancel the election going by what we recorded in other local government in the Edo South senatorial zone.
“When did Governor Oshiomhole become a Returning Officer in INEC that he now apportions electoral figures? We had expected Governor Oshiomhole to have learnt some lessons in the resounding victory of the PDP in the election but we have again seen that the Governor has not desisted from his old ways of playing on the intelligence of Edo people.
“After winning five out of the nine House of Representatives seats and two out of the three Senate positions in Edo State, we are glad to declare that come the governorship election next year, Edo people will have the final opportunity to put this sad chapter of the APC’s misadventure behind them.”
The Chairman of Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Agbodion, has been suspended, following allegations of financial mismanagement and sundry administrative irregularities.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole announced Agbodion’s suspension yesterday when he addressed members of the Local Government Executive Council and Councillors at the Government House in Benin, the state capital.
He said: “We have tried in the past to call the Chairman to have a good working relationship with his executives. We have decided to set up a panel of enquiry to investigate these allegations – financial and non-financial – in line with the provisions of the appropriate legislations of the local government law. I have decided to exercise the powers vested in me to suspend the Chairman during this period for the committee to investigate all the allegations and submit the report to me.
“So, with immediate effect, the Chairman is suspended and a committee of enquiry is set up. In line with the rules, the Vice Chairman will act as the Chairman of the local government.”
The local government’s Vice Chairman Reginald Okuns will act as the Acting Chairman pending the outcome of the investigation by the Committee of Enquiry.
Oshiomhole added: “I direct the suspended chairman to stay away from the premises of the local government. When the committee is ready to sit, it will invite you and you will have ample opportunity to defend yourself against the allegations…”
Oshiomhole yesterday set up a four-man Commission of Enquiry to investigate the allegations levelled against Oshiomhole yesterday set up a four-man Commission of Enquiry to investigate the allegations levelled against Agbodion.
Inaugurating the commission in his office, the governor said: “We decided to set up this committee in line with the provisions of Section 20, sub-section 11 of the Local Government Law, as amended, 2006.”
Chief Tom Uloko is the panel’s Chairman and Mrs. Regina Osagajah its Secretary. Other members are: Maj.-Gen. Charles Omoregie (rtd) and Tunji Aroya.
Uloko said the panel would be firm and fair in its investigation.
He said the panel would apply legal ethics to accomplish its assignment and submit its report as soon as possible.
The Chairman of Owan West Local Government Area in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Agbodion, has been suspended following allegations of financial mismanagement and other administrative irregularities.
The State Governor, Comrade Adams oshiomhole, announced his suspension while addressing members of the Local Government Executive Council and Councilors Wednesday at the Government House, Benin City.
The Governor said, “We have tried in the past to call the Chairman to have a good working relationship with his Executives. We have decided to set up a committee of enquiry to investigate these allegations, both financial and non-financial and in the provisions of the appropriate legislations of the Local Government law, I have decided to exercise the powers vested in me to suspend the Chairman during this period for the committee to investigate all the allegations and submit the report to me.
“So with immediate effect, the Chairman is suspended and a Committee of enquiry is set up. In line with the rules, the Vice Chairman will act as the Chairman of the Local Government. I direct the suspended chairman to stay away from the premises of the Local Government. When the Committee is ready to sit, the Committee will invite you and you will have ample opportunity to defend yourself against all the allegations.
“For now, we all have an issue in hand subject to the findings of the committee. So I have called you here as Chairman, Vice Chairman and some of the Councilors, I advise you to desist from doing things that will lead to violence or in any way lead to destruction. If anybody does anything that leads to rioting or protests or anything that will disrupt the peace of the community, the person will be exposing himself because the full weight of the law will be brought to bear”.
Oshiomhole continued, “We have a collective responsibility to ensure that there is peace and security. We have followed the provisions of the law which provides for the suspension of the Chairman in the face of allegations such as this. We expect the committee will work very quickly and will give us a report based on which a final decision will be taken. I want to appeal to you Councilors whether elected or appointed to maintain the peace.
“However anybody who chooses to take laws into his hands will face the consequence of the law because we will not allow anyone to do anything that will undermine the security of the people of Owan West or indeed any part of Edo state.
The Governor said, “While the Chairman is on suspension the Vice Chairman will reserve all the powers and privileges of the Chairman. Your brief is straightforward, it is to provide leadership and perform those functions that the Chairman usually performs and you must avoid his own mistakes, you must ensure that you do not in any way do anything that will bother on financial mismanagement. You must follow due procedure in award of contract or in any business that you want to do.
“If you are in doubt, please seek clarification from either the Ministry of Local Government or from the Attorney-General or even directly from my office. This is not something to celebrate or not to celebrate. It is a huge responsibility that you now have to provide leadership for the Local Government while this enquiry is on.
“I don’t want to hear people are boasting or people are saying it is my turn. This is just a duty to perform and when the Chairman is not available, the Vice Chairman takes over so go and provide the needed leadership and I have no doubt that you are capable to do this and I wish you the best of luck”.
The Vice Chairman, Owan West Local Government Area, Hon. Reginald Okuns will act as the Acting Chairman pending the outcome of the investigation by the Committee of Enquiry.
Meanwhile, Adams Oshiomhole has set up a 4-Man Commission of Enquiry to investigate the allegations leveled at the Chairman.
Inaugurating the Commission in his office, Governor Oshiomhole said, “We decided to set up this committee on the provisions of Section 20, sub-section 11 of the Local Government Law as amended 2006.
Oshiomhole said, “We have had series of allegations bordering on administrative incompetence, poor governance, diversion of public funds, non-payment of salaries and breach of procurement procedures against the Chairman of Owan West Local Government and these allegations have persisted in spite of my numerous attempt to advice him to review his approach to governance and ensure that he obeys all the rules and regulations and subject himself to the dictates of the law and the norms of governance.
“It is clear from the gale of petitions and complaints that these allegations have not abated and I am convinced that they are sufficiently serious enough to warrant a formal enquiry. I am not in a position to form an opinion on the basis of these allegations. In our law, everyone is deemed innocent until he is found guilty.
“In line with the provision of the Local Government Law, Section 20, in exercise of the power vested in me, I have decided to constitute an administrative commission of enquiry to investigate these and other allegations. This is not a judicial allegation and we are not investigating criminal allegation, basically it is an administration committee of enquiry and we have decided to look for seasoned and well experienced administrators”.
The Governor said, “This suspension under the law is expected to last for a period of two months. You are therefore expected to do everything to turn in your report on time so that the issues can be determined one way or the other within the time provided for in the enabling legislation.
Chief Tom Uloko is Chairman of the Chairman while Barrister Mrs. Osagajah serve as Secretary. Other members are Maj-Gen Charles Omoregie (rtd), Barrister Tunji Aroya.
Responding, Chairman of the Commission of Enquiry, Chief Tom Uloko assured that the Commission will be firm, fair and apply all ethics known to the law to carry out the assignment and report back as soon as possible.
