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Tag: Edo

  • IFC invests $80m in Edo State’s Azura IPP

    International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has signed agreements to provide $80 million of debt financing to Azura Power West Africa Limited for the Azura-Edo independent power project (IPP), a 450 megawatts (Mw) gas-fired power plant.

    The IFC, in conjunction with other Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), also mobilised additional $212.5 million for the project.

    The project, according to IFC, will strengthen Nigeria’s gas-to-power value chain and deliver much-needed electricity to almost 14 million residential consumers in the country.

    The Azura-Edo IPP, IFC stated, consists of the construction, operation and maintenance of a 450Mw gas-fired open-cycle power plant located in Edo State, Nigeria. It also includes the construction of a short 330kV transmission line and an underground gas pipeline spur connecting the power plant to the country’s main gas trunk line.

    The project has been developed by a consortium of investors led by Amaya Capital Limited, a principal investment firm focused on energy projects in West Africa. The other shareholders are American Capital Energy and Infrastructure, the Africa Infrastructure Investment Fund 2, Aldwych International Limited, Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund 2 LLC, and the Asset & Resource Management Company Limited.

    The Co-founder of Amaya Capital, Mr. Sundeep Bahanda and the Managing Director of the Azura-Edo IPP, Dr. David Ladipo, said in a joint statement: “The completion of the financing is a major milestone in our project development timeline. We have been working very closely with our financing partners over the past few years and today’s signing reflects all the tireless work put in by all the financiers and our advisors. “

    IFC is providing $50 million in debt for its own account, and $30 million of subordinated debt, for a total of $80 million. IFC is also mobilizing $212.5 million, of which $177.5 million has been jointly raised with Dutch DFI Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), in long-term financing from a pool of eight development finance institutions. IFC acted as co-Lead Arranger with FMO for the senior DFI tranche of the financing. The balance of debt financing is being provided by international commercial lenders, co-arranged by Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and guaranteed by the World Bank and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). First City Monument Bank (FCMB) is administering a local currency facility provided from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Power and Airline Intervention Fund through the Bank of Industry. Standard Chartered Bank is the Global Lead Arranger for the project.

    “This project is a cornerstone of the World Bank Group’s Energy Business Plan for Nigeria to support the country’s extensive energy reform programme,” said Bernie Sheahan, Director for Infrastructure at IFC. “The World Bank Group’s substantial involvement in the Azura-Edo power project is a clear confirmation of our commitment to help the Federal Government of Nigeria develop a sustainable gas-to-power sector.”

  • 2015: Return all illegal arms, police tell Edo residents

    2015: Return all illegal arms, police tell Edo residents

    HEAD of the conduct of the primary elections for political parties, the Edo State police command has issued a 14- day ultimatum to residents of the state to submit all illegally- acquired weapons in their possession.

    It said anybody arrested with illegal weapons would be severely dealt with after the expiration of the ultimatum.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, who stated this at a press briefing yesterday, said the anti-robbery unit and other squads of the command have been directed to identity, raid and confiscate illegal weapons.

    He raised the alarm that some unscrupulous politicians have acquired arms and ammunition, hired thugs and violent cult groups, with a view to cause mayhem if they lost the primaries.

    Adebanjo announced some financial reward for any information leading to the recovery of massive arms and ammunition in the state. He said, “As the 2015 elections approaches, it is necessary that all hands are on deck towards insuring free, fair, credible and violent-free elections. “The activities of political thugs have remained a major concern in the political process, which the Inspector General of Police has talked about in different fora. We are strongly determined to ruthlessly deal with any political thug and their sponsors.”

  • Police alleges arms build-up in Edo

  • Edo, Kogi schools qualify for SEC quiz competition

    Two public secondary schools in Edo and Kogi States have progressed to the zonal final of a national quiz competition organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria.

    Holy Trinity Secondary School, Sabongida-Ora, won the ticket for Edo State, while Ogori Comprehensive High School, in Ogori-Magongo LGA, won for Kogi State on Monday.

    Ogori Comprehensive High School scored 65 points to beat host school, St. Clement Seminary and Army Day Secondary School, both of Lokoja, to second and third positions with 60 points and 37 points.  The school will compete in the zonal final with other representatives from the Northcentral zone in Kaduna.  Holy Trinity which beat five other schools (Word of Faith School, University Demonstration Secondary School, ABC Secondary School, Auchi, University Secondary School, Ekpoma, and Government Secondary School, Irrua) in Edo will contest against other Southsouth representatives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    At the Edo competition, leader of the SEC delegation, Mr Sufian Abdullcarim, said the quiz contest, which is in its sixth year, is organised to teach the students about the stock market, which is worth about N13.9 trillion.

    “We hope to through the competition to prepare our kids ahead of their future and to teach them how to invest the little money they get instead of wasting it on frivolities,” he said.

    Director in charge of Science Vocation and Technical Education in the Edo state Ministry of Education, Mrs Osariemen Okawele, stated that the quiz competition would broaden the knowledge of “‘our future leaders of the intricacies of investment.’’

    She said “the competition I must say is a worthwhile exercise for the students who are our future leaders.

    Vice Principal of the victorious Ogori Comprehensive High School, Mr Abdul Adepoju, attributed his pupils’ performance to hard work and discipline.

    He said that the school will go back to the drawing board to map out winning strategies for the zonal final coming up in Kaduna.

    One of the pupils, Master Samson Makanjuola also promised that the school would give serve as worthy ambassador of the state at zonal and national levels of the competition.

     

  • Edo North belongs to PDP

    Edo North belongs to PDP

    Edo North senatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Richard Lamai, has urged his party to field a formidable candidate, who can defeat the All Progress Congress (APC) in next year’s election.

    Lamai said the party can only make an impact, if the ticket is given to the best man.  Noting that Edo State is being governed by an energetic governor, he said only an energetic candidate with massive grassroots support can wrest power from the ruling party.

    He described himself as a loyal party man, stressing that ,when he indicated his interest to contest in 2003, he was told to step down and work for the  second term of Senator Victor Oyofo.

    Lamai said he took the advice and worked towards the party’s victory in 2003 and 2007, adding that the decision enabled him to work closely with Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and the elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark.

    The aspirant said he is competent to represent the district at the Senate.

    He added that he has remained faithful to the PDP, even when many members dumped the party for the APC when they could not achieve their ambition within the fold.

    He implored the party to give his candidature preference, especially now that he has garnered enough exposure and experience as protégé of the legendary Clark, who is widely acknowledged as the political father of Mr. President and the Southsouth leader of the party.

    Lamai told the party leaders in the six local government areas of Edo-North that his cardinal objective is to stimulate economic development of the district through the establishment of small-scale industries in all the 64 wards of the zone.

    The senatorial aspirant said that, within 64 days in office, he would establish 64 small scale industries in each of the 64 wards of Edo North. This, he said, would be achieved through non-repayable empowerment scheme.

     

  • Strike grounds four Edo tertiary institutions

    Strike grounds four Edo tertiary institutions

    The industrial action by workers of four Edo State-owned tertiary schools has stalled academics for the past two months.  The workers insist they would not return to work until the government pays salary arrears and increases subvention to the institutions.  But the government insists it is not owing the workers, reports OSAGIE OTABOR.

    Academic activities have been grounded for over two months in four tertiary institutions owned by the Edo State Government.

    They are the College of Education, Ekiadolor, College of Education, Igueben, Institute of Science and Technology, Usen, and College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi.

    Lecturers and non-academic members of staff of the institutions have been on strike since August over alleged failure of the state government to pay the differentials of 16 months of salary arrears arising from the implementation of Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges Academic Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and the Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institution Salary Structure (CONTESISS).

    Workers of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi are, however, on solidarity strike with the schools.

    Managements of the striking institutions have enforced the no-work-no-pay rule the workers’ salaries have been stopped.

    The strike, led by lecturers of the institutions, began in June when the students were about to write their examinations. The lecturers earlier went on a three-day warning strike followed by a two-week work-to-rule.   In August, the students of the College of Education, Ekiadolor were sent home on a mid-semester break because they destroyed vehicles and property while protesting their teachers’ refusal to return to work at a time they were about to write examinations.

    They blocked the Benin-Lagos highway and reportedly attacked the convoy of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin kingdom, who was on his way to Ibadan to attend a function to mark his birthday.  However, his security attachés fired tear gas to drive them away, an action that upset the students and led to the rampage.

    However, a student, Enabulele Ugbesia, said the protest was peaceful.

    “Our lecturers went on a three-day strike. After that, they went for one week and now they began a work to rule strike. We are about to write our examinations and they are delaying us,” he said.

    Following the expiration of the work-to-rule strike, the workers embarked on a full strike after several meetings with the government ended in a deadlock.

    Last Wednesday, they took their protest to the streets of Benin and marched to the Government House bearing placards with various inscriptions.  They wore black attires to mourn the dwindling fortunes of their institutions.

    In a position paper addressed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the workers under the aegis of Coalition of Unions of State Owned Tertiary Institutions, listed other issues in dispute to include the non-payment of salaries for periods spanning between one and four months, and the use of pension and cooperative funds to pay salaries.

    It reads in parts: “The dilapidation of infrastructure in all the concerned institutions has culminated in the non-accreditation of courses and programmes in these institutions. Hence, government should as a matter of urgency provide adequate funding for the purpose of meeting accreditation needs and standards.

    “Government should not only condemn but sanction the unilateral management practice of using cooperative, Trust Savings and Check-Off dues of our unions to pay staff salaries.”

    “Government should adequately fund these institutions to enable them meet their statutory obligations of paying pensions and gratuities to deserving retirees. We demand our members not captured in Horne Edo State Pension Scheme as a result of non-gazetting of their institutions to be listed.”

    President of the Coalition Mr. Fred Omonuwa said they could no longer bear the pains after a series of engagement with the state government through the Commissioner of Education.

    He condemned the resort to blackmail and harassment of their members by managements of the institutions.

    He criticised the decision of the state  to pay their counterparts in Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, regular monthly pension and gratuities as well as increased subvention while they were left unattended to.

    Omonuwa, who called for a resumption of negotiations with the state government and all agreements duly signed, urged the government to restore peace and harmony to the institutions.

    However, contrary to the workers claims, the Commissioner for Establishment, Labour and Special Duties, Comrade Didi Adodo, said the government was not owing them as an agreement signed in 2010 indicated that the government would not pay arrears if it implemented the new salary structure.

    Edo State Head of Service Mr Igbaeremen Obazele said a team headed by Rev Peter Obadan, a former Deputy Governor, has been constituted to look at the issues raised by the unions

    Obazele attributed the delay to failure by the managements of three out of the four institutions to make the required statistics available.

    He said: “You don’t hold meetings without computation. You cannot negotiate without adequate records. The summary of this issue is money. The summary of your demand is increase in subvention and the government cannot make increase subvention without knowing what is on the ground”.

    However, Provost of the College of Education, Ekiadolor, Prof Amen Uhunmwangho, said his institution has submitted all the required documents to the state government.

    He said he was particularly worried over the strike action and said the state government intention was to check the records to enable it act fast.

    When The Nation visited the college, the students lamented the poor state of their hostels. More than eight students stay in a room, while the surrounding was filthy.

    Meanwhile, the management of the Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, has told its striking workers not to expect their October salaries if they continued to stay away from work.

    It said its workers have been paid up to date and that they have no excuse to be absent from work.

    A circular signed by the Acting Registrar, O. Osawemwenze, said the management was committed to full implementation of the no-work- no-pay rule.

    It was gathered that other institutions have stopped the salaries of the striking workers.  The students have been asked to go on mid-semester break.

  • Edo State introduces rugby into school

    Edo State introduces rugby into school

    Edo State  which is fast becoming  known for  the development  of the game of Rugby in Nigeria, will be breaking new grounds with the introduction of the game into schools through the launch of an International Rugby Board grassroots program tagged “Get Into Rugby”

    The program will be launched tomorrow with a Seminar & Clinic at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Media Center from 9am -4pm for School’s sports teachers/masters/mistresses of over 25 Schools drawn from both government and private schools respectively in Benin City.

    According to the coordinator of the program, Mr. Ntiense Williams, the Head Coach of Edo State Rugby Association, who also introduced the sport into Edo State some 8 years ago, “We will like to get Edo State fully integrated into the National & International Rugby scheme of things with the introduction of the Schools Rugby program tagged by the International Rugby Board as “Get Into Rugby” (GIR), and what we will popularly refer to as “Catch Them Young Sports Development Program. This program is a genuine way of inculcation the ethos & rudiment of Rugby Football in our children at a very early age which will greatly help them to grow in the system, and become National & International players of repute to Edo State in the nearest future, said Williams ,who is also popularly know as “Mr. Rugby” in Nigeria.

    “Initially, when I was brought to Edo State, it was solely for producing a team, and winning the National Sports Festival which we have done well with a historic record of 4 gold medals out of the available 6 gold medals, a feat which has not been broken till date, but  we believe that we need to bring the game up to international standards which is why the introduction of the schools game is very paramount.”

    Ntiense, who is the only International Rugby Board Educator in Nigeria added that “Get Into Rugby” (GIR) is an International Rugby Board program aimed at promoting and popularizing the beautiful game of Rugby around the world towards Rugby’s re-introduction into the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as a medal winning event. Early this year, the IRB in conjunction with the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation hosted an Education & Coaching Seminar for the “Get Into Rugby” program in Lagos. At the end of the program, Edo State was one of the 8 States in the entire country selected for the pilot scheme of the program.

    This program is very timely for us in Edo State, as we are now involved in genuine sports development to be able to identify talents to replace our aging ones who are fast wearing out.

  • PDP desperate to win Rivers, Edo, says Odigie-Oyegun

    PDP desperate to win Rivers, Edo, says Odigie-Oyegun

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is desperate to win the governorship elections in Rivers and Edo states, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said.

    He also said the Southsouth and Southeast zones are notorious for massive rigging of elections in Nigeria.

    Odigie-Oyegun spoke yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Port Harcourt during the maiden meeting of the APC in the Southsouth zone, which had in attendance, Amaechi and his Edo State counterpart Adams Oshiomhole.

    He added that the mammoth crowd at Saturday’s mega rally, marking the 7th anniversary of the Supreme Court victory of Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt confirmed that the Rivers governor controls the grassroots.

    The zonal meeting was also attended by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Segun Oni; the National Vice-Chairman, (Southsouth) Prince Hilliard Eta; a member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva; members of the National Assembly and party officials from the zone.

    The national chairman of the APC condemned the mayhem in Delta State over Saturday’s local government elections.

    The Rivers governor called for unity among APC members. Oshiomhole lauded Amaechi for the success of his 7th anniversary and the massive crowd at the stadium.

    After the opening ceremonies, reporters were excused.

    The national chairman of APC, in his address, said: “For the Southsouth, this is perhaps even more crucial and more important than a lot of the other zones. In the Southsouth, we have the President of the nation (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) and the National Chairman of the APC. So, there is already, from the very beginning, the challenge that we have before us, that we must prove something.

    “The challenges are obvious. The Southsouth is absolutely valuable to both the PDP and the APC, because the two states we control are the two states badly wanted by the leaders of the PDP and they will do whatever it takes to get these states (Edo and Rivers), but thank God, the two states are where we have governors that are charismatic and that have been able to very strongly relate with and identify with the people that they govern.

    “Like Governor Amaechi proved yesterday (on Saturday), nothing must be taken for granted. What happened yesterday (on Saturday) was to let everybody see that in case they have any doubt, after President Jonathan’s statement in Benin that the APC in Rivers State only existed on billboards and posters. It was necessary to do what happened yesterday (on Saturday), apart from celebrating the 7th anniversary that brought us this fortunate man, Governor Amaechi. The first challenge is that we (APC) must retain Edo and Rivers states.

    “Since the Southsouth and Southeast zones are the home of massive rigging, if the best cannot happen that we can get a few more states in the Southsouth zone, we must at the same time not allow the worst to happen. The worst being that we will become a kind of canon folder that the PDP leaders will use. We have clearly these challenges before us.

    “I wish to congratulate the Governor of Rivers State for proving the point yesterday (on Saturday) and making it clear to all concerned, about who controls the grassroots in Rivers state, with the large crowd at the stadium.”

    The APC’s national chairman said the burning of houses and confusion in Delta State over local government election was very unfortunate.

    He said: “We must praise the APC members in Delta State. The PDP leaders in Delta State are taking the APC leaders more seriously. It is really sad that the PDP members in Delta State yesterday (on Saturday) lost their sense of balance and started burning houses and destroying valuable property. The mayhem is condemnable.

    “Whatever the results that are finally written and announced, I want to say that we are quite pleased with the conduct of the APC members, who have shown that APC is fully on the ground in Delta State.”

    Odigie-Oyegun also admitted the lack of unity among the APC members in Delta and Akwa Ibom states, while urging the governors of Edo and Rivers to intervene.

    He said: “When we finally kill the elephant, there will be enough for everybody. No political party can be a one man party, no matter how strong that one man is.

    “There is need for compromise. The problem in these areas is that there has not been any genuine attempt at compromise. We need healthy and virile party. We should now take very seriously the issue of unity in the party, which will turn the elections in our favour.”

    The APC’s national chairman also urged members of the party in Rivers and Edo states to obtain their voter cards in order to vote out PDP and its candidates during the 2015 elections.

    He said: “A lot of lessons have been learnt. So much has gone wrong in other states and these are mistakes we cannot afford to allow to happen in the two states (Edo and Rivers). We need every vote that we can get. So, there should be massive mobilisation, particularly at the unit level.

    “We need quite a bit of funding too to get people from far distance to where they are supposed to get their permanent voter cards, because the N10 or N20 in the people’s pockets is very important.

    “Unless somebody is a dedicated person, he or she may not bother to spend such money in this hard time, just to go and get a permanent voter card.”

  • Bomb: PDP desperate to create fear, says Edo

    Bomb: PDP desperate to create fear, says Edo

    •Ize-Iyamu: governor to blame   

    Edo State has described the claim of a bomb attack in Benin, the state capital, and subsequent statement credited to a politician, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as another phase of alleged desperation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to causea crisis.

    The government said it was intended to spread falsehood and sow fear in the minds of the people to simulate a crisis.

    Commissioner for information & Orientation Louis Odion said this in a statement yesterday after Ize-Iyamu spoke to reporters in Benin, blaming Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) at a mini-estate belonging to him.

    The explosion reportedly occurred at about 10:30pm on Saturday night at the estate located on Dennis Osadebey Avenue in the state capital, which also houses Shalom Dental Clinic, being operated by Ize-Iyamu’s wife.

    But Odion said no sooner had the purported “bomb attack” been reported by an online medium with further claim of bomb explosion within Government House, whenIze-Iyamu quickly called the media briefing to accuse the governor as the explosion’s mastermind.

    The commissioner noted that the report of a bomb explosion at the Government House was “patently false”, adding that “by Ize-Iyamu’s account and his haste to accuse Comrade Oshiomhole of culpability for a supposed crime yet to be investigated, we are persuaded to believe he is merely acting out a script”.

    The statement said it was “laughable that any sane man” would be “targeting an obscure clinic that is, at best, now moribund.”

    It also reads: “Mr. Ize-Iyamu’s wild allegation fits into PDP’s jaded style of stage-managing assaults on its agents to be used as pretext by its thugs to attack officials of Edo State Government and agents of the APC.

    “Again, Mr. Ize-Iyamu’s reference to cultists being engaged against PDP is ironic and laughable. Even as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Oshiomhole was known for his non-violence philosophy. On the contrary, Edo people know those with the history of cultism and violence dating back to their school days.

    “Against the backdrop of this latest purported attack on his wife’s clinic, which we believe was stage-managed, we wish to alert the police to put Pastor Ize-Iyamu and his co-travellers under close watch as allegations of this nature had always been the prelude to staging an attack on APC members in the past.

    “Again, we call on the PDP to look within its ranks to get to the root of the attack on a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Rasaq Momoh.  We also call on the police to thoroughly probe top leaders of the PDP for the attack on the Edo State Legislative Quarters penultimate Saturday.”

    Ize-Iyamu, while briefing reporters on the explosion, alleged that Oshiomhole had consistently threatened him ever since he dumped the APC for the PDP.

    “This is a clinic built by my wife. Oshiomhole cannot destroy my property. I received a call from one of the occupants of the house at about 10:45 yesterday (Saturday) that an explosive had been detonated at the compound. I quickly rushed there and I actually found out that a bomb was detonated.

    “The security agencies saw the wires and batteries used across the road as well as the footprints of the people. The target obviously was my wife’s clinic, but the bomb detonated at the gate house. To God be the glory, the security had strolled to parade the compound when they bombed the gate house.

    “I want to say that I am not too surprise at what happened, though the dimension is shocking. I categorically say that I hold the governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, responsible for what has happened.”

     Also, the state Police Command confirmed yesterday that an improvised explosive device (IED) was responsible for the explosion at the estate.

    Deputy Public Relations Officer, Ejiroro Ahwara, in a statement, said the IED was made up of two tiger batteries of 1.5 volt each connected to a long wire, adding that it was thrown into the estate from the outside.

    It said the explosion only affected the surrounding ceiling boards at the estate security post and part of the main gate.

    He said some suspects have been arrested while the IED has been recovered by the bomb disposal unit for analysis.

  • Explosive rock PDP Chieftain’s building in Edo

    Political tension in Edo State heightened on Sunday following the detonation of an device which blasted the security gate of a residential property which also serves as a clinic of the wife of the former Secretary to the Edo State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu, now a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    The incident which occurred at No 16, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, a few metres away from one of the gates leading to government house, the seat of power, created panic among residents.

    Reacting to the incident, Pastor Osagie Iyamu accused the State Governor Adams Oshiomhole of threatening his life and master-minding the attack on his wife’s clinic.

    However, no life was lost as the only security guard on duty at the gate narrowly escaped death by whiskers .He was said to be patrolling the premises which houses blocks of flats when the unidentified suspects threw in the said explosive device.

    Since the attack on Hon Razak Momoh , a PDP lawmaker and a counter attack on the APC lawmakers at the legislative quarters which left some members with bullets wound and 36 exotics cars destroyed, the two main political parties in the state