The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo

  • Petrol sells for N155 per litre in Auchi

    The price of petrol has gone up from the official pump price of N145 per litre to between N150 and N155 in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who observed the situation reports that some filling stations are selling the product above government approved pump price.

    NAN also reports that the price hike has caused an increase in transport fares within the area.

    Two transporters, Philip Ikhalomeh and Isaac Imodu, lamented that the  price hike would further worsen the economic situation in the area.

    They said some filling stations had adjusted metres to reflect the new pump price and called on government to intervene.

    “The Federal Government needs to intervene immediately to save motorists from further economic difficulties.

    “The agencies in charge of price regulation should arrest the dealers who are selling this product above government approved price of N145 per litre,’’ Imodu said.

    However, the Manager of Supreme Filling Station, Mr Idris Hassan, said that the hike in the pump price was due to the increase in depot price of the commodity.

    “The price of the product has increased in the depot as a result of the high exchange rate.

    “For us to remain in business we have no option than to increase the pump price,’’ he said.

     

  • Edo election: Ex-lawmaker quits SDP

    Edo election: Ex-lawmaker quits SDP

    A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abubakar Momoh, has resigned his membership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    Momoh was the SDP candidate for Edo North Senatorial district for last year’s National Assembly election.

    The former lawmaker and his supporters announced their resignation from the SDP after an enlarged meeting of SDP held in Auchi, Headquaters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo.

    Momoh told the party supporters that their decision to quit SDP was because the party’s governorship candidate was hand-picked only by the state executives of the party.

    He said they lacked confident of the SDP candidate ability to win the September 10 governorship election.

    Momoh stated that they cannot guarantee their votes for him.

    “We the SDP in Edo North have decided to resign from the party. Our reason is based on the hijack by state executives who produce the candidate without us in Edo North participating.

    “We have form new group which is Momoh Solidarity Movement and we will work with any other candidate of our choice.

    “The candidate of the SDP emergence was only done by the state executive members and for us, he those not have our support,” he said.

    Momoh stated that they would announce a governorship candidate to support and vote for.

    It was gathered that the party may throw its weight behind the candidacy of People’s Democratic Party candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    Some of the party members present at the meeting said Momoh has already briefed them on who to support.

  • Edo Election: INEC begins voter education

    Edo Election: INEC begins voter education

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo said on Monday that it had commenced voter education to stem voter apathy during the Sept 10 governorship election in the state.

    The INEC Electoral Officer, Etsako-West Local Government Area of Edo, Mrs Patricia Idele, announced this at a one- day workshop on voter education for stakeholders at Auchi.

    Idele said low voter education had affected the perception of people towards the commission and its activities, adding that efforts were being made to restore the people’s confidence in elections.

    “The aim is to talk to people in the right manner for them to be well informed; some people have worked on misinformation in the past, which needed to be corrected before the Sept. 10 governorship election,’’she said.

    Idele said that the campaign was part of INEC’s agenda to keep the people informed on the electoral process and for them to participate actively in it.

    “The commission identified low level of voter education and awareness in electoral matters by the electorate as one of the major reasons for apathy and the resultant low participation.

    “We have been mandated to ensure positive attitudes among the electorate to comply with electoral laws, stop violence and election malpractice,’’ she said.

    The electoral officer, however, expressed optimism that the governorship election would be conducted in a free, fair, credible and conclusive manner.

    She added that the commission was committed to ensuring that there was a level playing field for all contestants in the election.

    The INEC official, therefore, appealed to political parties to sensitise their members against any form of irregularities and for them not to disrupt the process.

     

  • Erosion: Residents want Edo govt. to fix Auchi-Igarra road

    A cross section of residents of Auchi in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, on Wednesday appealed to the state government to fix the Auchi-Igarra road being threatened by gully erosion.

    The residents made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    NAN checks in the area indicated that the road is being washed away by the erosion, hindering vehicular movement.

    Mr Ahmed Iyeikemeh, a resident of the area, said the problem had been a source of concern to the people of the community.

    Iyeikemeh said that if urgent steps were not taken to address the problem, the community would be cut off from other local governments.
    “The heavy rains have continued to wreak havoc on portions of the road which had already developed into a gully.

    “If urgent steps are not taken to control the erosion, the road will become history,” he said.

    A transporter, Mr Sunday Ajayi, said that the development had posed a serious danger to residents, especially motorists.

    “The erosion has almost divided the road into two and this menace is posing a danger to residents and motorists,’’ he said.

    Ajayi noted that the effect of the erosion had caused a lot of accidents which had led to loss of lives.

    According to him, the present situation of the road is beyond the local government’s control, adding that only the state government could fix it.

    Another resident, Mr Collins Aituameh, said several appeals have been made to relevant authorities on the menace posed by the erosion.

    “We have made reports to relevant agencies and it is our hope that the authorities will do the needful and put an end to the ravaging erosion.

    “We are appealing to the state government to assist us in finding a permanent solution to this life-threatening menace,” he said.