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Tag: Godwin Obaseki

  • Edo debuts with Teachers’ Hall of Fame

    Edo debuts with Teachers’ Hall of Fame

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki is set  to unveil Nigeria’s first Teachers’ Hall of Fame to recognise contributions of teachers to growth and development.

    Speaking on the event, Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Oviawe, praised Obaseki’s approach to education, which made the state the pace setter in education.

    “Edo State Ministry of Education announces unveiling of Teachers’ Hall of Fame, an initiative to celebrate contributions of educators. This is a key component of EdoBEST 2.0, which aims to restore the prestige of teaching and professionalise teaching.

    “The mission of the Hall of Fame is to honour teachers, recognise their commitment to educational excellence, and restore the prestige of the profession in Edo State. By showcasing achievements and dedication of our educators, we inspire future generations and foster a culture that values teaching as a noble profession.

    “The Hall of Fame is strategically housed in Edo State Ministry of Education, ensuring it serves as a reminder of the role teachers play in shaping pupils and future of our state.

    Read Also: Edo election and PDP’s TV histrionics

    “In addition, the government is committed to providing better emolument for teachers, further enhancing the profession’s appeal and ensuring our educators feel valued and supported.

    “This is the first Teachers’ Hall of Fame in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, setting standard for recognition of teaching excellence on the continent.

    “Edo is transforming the educational landscape, and we invite the nation to join us in celebrating teachers’ contributions,” Oviawe said.

    The commissioner said the governor has taken education to a higher level, a development that saw many states taking a cue from it to start something similar to its  EdoBEST programme.

    “I have no doubt that history will have postive things to say about Obaseki as far as progress is concerned. The marks being left in the education sector are definitely indelible,” she added.

  • Edo leaders warn Obaseki against last-minute recruitments, contract awards

    Edo leaders warn Obaseki against last-minute recruitments, contract awards

    Political leaders and other critical stakeholders in Edo State have raised the alarm over alleged deliberate moves by the outgoing administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki to create problems for the incoming administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo. 

    Media reports in the last few weeks have revealed moves by Obaseki to undermine the incoming administration of Okpebholo, with last-minute recruitment into the State’s civil service, award of contracts, and appointments into agencies and boards.

    The leaders, drawn from the three Senatorial Districts of the State, warned that if Obaseki doesn’t stop his deliberate “manipulation and ungodly acts”, they’ll be forced to confront him.

    Speaking through a pro-democracy group, Initiative for Democratic Advancement and Free Speech, the leaders in a statement in Abuja said Obaseki has lost touch with reality since his candidate, Asue Ighodalo lost the governorship election to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Okpebholo. 

    The group in the statement  by Executive Director of the organisation, Patrick Osaigbovo, who hails from Edo South, Director of Research; Andrew Isewele from Edo Central; and Kamaru Momoh, Director of Mobilisation from Edo North, warned that actions by Obaseki since 21st September, 2024, will be disregarded by the incoming administration of Senator Okpebholo. 

    Read Also: APC: recruitment of 4,000 teachers by Obaseki fraudulent

    The leaders wondered why Obaseki, who enjoyed a smooth transition from the administration of Adams Oshiomhole in 2016, has vowed to make Edo State ungovernable for the incoming Governor, who won the last election through a popular vote.

    The group called on the Oba of Benin, His Imperial Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II, other traditional rulers in the State, religious leaders, as well as political stakeholders, to prevail on Obaseki to stop his deliberate plans or face the severe consequences. 

    They also called on the various anti-graft agencies in the country, the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies, to arrest members of Obaseki’s administration, who are allegedly stealing property belonging to the State.

    Part of the statement reads: “Edo leaders and political stakeholders are surprised by Governor Godwin Obaseki’s recent actions. He has completely lost it since the man he dubiously anointed to succeed him, Asue Ighodalo, lost out during the elections. 

    “Obaseki, since then, has been creating problems for the incoming administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo. How can a Governor who has less than three weeks to vacate office be making appointments, awarding contracts, and recruiting people into the State’s civil service?

    “Some supporters of Obaseki’s administration have been accused of stealing assets and property belonging to Edo State Government. There are videos to back up these claims. This is very strange to Edo people. 

    “Since Obaseki is unwilling to use his commonsense, we’ll resist him. We’re using this opportunity to call on the Inspector-General of Police to order his officers and men to arrest supporters of the administration who are stealing government property. 

    “We’re also calling on the various anti-graft agencies in the country to place Obaseki and his people on watchlist so that they can’t leave the country. They must recover all the funds stolen from the confers of Edo State.”

  • From Obaseki to Akpakomiza: What Next for Edo?

    From Obaseki to Akpakomiza: What Next for Edo?

    By Gideon Obhakhan

    Edo 2024 governorship election has come and gone. The winner, Senator Monday Okpebholo, popularly called Akpakomiza has been declared as governor-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The declaration by INEC has obviously triggered some mixed feelings in Edo State. While those in the All Progressives Congress, APC are jubilating, others notably the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the Labour Party, LP are not in any joyous mood. They are alleging results manipulation and may be preparing to go to court to seek redress.

    Beyond the celebrations and accusations of electoral malpractices, there is a need for Akpakomiza, the governor-elect to do a quick and dispassionate review of what is on ground so that he can truly hit the ground running like he said in his recent speech after being declared winner in the 21st September 2024 election.

    What he must do is to reflect on the activities of the last 8 years and take key lessons from them to avoid the mistakes made by the incumbent governor, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki. This may be a herculean task considering the weird strategy adopted by Obaseki during his eight-year rule, but it is important because he can only make tomorrow better if he makes conscious effort to avoid Obaseki’s mistakes, which evidently led to the massive defeat of his protege, Asuerinme Ighodalo.

    Without a doubt, to attempt to chronicle the complete events of the last eight years under Governor Obaseki, is to attempt to reawaken some unpleasant nostalgia in the minds of the average Edo citizen, and leave some sour taste in their mouths. The last eight years of Obaseki can be simply described as turbulent. Others have called it the years of the locust characterised by needless fights which largely became major source of distraction that led to his lacklustre performance. I have struggled without success, to identify one year in Obaseki’s administration that was free from unnecessary and avoidable fights. From the days of the midnight inauguration of nine out of twenty-four members of the House of Assembly, to the days of Edo People’s Movement whose activities were borne out of neglect of party leaders by Obaseki, the disregard for traditional institution that pitched him against people who believe that the Edo cultural heritage deserve better than it got from Obaseki, etc. The last battle was the purported impeachment of his deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu in connivance with the State House of Assembly, an action which has now been declared by the courts as null and void. 

    It is safe to say that Edo people surely deserve better than what they got from Obaseki. The question now is, “what next for Edo?”. What are the lessons that the incoming governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo must learn from the last administration, and what must be his priorities going forward? First and foremost, he needs to quickly shake off the euphoria that has greeted his victory and take some time off to think critically about his next steps. He needs to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff and identify those who genuinely mean well for Edo to join him in steering the ship. This is particularly important because it is not all that glitters that is gold. Many will come close now with faces laced with smiles, but with minds devoid of good intentions for Edo people. He must develop the third eye to identify such people and do the needful. The business of governance may not be as difficult as brain surgery, but it requires diligence and tact. A carefully selected team of competent people with genuine intentions, is a compulsory first step to a successful administration.

    The second lesson which must make his priority list is to not turn himself unto an Island and assume the position of someone who knows it all. Like they say, a tree cannot make a forest. Obaseki did a very good job of isolating himself from his people, for reasons best known to him. At the end, he became lonely at the top and couldn’t find the right set of people to support him when he needed them most. No matter how much of an outward show he puts up to show that he is fine and still in charge, in his quiet moments, he will genuinely hope that he had acted differently and worked with those who helped him to power with open minds.

    The major lesson here for Akpakomiza is that he should be very conscious of the fact that his position as governor of Edo State is transient and will not last forever. Four years may not be a long time, but it is surely enough to leave lasting legacies that he will be remembered for if he focuses on the important things and avoid distractions. There is a lot of work to be done considering the level of decay in the system occasioned by poor performance of the current administration.

    Read Also: Ize-Iyamu floors Obaseki in court over illegal revocation of CofO

    Akpakomiza campaigned with a 5-point agenda which include security, road infrastructure development, affordable healthcare, water and food security, and value-driven education. With the right pegs in the right holes, and genuine commitment on the part of team members, these programmes are achievable. He just needs to keep his eyes on the ball and put the people first. Leadership is not about self, but about the people. To serve the people well, he must make sacrifices. He must raise the bar beyond where it currently is and must be ready to step out of his comfort zone. He needs to get his hands dirty and be ready to take constructive criticisms and learn from them. This is not a one-man show, but a collective effort from people of like minds. He has already demonstrated his ability to come to the rescue when needed and all he needs to do is to continue along that line. I have personally been involved in commissioning some projects initiated by him before the election. The naysayers have argued that he initiated those projects solely for the purpose of wooing voters to vote him into office, and that he will abandon the people and focus on recovering his money when he is sworn in. He must prove this set of people wrong by concerted effort towards people-oriented programmes, socio-economic development, massive reconstruction and overall re-engineering of the entire system.

    As we gradually prepare to change the Edo narrative for the better, it will not be out of place to admonish the leaders across the State to give genuine support to the incoming governor as he will surely need guidance from all the stakeholders that came out en masse to ensure that the victory we celebrate today, is achieved. The leaders must shun the scarcity mentality that focuses more on self above the collective good for the greater number of people. Akpakomiza’s slogan during the electioneering period was “A New Edo is Rising”. There needs to be a conscious and genuine effort on the part of all stakeholders towards building an Edo of our dreams so that a new Edo can truly rise. This may not come easy. Mistakes will be made, but if we all continue to improve on those mistakes and keep our foot on the pedal, greatness will be achieved. Best of luck to all!

    Gideon Obhakhan is former Edo Commissioner for Education, and member of the Governing Council, Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State.

  • Obaseki signs N404b revised 2024 budget into law

    Obaseki signs N404b revised 2024 budget into law

    Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has signed into law the 2024 revised supplementary budget of N404 billion, with an increase of 22 percent.

    Obaseki, while speaking yesterday during the signing of the budget at the Government House, Benin, stated that the revised budget became necessary, given the inflationary trend in the economy, as the adjustments had to reflect new realities.

    He said: “I have signed into law the revised supplementary budget for Edo State. We have to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act, which was passed late last year, because of developments that have occurred in the economy in the first five months of the year.

    Read Also: Obaseki moves to broker peace between Oba of Benin, suspended Dukes

    “We have to increase our budget by about 22 percent, to about N404 billion, from the earlier projected figures. The reason we had to do this is that from the first quarter of this year, we saw a 100 percent budget performance for that period.

    “Also, because of the inflationary trend in the economy, we have had to adjust our capital budget to reflect the new trend we are seeing. We also had to make a decision on the minimum wage, which has financial implications. We did not anticipate that in the earlier appropriation law, which we have had to amend.

    “We expect that even with the revised and supplementary appropriation bill, we will meet the target, which is N404 billion, which is now the proposed budget for the year.”

    Edo governor also stated that what was important to note was that his administration was still spending more on capital than recurrent expenditure.

  • Independence Day speech: Obaseki, economists seek action on policies

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s Independence Day speech, especially the aspects that touches on the economy, drew positive reviews from stakeholders on Tuesday.

    They praised the President for his administration’s economic reforms, but urged him to back his words with action.

    They also identified what must be done to further strengthen the economy.

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki praised the President for prioritizing investment in infrastructural development.

    He urged the President to follow through his approval of N600 billion to revamp infrastructure across the country in the next three months.

    The governor said the move was necessary to spur economic development.

    Obaseki was chatting with reporters after attending an Independence Day Church Service organised by the state government in collaboration with the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo State chapter, in Benin City.

    Buhari in his nationwide broadcast mandated the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to release N600 billion for capital projects in the next three months.

    Obaseki said Nigeria has not experienced the needed economic growth because, over the years, policies had not been aligned to drive growth.

    He added that the Buhari-led administration has gotten it right by coming up with policies that would spur economic growth.

    Obaseki said: “We need to build the basic infrastructure to move people, goods and services. This country has the resources to produce what it consumes, but over the years, policies have not been aligned to do so.

    “The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan is a new direction to push growth in the country. The President is emphasising infrastructure, law and order and other policies to grow the economy, which is commendable.”

    The governor urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country, noting that despite the difficult times, the nation would be great again.

    Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) National President Hajiya Saratu Iya Aliyu said there was the need to consolidate on the gains the administration has recorded so far.

    It’s said the government should ensure adherence to the rule of law, promote an efficient tax system geared towards expanding the tax net, focus on sustainable energy, and harness the creative industry, agribusiness, solid minerals and metals.

    The NACCIMA chief called for the promotion of women and youths through micro and medium scale development, and a coordinated approach towards regional economic integration.

    He said: “As we approach the last year of implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020), we are also presented with an opportunity for introspection, to assess our policy stance as a country for the benefit of the generations unborn.”

    To the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), said the power situation remains a major limitation to local production.

    Its Director-General Muda Yusuf added that the security situation has deteriorated.

    He said: “It impacted on investment risk and worsened the country’s perception and image by the global investing community.

    “Access to markets in the troubled parts of the country has reduced for many enterprises with negative consequences for investors’ confidence.”

    He maintained that unless there are effective and sustained protection and support for the manufacturing sector, and a dramatic improvement in infrastructure, the outlook for the sector will remain gloomy, particularly for the small-scale industries.

    He said: “It is impossible to have a vibrant manufacturing sector in the face of cheap imports into the country, and high production and operating cost in the domestic economy. Some of these imports are landing at 50 per cent of the cost of locally-made products.

    “Besides, manufacturers have to worry about high energy cost; they have to worry about high-interest rates – 20 per cent and above; they have to worry about a multitude of regulatory agencies making different demands on them.”

    He urged the Federal Government to address the issues of massive smuggling and under-invoicing of imports, as well as trade facilitation issues at the seaports.

    There were also reactions to the President’s decision to relocate the supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Presidency to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA).

    The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) do not mind where the control originates from; the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT) see the shift as a violation of the legal framework of the establishing Act of the NDDC.

    PANDEF, in a statement by its National Secretary, Dr Alfred Mulade, said it was not bothered about who supervises the commission, but how effective the ministry would be in coordinating the activities of the commission alongside its primary duties as a ministry.

    He said: “The explanation proffered by Mr President for the relocation of the NDDC to the Ministry of Niger Delta could not be faulted in its face value. The worry lies in the capacity of the Ministry to provide effective coordination and supervision alongside its primary objectives, for the region.

    “What matters most is the political will to effectively fund the NDDC and the ministry to deliver on their respective mandates to the people of the Niger Delta region.”

    UPU said its primary concern was about the effective performance of the NDDC and not the supervising body.

    UPU’s National Publicity Secretary Abel Oshevire noted that people of the region expect that the commission to do better under the ministry.

    He said: “What the Urhobo people want from the NDDC, just like other stakeholders, is performance. Who supervises the Commission is only a matter of semantics, whether the Presidency or the Niger Delta Ministry, is not an issue to the people of the region.

    “What matters to the people of the Niger Delta now is an NDDC that will develop and transform the place into a status befitting an oil-producing region.

    “The NDDC has failed to live up the expectations of the people since its establishment more than 15 years ago. It has been more of a curse than a blessing to the region. It has been all stories of corruption, leaving the region poorer and under-developed with each successive administration.

    Read Also: Obaseki reassures on kidnapping, other crimes

    Stakeholders in the agricultural sector expressed mixed feelings over the speech.

    Buhari said Nigeria has made “remarkable progress in almost all segments of the agriculture value chain, from fertilizers to rice, to animal feed production,” vowing to sustain the policies.

    National Association of Grain Storage Practitioners of Nigeria Chairman Chief Eric Ozongwu noted that farmers cannot afford the fertilizer.

    He said: “Fertilizer is on the high side. Once you don’t have fertilizer, you are just wasting your time.”

    On border closure to prevent rice importation, Ozongwu said smugglers were still taking advantage of the country’s porous borders to import rice on motorcycles.

    He said: “I am in Lagos currently and the borders are said to be closed, but smugglers still bring in rice because all our borders are porous.

    “People still use motorcycles to bring in rice through our borders. Little effort has been made no doubt, but we just have to be sincere about what we are doing.”

    A Plateau rice farmer and processor, Peter Dama, said that the government had done remarkably well in rice production.

    He said the closure of land borders boosted local rice farmers and processors’ profits, adding that the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers Program was a further positive development.

    His words: “In the milling sector, you find out that a lot of Nigerian millers are now milling and selling out their rice as a result of the closure of the borders which has curbed smuggling activities.”

    All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Vice President Daniel Okafor urged the government to do more to improve farmers’ access to fertilizer.

    He also urged the government to carry farmers along during policy formulation and implementation.

    Harvest Feeds and Agro Processing Chairman Goke Adeyemi said the limit on importation was bearing fruit.

    He said Nigeria used to import things it could produce locally, “but in the last three years, you can see the production of some of the staple foods within Nigeria.”

    According to him, boosting local production would guarantee job security.

    He said: “The government needs to take a step further by making sure that all produce consumed in Nigeria is produced in Nigeria”.

    World Bank Consultant, Prof. Abel Ogunwale, said he was supportive of the government’s move to stop food import.

    He praised the government on its agricultural policies, saying the sector suffered years of neglect due to oil dependence.

    Industrialist/Managing Director, Spectra Foods Limited, Duro Kuteyi, said the President’s speech lacked substance.

    He said: “The President did not take into consideration the challenges faced by indigenous manufacturers such as lack of electricity and multiple taxations.

    “The level of infrastructure decay is unhealthy for the productive sector. There should be tax reduction, which is stifling industrialisation.

    “The Federal Government should be wary of its borrowing especially from the Chinese Government because it can be disastrous if not well-managed.”

  • Why Obaseki is focused on human capital devt – Edo HoS, Ehiozuwa

    The Edo State Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Isaac Ehiozuwa, has said public service reforms initiated by the Governor Godwin Obaseki led-administration are re-positioning the state’s workforce to address contemporary trends in governance.

    Ehiozuwa said this in a welcome address at a one-day seminar organised for Permanent Secretaries in Edo State Public Service with the theme: “Building a Virile and Efficient Public Service.”

    He noted that the reforms, which include training and re-training of the workforce and improved welfare package for workers, are geared towards ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.

    The HoS said Governor Obaseki is providing comfortable workplaces; deploying latest communication technology to speed up processes, training and re-training workers and enhancing welfare packages to drive productivity.

    “I wish to remind you that the vision of our Chief Executive, the Governor of Edo State, is to reform the public service where service is delivered efficiently and satisfactorily,” he said.

    He explained that the seminar is designed to reawaken the consciousness of the permanent secretaries and equip them with the necessary insight to carry out their responsibilities efficiently.

    According to him, “We organised a seminar for Executive Council Members recently. The Permanent Secretaries are having theirs today. By next week, it will be the turn of lower cadre workforce in the Civil Service. It is important for all workers in the state to be aware of the rules and regulations applicable in service, which will allow for effective and efficient service delivery.”

    Read Also: Obaseki commiserates with Percy Okojie over father’s death

    “Your duties as permanent secretaries, amongst others, are to support and complement those of the commissioners towards actualising the vision and mission of Edo State Government through your respective Ministries, Departments Agencies.  Work closely with the commissioners as their Chief Advisers,” he stressed.

    Delivering a lecture entitled “Practical Application of the Civil Service Rules and Procedures for Effective Service Delivery,” a retired Permanent Secretary in Edo State, Steve Omorodion, said the permanent secretaries should get themselves acquainted with the civil service rules to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively and efficiently.

    He added, “Every officer should acquaint themselves with the rules of service as it will propel and motivate confidence in the discharge of their duties to enhance service delivery.”

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, Lucky Wasa, said the seminar was timely, noting, “This seminar has helped us in appreciating our roles in ensuring our ministries work together to achieve the vision and mission of the state government.”

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Special Duties, Itohan Bazuaye, said “The seminar, which focused on civil service matters, financial accountability, procurement process and different styles of leadership, provided insights on how we can support our commissioners to meet set targets.”

     

     

  • NUT hails Obaseki on basic education reforms, teachers’ welfare

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has hailed Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on reforms in the basic education sub-sector and his administration’s commitment to teachers’ welfare in the state.

    The NUT said Governor Obaseki’s deftness and diplomacy in dealing with issues of teachers’ welfare in the state should be emulated by other governors in the country.

    The commendation was contained in a letter addressed to Governor Obaseki and signed by NUT’s National Deputy Secretary, Rev. M.M. Braimoh, on behalf of the Union’s Secretary General, Dr. Mike Ike Ene.

    Recall that the Governor Obaseki-led administration has trained over 8700 teachers and equipped them with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices for improved learning outcomes. This has positively impacted over 150,000 school children in the state under the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme.

    The National Executive of NUT, in the letter, said its communication with the state chapter of the union showed that the governor has maintained a harmonious relationship with them, ensuring that issues do not degenerate into strike actions.

    Read Also: Obaseki reassures on kidnapping, other crimes

    According to them, “It is the tradition of the NUT and its national leadership to receive Monthly Reports from each of her 38 State Wings in order to be abreast of issues and events affecting our members.

    “On 20th August 2019, we received a communique issued by the NUT Edo State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) after its meeting of 19th August 2019 on a number of issues. While we were busy strategising on the way forward, we received another communique from NUT Edo State Wing dated 2nd September 2019 with cheering news of how Your Excellency has addressed all issues to the satisfaction of the entire teachers of Edo State within a short period of time.”

    “Sequel to these, it behooves on us to commend Your Excellency for your various roles in improving Basic Education and Teachers’ Welfare in Edo State. These are achieved without any Strike Action,” the NUT added.

    The union urged other governors in the country to emulate Governor Obaseki’s feats, noting, “On behalf of the National President, National Executive Council (NEC) members and the entire teachers of Nigeria, we wish to most heartily congratulate and appreciate Your Excellency for this feat. It is our belief that some of your brother governors will take after you.”

     

     

  • Constituency projects: Our findings will shock Nigerians – ICPC

    THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is currently probing constituency projects  executed by National Assembly members across the nation, hinted On Saturday that its findings would shock Nigerians.

    The commission said its investigation has already exposed some shady deals. The ICPC Commissioner in Edo State, Mr. Yusuf Olatunji cited the state as an example where, according to him, a project was awarded to one contractor twice with no job done.

    He spoke at a town hall meeting organized by Social Action with support from the MacArthur Foundation on Promoting accountable governance through tracking of Constituency and public projects implementation.

    He said the findings of the agency on all abandoned and constituency projects would soon be made public.  He said those found culpable would be prosecuted. According to him, “Just last week, we discovered another contract which we have not made public and we are still working on it to know how true it is. I cannot tell you for now but the commission will make public the outcome of all the constituency projects tracking.

    “The idea to investigate the constituency projects, is not to witch hunt anybody. The idea is to examine what they have done with our money.

    “Constituency projects have been a major channel through which public funds are being siphoned.”

    He lamented that the commission is bedeviled with acute shortage of man-power.

    Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the governor, Strategic Planning and Programme Management Office, Mrs. Uyi .J. Oduwa-Malaka, said the government set up the  office to checkmate corruption.

    In our last edition, we reported how some current and old members of the House of Representatives had been kicking   over the ongoing probe of their handling of constituency projects  by  the ICPC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.

    Read Also: ‘Anti-graft fight not for ICPC, others alone

    The politicians fear that the findings of the two agencies in states already visited may cost them their reputation and militate against the continuity of constituency projects.

    We reported that they were plotting to force the hands of the agencies to discontinue the probes midway.

    Sources familiar with the development said that  but for the restraint being exercised by the leadership of the Green Chambers  in dabbling into the matter, the anti-graft agencies, especially the ICPC, would have been stampeded into halting the  ongoing probe of constituency projects in 12 states of the federation.

    The ICPC in June began the first phase of investigation of alleged fraudulent procurement practices in the award of over N15bn contracts for constituency and other projects in 12 states of the six geo-political zones of the country.

    The investigating panel is currently working in Lagos, Osun, Kogi, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kano, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Edo States.

    The team is expected to look into at least six controversial projects in each of the states, based on petitions and complaints already received by the commission.

    Spokesperson of the commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, said: “the ICPC is carrying out the exercise with support from the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Budget Office of the Federation, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Premium Times, International Centre for Investigative Reporting, Public and Private Development Centre, Bureau of Public Procurement, Community for Peace and Corrupt-free Society and BudgIT. In Lagos, the ICPC investigating committee is probing the construction of a community recreation centre in Epe, which was awarded at the cost of N720m in 2016.”

  • N481b lost to oil theft

    NIGERIA lost 22.6 million barrels of oil to petroleum pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in the first half of this year, the National Economic Council (NEC) heard on Thursday.

    The value was estimated at $1.35 billion (about N481.95 billion), according to Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, who briefed State House reporters at the end of the 97th NEC meeting in Abuja. He was with Governors Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe).

    Thursday’s NEC meeting was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    If the loss is not checked, Obaseki said Nigeria would lose $2.7 billion by the end of the year. And to check the trend, he said his committee recommended to the Council the need to restructure the maintenance and ownership of pipelines across the country.

    The recommendations, he said, also include the prosecution of criminals and training of special judges to handle the cases.

    He said the committee also recommended that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) should endeavour to engage the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to track the countries benefiting from the stolen crude oil.

    According to him, the Council resolved that the recommendations should be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Minister of Petroleum.

    Obaseki said: “The 13-member ad-Hoc Committee, which is chaired by me, submitted its report to the NEC today. The committee was constituted to address the impact of vandalism, oil theft, illegal bunkering on oil production. It was also to check the effectiveness of the activities of the joint task force and other security agencies in curbing the menace of oil theft; and also to consider the setting up of a special court to prosecute offenders amongst others.

    “The terms of reference of the ad hoc committee include restoring and sustaining the four major trunk pipelines, which moves crude oil to the terminals, to access the challenges and draw up a road map to guide further actions towards finding a lasting solution towards the problem.

    “The committee could co-opt individuals to facilitate its work and we are supposed to update council regularly.”

    On the findings of the committee, he said: “The committee discovered that there were huge losses. In fact, the NNPC reported to the committee that the 22.6 million barrels of crude oil valued at approximately $1.35 billion was lost during the first half of this year.

    “And if this situation is not contained by the end of the year, we would have lost in excess of $2.7 billion.

    “The losses that were recorded in the first half of the year were broken down as follows: The Nembe creek trunk-line lost 9.2 million barrel, the Trans-Niger pipeline lost 8.6 million barrel, the Trans-Focadoes Pipeline lost 3.9 million barrel, Trans-Escravos pipe we lost 877,000 barrel.”

    He said the committee decried the prevailing governance structure of the pipeline in which no one is held accountable whenever breaches and losses occur.

    “The slow and inadequate prosecution of thieves, despite numerous arrests and seizures”, he noted, “have continued to encourage the menace.”

    He also said that the absence of petroleum products’ filling stations in most of the oil-producing communities around the Niger Delta have made them resort to illegal bunkering and illegal refineries.

    Obaseki also said that huge internal and external market of stolen products exist across the west coast of Africa and the sub-region.

    He added: “Therefore, the ad-hoc committee made the following recommendations:

    • That there is need to restructure the maintenance and ownership of oil pipelines as a way of tackling the perpetrators of crude and other products.
    • That we should have a legal framework that will ensure that criminals are duly prosecuted, imprisoned and their assets confiscated.
    • That there should be special courts to try offenders and also have a special legal task force to coordinate the prosecution of arrested offenders as well as train special judges to handle cases of oil theft.
    • That NNPC should be encouraged to engage with the National Intelligence agency (NIA) to identify the markets for stolen petroleum products across the continent.
    • That the governors of the oil-producing states should set up actions to develop the communities that are most prone and through which these pipelines run with their 13 per cent derivation allocation as well as implement programmes that will be impactful and make life easy for the people.

    “It noted that the NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission), which has the mandate to undertake development in the region, should be restructured to perform its role better.

    “That they should emphasis creating employment opportunities for youths in the region.

    “That the proposed funding arrangement to be jointly funded by the federal, states and the oil companies to ensure the communities through which these pipeline traverse get some benefits to encourage them to protect these lines.”

    On resolutions, he said: “Therefore, council resolved as follows: That recommendations should be presented to the president, who is also the minister of petroleum, for the final decision for implementation.

    “The chairman of council also asked the NNPC to make a presentation to council on the state of PMS and other products which are smuggled across the borders.”

    Umahi, who is chair of the committee on the herders/farmers crisis, said that his panel proposed a N100 billion budget for the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in the report it submitted to the Council.

    While participation by states is voluntary, Umahi said the Federal Government would contribute 80 per cent of the budget and interested states would provide 20 of the budget, the land and other logistics.

    He said: “As the chairman sub-committee on herders/farmers crisis, NEC was today (yesterday) briefed. The committee presented a National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019-2028 today.

    “The plan is not targeted only on cows, but a holistic strategy to address animal husbandry. The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.

    “The six key pillars include: economic development (investment), conflict resolution, justice and peace, humanitarian relief and early recovery (that is to IDPs), human capital development and cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.”

    The committee, he said, proposed the implementation of guidelines to guide the Federal Government and states.

    “N100 billion budget was proposed to support the project. Federal Government is to contribute 80 percent in grant to support the project while states will contribute land, project implementation structure, personnel and 20 percent cost of the project.

    “Council resolved today that there is need to look at the trans-human West African protocol. You cannot allow such movement of cattle without registration and monitoring.

    “Council emphasised the need to continue to establish the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), a creation of NEC and state governors and, of course, minister of agriculture is also a member of this committee and minister of interior is also a member, and it is entirely distinct from RUGA.

    “NEC adopted the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) January 18, 2019 and it is a creation of national economic council of course in liaison with the federal government.

    “States will determine whether or not to participate. Federal government did not impose this plan, participation remains voluntary. What we are talking about is National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) which is a product of NEC in liaison with federal government.”

    Ruling out foreigners from benefiting from the plan, he said: “Our budget did not include non-Nigerians and so, I am not aware if the governor said so and It’s possible you did not hear the governor very well, but there is no way we can make our programme which the Federal Government will put eighty percent and the States will put twenty percent and then we are now going to accommodate non Nigerians, it’s not part of the programme.

    “And of course, what we have said here is that they would have to review our ECOWAS protocol and see what we can do about that.

    “Of fact, we commend the Federal Government for any reason they closed the borders, and this is the kind of thing we are looking for. While we are trying to reposition this programme, there will be temporary restrain for such. NEC did not make any budget to accommodate non Nigerians. This is very important.”

    Inuwa said that governors requested for clarification from the Council chair (vice president), on the relationship between NEC and the newly formed Economic Advisory Council (NEC).

    According to him, Prof Osinbajo explained that those councils are advisory for the benefit of Mr. President and that while NEC is established by the constitution, they are to complement one another.

    “He (Osinbajo) added that NEC could be briefed regularly on the activities of the Economic Advisory Council with the permission of Mr. President”, Inuwa said.

    The Secretary to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Dr Jumoke Oduwole, according to Gombe State Governor, gave an update on the enabling business environment and informed the council that the current reforms in African countries as contained in the African Development Bank Economic Outlook report released in January 2019 and in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business 2019.

    He said Nigeria is ranked 146 with micro, small and medium enterprises making up to 90 percent of businesses in Nigeria.

    “And that the economic recovery and growth plan 2017-2020, which has three broad objectives which includes restoring growth, investing in people and building a competitive economy, has positioned Nigeria as a force in building a competitive economy.

    “The committee was mandated to take Nigeria to top 100 in the 2020 World Bank ease of doing business index.

    “It is also mandated to achieve the required political buy-ins across all arms and levels of government. PEBEC in the past three years achieved the following:

    • Moved up 24 places in the World Bank ease of doing business ranking
    • 32 states, led by Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and Anambra have improved in their ease of doing business environment.
    • Independent survey adjudged Nigeria as impactful in terms of procedures and time of doing businesses.”

  • Obaseki, Oshiomhole celebrate with Iyase of Benin at 90

    THE Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Saturday joined other dignitaries to celebrate with the Iyase (Prime Minister) of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, on his 90th birthday anniversary.

    At the thanksgiving service in honour of the Iyase at Our Saviour Church, Diocese of Benin Anglican Communion, the Bishop of the Church, Friday Imaekhai, called on Oshiomhole to resolve political differences with his successor, Governor Obaseki even as he urged the former governor to forgive his successor for the state to move forward.

    The Bishop then called out Obaseki, Oshiomhole, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Frank Okiye, and the Secretary to Edo State Governor, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, to the altar and prayed for them.

    Waxing philosophical, the clergy said it was the ground that suffered when two elephants engaged in a fight.

    At last, Oshiomhole, Obaseki, Ogie and Okiye embraced and shook hands in compliance with the priest’s directive.

    However, at the reception service, Oshiomhole refused to recognise Okiye as Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly while observing protocols.

    Read Also: Buhari greets APC chair Oshiomole at 67

    Addressing journalists after the thanksgiving Governor Obaseki described the Iyase as an icon of the Benin culture, history and people.

    He thanked God for his life, noting “We celebrate him at 90; we wish him good health and pray for God Almighty to continue to protect him and take care of him.”

    On his part, Oshiomhole described Chief Igbe as a man of immense discipline and patience, adding, “He is a man of clean heart and truly believes in the development of his community and that explains why he is the Iyase of Benin Kingdom.”

    “Everybody prays to reach age 90. From the bottom of my heart, I celebrate with him and his family. I am happy that he has lived long enough to see the investment of his children,” the All Progressives Congress National Chairman said.

    Other dignitaries at the thanksgiving service included the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion; former Inspector General of Police, Solomom Arase, former Edo State Deputy Governor, Chief Mike Ogiadomeh; Iyalode of Lagos, Chief Mrs. Bintu-Fatima Tinubu, among others.

    Chief Igbe obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1947 and graduated with a Cambridge Grade Two School Certificate in 1952.

    In 1956, he was recruited into the first Cadet Sub-Inspector Course of the Nigeria Police Force and served 22 years in the service as a Police officer. He served as Commissioner in Ondo and Anambra states. Chief Igbe became the 18th Iyase of Benin Kingdom in 1997.