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Tag: Godwin Obaseki

  • Obaseki charges Edo Assembly on forestry commission bill

    …to include Forestry in Basic Education Curriculum

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called on the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) to expedite action on the Forestry Commission Bill to give legal backing to the state’s efforts at managing her forest resources.

    Obaseki made the call at the second Edo State Multi-Stakeholders’ Workshop on Sustainable Palm Oil Development in Edo State, held in Benin City.

    The governor said if his administration identifies a competent person to drive the forestry programme, before the bill is passed, it may explore the option of an Executive Order to implement his vision for the sector.

    According to him, “When we identify a competent person, we shall hire him or her and begin the process of ensuring we define the agenda along the principles we have agreed on and commence implementation.”

    He said his administration is not afraid to take a critical decision that will positively affect the people of the state and future generations.

    Noting that the state is already considering creative and sustainable ways of driving consciousness on the need to preserve forests, he said, “Forestry is one subject that we will introduce in the curriculum of our basic education system in the state to inculcate in pupils the importance of our forest reserves.”

    Obaseki said one of the problems Nigeria faces is poor environmental practices and called on stakeholders to ensure they join hands with the government to stop the degradation of forests, as failure to do so will result in dire consequences in the next 25 years.

    “We are facing a looming disaster and if nothing is done quickly and urgently, all of us will be consumed as our economy will be affected,” he argued.

    The governor said his administration is rolling out a lot of initiatives to stimulate economic growth such as the over 70-hectare Emotan Gardens estate, where a pilot phase has commenced.

    Read Also: Alaghodaro: Obaseki earmarks 100 roads for construction

    “If this project succeeds, then we will be building about 3,000 to 5,000 housing units per year but the question is where do we get the wood from?” He queried.

    He called on participants to agree on principles and come out with a clear implementable programme from the stakeholders’ workshop, noting that “This workshop is for us to agree on principles, put up a plan and make it happen.”

    Africa Regional Director, Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) 2020, Mr. Abraham Baffoe, thanked participants at the workshop for their inputs.

    He added that the body has generated data from its tour of the forest reserves in the state and lamented that the findings are not encouraging.

    He said, “95 per cent of Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve is degraded; at Okomu Forest Reserve, 64 per cent has been degraded while that of Ekiadolor has witnessed 89 per cent degradation.”

  • Electricity supply: Edo condemns failure of BEDC

    …as firm throws state into darkness for weeks

    Following the failure of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to provide electricity to residents of Edo State, the state government has described as “regrettable BEDC’s insensitivity to the suffering and extreme inconveniences it has caused millions of its customers across the state.”

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, who conveyed the state government’s position on the glaring ineptitude of BEDC in the state, said: “The state government is miffed at BEDC’s failure to deliver electricity to Edo people and for throwing the entire state into darkness.”

    Osagie lamented “BEDC’s unprofessional attitude of sitting on their hands to watch their subscribers, most of whom have paid their bills in full, suffer the socio-economic consequences of their incompetence. 

    “Their action is most regrettable as they have not considered their customers deserving of any apology for the extreme inconveniences, they have caused Edo people and residents.”

    Read Also: Police in Edo arrest eight suspects over alleged illicit sale of Naira

    He explained that the state government is disturbed by the poor crisis management strategy of the power distribution company and assured that the days and months of darkness inflicted on Edo people are nearing their end.

    “The government, however, urges Edo people to be patient as it has taken the initiative to take its destiny in its hands by obtaining a licence for another private power company, Ossiomo Power for the generation and distribution of power, independent of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC),” Osagie said.

    The governor’s aide maintained that officials of the  state government have been bombarded with torrents of complaints from residents, in every nuke and cranny of the state, about BEDC’s ineffectiveness.

  • Obaseki’s reform: Edo tours forest reserves, decries degradation

    …Partners Proforest on sustainability

     

    The Edo State government has decried the conversion of forest covers in the state to farmlands, noting that government has taken inventory of its forest reserves with a view to design a roadmap that will ensure sustainability of the existing forest resources.

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security Programme, Prince Joe Okojie, said this after the two-day assessment of the forest reserves alongside experts from Germany and Proforest Africa.

    Okojie expressed regret that much of the forest covers have been degraded and turned into farmlands, adding that it was worthwhile to assess forest covers still standing in the state, as government intensifies plans to set up a Forestry Commission.

    “The governor wants to set up a Forestry Commission that will be responsible for managing our forest. So, we decided to take a physical inventory of what we have left and design a roadmap for their efficient management. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to mankind and preserving our forests can help stabilise the climatic effects. The forest regulates the ecosystem and promotes biodiversity. That is why we are doing this,” he said.

    Some of the forest reserves visited were Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve, Okomu Forest Reserve and the National Park in Ovia South West Local Government Area as well as Odighi Forest Reserve in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.

    He said actions would be taken to regenerate the reserves as well as decide on the fate of the farmers, who have converted parts of the forest to cocoa and cassava farms.

    Read Also: Blackout in Edo enters day 12

    According to him, “It has been quite an interesting experience seeing the different forest reserves in some parts of the state. There are still heavy forest trees in some parts of Okomu reserve, but the forest covers in some parts of Iguobazuwa and Odighi are badly degraded.

    “What we are looking at is what we can do with the portions that have been deforested. We have brought in experts to see if we can reforest some parts of the degraded forests.”

    Africa Regional Director, Proforest, Mr. Abraham Baffoe, said that about 35 to 40 per cent of the forest covers are still left in the forest reserves assessed, and could still be preserved and maintained.

    He said the state government would need to come up with implementable laws to protect the existing forest and adopt reforestation strategy.

    “There is hope for reviving our forests. People have been doing the wrong thing for the past couple of years. We need to stop people from converting the forests into farmlands. When we have people, who have settled in the forest reserves and we cannot drive them away, we need to work with them to help us protect the forests,” he said.

  • 109 Roads: Edo intensifies intervention in Ekpoma, Irrua, Uromi

    Following the completion of major audit of roads in Edo State, the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government has intensified repair work on 109 roads across the state, including key roads in Edo Central Senatorial District.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said work has reached appreciable stage  on Mousco – Ukpenu Road, Ekpoma; Irrua – Uromi Road; Secretarial Road, Igueben; Union Bank Road, Igueben and Uwenlebo Road, Ekpoma, among others.

    He added that the ongoing work across roads in Edo Central Senatorial District include cutting, earthwork, stone base and asphalting .

    According to him, “We are concerned about the state of roads across the state and have ensured contractors are mobilized to undertake this remedial work during the dry season, as promised. This work will touch on all parts of the state. It is to ensure that the major roads are in good state, at the least.”

    In Benin City, he said the affected roads include Boundary Road and Commercial Avenue, as well as Ogbelaka/Evborhan, Yoruba Street and Dumez Road.

    Recall that in the state capital, the contractors handling the projects were seen with their workers on site on Thursday when journalists went around Benin metropolis to inspect the road projects.

    The workers were seen with their equipment on Ugbor-Amagba Road, which covers 13.8 kilometres, according to the contractor.

    Major reconstruction work is ongoing in parts of Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Benin City, including Etete Junction on Adesuwa Road, where rehabilitation of failed portions are ongoing.

    Workers handling rehabilitation of failed portions of Etete Junction on Adesuwa Road, are expected to be deployed to 1st and 2nd Ugbor as well as other roads in the axis.

  • Obaseki links achievements in judiciary to partnership, others

    …reaffirms commitment to upholding citizens’ rights 

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that his administration is resolute about upholding the rights of citizens through reforms in the judiciary, which he noted, have enjoyed the support of local and international partners.

    According to Obaseki, the multi-door court house, family court, ongoing construction of new court houses and reforms to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice, were embarked upon by his administration in recognition of the need to uphold people’s rights.

    The governor who said this while declaring open the Network of Justice Reform Team (JRTs) Conference in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Tuesday, linked improved justice reforms in the state to the robust partnership with the local and international partners, including the British Council’s Rule of Law on Anti-corruption Programme (RoLAC).  

    Obaseki, who was represented by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Employment and Cooperatives, Emmanuel Usoh, said the objective of the Godwin Obaseki-led administration is to drive reforms to uphold the rights of citizens and improve the course of justice delivery in the state.

    “The first thematic pillar of my administration is institutional reforms, which include the reform of the judicial sector of governance”.

    He said his administration has succeeded in ensuring that there are fully functional multi-door houses and family court within the state to ensure that sensitive issues relating to families are quickly resolved.

    “The high court complex is being renovated, and a new court building complex is under construction to increase the number of courts within the state,” he added.

    The governor said his administration is collaborating with other agencies and foreign governments to put in place laudable initiative to curb the abuses of rights of young men and women, who are trafficked to many countries in Europe.

    He said his administration has embarked on a programme to decongest the prison as a team from the Ministry of Justice has been put in place for that purpose, noting “We recently inaugurated the administration of criminal Justice law monitoring Committee to ensure that Criminal Justice Law is properly administered.”

    The Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, said this year’s reform was held in Benin City because of the significant progress in reforming the Justice system for effective and efficient justice delivery and promotion of the rule of law.

    “One of the high points of our reform is the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justices Act 2015. The Act has continued to engage the attention of the Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordinating Committee due to its far-reaching impact for the administration of criminal Justice”.

    Programme Director, British Council /European Union, RoLAC, Dr. Bob Arnot, commended the justice reform teams for the progress being made in getting 27 states in the country to set up the reform teams in their domain.

    He said “15 years ago there were only two Justice sector reform teams in the country, it is very gratifying to see 27 Justice sector reform teams after 15 years.

    He said a major challenge the conference needs to tackle is  how to get internal financing for the teams to allow for sustainability.

    “The conference needs to address the funding of the reform teams because it cannot continue to depend on external support.  RoLAC will be ending in 2021, the teams need an internal source for support,” he argued.

  • Diabetes: Obaseki assures health sector initiatives will ease burden

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured that the various initiatives in the state’s health sector will ease the burden of diabetes disease among sufferers, urging lifestyle changes to keep the disease at bay.

    Obaseki gave the assurance in commemoration of the United Nations World Diabetes Day, observed on November 14, each year.

    According to the governor, the health insurance scheme which is being finalized, the Edo Health Care Improvement Programme (Edo-HIP) and other initiatives with local and foreign partners in the health sector will contribute significantly to providing the needed medical support for persons suffering from diabetes and other illnesses in the state.

    He noted that the theme for the 2018 and 2019 World Diabetes Day, ‘The Family and Diabetes,’ calls attention to the roles of “families across the globe in the management, care, prevention and in educating their members on diabetes. This also shows that when members of families adopt certain lifestyles, it will go a long way in preventing diabetes.”

    He said the state government’s approach to improving health care is one that prioritises everyone’s health, and explained that the health sector has been delineated to cater to the needs of all Edo people and residents.

    Read Also: Alaghodaro: Obaseki earmarks 100 roads for construction

    Obaseki added that the health insurance scheme will provide the impetus for efficient functioning of the primary health care centres in the state.

    “Families are encouraged to join the collective fight against diabetes by supporting each other with information on the importance of regular medical checks, the right diets, exercise and an adjusted lifestyle that would help in managing and preventing the disease.

    “One of our strategies is prevention. We are convinced that preventive health care reduces cost, if any, and eliminates pains and suffering associated with treating a disease. The Edo Health Improvement (EDOHIP) programme has been aligned with our preventive health care strategy.”

    He assured that his administration will continue to support campaigns and programmes on preventive health care system through ongoing renovation of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in each ward across the state, and the compulsory health insurance scheme which will soon be rolled out, to enable more people have access to affordable health care services.

    The United Nations designated November 14 as World Diabetes Day, in 2007, in recognition of “the urgent need to pursue multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health, and provide access to treatment and health-care education.”

    According to the global body, the resolution also encourages member states to develop national policies for the prevention, treatment and care of diabetes in line with the sustainable development of their health-care systems.

  • Alaghodaro: Obaseki earmarks 100 roads for construction

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that 100 roads in different parts of the state have been earmarked for construction as the dry season sets in.

    Obaseki who said this during the 2018 Alaghodaro Summit in Benin City, the state capital, noted that his administration has made appreciable progress in the last two years in provision of infrastructure, education sector, job creation and empowerment as well as in repositioning the state for investments.

    Addressing guests, members of his cabinet and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state at the luncheon held after the Thanksgiving Service to celebrate his two-year anniversary as governor of the state, the governor acknowledged the achievements of his predecessor, which he said his government was building on.

    He explained that “two years on, Edo people are celebrating the progress we have made in all sectors of the state.”

    He thanked Edo people and residents for their support and encouragement, adding that the input from the people helped the administration to perform better.

    “God has endowed the state and placed her in a unique location. We all should be patient and trust God to help us make more progress,” he said.

    Read Also: FG lauds Obaseki’s education reform

    Secretary to State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., said: “This celebration is to tell our people how far we have gone in fulfilling our promises. For us, we are progressing as all we promised in four years will be done in less than four years, looking at our progress so far in the first two years”.

    Ogie noted that God has been faithful to the Obaseki-led administration in fulfilling the electioneering promises made to Edo people in the area of job creation, infrastructure development, sports development, education and health care.

  • Minister commends revamp of PHCs in Edo

    The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has commended the revamp of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Edo State, noting that such reforms will allow for proper referral system as a catalyst to develop the health system in the country.

    Adewole said this while delivering his keynote address at the 2018 Alagodaro Summit in Benin City, organised by Edo State Government to celebrate the second anniversary of the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

    He commended the Obaseki-led administration for focusing on health care, pledging the commitment of the federal government in ensuring that the state achieves her aim of having 200 primary health centres in the state by the year 2020.

    Adewole, while buttressing the importance of PHCs to the society, decried that their nonfunctional status has overstretched the general and teaching hospitals which are meant for complicated ailments.

    The health minister advised the state government that as it revamps the health centres, attention must also be given to preventive medicine, especially on provision of safe water in communities as well as sensitization on proper hygiene.

    According to him, “We spend a lot of money in curative treatment when our problem is at preventive state. We need to change the paradigm and put emphasis on preventive care, health education as well as improving our way of life.”

    He added that health care system must move beyond just care, and involve a comprehensive care.

    Read Also: Minister clears air on suspension of national carrier

    “PHC is closer to the people, and if properly invested in, it would provide care for 80 percent of the people while 10 percent would go to secondary and less than 10 percent would go to tertiary health care centres,” he said.

    The health minister said countries around the world that have recorded improvement in their socio-economic sectors are those that have improved their health indicators.

    He commended the Obaseki-led administration for investing in the health sector, assuring him that the return on investment for the health care would be huge.

    Adewole also drew attention to the population explosion in the country especially as majority of the population falls below the working age.

    The minister congratulated the state for having the highest rate of skilled birth attendant which he said has reduced maternal and infant deaths.

  • Alaghodaro Summit: Obaseki showcases reforms-driven growth

    …people-oriented governance

    The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Monday at the 2018 Alaghodaro Summit taking place in the state capital, Benin City, said the steady progress which his administration has recorded in all sectors of the state in the last two years was spurred by time-tested reforms and people-centred governance.

    Obaseki made the submission before an array of personalities in government, private sector players, foreign investors, traditional rulers, thought and community leaders, owners of micro, small and medium businesses as well as other stakeholders.

     According to the governor, the state has witnessed tremendous progress in the last two years of his administration, in the areas of infrastructure, quality education and job creation, with a policy strategy linking job seekers to training and employment opportunities, which have culminated in the creation of 77,200 jobs.

    The governor said: “Alaghodaro summit was designed to lay a solid foundation for the future of the state. Through the strategic summit, we have been able to lay out our plans for the Edo people and strategically showcase our potential to the world as guide to governance in the state. We understand that for there to be prosperity, peace and inclusive growth; reforms are imperative.”  

    Obaseki said his government’s focus on the wellbeing of the Edo people and residents informed the choice of this year’s summit theme: ‘Edo of our dream: Investing in our people’.

    He explained that the investment in the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme has produced over 7, 000 digital teachers with impressive learning outcomes in public primary schools across the state.

     “Primary school pupils can now read in our public schools. I got this result first hand after an interaction with a parent. A mother came to me, thanking me for what we have done in the schools. She said her six-year-old child can not only read, but also always eager to go to school and have his name on the character board,” he said.

    Chairman of the 2018 Alaghodaro Summit, Asue Ighodalo, in his remark, said the summit would generate ideas for the Obaseki-led administration to deepen the gains it has recorded in critical sectors such as health, education and job creation as well as in allied areas.  

  • Alaghodaro: Waje, Mayorkun, others light up Benin

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said plans are in the works for a 30-hectare Television Village in Okhoro axis of Benin City, which will attract big-ticket investments from Nollywood, Nigeria’s booming movie industry.

    The governor also said that the sum of N250 million will be allocated to boost the creative industry in the state’s 2019 budget, noting that his administration is committed to creating room for youths to find expression in productive ventures in the state.

    The governor disclosed this during the Youth Concert organised as part of activities marking his administration’s second-anniversary celebration in Benin City, on Friday night.

    He said his administration prioritize entertainment and creativity as a veritable tool for job creation for youths, adding, “We have been trying to fix roads, health care and education sectors over the past two years. We want to build an entertainment hub. We have a 30-hectare premises in the Okhoro axis of the state for this purpose and it will have investments from Nollywood.

    “We want to give youths jobs and entertainment. There is hope for talented youths because we have artistes from the state, who are succeeding and making waves in the entertainment industry,” Obaseki said.

    The governor who was elated by the performance of local and international artistes at the concert, donated N10 million to a physically challenged artiste named ‘Kasali’ to enable him establish his record label.

    “My administration will support talents. We want the world to know that there is ability in disability. The N10 million is to enable him establish his label and promote his music,” the governor said.

    He said a team would be assembled to properly organize the creative industry in the state, adding that the committee will be made up of the Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs as well as local artistes in the state.

    He added that his administration was working to get an alternate source of power supply in the state to drive development, noting that steady power supply was needed to grow the economy, including the entertainment industry.

    “Electricity has been our problem and we are solving it. We say No to Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), we will have our own electricity company in Edo before the celebration of my administration’s third year anniversary,” the governor assured.