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Tag: Godwin Obaseki

  • ‘Edo Civil Service committed to continuous staff training’

    The Head of Service, Edo State, Mrs. Gladys Idahor, has commended the Godwin Obaseki-led administration for making staff training and re-training and prompt payment of salaries and allowances in the State Civil Service a cardinal objective of his government.

    Mrs. Idahor said this at a one-day seminar on “Preparation of Establishment Proposals” for Senior and Middle-Level Officers in the State Public Service, at the Imaguero College Hall, Sapele Road, in Benin City.

    She said the seminar was conceived to equip participants with relevant skills and tools required for the preparation of important documents and to further enhance on-the-job effectiveness and efficiency.

    She stated that government was determined to ensure that staff at all levels are equipped with relevant skills for effective and efficient performance, urging participants to apply the skills garnered at the training in their various offices.

    She reminded the participants of the need to conduct themselves in a civil manner as any act of indiscipline will be viewed as a bid to truncate the good wishes of the state government.

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Establishments, Training and Manpower Services, Barr. Deborah Enakhimion, whose office organised the training, urged participants to make the best of it, as the skills are essential in their day-to-day operations.

    She stated that an establishment proposal is an essential planning document for personnel budgeting, staff promotion, transfers and advancement in the service, which requires keen administrative skill and techniques in its preparation.

    She said that it was necessary that schedule officers in Government Ministries, Agencies and Extra-Ministerial Departments be exposed to the technicalities in preparing establishment proposals, taking into consideration the personnel budget/requirement of their ministries and agencies vis-à-vis government plans and directives as it concerns their establishments.

     

  • Obaseki commences restructuring of state-owned media organisations

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said that his administration has commenced the restructuring of state-owned media outfits to make them more viable and dependable primary sources of credible information.

    Obaseki disclosed this when the Mrs Nefishetu Yakubu-led new executive of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo Council, paid him a courtesy visit on Monday at Government House, Benin City.

    Obaseki said: “Our goal is to re-position Edo as an information hub in this part of the world and we are working to resuscitate the state-owned Nigerian Observer and Edo Broadcasting Service.

    He said the Nigerian Observer would be split into two components – the Printing Press and the Publishing Company – while the Midwest Newspaper Limited would also be restructured.

    He stressed that he does not believe in retrenching workers, but in giving them the opportunity to improve themselves through training and retraining.

    Read Also: Obaseki goes tough on thuggery

    “The members of staff of these media outfits will be retrained on digital reportage and publishing,” he said.

    The governor promised to support and work with the new executive of the correspondents’ chapel and said, ‘’I believe in the freedom of the press and would support you in the discharge of your duty.

    He also promised to digitize the chapel’s centre at the NUJ premises in Benin City, and donate a bus to them, to make their work easier as the 2019 electioneering period is near.

    In her remark, Yakubu commended the Obaseki-led administration for delivering on the promises made to the people, especially for providing conducive working environment for workers and investing in human capital development.

    The new chapel’s chairman said the visit was to present the new executives to the governor and to assure him of their continuous fair and balanced reportage of all government activities.

    “The Correspondent Chapel of the NUJ is the largest constitution of accredited reporters of various media organisations.

    “So, there should be a strong synergy between your government and the media for effective, credible and balanced reportage of government’s activities,” she said.

     

  • Kinsmen mourn Anenih

    Kinsmen and political associates of late Chief Tony Anenih in Edo State have expressed sadness over report of his death in an Abuja hospital.

    At Uromi in Esan North East local government area, many residents were seen at Chief Anenih residence to confirm whether he has really died.

    Some wore long faces and refused to speak to our reporter.

    Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo Central Senatorial district, Hon. John Osagie Inegbedion, described Chief Anenih as Nigeria’s greatest political strategist and father of everyone that would be greatly missed.

    Inegbedion stated that his camapign team received news of the death with shock and disbelief.

    According to him, “I and my campaign team are greatly saddened by the loss not only to Edo State but Nigeria in general.

    “Chief Tony Anenih was loved by all even by those that disagreed with his style of politics. This is because of his fatherly disposition to all those who came across him.

    “He was a key player in Nigeria politics for many decades and his touch was across the country.”

    Read Also: Ekweremadu, Umahi mourn Anenih

    A former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Frank Okiye, said their great icon and benefactor who is the foundation of their identity has moved to great beyond.

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Agriculture and Food Security, Prince Joe Okojie, said the death of Chief Anenih was a monumental loss to the Nigeria people and Esan people in particular.

    Prince Okojie said there was no words to describe the loss.

    The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party in a condolence message said it received the news with a heavy heart.

    State Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, said late Anenih served Nigeria with all his might.

    “He was a unifier, builder of men and a great political strategist. He was popularly known as “Mr Fix-it” for his ability to solve and navigate knotty political situations.

    “In Edo State, he was our pillar, light, pathfinder, bridge builder and detribalised leader. He shone brightly and lit many candles.

    “He was a leader par excellence. Coming from a minority zone and from a minority tribe in our state, he exceeded natural barriers so that others can aspire without fear or Man imposed limitations. A great organiser, mobiliser and an inspiration to men and women of goodwill.“

  • Obaseki goes tough on thuggery

    …to amend laws to curb cultism

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has revealed that plans are in place to sponsor a bill for a law to strengthen measures aimed at curbing cultism in the state.

    The governor disclosed this when he played host to the new Commander, 107 Air Maritime Group of the Nigerian Air Force, Wing Commander Fatai Ayinla Ganiyu, at the Government House in Benin City, Edo State capital.

    Obaseki said that his administration will not give room for thuggery in the state as the country prepares for the 2019 general elections, noting, “We are heading into election period and there are some bad habits that are trying to reoccur. As a government, we will not accept thuggery in our politics as we are going to take serious action against anybody or group of persons who perpetuate thuggery in any form.”

    The governor said that the state government is concerned about the rising cult-related violence in the state, and assured that, “We are finalizing amendment of our laws which will soon be sent to the Edo State House of Assembly to strengthen our law enforcement agencies to deal with cultism in the state.”

    Read Also: Obaseki’s aide resigns, joins PDP

    According to him, security is key to his administration as the state serves as “a transit route with people going through the state. For this, we must ensure lives and property are secured. The goal is to use our natural endowments to stimulate economic growth and activities as nobody will invest in a state with lax security.”

    Obaseki commended the harmonious relationship between the state government and the Nigerian Air Force Command in Benin City, adding that his administration will continue to support the Command.

    The new Commander, 107 Air Maritime Group, Nigerian Air Force, Wing Commander Fatai Ayinla Ganiyu expressed appreciation to the governor for his efforts at ensuring peace and security and promoting a conducive environment for businesses in the state.

    “We are already assisting the government in the area of patrol to ensure the safety of lives and property,” Ganiyu said.

  • Obaseki pledges support for One Million Trees project in Edo

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured of his administration’s commitment to sustain the One Million Trees for Peace Afforestation project on-going in the state.

    Obaseki made the commitment when he received members of the Board of Association Bernadette Strebel World Peace (ABSWP) based in Switzerland and Spain, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Benin City on Wednesday.

    The governor lamented that the forest cover of the state has dropped to less than six per cent, noting that replenishment through continuous tree planting is paramount.

    “We are committed to the protection of the forest covers in the state in order to tackle climate change and preserve our beautiful state for future generations. We are ready to support the replenishment of our trees which are our heritage,” he added.

    He assured that with the setting up of the Edo Forestry Commission, the state would be able to plant one million trees in two years.

    Earlier, the president of the association, Mrs Bermadette Strebel, said the association in 2008, promised to support the Edo State Government’s Reforestation programme by raising one million trees to be planted in the state.

    Read Also: Obaseki’s aide resigns, joins PDP

    Strebel added that about 270,000  trees have been planted in the state since the inception of the project.

    She noted that the world forests were depleting at an alarming rate and commended the governor Obaseki-led administration for giving support to forest regeneration.

    “The establishment of the Advisory Committee on Forestry and the proposed Edo Forestry Commission are welcome development. You are working in line with the saying that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second-best time is now” the President said.

    She also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the Africa Initiative for World Peace  in Europe and the Edo State Government in the implementation of the One Million Trees for Peace Afforestation project.

  • Edo unveils paid Graduate Internship Programme

    …targets 250 youths in first phase

    The Edo State Government through its job creation platform, EdoJobs, has concluded plans to launch the Edo Graduate Internship Programme (Edo-GIP), designed as a 6-month intensive paid internship with the aim of providing young people with access to work experience.

    EdoJobs is an initiative of Governor Godwin Obaseki to create employment opportunities for 200,000 youths in the state. It has been at the forefront of skills training and jobs creation in the state, providing  myriad of job opportunities for youths.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said “The EdoJobs Graduate Internship Programme (EDO-GIP) is a 6-month intensive internship (paid) and mentoring programme to give young people access to work experience and job opportunity with the potential to achieve a 70 per cent permanent employment rate.”

    She said the programme is targeting 250 graduates in the first phase and is being run in partnership with Romanspage Global, a top Human Resource Consulting firm, to train and engage young graduates for the EdoJobs Graduate Internship Programme (EDO-GIP)

    Noting that the programme will provide a foundation for beneficiaries to get employed or gain the right skills and mentoring to start their own businesses, she said, “EDO-GIP is aimed at providing opportunities for young graduates to explore their chosen career fields by assigning them to organisations (large corporations and SMEs) to learn the technical and practical skills required to launch into their desired career paths. At the end of the programme, participants would have acquired and developed transferable skills that would serve as an enviable foundation for building a successful career either as an employee or an entrepreneur.”

    She said interns are needed in Marketing/Sales, Information Technology, Finance/Account, Administration, Front Desk/Customer Service, Human Resources, among others, adding that successful applicants will “gain invaluable work experience during internship; get paid while learning on the job and will be trained on workplace skills before deployment to organisation.”

    Other benefits of the scheme, according to her, “are that beneficiaries will get valuable insights into business practices; explore their career path, have an edge in the job market and grow a network with professionals.”

    She said the applicants must hold a minimum of Bachelor’s degree or Higher National Diploma (HND), must have completed National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC), reside in Edo State, must not be older than 30 years old, must be registered on the EdoJobs portal, show willingness to learn new skills and must be ready to contribute to the organisation they are deployed to.

    She said application will commence from November 1, 2018 on www.edojobs.edostate.gov.ng.

  • Obaseki counts gains of Edo Innovation Hub

    …As world marks Devt. Information Day 

    …Urges more Edo youth to snatch training opportunities

     

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said that thousands of Edo people have benefited from the series of training programmes designed to equip Edo youth with in-demand Information and Communication Technology-based skills in a fast- changing world that places huge premium on solution offerings that rely on  technology.

    Obaseki who said this in commemoration of the World Development Information Day, marked on October 24, each year, explained that in less than two years into his administration, the state has successfully plugged into the global technology ecosystem, with thousands of Edo people making the desired impact and taking their share of the gains that abound.

    The United Nations General Assembly explained that “Information and Communication Technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges, particularly in the context of globalisation, and can foster economic growth, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty eradication and social inclusion.”

    According to Obaseki, “World Development Information Day is a day for stakeholders in the information and communication sector to take stock of their activities and set new targets.

    “I am delighted at the prospect of having millions of Edo people join the global army of techpreneurs through our empowerment initiatives at the Edo Innovation Hub.”

    Read Also: Obaseki mourns death of Ex-CJN, Kutigi

    He urged leaders across the world “to replicate the Edo Innovation Hub model which has set Edo State on the path to becoming the Silicon Valley in South-South Nigeria.

    The Edo State Government-backed Edo Innovation Hub is a cluster for innovators and inventors in Benin City, and is priming youth to evolve and strengthen the technology ecosystem in the state.

    The facility houses the South-South Innovation Hub ad has two halls, five training rooms, six fully-furnished co-working spaces, four rooms with a total of 100 computers, offices, conference rooms, outdoor workspaces, among others.

    Some of the trainings taking place at the hub are handled by partners such as Microsoft, Tech4Dev, LinkedIn, Curators University, Hotels, NG, Makers Academy, Pan Atlantic University University’s Enterprise Development Centre, and Siemens’ Impact Hub.

    The UN said the World Development Information Day was established in 1972 to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.

    “The Assembly deemed that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development,” it added.

  • Alaghodaro 2018: Obaseki rallies top executives at NESG 24

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that his commitment to human development in the state stems from the desire to groom a repertoire of human capital that will not only drive the local economy but also compete favourably with their peers across the world for opportunities in the coming decades.

    Governor Obaseki disclosed this in discussions with top business executive on the side-lines of the 24th edition of the Nigeria Economic Summit, holding in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja, themed: Poverty to Prosperity; Making Governance and Institutions Work.

    The governor, who will be marking his second year in office in November, was at the event to among other things, rally top business executives for the Alaghodaro Summit holding in Benin City next month, with a theme that is focused on Edo People.

    The governor engaged with top members of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, which is a private sector think-tank that stimulates conversations around public policy and economic reform.

    Read Also: Obaseki’s aide resigns, joins PDP

    According to him, “We are harping on skills acquisition and vocational education to ensure that the people are equipped with the right skills to contribute to the economy.  We are also focused on basic education and are investing in it through the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme. We are partnering with a technology company to deliver quality education using technology in schools.”

    He said, “After the first school term of the programme, we have seen significant changes and improvement in the performance of students and the ease with which they comprehend instructions.

    “Over half a million students are to benefit from the Edo-BEST programme and over 7000 teachers have been trained and are currently teaching pupils in 612 schools across the state.”

    The governor explained that the state government has, through its skills development platform EdoJobs, trained youth on digital skills, prepping them for jobs and to create solution to society’s problems using digital tools.

    This is in addition to a number of reforms in the civil service to make working in government attractive and dignifying, with the renovation of new office blocks, prompt payment of salaries, and an open governance system.

  • Obaseki’s aide resigns, joins PDP

    A Special Assistant to Governor Godwin Obaseki in Ohordua, Esan South East local government, Mr. Imhandegbelo Louis, has resigned his appointment and defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    Louis said he left the ruling APC because of highhandedness of the party leader in the locality, Mr. Victor Eboigbe.

    He joined the PDP alongside his supporters at a rally held at Ohordua village.

    Louis said he has engaged in several humanitarian services to empower the people ahead of next year’s general elections.

    The former Obaseki aide said he would mobilize his supporters for the PDP.

    Read Also: NHIS Crisis: Presidency orders due process

    Receiving the APC defectors, leader of the PDP in the locality, Mr. Lawrence Odiase, said they would accord them all rights and privileges of former members of the party.

    Odiase stated that members of the ruling party are joining the PDP in droves despite the party being in opposition.

  • Obaseki commends Police for crime reduction

    …charges Command to root out criminal gangs

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has applauded the Edo State Police Command led by Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, over the reduction in cult clashes, armed robbery and kidnapping incidents across the state.

    Obaseki said, “I commend the Police Command for stepping up its operations against cult groups, armed robbers and kidnappers, who have been terrorizing innocent citizens in the state.”

    The governor’s commendation is coming on the heels of arraignment by the Edo State Police Command of 72 armed robbery, cultism and kidnapping suspects, who have been terrorizing Benin metropolis in the past few weeks.

    “It is evident to all that the synergy between the state government and the Police hierarchy is yielding results. I not only commend the command for the effort to dislodge the cult groups, I charge them to dig deeper and cut-off the roots of the miscreants, ensuring that safety returns to our streets,” he stressed.

    He said it is important “to rid the state of criminals to consolidate on the gains to support the growth of businesses and engender economic prosperity for our people.”

    Read Also: Obaseki vows to sustain poverty eradication policies

    Obaseki urged the State Police Command to sustain the onslaught against all criminal gangs, noting, “Much as the Police has done a good job, we are not oblivious of the fact that more needs to be done to secure lives and property in the state. So, I charge the Police to redouble their effort, adopt innovative techniques and deploy more tactical manoeuvres to dislodge these criminals.”

    He advised the police command to work with sister security agencies operating in the state to rid Edo of criminal elements.

    “Breaking the backbone of cultism, armed robbery and kidnapping will ensure Edo is free from the vicious cycle of vices perpetuated by members of these groups who do not mean well for us in the state.”

    He assured that the state government will continue to do all that is necessary to make the state safe and conducive for social and economic activities.