The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Governor Godwin Obaseki

  • Edo to curb human trafficking through job creation

    Edo to curb human trafficking through job creation

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has said that the state government was planning to end incidences of human trafficking in the state through job creation, saying it was unfortunate that one out of every five trafficked persons were from the state.

    Speaking when he visited the headquarters of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Abuja, Gov. Obaseki said the state will collaborate with the NDE to create jobs for the unemployed in the state through skill acquisition and training.

    Deputy Director, Information & Public Relations of the Directorate, Edmund Onwuliri said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that the governor was full of praises for the efforts of the NDE towards job creation and skills development for the unemployed in the country.

    While extolling the potentials and achievements of the NDE over the years, the governor said the state government decided to collaborate with the agency because “we realise you have government mandate to create jobs, you have veritable job programmes, you also have Skills Centres to drive Vocational Trainings.

    “We are also looking into the direction of agriculture, we want our people to be trained in Poultry farming, animal rearing, fishery and even food processing. Today, we cannot talk about entrepreneurship training in agriculture without considering technology. We are convinced that NDE has done a lot in these areas. It makes a lot of sense coming to you’’.

    The governor said it was unfortunate that one out of every five people involved in human trafficking is an Edo Indigene, adding that “the problem of human trafficking will be fully addressed by his administration through the provision jobs and raise the literacy level of our people through massive enlightenment.”

    Governor Obaseki further said that the problem of human trafficking is highly related to unemployment, adding that many youths are lured into prostitution in foreign lands because of lack of decent jobs in the country.

    The Governor observed that the problem militating against socio-economic development in Nigeria is not the lack of money and resources, but wastages emanating from duplication of functions, facilities and efforts.

    He added that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has enough structures nationwide to address the problem of unemployment in any state of the federation, stressing that the “NDE has the resources, tested job programmes, good ideas and people to drive our mission’’.

    Speaking while receiving the governor, Director-General of the NDE  Dr. Nasir Ladan Mohammed, described Governor Obaseki as a very intelligent technocrat with great passion for youth employment.

    Ladan who briefed the governor on the potentials, programmes, activities, achievements and new employment initiatives of the NDE towards creating employment opportunities for the unemployed in Nigeria said that with the spread and experience of the NDE, it has become a force in Nigeria as far as job creation is concerned.

    He described the unemployment situation in the country as worrisome and said the challenge should not be left to the Federal Government alond, adding that inter- governmental and agency collaborations is one of the ways to effectively combat unemployment in the country.

    He decried the unfortunate situation where thousands of young Nigerians have lost their lives in the Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea while trying to cross to Europe in search of jobs, adding that the NDE will soon launch a robust and formidable website which will help in generating data for the unemployed and also serve as intervention tool for labour export.

    According to him, the concept will be modelled after those of the Philippines and Bangladesh where labour exchange and diaspora in-flows contribute significantly to the economy. ‘

    He said “Nigerians will travel if they wish but it shall be with dignity because there will be governmental interactions, this will also go a long way to checkmate the menace of human trafficking’’.

    He said the Edo State office of the NDE will be directed to work out a proper framework for an effective collaboration with the State Government in employment creation.

     

     

  • Ize-Iyamu congratulates Obaseki

    Ize-Iyamu congratulates Obaseki

    Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the September 28 governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has congratulated Governor Godwin Obaseki on Monday’s Supreme Court ruling which affirmed Obaseki’s election.

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu, whose petition was dismissed for lack of merit, assured Governor Obaseki of his goodwill.

    In a press statement issued in Benin City, Pastor Ize-Iyamu said the Supreme Court verdict has brought an end his struggle for the office of the governor of Edo State.

    According to the statement, “I accept in good faith this decision of the highest court of our country, which affirms Mr Godwin Obaseki as the Governor of Edo State. I therefore congratulate Mr Godwin Obaseki and assure him of my goodwill.

    “I also want to use this opportunity to thank all our supporters and party men and women for their immense support for our struggle right from the time of the election to this day that it ended at the Supreme Court. Let me assure them of my acknowledgement of their various sacrifices and promise that I will always be there for them.

    “I thank all Edo people who have been part of our struggle all the way. In our various ways we should keep the fire burning in the quest for an Edo State of our dreams.”

     

  • Edo Assembly to reduce workforce 

    Edo Assembly to reduce workforce 

    Edo State House of Assembly is to prune its workforce of 724 staff to a number to be decided by the state government.

    It was gathered that the staff reduction would be carried out after a screening exercise.

    A source said any affected staff will not be sacked or be deployed to other ministries.

    The source said the decision to prune down the staff strength was due to pressure from Governor Godwin Obaseki that it was unacceptable for a 24-member assembly to be having 724 staff.

    It was learnt the governor was also pressuring the judiciary to also embark of reforms by reducing its many redundant workforce.

    Confirming the development, Governor Obaseki said the move was to reduce waste in governance.

    Speaking while delivering a lecture at the annual lecture series of the Edo State Correspondent Chapel, Governor Obaseki said the ratio of the 24 lawmakers to the number of staff was too wide.

    His words, “We don’t have control over the judiciary and legislature but we have been in active dialogue with them to ensure that they also start the process of reforming those in their institutions.

    “They have been responsive. The House of Assembly has come to understanding and agreement that a 24-man Assembly cannot have a staff strength of 724. The ratio is too wide. They have decided to streamline the workforce so that those who are redundant can now be put into active use.

    “One of the challenges we have is not the lack of resources, we have devolve a system where we waste so much. If we make a lot of savings, we can to what we want to do. How do we have more than 200 Hilux vans for various political actors and appointees when the entire police force don’t have that number of vehicles”.

     

  • Edo Assembly confirms 18 commissioner nominees

    Edo Assembly confirms 18 commissioner nominees

    The Edo  House of Assembly on Wednesday confirmed 18  nominees as commissioners in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governor Godwin Obaseki had on June 20 forwarded the 18-man list to the house for consideration and confirmation.

    The confirmation of the nominees followed the recommendation of the House Committee on Rules, Business and Government House.

    Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee and Majority Leader, Mr Foly Ogedengbe, said the nominees were educationally qualified to be appointed as commissioners in the state

    Ogedengbe thereafter presented the report to the House for consideration.

    The House consequently adopted the report of the committee and confirmed the nominees as commissioners.

    Meanwhile, the House is to hold a Public Hearing on a bill for a law to enact Edo State Control of Nomadic Cattle Rearing/Grazing Law scheduled  on July 6. (NAN)

  • Edo Assembly clears Obaseki’s nominees

    Edo Assembly clears Obaseki’s nominees

    Edo State House of Assembly has cleared the 18 nominees sent to it by Governor Godwin Obaseki for appointment as commissioners.

    Those cleared were Yekini Idaiye (Akoko Edo), Ohonbamu Paul (Egor)‎, ‎E. Agbale (Esan Central), Emmanuel Usoh (Esan North-East), Magdalene Ohenhen (Esan South-East) Amiolemen Osahon (Esan West) Joseph Ughioke‎ (Etsako Central),Mika Amonokha (Etsako East), Mariam Abubakar‎ (Etsako West)‎ and Osagie Inegbedion‎ (Igueben).

    Others were Erimona Oye‎ (Ikpoba-Okha), Prof. Yinka Omoregbe‎ (Oredo) Osaze Osemwegie-Ero (Orhionmwon), Monday Osaigbovo (Ovia North-East)‎, Christopher Adesotu (Ovia South-West)‎, Jimoh Ijegbai‎ (Owan East), Okun Reginald (Owan West)‎ and David Osifo‎ (Uhunmwode)

    They were cleared ‎eight days after their names were submitted.

    Majority Leader, Mr. Foly Ogedengbe, who submitted report of the House Committee on Rules Business and Government House said the nominees were screened and considered, fit to become commissioners.

    Speaker Justin Okonoboh stated that those selected had the requisite qualifications to carry out the duties that would be assigned to them.

     

  • Edo Fertilizer plant set to begin commercial production

    Edo Fertilizer plant set to begin commercial production

    One of the achievements being bandied by supporters and admirers of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion was the construction of a Fertilizer Blending Plant in Auchi, Estako West local government area. The supporters were quick to criticize immediate past Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, for failing to revitalize the plant built and commissioned by Igbinedion for the purpose of jobs creation.

    It was in 2003 that former President Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the fertilizer plant but unknown to Obasanjo, bags of fertilizers displayed at the plant during the commissioning were purchased from the open market and rebagged on site. It was gathered that the plant was not working because one of the Chinese technical partners pulled out over an untidy contractual agreement and the Mainframe computer unit which controls all the operations of the plant was reportedly stolen.

    Former Commissioner for Agriculture during Oshiomhole’s administration, Hon Abdul Oroh had this to say about the fertilizer plant, “If you look at the fertilizer company in Auchi, most of the equipment installed at the point of commissioning were all fraudulent because they were outdated and not useful and fertilizers were procured from somewhere and released as being products of the company.”

    However, 17 years after, the Edo Fertilizer Blending Plant is set to begin commercial production under the Godwin Obaseki administration. The plant has been revived and it targeted to produce 55,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer annually.

    The quest to revitalize the plant began in January when Governor Obaseki led the Director General of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Mr. Uche Orji and the President Fertilizer Producers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Etu, to the plant site with a view to reviving it to meet the Federal Government target of creating 250,000 jobs from all the 38 fertilizer blending plants across the country.

    Orji told newsmen that the visit to the fertilizer plant was part of the Presidential Initiative on Fertilizer (PIF) whose purpose was to ensure that farmers in the country buy fertilizer at N5,500 before the next planting season.

    According to him, “Edo is one of the investors in the SWF. We are working on the PIF to import some components of fertilizer from Morocco and revive blending plants in the country.

    “The net effect is to create jobs and for farmers to get fertilizer for as low as N5,500. With this type of facilities in the state, Edo state has been missing lots of opportunities with a factory like this.

    “Once the governor and the investors have agreed, I don’t think it will take too long to get this plant running. Our objective as the governor has mentioned, is to put the raw materials into this plant and have it to start working.

    “The president has presidential initiative for fertilizer, and the idea is instead of importing finished fertilizer, we bring in the component and blend it locally. If you do that, price will come down significantly and luckily, Edo is a state that has lots of raw materials needed.

    “So this should be a natural advantage for Edo state to start which will employ alot of people. It will also at the same time, bring alot of advantages with it; bring down the prices of fertilizer for the farmers that is the idea of the presidential special programme,’’ he said.

    On his part, President of Fertilizer Producers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Etuh, explained that the initiative was to encourage local blending of fertilizers with a view to create jobs and save foreign exchange. Thomas said Nigeria will be saving $300m in foreign exchange in 2017 and $120bn in terms of subsidy on fertilizer.

    Last week, Governor Obaseki accompanied by his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, visited the fertilizer plant of ascertain the level of work done. He was shown round the facility by Mr Ayodele Ejaoye, the General Manager of the Technical Company managing the fertilizer plant.

    Obaseki inspected the power plant, production line, storehouse, administrative building and the new line. He was assured that the plant was capable of producing seven tons of fertilizer per hour and prepared to be test run by mid-June while commercial production starts by June ending.

    Addressing newsmen after the inspection, Governor Obaseki said the plant would employ about 120 direct and indirect workers when it became operational.

    Obaseki disclosed that talks were on with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), to draw a dedicated 33KVA line to the plant in addition to standby 500KVA generating set that has been refurbished at the plant.

    “I am quite impressed with the progress of work here because if you compared the situation now to what we met about two and half months ago, when we came here first, you’d find that there is significant difference,” the governor said.

    “We have been able to get the technical partners under the federal government fertilizer programme to start work here and they have made investment to revamp the plant. The equipment have been tested and manufacturers were brought to fix the faulty parts. They are also constructing a new line to meet up with the specification of the federal government fertilizer programme.”

     

  • Edo to curtail menace of herdsmen

    Edo to curtail menace of herdsmen

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Sunday said his administration was working out measures to curtail the menace of Fulani herdsmen in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, a week ago, some cattle gained access to classrooms at Ohovbe Primary School at Ikpoba-Okha Local Council of the state.

    The pupils were said to have stayed outside for about one hour before the herdsman came to take the cattle out.

    Obaseki made the disclosure on the sidelines of a thanksgiving service at the Christ Embassy Church in Benin for his victory at the appeal Court.

    He promised that the state government would build fence around schools in the state to address the indiscriminate grazing of cattle in Schools’ premises.

    Obaseki ascribed his election as Governor of Edo to the Grace of God upon his life, adding that he would capitalise on that to develop the state.

    In his sermon, the Rev. Tom Amekhena commended the governor for his developmental leadership, stating that although he had never met him, he has heard of his good policies and projects in the state.

    He said, “we are seeing the burning desire you have not only to develop the state but also to transform it.”

  • Buhari will take Nigeria to the apex – Otaru of Auchi

    Buhari will take Nigeria to the apex – Otaru of Auchi

    Traditional ruler of Auchi, HRH Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, the Otaru of Auchi, has said that the initial difficulties experienced under the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari was meant to take Nigeria to the apex.

    The Otaru of Auchi said Buhari has brought Progressive change to the country.

    He spoke at his palace when Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu broke the Ramadan fast with Muslims traditional rulers in Edo North Senatorial district.

    The Auchi Monarch said Buhari was celebrated in all the countries he visited and that such was already transforming into reality in the country.

    He assured Governor Obaseki of their support as they did to his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    According to him, “We will be behind you. You are doing your work quietly. There is a being constructed to Awain now. You are superbly divine to do things for this state’s it were with your predecessor.

    “We are honored by your visit to commiserate with Muslim traditional rulers in Edo North.”

    On his part, Governor Obaseki urged the traditional rulers to use the Ramadan period to pray for the quick recovery of President Buhari.

    Obaseki noted that the country has come out stronger despite the initial challenges.

    He said, “There is a lot to be grateful to Allah for. We have gone through a lot in this country. We have come out stronger and we understand the challenge we face.

    “We should use the Ramadan to see ourselves as one. I encourage you to pray for our state, country and President Buhari.”

     

  • School feeding programme: Edo set to collaborate with private firm

    School feeding programme: Edo set to collaborate with private firm

    The Edo State Government has revealed that it may collaborate with Dufi Prima Food Plc, a private firm, to domesticate and implement the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

     Governor Godwin Obaseki, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Taiwo Akerele, made this known in Benin City on Friday as he received the management team of Dufi Prima Food Plc at the Edo State Government House where the food company indicated its interest to collaborate with the state government on the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. 

     Commending the initiative of the company, the governor revealed that the state government would draw out a plan in line with the state’s procurement law on engaging service providers to bid for the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. 

     He said: “We are going to come up with a proposal. We have the state procurement law and we will open up the procurement process for invitation to everybody who is into this line and see that the best in terms of production and output is chosen”.

     Meanwhile, Dufi Prima Food consultant, Efosa Cliff-Ogiugo, congratulated the state government on the successful launch of school feeding programme held in Benin City revealing that the company’s visit was to officially introduce its products and develop a partnership on the use of its products for the programme.

     The consultant noted that the company was already into partnership with the federal government on the programme and wanted to engage as many states as possible, adding that the company also intend to introduce programmes to upgrade school infrastructure.

     He, however, maintained that the company would extend the gesture to disabled children and ensure that the value of the N10m proposed for the feeding programme would span nine months.

     

  • PDP chieftain reveals plot to sack Obaseki through Supreme Court

    PDP chieftain reveals plot to sack Obaseki through Supreme Court

    A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Edo State, Mr. James Ifaluyi-Ogbeide, has revealed plans by the party leadership to sack Governor Godwin Obaseki through the Supreme Court.

    Mr. Ifaluyi-Ogbeide said the plot to use a Supreme Court justice was hatched at a meeting of PDP leaders held in Port-Harcourt.

    Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City, the PDP chieftain said he decided to raise the alarm to stop desperate plans by the party leadership to manipulate the electoral victory of Governor Obaseki at the Supreme Court.

    Ogbeide said the leadership of PDP have set-aside huge sum of money to procure victory at the apex court.

    He alleged that the Supreme Court justice from the South-South zone has offered to assist the party to upturn the electoral victory of Obaseki just as was done in the case of Rivers and Awka-Ibom states.

    According to him, “The discovery of most unholy scheme by the People’s Democratic Party to pervert the course of justice and condemn the people of Edo as many years of ungodly wretchedness and black misrule as possible

    “It has come to my knowledge that a terrible séance held recently in Port Harcourt consisting nefarious characters loyal to the People’s Democratic Party. The fiendish meeting, which was assembled by top PDP members and had in attendance stakeholders in Edo state governorship was conveyed to analyse how to sabotage the mandate of the people of the state.”