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Tag: Governor Godwin Obaseki

Installation of “Pere of Olodiama Kingdom in Edo,” sacrilegious, criminal – Edo Govt

The Edo State Government has described as egregiously abominable, sacrilegious and criminal, the planned coronation of one Godwin Oguyenbo as the “Pere of Olodiama Kingdom,” in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

Reacting to an advertisement on page 22 of the Vanguard Newspaper of Tuesday, November 14, 2017, which contains a congratulatory message to one Godwin Oguyenbo, Alagbabenafa, Agadagba, “Pere of Olodiama Kingdom” in Edo State, the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. said: “the pronouncement constitutes an unprecedented affront to the long-settled culture, traditions and norms of our people.”

He explained that “Government is of the view that the claim of such a non-existent title in a non-existent community under any guise is a clear and pre-meditated breach of our Laws particularly the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law of Edo State which said Law sets out the list of all recognised Traditional Rulers and Chiefs in Edo State.”

Ogie stressed that “the said Law further makes it a criminal offence for any person to recognise or purport to install any person as a Traditional Ruler except as provided for under the Law and in fact makes it an offence for any unqualified person to present or permit to be so addressed.”

The Edo State SSG, maintained that the state government is of the view that “this act is intended to precipitate strife and contestation leading inevitably to the breakdown of Law and Order in our dear State.”

He said in the light of the foregoing, Governor Godwin Obaseki has issued clear directives to the Law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies to take all steps to immediately abort the proposed or purported coronation anywhere within Edo State on the date proposed or on any other date whatsoever.

He also said that the governor has directed law enforcement agencies to effect the immediate arrest and prosecution of all persons involved in the said coronation either as beneficiary, participant or sponsor, to the full extent of all extant laws, as the government and people of Edo State have always projected a peaceful and welcoming disposition to all persons living within its boundaries.

“Edo State Government will not tolerate actions and pronouncements which seek to abuse the hospitality which our land offers. Let it be clearly noted that this Government will take all necessary steps to preserve our peace, enforce our Laws and defend our revered institutions. All those who intend to test the resolve of Government in this regard should be assured of the certainty that swift and severe sanctions will be the natural consequence of their unlawful acts.

“Government calls on all citizens and or residents of the State, while remaining peaceful and Law abiding, to report all actual and potential breaches of the peace to the nearest Law Enforcement Agencies,” Ogie said.

November 15, 2017
Health experts urge govts to focus on primary healthcare

To improve quality and reduce cost of accessing healthcare, federal and state governments should direct reforms and policies to deliver primary healthcare, provide health insurance for the poor and allow for private sector actors to handle tertiary and emergency healthcare.

This was the submission of experts during the plenary on social welfare targeted at healthcare at the Alaghodaro Investment Summit, organised at the weekend by the Edo State Government, in Benin City.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who was the discussion leader at the plenary, said that the Edo State government is on the verge of domesticating the National Health Act, noting that the move will greatly improve healthcare delivery in the state.

According to him, “Not only is the Edo State government on the verge of domesticating the National Health Act, it is also working to have a health insurance scheme that will cover all. The state will also serve as a pilot for the implementation of the primary healthcare programme.”

Former Chief Medical Director at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Michael Ibadin, said that there was need for more private sector participation in healthcare delivery.

Arguing that the dominance of government in health sector has stifled growth, he said, “We can improve healthcare delivery when we get more private sector participation. When we do this, we would have less incessant strikes. There is evidence that private hospitals are delivering good services. But most people have been left to suffer because a lot of people depend on service in public hospitals. We need this trend to change.”

Dr. Christopher Otabor of Alliance Hospital, Abuja, said that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s experience in the private sector is one of the greatest assets he is bringing to governance, noting that government should provide guarantees that will allow people access healthcare cost-efficiently.

“When it appears healthcare is anchored on private sector investment and accessing services is hard for the poor, government can provide insurance. The stage is being set in Edo State for this. Government doesn’t necessarily have to bring money to fund hospitals. It can provide guarantees and ensure that there is a stable environment for hospitals to thrive,” he said.

Prof. Jonny Ikimalo of Prime Hospital said that the reason for poor health indices in Nigeria is due to poor budgetary allocations, condemning the fact that a lot of people have to pay for services out of their pockets when they are already in hospitals.

According to him, “Healthcare is expensive and I have a problem when people talk about health insurance for the poor. People think that anything that relates with insurance is expensive because what we ordinary associate with insurance are cars, life and the likes. We should rather call it health plans. Healthcare is a social responsibility. So, much as we suggest that government should allow private investment, it should also provide cover for the poor.

“What I understand from the visionary stance of the state governor, is that the state is already putting in place a health insurance scheme which will provide health coverage for everybody, including the underprivileged. I think it is work in progress and it is expected that this summit will make input into it.”

Rev. Fr. Anslem Adodo of Pax Herbal Clinic noted that there was need to promote traditional medicine in the quest to attain universal health coverage, noting, “One of the surest means to provide healthcare to the people is to recognise the place of traditional healthcare. But to do this, we must reform and integrate traditional medicine in our health system in Edo State.”

November 14, 2017
PDP donates 200 traffic shelters to Edo traffic agency

The People’s Democratic Party in Edo State on Tuesday donated 200 mobile shelters to the revamped Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA).

It said the donation was because it noticed the suffering officials of the agency go through in controlling traffic in the rain and under the sun.

State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, said it was sad that Governor Godwin Obaseki failed to provide traffic shelters for the agency.

Chief Orbih said the party was informed that many of EDSTMA suffered from malaria and other ailments due to exposure to heat and cold in the rain.

Orbih stated that the traffic shelters would ameliorate their sufferings and ensured that EDSTMA officials are healthy to carry out their duties.

His words, “We have observed with great concern pains EDSTMA staff are going through. They are always in the sun and in the rain controlling traffic.

“As part of our contributions, we are donating 200 traffic shelter houses to EDSTMA so that they will no longer suffer under the rain. We are very concern about what they are going through.”

Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said it was unfortunate that the PDP that caused all the mess being cleared by the APC government is now providing shelter for officials of the EDSTMA.

He said, “We want to say that we have received the shelter without thanks to them because we know that the funds used in procuring those items are a fraction of our common patrimony which they plundered with reckless abandon. A dignifying act would be to bring back the looted billions so that the APC can fast-track the development of the state.”

November 14, 2017
PDP still stuck in primitive, archaic governance style – Obaseki’s aide

…says Edo has since moved on to Alaghodaro

The Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration is forward looking and has since moved on with result-oriented governance, backed by millions of discerning Edo people, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, to the Edo State Governor, Mr Crusoe Osagie, has said.

Mr Osagie who said this on Tuesday, explained that “unlike the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is still stuck in primitive, archaic and medieval governance style, the Obaseki-led APC government has since moved on to Alaghodaro.”

Alaghodaro which is a Benin word for progress was the thrust of the just-concluded investment summit which held from November 10-12, in Benin City and attracted global and local business leaders to the state.

Commenting on the PDP’s appraisal of the summit, which received commendations from the international community, the federal government and other state governments, Osagie said: “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) again demonstrated its lack of capacity to appreciate the new direction the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration is taking the state, with the opposition party’s consistent embarrassing comments on the well thought-out programmes of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

He noted that the very few people still left in the ragtag drowning PDP have shown that they are stuck with their medieval and archaic approach to governance, by attempting to tarnish the rising profile the state has earned with her lofty programmes, especially the Alaghodaro Investment Summit organised by the APC-led Edo State Government.

“We wish that the PDP remnant will follow their former members who have evolved from stomach-seeking politics, have come to terms with the new people-oriented governance and have found a place in the APC. It is not surprising that to see that the feeble PDP remnants cannot see the benefits of an investment summit that assembled over 5,000 business leaders from across the world in Edo State to discuss the opportunities that abound in our state.”

According to the governor’s spokesman, “these are companies that are investing billions of dollars in Edo State, including the chief executives of BUA Group whose $1billion 3million tonnes cement plant was inaugurated by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo recently in Okpella, Edo State, the President of Dangote Group, that is kicking off a $1 billion cement factory in Okpella, to expand its cement production in Nigeria, Mahindra Group that is collaborating with the Edo State Government to build the N200billion Benin Industrial Park and Tolaram Group to mention a few.”

He added that the PDP is wallowing in ignorance because “You cannot give what you do not have. The PDP clearly lacks the capacity to see the opportunities in the governor’s investment drive because of his profile as an investment banker. His dexterity is currently on display at the Edo Chemical and Fertiliser Company which was a drainpipe for the PDP to siphon state funds, but is now up and running and producing fertiliser to Edo farmers and Nigerians at large.”

He expressed sympathy with the PDP ignorance and said that “our governor is open to sharing his ideas and knowledge and is particularly willing to teach the remnant PDP members, what it takes to deliver measurable, concrete and verifiable investments from business trips, unlike their widely reported globetrotting that pauperised our people when they held sway.”

Osagie stressed that “It is rather unfortunate that the same PDP, which is the cause of all the mess that the APC government has been clearing in the past nine years in the state, is now begging the question by providing shelter for officials of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA).”

He further said “we have received the shelter without thanks to them because we know that the funds used in procuring those items are a fraction of our common patrimony which they plundered with reckless abandon. A dignifying act would be to bring back the looted billions so that the APC can fast-track the development of the state.

“The PDP has always been known to thrive through the misrepresentation of facts and the telling of outright lies. But Edo people are much more sophisticated than the PDP and know that their claims of the state’s indebtedness are all lies and should be discountenanced.”

November 14, 2017
Edo Sports Devt C’ttee proposes Sports Commission, Trust Fund Bills

The 11-man committee set up by the Edo State Government to revive sports in the state has submitted two proposed bills: The Edo Sports Commission Bill and the Sports Trust Fund Bill to Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Receiving the documents at Government House in Benin City, Obaseki commended the committee for doing a good job and assured that the bills when passed into law, would revitalise sports in the state.

He thanked the committee for their commitment to the terms of reference they were given, which led to the formulation of the sports document and promised that the bills would be sent to the State House of Assembly.

“Government is refreshing its sports outlook. That was why we set up this committee. You have advised us on what to do and have come up with a document that will regulate the sports industry, including how to improve on our current ranking in sports, funding and how to get stakeholders in the industry to join us in revamping the sector” he added.

“We assure you that we will act on the document and it will guide our sports architecture,” the governor said, noting that the job of the committee is not over as it has to come up with implementation strategies for the bill, when passed into law.

Obaseki stressed that it was time to transit from the old ways of managing sports so that it can be self-financing.

Earlier, the Chairman of the 11-man committee and Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, said the committee gave a broad view to the issues surrounding sports development in the state before it came up with the sports documents. Shaibu assured that the bills when passed into law, would move sports to the next level in the state.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Chairman of the 11-Man Committee on the Development of Edo State Sports Commission and Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu (left), presenting the Report of the Committee to the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, at the Government House in Benin City.

November 9, 2017
Edo Sports Devt C’ttee proposes Sports Commission, Trust Fund Bills

The 11-man committee set up by the Edo State Government to revive sports in the state has submitted two proposed bills: The Edo Sports Commission Bill and the Sports Trust Fund Bill to Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Receiving the documents at Government House in Benin City, Obaseki commended the committee for doing a good job and assured that the bills when passed into law, would revitalise sports in the state.

He thanked the committee for their commitment to the terms of reference they were given, which led to the formulation of the sports document and promised that the bills would be sent to the State House of Assembly.

“Government is refreshing its sports outlook. That was why we set up this committee. You have advised us on what to do and have come up with a document that will regulate the sports industry, including how to improve on our current ranking in sports, funding and how to get stakeholders in the industry to join us in revamping the sector” he added.

“We assure you that we will act on the document and it will guide our sports architecture,” the governor said, noting that the job of the committee is not over as it has to come up with implementation strategies for the bill, when passed into law.

Obaseki stressed that it was time to transit from the old ways of managing sports so that it can be self-financing.

Earlier, the Chairman of the 11-man committee and Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, said the committee gave a broad view to the issues surrounding sports development in the state before it came up with the sports documents.

Shaibu assured that the bills when passed into law, would move sports to the next level in the state.

November 9, 2017
ICCOBA lauds Obaseki’s policies on education

Immaculate Conception College, Benin, Old Boys Association (ICCOBA) Class of 1992, has hailed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s policies on education, noting that the focus on basic and technical education would assure solid foundation for future generations.

They made the remark during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of ICCOBA Class of ’92 themed: The Journey So Far and the Future, held in Benin City, the Edo State Capital.

Speaking at the occasion, ICCOBA National President, Engr. John Osa Omoregie said it was a delight to connect with classmates so many years after graduating from the prestigious College, urging that the ge-together be made an annual event.

Omoregie, who commended Governor Obaseki for his vision to revamp the education sector, noted that the focus on basic and technical education would transform schools in the state into models for other states to emulate, as a technically sound youth population is a catalyst for industrialisation.

He said the Old Boys of the school have embarked on several projects to give back to their alma matter to ensure that the college sustains its enviable high standards.

“The Old Boys have continued to embarked on projects to improve the standard of education at ICC. We have built 800 capacity Dinning Hall, erected streetlights,and equipped a language laboratory, among others. A lot of the projects are on-going on but for now we are concentrating on the ICCOBA House.”

The senior prefect ICCOBA class of ’92, Dr. Victor Evbuomwan thanked God for the opportunity to meet with classmates once again and commended the Governor Obaseki-led administration for the plan to revamp the education sector, adding, ” the governor’s plan to revamp education is very impressive. The ICCOBA Class of ’92 is ready to support him to ensure he succeeds because education is the bed rock of the society.

A member of class ’92, who is the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said he and his classmates have come this far because they received quality education at ICC.

“Obaseki is committed to sanitising the education system. He has actually started. All he needs is our support and prayers to succeed. He will surely return glory back to our school system,” he said.

November 6, 2017
No going back on Gelegele Seaport project – Edo govt

The Edo State Government has assured the people of the state that work on the Gelegele Seaport is in progress as there is sufficient economic justification for its development.

Speaking to journalists on the socio-economic gains of the planned seaport, Governor Godwin Obaseki explained that it would serve as an agro-processing zone and will be driven by the state government and the private sector.

Reacting to the rejection of a motion on the establishment of the seaport, sponsored by Honourable Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma in the House of Representatives, Obaseki said Gelegele seaport will serve as an export processing zone, and added that the appropriate agencies are already being consulted.

“For me, I don’t understand what was being attempted or what the issues are at the House of Representatives. We never designed a Port that requires such a motion to be moved on the floor of the National Assembly. I must add that we are ready to work with all organs of government to realise this project as it will impact greatly on the economy of the state and region,” the governor said.

He explained that the seaport will be located where there is enough gas that can be used to generate electricity and power industries.

“There is sufficient economic justification for the Gelegele port and we will raise funds from the private sector to develop the facility. We do not believe that the federal government will stop or discourage Edo State from building a Port that is economically viable,” he added.

Obaseki said the seaport is on course as his administration is talking to consultants who are currently working on the designs and conducting studies on water depth, the width of the river and the amount of dredging needed.

He assured Edo people that a lot is being done to make the project a reality within the shortest and realistic time possible.

October 31, 2017
Edo to partner VLISCO Group on Skills Acquisition programme

The Edo State Government has expressed readiness to partner with VLISCO Group to support skills acquisition programme for youths in the state, as part of efforts to tackle the scourge of human trafficking and slavery.

Governor Godwin Obaseki, said this while playing host to top management of VLISCO, led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Suddens, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State Capital on Monday.

Obaseki said the goal of his administration is to empower the youths by creating an environment that will attract businesses and employment opportunities.

“As a government, our plan is to first attract businesses to the state and ensure that they thrive by taking advantage of our strategic location as a logistics hub,” he said.

He lamented that with a population of about 4.5 million people, 60 percent under the age of 25, many of the youths want to travel abroad.

He explained that given “the strategic location of the state, the European Union (EU) and other international partners are asking us to come with proposals and are ready to support and help create industries and jobs for our young people to ensure they stay back and be gainfully employed.”

The governor said his administration will leverage on the comparative advantage of the strategic location of the state to attract investments, adding that “the advantage gives the state a market size of about 60 million people.”

Earlier, the CEO of VLISCO said his organisation is known for the production of Dutch wax, and assured that they are looking at opportunities to expand their business.

He said the company’s vision is to grow cotton in Nigeria and export the product to Holland. He added that his group intends to build a printing mill in Nigeria that will print for Nigerian consumers, using high digital printing technology.

October 30, 2017
3, 000 participants expected at Edo Alaghodaro Investment summit, says Obaseki

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said no fewer than 3,000 participants are expected to attend the two-day Edo 2017 Alaghodaro Investment Summit Scheduled to hold in November.

Obaseki disclosed this while inaugurating the Edo 2017 Alaghodaro Investment Summit, Local Organising Committee at the Government House in Benin on Wednesday.

He said participants would be drawn from local and international business leaders and investors, policy makers, bankers, industry experts as well as academia.

Obaseki said the summit, billed to hold between November 10 and 12, aside using the event to celebrate his administration’s one year in office would be held annually.

According to the governor, the event would be taking place annually to evaluate performance of his government and its aspirations.

“It is going to be an active collaboration between the state and private sector; because the essence of our government is to serve as an enabler for businesses to thrive,’’ he said.

The governor, who said financing of the summit would be sought through collaborations with the private sector, urged the committee to get donations from partners.

He also urged the committee to provide efficient logistics to ensure a successful summit.

The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, (LOC), Prof. Julius Ihnovbere, thanked the governor for the vision to host the summit, saying it would boost economic activities in the state.

Ihonbvere assured of the committee’s readiness to carry out the task given to it, judiciously and timely.

October 27, 2017