The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mr Godwin Obaseki

  • Hajj: Obaseki charges Edo Pilgrims to be good ambassadors

    Hajj: Obaseki charges Edo Pilgrims to be good ambassadors

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday charged the state delegation to the 2017 Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to be good ambassadors of the state.

    Obaseki who gave the charge during a visit to the 260 intending pilgrims at the Hajj Camp on Dumez Road, Benin City, said: “The exercise you are about to embark on is a holy one, and one of the pillars of the Islamic religion. Don’t joke with it. You are courageous, upright, honest citizens of the state and I know you will demonstrate all these qualities in the ‘Holy Land’.”

    He maintained that he was ready to partner with people that gather in the name of God because of what God has done in his life and added that his presence at the Hajj Camp was to make sure the pilgrims were comfortable and bid them farewell to the ‘Holy Land’.

    Obaseki however disclosed that the late inauguration of the State Muslim Welfare Board was due to the efforts of some people to politicise the selection of the members.

    He stressed that “the work of God is not about politics, as every politician wants to be on the State Muslim Welfare Board. I wonder if the board is for politics or the work of God. If Allah calls you to serve him, serve him with a true heart and a sincere mind, not to manipulate a religious process. The interference in the process delayed the setting up of the Board.” he concluded.

    The Chairman of the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Oyarekhua, said the governor’s visit to the intending pilgrims at the Hajj Camp ahead of their departure, was the first of its kind and a demonstration of the governor’s humility.

    He appealed to the governor to provide the board with an official vehicle and a befitting Hajj Camp at the board’s office in the state capital.

  • Edo Speaker’s impeachment: Lawmakers rejects Obaseki’s plea

    Edo Speaker’s impeachment: Lawmakers rejects Obaseki’s plea

    Efforts by Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to placate lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly to rescind their decision to remove Hon Justin Okonoboh as Speaker was said to have failed.

    Governor Obaseki and the leadership of the All Progressive Congress in the state met with the lawmakers shortly after the removal of Okonoboh at the state secretariat of the party.

    The meeting was held behind closed doors for more than three hours.

    Deputy Governor of the state, Hon Philip Shaibu and all the APC lawmakers attended the meeting.

    Sources at the meeting said the lawmakers refused to listen to pleas to return to status quo by maintaining that the leadership of the Assembly was at their discretion.

    Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, State Chairman of the party, Barr. Anselm Ojezua said the party has intervened in the matter.

    Ojezua noted that there was evidence of disagreement but that all the warring parties were on talking terms.

    He said the party would schedule another meeting with the lawmakers after which the party would release a statement on the matter.

    The APC chairman was however silent on whether the lawmakers agreed to return to status quo.

    The impeached Speaker said he abide by the party’s decision.

  • Obaseki, APC leaders meet warring Edo lawmakers

    Obaseki, APC leaders meet warring Edo lawmakers

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki is currently at a meeting with lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly at the state secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Also at the meeting are the Deputy Governor, Hon Philip Shaibu and some leaders of the APC in the state.

    The meeting is not unconnected with the removal of Hon Justin Okonoboh as Speaker of the Assembly.

    As at press time, the meeting was still going on.

  • Obaseki inspects state media outfits, to revamp EBS, Observer

    Obaseki inspects state media outfits, to revamp EBS, Observer

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Monday paid an unscheduled inspection visit to the state radio and television stations, Edo Broadcasting Service and the Nigerian Observer, publishers of the Observer newspaper titles and hinted that the media outfits would be overhauled for optimal performance.

    Speaking after inspecting the facilities at the Edo Broadcasting Service in Benin City, Obaseki said his administration has resolved to leverage on digital technology so that the media outfit can compete favourably with similar enterprises across the country.

    “Clearly, we need to upgrade the technology of this media outfit to conform to the requirements of the digital era. We also need to upgrade the premises and the quality of people working here,” the governor said.

    He explained that the radio and television stations did very well in ages preceding the digital era, but stressed that the digital age demands continuous scaling up to meet present day quality of service delivery.

    Obaseki who was taken round by the Assistant General Manager (AGM) Engineering, Mrs. Ameze Osagie, assured that his administration would reclaim the portion of EBS land taken over by private developers to ensure there is enough land space for effective operation of the media outfit.

    “We have laws in place, for those who have taken government land around this area, we need to recover the land to enable us carry out the overhaul we are planning for the outfit,” he added.

    A similar feeling of disappointment was expressed by the governor at the facilities of the Nigerian Observer, publishers of the Observer titles established by the late Brig.General Samuel Ogbemudia (rtd.) fifty years ago.

    Obaseki said he was in consultation with media experts to come up with a clear roadmap on what to do with the newspaper company.

    “I don’t know what we will end up doing with this organization right now because by the time it was set up in 1968, it served the need of that time. Today the media world has changed, technology has changed the operations of newspaper houses. This was a front line technology 50 years ago. But 50 years after, we should look at where the world is today,” he added.

     

  • Lack of funds: DMO stops states from borrowing

    Lack of funds: DMO stops states from borrowing

    The old practice where States had easy access to borrowing from either foreign or local borrowing windows has now been halted.

    The new Director –General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha made this disclosure yesterday in Abuja when the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki visited to congratulate her on her recent appointment as the new Director General of the DMO.

    Oniha said the decision was taken because there was no longer huge allocation to states at the end of monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meetings “from where borrowed funds could be deducted, hence continuous exposure to new lines of borrowings may no longer be sustainable.”

    As a result, the component units of the Nigerian Federation have been advised to henceforth imbibe frugality and a new strategic way of fiscal plans and implementation

    Oniha lamented that it was unfortunate that oil mineral resources has continued to be the dominant contributor to the Federation Account.

    She however advising that States should “deploy new strategic thinking on how to address the financing of their already bloated debt stocks as well as how to generate funds to execute their plans aside from borrowings.”

    According to Oniha, “previously, we could rely on funds from FAAC and in addition to that we could borrow both at the Federal and at the State levels because there wasn’t a challenge. But I think the times have changed. Revenues are under severe pressures, we are still dependent on oil revenues, non-oil revenues are picking up, but that is still a journey.”

    She noted that what this “means  now, and in future, is that we need to do things so much differently, we must be more strategic in the management of public finance so the language I always use in my previous work where I was at the Efficiency Unit is that it’s no longer business as usual.”

    Oniha warned that “we can’t collect money from FAAC, borrow, continue and wait until the next month. So at various levels, we need to be more strategic and more creative in the things that we do.”

    At the Federal level Oniha said the federal government has “initiated several measures to increase non-oil revenue and control cost.”

    The DMO boss stated that “the law recognizes the States for being responsible for fiscal laws relating to the States, but we decided to partner with them in the belief that Nigeria is one project, hence we should not be looking at the center, we should be looking at the various tiers of governments.”

    As a result of the federal government’s big brother role, Oniha said the “what we did in that regards was to work with the various tiers of the states to have enabling laws , create their own debt managements and then help them work with them through training and other activities to create their own domestic debt data.”

    Regarding the states’ compliance to generating debt data, the DMO boss said “we have major challenges. At the DMO, we have done a lot with the states in terms of assisting in developing their debt data, passing debt laws leading to the establishment of Debt bureaux and so on. As we speak, we have a good understanding of the debt portfolios at the sub- national levels.”

     

     

  • Obaseki swears-in Commissioners designate Thursday

    Obaseki swears-in Commissioners designate Thursday

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, will Thursday swear-in commissioners’ nominees who were last week cleared by the House of Assembly.

    A press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. John Mayaki, said the swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Old Exco Chambers, Government House, by 1pm.

    Those to be sworn-in as Commissioners are Mr. Yekini Idaiye, (Akoko-Edo), Mr Jimoh Ijegbai, (Owan East), Ohionbamu Paul (Egor), Emmanuel Usoh, (Esan North-East), Yinka Omoreigbe, (Oredo), Joseph Ughioke, (Etsako Central), Christopher Adesotu (Ovia Southwest), and Osaze Osemwegie-Ero (Orhionmwon)

    Others are: John Inegbedion (Igueben), Monday Osaigbovo (Ovia North-East), Reginald Okun (Owan West), David Osifo (Uhunmwode), Mariam Abubakar (Etsako West), Mika Amonokha (Etsako East).

    Also on the list are: Amiolemen Osahon (Esan West), Magdalene Ohenhen (Esan South East), Barrister E. Agbale, (Esan Central) and Erimnona Edoriodion (Ikpoba-Okha).

    It was gathered that due to Governor Obaseki commitment to work, the commissioners designate were advised against attending the ceremony with large crowd of supporters.

    But Mayaki told our reporter that the state government did not issue any directive as to who to attend.

     

  • Obaseki threatens to use council fund for road repairs

    Obaseki threatens to use council fund for road repairs

     

     

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has threatened to use part of the monthly allocation for Owan East local government to effect repairs on the failed section of the Ihievbe-Afuze.

    A large portion of the road has caved into a gully due to the blocked drainage.

    Governor Obaseki issued the threat when he paid an unscheduled visit to the secretariat of Owan East after he inspected the failed section and discovered that the council officials failed to clear the drainage when it was blocked.

    He was also peeved that the council officials did not put any sign on the road to warn motorists about the death trap ahead.

    When Obaseki entered the secretariat, the council officials at duty began making phone calls to alert senior officials of the governor’s presence but the senior officials were not at their duty post.

    “Is this how you work?” Obaseki fired at the council’s Public Relation Officer, Mr. Edikpe Samson, who came out to welcome the Governor.

    Obaseki continued, “You Just come to work when you want. You failed to clear the drains and caused that problem on the road.

    “We are going to use your funds to clear the drainage. We will use your fund to fix the problem.”

    The PRO attempted to explain that the volume of water caused the road to collapse but the Governor interjected saying the drainages were blocked.

    “Go there and clear up the drains. There is no barriers on the road to warn motorists. Go and put a concrete barrier there on the road today.”

    Obaseki however urged members of the community to always protect government assets in their domain.

     

  • Killer herdsmen in Edo are fleeing terrorists – Obaseki

    Killer herdsmen in Edo are fleeing terrorists – Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that suspected herdsmen raping and killing women in the state were terrorists that fled from fighting in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.

    Two elderly women identified as Christiana and Matina were last week raped and killed at their various farms by the suspected herdsmen in Ewu community, Esan Central local government.

    Earlier in March this year, traditional ruler of Ekperi, HRH Deke Yakubu Kanoba, the Ijiegbai of Ekperi, raised alarm that his subjects may not go to farm this farming season over presence of suspected runaway book haram members at a forest in his locality.

    The Ijiegbai of Ekperi who spoke at meeting of Eminent Persons Forum with the State Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu said that the men at the forest were armed with AK47 riffles.

    Governor Obaseki who spoke Thursday when he visited families of the slain women described the incident as a national security threat.

    Obaseki told the people that the killers were not ordinary herdsmen but Boko Haram fighters who fled from the war in the North East.

    He assured the people that his administration would deal with the menace within the next few weeks as he has ordered security to be beefed up in the area from the boundaries of Kogi State.

    His words, “These are not just herdsmen, they are Boko Haram terrorists but we are working hard to put an end to this.

    “In a matter of weeks, we are coming out with certain measures to stop these attacks. We will rely on timely accurate information from all communities. I am going to see the Inspector General of Police on this matter.

    “Don’t be scared of going to your farms. We have stepped up security in this area from Kogi State.”

    Governor Obaseki who promised to ensure autopsy are conducted on the corpses also visited Ehimen Abuya, one of the villagers at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, who was allegedly shot at by soldiers during a protest against the killing of the two women.

    Ehimen, whose leg would soon be amputated, told the governor they were on a peaceful protest against the herdsmen attack when they were shot at by soldiers.

    Obaseki promised to pay the medical bills, provide artificial lower limb and give adequate assistance to integrate him back to the society.

    Spokesman for the community, Sydney Ikhajiagba, said members of the community were now living with fear and that the women were now scared of going to farms.

    “When we got to the farm, we saw her naked and worms coming out of her mouth. She was dragged to the place where she was raped and killed. It was a pathetic sight. Such a thing has never happened in Ewu town.”

     

  • Obaseki shuts down Edo Line

    Obaseki shuts down Edo Line

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has shut down state-owned transport outfit, Edo line, indefinitely and directed that its staff be relocated to the Edo State Ministry of Transport.

    The governor gave this directive in Benin as he paid an on-the-spot assessment of Edo line to ascertain the state of the transport company, which had allegedly been systematically collapsing for several years.

    During the assessment, Governor Obaseki discovered some buses in disrepair with major departments, including the mechanic unit, the courier section and the staff office, among others, are out of kilter.

    The governor, accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, and other top officials, lamented the condition of the state-owned transport company.

    He said: “We will shut down this place, clean it up, and decide on how to liquidate the debt and plan how to use the premises for other ventures”.

    Noting that company’s debt was about N1.5bn, he said: “This is a typical waste. Can you see how many vehicles are around? We have been paying people up to four years without doing any work. The company has a huge amount of debt and as a government, we cannot continue in this situation.  What we are doing is that we are absorbing the staff”.

    The company, which last operated on May 2015, had workforce that was 186-people strong with its headquarters located at James Watt Road, Off Mission road, Benin City and other outlets in Lagos, Abuja, as well as other parts of the country.

  • Obaseki threatens to sack non-performing Governing Councils

    Obaseki threatens to sack non-performing Governing Councils

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has threatened to sack any Governing Councils of the state owned tertiary institutions that failed to perform.

    Obaseki said any Council that could not meet simple obligations of salary payment would be removed and replaced.

    Obaseki stated this when he played host to executives of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Edo Polytechnic chapter.

    Governor Obaseki who assured them that his administration would pay the 10-month salary arrears owed them promised to enforce prompt salary payment in the institution.

    He promised to set up a committee to identify the cause of the institution problems and find ways to solve them

    “Most of the challenges faced by the Institution are not new to this administration. We have reflected on the issues and the position of this administration is to depart from the old ways of trading blames or doing things. Instead, we’ll work to ensure that things are done differently to take us away from the past.

    “We will have an agreement with you on the structure and modalities the school will be operating with, and also take a critical look at the masterplan of the school to get the commitment of both the students and staff of the institution and ensure the progress of the School. Any Council that cannot meet the obligation of payment of staff salaries will be removed and replaced. I want to assure you that your issue will be resolved this month, after which I will hold you responsible for any problems that surface in the institution again”.

    Spokesman of the institution ASUP, Mr. Edobor Sunday, drew the governor’s attention to issues, including promotion of staff, none payment of workers’ salaries spanning 10 months and the need to increase subvention to the school to help accredit some of its courses.

    Edobor added non-payment of promotion arrears, and the appointment of a substantive rector for the Institution amongst others problems facing the institution.