Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has approved the appointment of six permanent secretaries.
A statement by the Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Gladys Idahor, named the six as Mrs. Oboh Akongie Usiriedo, Mrs. Imasuen S. I, Ms. Enakhimion D. O., Enabulele Ferguson, Mr. Oigboke B. O., and Mr. Ogbebor R. O.
…Negligence, Illegal siphoning caused Ugbor gas explosion in Edo – Panel
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that a white paper on the report of the Investigative Panel on the youths/police clash in upper Igun Area, in Benin City, will be issued in 30 days’ time.
Obaseki disclosed this when he received report of the panel led by Retired Justice Joseph Olubor, at the Government House in Benin City, Edo State.
He said, “Within the next 30 days, we will go through the report and issue a white paper on the issue. We are committed to the well-being and safety of our people. We will get to the bottom of this report and take the necessary action to ensure justice is done in the matter. I assure you that this report will not be left in the shelf.”
Obaseki added, “Sometimes, it is not easy to get to the truth of issues of this magnitude, but we have no choice but to select credible and intelligent people to help us get the truth out.”
Chairman of the panel, retired President of Customary Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Joseph Olubor, said, “26 witnesses appeared before the panel to give evidence on the incident. The numbers reveal how members of the public are ready to assist the panel in its work to get the truth of what happened on that day.”
Meanwhile, the Investigative Panel on Ugbor Gas explosion has revealed that the incident was caused by negligence and illegal siphoning of gas at the gas station.
Chairman, Administrative Panel of Inquiry on the Incident of Gas Explosion at Ugbor, Justice Peter Isibor, made the revelation when the panel submitted its report to Governor Obaseki, at the Government House in Benin City.
Justice Isibor said, “Findings of the panel revealed that the three victims who died due to the gas explosion were staff of the gas station whose proprietor is one Mr. Idemudia Osagie, while a trainee with the station was admitted for 23-degree burns.”
“The panel also gathered that the three staff members who died from the explosion did not heed to the station manager’s instruction not to tamper with the gas installation within the premises. They went ahead to siphon gas from the plant for their personal use. The explosion was triggered when a generator set was switched on to enable them siphon the gas,” he said.
Isibor said the gas plant was illegally set up, as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) revealed that the station has no permission and licence to operate. At the time of the explosion, the station lacked water hydrant and gas detector as precautionary measures.”
Governor Obaseki said the report will be passed on to the Secretary to the State Government to develop policies that will regulate the activities of gas stations in the state and prevent similar occurrence in the future.
NIGERIA Medical Association (NMA) in Edo State has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of not insincerity.
It said his response to its threat to withdraw clinical services from hospitals after expiration of the 21-day ultimatum was laughable.
The NMA, last week, gave Obaseki a 21-day ultimatum to meet its demand or face indefinite strike.
But the governor described NMA’s demand as unrealistic.
State NMA Chairman Dr. Osaigbovo Emmanuel said in a statement yesterday that Governor Obaseki’s response was one of threat and intimidation.
He said the government refused to open a line of communication with the association since the ultimatum.
Osaigbovo said the government would have sought solution to issues raised by the NMA, instead of ‘resorting to cheap blackmail and threats.’
The statement said: “What is unrealistic in asking that the government should employ more doctors to man the 34 health facilities so that our people can get better care? What is unrealistic in asking for better facilities in hospitals to enable health personnel make better evaluation, diagnosis and management of patients?
“The plan by the government to employ private doctors when we withdraw our services is laughable, as the doctors will probably have to come with their personal x-ray units, theatres, decent consulting rooms, drugs, laboratory equipment or maybe build new hospitals because these things are lacking in Edo State.
“Even the best of trained hands will be handicapped in the discharge of their duties in Edo State due to lack of working materials and equipment.
“The private doctors to be employed by the government will have to be doctors from Uganda, Togo or Lesotho or maybe India who will perform operations with candle or torchlights and who will work for days and weeks without rest because there is inadequate manpower.
“The Edo State NMA appeals to well-meaning people, including our revered traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organiastions to intervene.
“The 21-day ultimatum has started counting and the government has less than two weeks to address the issues or face the painful option of a prolonged, total and indefinite strike by doctors.”
A five-year cancer patient, Freeman Okoro, has received a lifeline treatment from Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Freeman and his mother, Mary were were among those injured in an accident involving the convoy of Governor Obaseki in front the University of Benin Teaching.
The accident occurred after Governor Obaseki press crew bus had a break failure and damaged three other vehicles.
Some journalists and three other persons were injured in the accident.
The journalists have been treated and discharged.
Freeman just ended a chemotherapy session at the UBTH when the accident occurred.
On learning about the condition of Freeman, Governor Obaseki visited them at the hospital and pledged to henceforth take responsibility for the cancer treatment.
Obaseki also paid the medical bills of Freeman’s cousin, who was ‘detained’ at the hospital over his inability to pay for his treatment.
Governor Obaseki said, “I came to see the condition of the victims of the accident myself. Just as we have promised on the day of the accident when the victims were admitted. The state government has taken full responsibility of their medical bills.
“We will also make sure we follow up with the full recovery of those who are still being treated for injuries from the accident.”
Consultant General and Coordinator, Accident and Emergency Department, UBTH, Dr. Nnadi Nwashile, said six persons in the bus were treated and discharged on the day of the accident.
He added, “The two patients in the hospital are Mrs. Mary Okoro and her son, Freeman Okoro, who are being treated. Mrs. Okoro sustained a fracture on her upper arm and is being attended to by an Orthopaedic doctor. The son will be discharged soon.”
Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki has told the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) that ‘hasty and tokenistic efforts cannot produce the high standard of health care he envisioned for Edo people.’
Obaseki was reacting to the 21-day ultimatum issued by the NMA for him to fix the health sector or face indefinite strike.
The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said he was adopting a holistic approach in reforming the health sector in the state.
He said plans had been made and partners were being sourced, and in good time, the results would manifest.
Three persons were on Wednesday evening injured in an accident involving the convoy of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The accident happened along the Benin-Lagos express road in front of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
It was gathered that the accident occurred over break failure of the bus carrying the press crew of Governor Obaseki.
Three vehicles including the bus conveying journalists were badly damaged.
A source at the scene said the bus had to ram into the cars before it could be stopped.
Government House sources said some journalists injured in the accident have been taken to the hospital for treatment.
Reacting to the incident, Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, confirmed the accident but said no lives were lost.
According to Crusoe, “A bus assigned to the Press Unit of the Edo State Government House was involved in an accident on its way from an official assignment, today, Wednesday, March 14, 2018.
“A number of people in the bus and three other vehicles that were involved in the accident, including a medical doctor and a mother and child, sustained varied degrees of injuries, and are currently receiving treatments at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
“An official of the state government has been sent to the hospital to ascertain the degree of injuries sustained by the victims and we are also in touch with the doctors managing the victims, who are in stable condition.
“We have undertaken to pay the medical bills of all the victims. No life was lost.”
Meanwhile, policemen attached to Edo Government House used tear gas to chase students of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi who were protesting continued closure of the institution.
Governor Obaseki had last year closed the institution to remodel it to meet modern challenges.
The students had blocked the entrance gate preventing vehicles from going or leaving the government house.
SUG President of the institution, Comrade Imakpo Kenneth, said the protest was to make the governor listen to their plight
He said, “Governor Obaseki came to Obaseki and promised us that within three months, he will revamp our school. It was a mistake for us to believe him.
“He said he will place students on industrial training and pay some stipend at the end of the month but nobody was sent on industrial attachment.
“They came up with biometrics saying if we do not do, we will have problems with payment. We have protested twice and written several letters but they did not listen to him.
“We came here today to tell them to either kill us or do something about our school and send us on IT.
“All they could do was to give orders for security to shoot at us. They fired tear gas at us and I cannot even find many of my students. I wonder why they will shoot tear gas in government house. We voted them into office. It is a failure on the part of government to shoot at us.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned farmers in Edo State participating in its Anchor Borrowers Scheme not to side-sell their farm produce or divert farm input.
Also, Governor Godwin Obaseki has assured farmers that they will become millionaires under the scheme.
Head, Deputy Finance Officer of CBN, Mr. Agbo Benedict, who spoke at a townhall meeting for 240 farmers in Ekpoma and Irrua in Edo Central, said any farmer caught would be prosecuted and barred from participating in any of its programmes.
The farmers are to cultivate 1200 hectares at the old Ekpoma and Usugbenu farm settlements already cleared by the government for cultivation of maize.
Agbo urged the farmers to abide by the Memorandum of Understanding they signed and not be tempted to sell produce to persons other than registered off-takers.
Agbo noted that the previous ways of giving loans to farmers brought conflict, leading to the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
He noted that the CBN is providing farmers with low cost credit to enable them access high quality seedlings.
Special Adviser on Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security Programme to Governor Obaseki, Prince Joe Okojie, said the governor would make farmers in the state millionaires.
Okojie said the state would arrest and prosecute farmers, who violate conditions and agreement in the scheme.
Okojie said participating farmers will make over a million naira each after a planting season if farms were well cared for.
He said: “We are serious about this programme and we want it to succeed. We will not tolerate side-selling or diversion of input, such as fertilisers and seedlings. The money is a loan to be paid back. Supervise your farms and ensure good productivity.
“We are trying to make sure that there is a paradigm shift from the way we used to carry out our agricultural practice through the introduction of modern ways of farming.
“Before you start farming, we will bring off-takers that will off-take whatever it is that you are going to produce which is usually the prevailing market rate so at the time of harvest, they will come for whatever you have produced”.
Farmers at the event expressed optimism that the programme will be successful.
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said the jobs he will surpass the 200,000 jobs he promised during the campaign.
He said they would be sustainable, as many beneficiaries would become employers.
Obaseki spoke yesterday in Benin City at the launch of a partnership with organisations to train youths in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), small scale businesses, vehicle repairs, among others.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Skills Development and Job Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, the governor said his administration created 37,000 jobs through the EdoJobs Initiative.
He said 650 graduates were last year trained and connected to jobs through the initiative, while others were trained in skill acquisition.
Obaseki said the focus of his administration was not to create jobs through the public sector, but to help people see opportunities in other sectors.
He said: “Skill Development Programme (SDP), popularly called EDOJOBS, does a lot of work behind the scene to grow a large network of employable indigenes and residents through employability training, after which they are matched with reputable employers of labour requiring their skills. We also work on supporting aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with start-up packs where necessary, to grow successful businesses, thus creating new vacancies.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, said on Thursday he would surpass the 200,000 jobs he promised during the electioneering campaigns.
The governor said the jobs would be sustainable as many of the beneficiaries would become employers of labour.
He spoke in Benin City at the launch of a partnership with several organizations training youths on Information and Communication Technology, small scale businesses and vehicle repairs amongst others.
Obaseki, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Skills Development and Job Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said his administration has created 37,000 jobs through the EdoJobs initiative.
He disclosed that 650 graduates were last year trained on employability and connected to job opportunities through the initiative while others were trained on various skills acquisition.
He said the focus of his administration was not to create jobs through the public sector but to help people see opportunities in other sectors and make them skilled enough for employment in private organizations.