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  • Obaseki’s wife comforts childless women

    Obaseki’s wife comforts childless women

    Edo State First Lady, Betsy Obaseki,  yesterday encouraged childless women to view themselves as fruitful, full of potential and proud mothers of children who would arrive in God’s time.

    Obaseki, accompanied by Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, shared these comforting words yesterday during a Zoom meeting with Edo women in the diaspora.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that her comment was in response to a viral video featuring Sen. Adams Oshiomhole’s remarks about her being childless.

    Obaseki, while addressing more than 200 women, who joined the meeting from various countries, reminded them that everyone was created by God for a purpose.

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    “My words of comfort to you, like myself, who have conceived and experienced miscarriages, painful stillbirths, and evacuations of babies, who died in our wombs and as a result, have no children to show for the pain we have endured.

    “You are not barren. I dare to call you fruitful.

    “You and I are potential and proud mothers of children that will come in God’s time. Enjoy the life God has given you.

    “Take your mind off your challenge, and before you know it, children will start coming,” she said.

    Obaseki highlighted that her contributions to society have gone beyond the biological aspect of motherhood.

    “Being fruitful is not limited to childbearing. It is about impacting lives and creating positive change in society.

    “There is no point in feeling bad. Women can fulfill God’s purpose in many ways beyond motherhood,” she added.

    Obaseki also shared a message of encouragement for women who, like herself, have faced the pain of miscarriages and stillbirths, urging them not to feel discouraged or defined by their losses.

    On her part, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo thanked the women for attending the meeting and promised to continue all of Betsy Obaseki’s programmes for women and the girl child in Edo if her husband was elected.

  • Why Akoko Edo is special to me, by Obaseki

    Why Akoko Edo is special to me, by Obaseki

    Ighodalo: we will develop Akoko-Edo mineral resources for good

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday stormed Akoko-Edo in continuation of his campaign for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the September 21 governorship election.

     Obaseki, who was accompanied by the party’s flag bearer for the election, Dr Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, and other top party chieftains, was received by an enthusiastic mammoth crowd at the Igarra Open Field in the oldest local government in the country.

     The governor commended the people for always supporting the PDP. He said Akoko-Edo has suffered marginalization all this while and that he has resolved to change the narrative by ensuring that the area gets the required attention when it comes to developmental projects.

     Governor Obaseki said it is because he is determined to ensure equity and fairness and ensure Akoko-Edo gets what she deserves that he gave the local government juicy positions, and laid the foundation of a polytechnic in the area. After all, they are brilliant people, he added.

    He praised the people of the local government for producing people with intellectual capacity. He said government is a continuous process and there is a need to ensure capable hands, people with the capacity, competence and those with empathy lead the people. He said that is why he brought Ighodalo and Ogie to further the development in Edo State.

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     Obaseki said Akoko-Edo is blessed with mineral resources and the government has made all plans to secure licenses for mining, and Asue Ighodalo will bring investors to the area.

     Deputy Governor, Godwins Omobayo, an indigene of the area, thanked the governor for giving Akoko-Edo juicy positions, saying he is the only governor that has done that for the people of Akoko-Edo.

     He also commended the governor for bringing a polytechnic to Akoko-Edo and other appointments. He debunked the idea that a group in Akoko Edo has endorsed the APC candidate.

     He said that’s not the voice of the people of Akoko-Edo but a group made up of hungry people who want money. He said Obaseki and PDP have done well for the people of Akoko-Edo and the only thing the people of Akoko-Edo can do is to use their votes to say thank you. He charged the people to come out en masse and vote for the umbrella on September 21 and never be afraid or intimidated.

     The council chairman, Tajudeen Alade Suleiman also praised Governor Obaseki for all he has done for Akoko-Edo. He also poured encomium on the PDP candidate, Ighodalo.

     A chieftain of the PDP in Akoko-Edo, Tunde Akogun said he retired from politics but came back because of the good works of Obaseki and for remembering the people of Akoko-Edo and the quality of the PDP candidate in the governorship race.

     He said the APC candidate is a man who is just being spoon-fed by Adams Oshiomhole and other leaders. He said Oshiomole is a baby nurse to Okpebholo and that the PDP governorship candidate is never like that.

     He assured the PDP candidate that Akoko-Edo was locked down for him. Addressing the crowd, Ighodalo began by thanking them for the huge turnout to receive them, noting that Akoko-Edo is the oldest local government in the state. He promised to revamp tourism, agriculture in cashew production and others.

    He was particular about the mineral resources in the area, saying he would ensure the local government becomes prosperous and the destination for wealth because of the mineral deposits in the area.

  • Obaseki to present Staff of Office to Otuo monarch Sept. 6 amidst fanfare

    Obaseki to present Staff of Office to Otuo monarch Sept. 6 amidst fanfare

    Royal trumpets have began to sound in Otuo Kingdom signalling the completion of arrangements for the coronation and presentation of Staff of Office to His Royal Highness, Godfrey Aigbogun Alabi, the Uzoyare II of Otuo Kingdom by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Friday, September 6, 2024.

    The National President of Otuo Union and Chairman Coronation Planning Committee, Mr. Charles Ojeabuo stated this yesterday while briefing journalists on activities lined up for the event.

    He said, “We are prepared and eagerly waiting to witness the official coronation and presentation of Staff of Office to His Royal Highness, Godfrey A. Alabi, the Uzoyare II of Otuo Kingdom by Governor Godwin Obaseki on September 6, 2024.”The royal event is very unique because it is the first time a traditional ruler of the kingdom will be getting staff of office from government in an elaborate celebrations, “observed Ojeabuo.

    He explained that the ascension of His Royal Highness, Godfrey A Alabi, the Uzoyare II of Otuo to the throne of his forefathers has been seamless and smooth with overwhelming support of all stakeholders and elders from the 12 quarters of Otuo land without contestation or crisis.

    He said, “It is also important to point out the fact that the selection process of the Ovie of Otuo was done and gazetted within three months which is another unique aspect of this historic coronation of our royal father, HRH Godfrey A. Alabi.”

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    The Otuo Union President described the monarch as a highly exposed, educated and accomplished civil servant who retired as a director of finance in local government administration, adding that, “he is going to add value to the traditional rulership and development of Otuo Kingdom.”

    While appreciating the support, cooperation and contribution of all communities, sons and daughters of Otuo at home and abroad towards the success of the coronation ceremony, the chairman urged the natives to extend their usual hospitality which the kingdom is known for, to visitors during and after the royal event.

    Already, eminent sons and daughters of Otuo kingdom have expressed their intentions to be home to witness this grand ceremony. Arrangements are in top gear in several of the social clubs and societies in the town to make the event a memorable one.

  • Obaseki: collect your PVCs, vote against APC

    Obaseki: collect your PVCs, vote against APC

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has urged eligible voters in the state to go to the designated centres across Edo to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and come out en masse on September 21, 2024 to vote against the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the representative of Edo Central Senatorial District.

    Obaseki, who urged Edo voters to use their votes to protest against the APC government, blamed the opposition party in the state for economic hardship the country faces.

    Obaseki made the call when he attended the meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at his Ward 4, Benin in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo.

    Read Also: Obaseki: Edo masterplan not a political document

    He expressed confidence that the PDP’s standard bearer, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer, would come out victorious in the election, despite his being accused of not being a homeboy, and unable to speak his Esan language, not minding his claim of growing up in his Ewohimi village in Edo Central Senatorial District. Edo governor stated that his government’s self-acclaimed outstanding performance across all sectors of the state’s economy in the last eight years would earn the PDP victory in the governorship poll.

    “This election will not be difficult, because you have campaigned enough. It is not my election, because when I did my own election, things were not as bad and difficult as they are today.

    “When our people wanted to protest, we pleaded with them not to do so, because some bad people planned to use the opportunity of the protest to destroy the government’s infrastructure. This election shall be our protest. We shall use the election to tell them that APC as a party is forbidden in Edo State.”

  • Obaseki: Edo masterplan not a political document

    Obaseki: Edo masterplan not a political document

    Edo State’s Governor Godwin Obaseki has indicated that his administration rolled out a master plan to guide succeeding administrations to chart continuous growth and development for the state.

    Speaking at a ceremony in Benin City yesterday, to mark the 33rd anniversary of the creation of Edo State, the governor said the Edo State Regional Development Plan was not a political document, but a guide to succeeding administrations to chart the continuous development and growth of the state.

    At the anniversary, which was tagged, “Education: Our Children, Our Treasure”, Obaseki said: “The masterplan is aimed to help us ensure continuity. It is a document that will help every politician that comes to power in the state. It will guide them, depending on the options or policies they want to take or make.

    “The document is not for today, but for the future. It will assist, and let our young ones know what the future holds for them. At 33 years old, Edo is a young state, and looking at Edo State in 30 years, the state will surely be great.

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    “The document is a living document, and subject to review every five years. What we have given to you will continually be improved upon. The wealth of any nation, state or community is not in its mineral or natural resources, but in its people.”

    The governor also stated that the master plan was not just a document that some consultants produced for his administration, but the document was about Edo people and what the government wanted Edo to be in different aspects of life.

    He reiterated that his administration started the reform process with painful policy steps, and would never allow Edo to continue the way it was in 2016.

    Edo Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Oviawe, expressed delight in carrying along the education sector into the Edo master plan.

  • Obaseki’s wife launches PDP women’s campaign

    Obaseki’s wife launches PDP women’s campaign

    The First Lady of Edo State, Dr. Betsy Obaseki, has launched the women’s campaign of the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo, for the September 21 governorship election.

    The campaign commenced at Uromi in Edo Central Senatorial District, where women leaders from Esan Northeast and Esan Southeast LGAs gathered to meet with Mrs. Obaseki, the wife of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is also the Chairperson of the PDP Women Campaign Council.

    Mrs Obaseki expressed gratitude for the women’s support during the September 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo, while acknowledging the women’s crucial roles in securing her husband’s second term.

    She said: “You stood firm in 2020, ensuring Governor Obaseki’s re-election, especially during challenging times. I am here to thank you, on behalf of the Edo Governor and myself.”

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    Mrs. Ifeyinwa Asue-Ighodalo promised to build on the current administration’s legacies and efforts, with a focus on women’s involvement in agriculture.

    Ighodalo’s wife said: “If elected, I would continue the work that has already been started, especially in empowering women in agriculture.

    “We aim to make Edo State a leader in women’s agricultural participation.”

    The event also featured remarks from local leaders, who praised Mrs. Obaseki’s efforts, especially for empowering women, including having a female Deputy Speaker of Edo House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Maria Edekor, a lawyer.

  • Appeal Court voids judgment faulting Edo PDP governorship primary

    Appeal Court voids judgment faulting Edo PDP governorship primary

    The court of appeal in Abuja has set aside the judgment of a federal high court which faulted the conduct of the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo.

    The poll produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate for the Sept.  21 election.

    A three-member panel of the appellate court, set aside the judgement of Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered on the July 4,  on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.

    In a unanimous decision, delivered by Justice Musali , in the appeal marked
    CA/ABJ/CV/763/24 , the court held that it cannot interfere with how the PDP select it’s candidate for the Sept. 21 governorship election in Edo .

    Besides, the  appellate court held that those who instituted the suit lacked the necessary legal standing to do so.

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    The apeal court ruled that the Federal High Court cannot interfere with how the PDP selected its candidate for the Sept. 21 governorship election in Edo.

    The court held further, that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to have approached the trial court since they were not aspirants who participated in the primary poll.

    “The lower court has no jurisdiction to interfere with how the PDP conducts its internal affairs.

    ” The appeal succeeds. The judgment of the federal high court delivered on July 4, 2024 is set aside for lack of jurisdiction,” the court held.

    Some aggrieved members of the party Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa and Ederaho Osagie had challenged the exercise and sued for themselves and on behalf of the 378 other delegates in 12 LGAs and 127 wards on the outcome of the election.

    They prayed the court to grant a mandatory order restraining the defendants from unlawfully excluding them and other lawfully elected delegates from participating as ad hoc ward delegates.

    NAN reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, in that judgment held that both the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

    Ekwo, held that Exhibit PDP 1 tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.

    The judge held that from the exhibit presented by the PDP, he found that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets just manufactured the results.

    He held that the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, was against the provisions of the law.

    (NAN)

  • Edo 2024: Obaseki receives APC defectors, confident of PDP’s victory

    Edo 2024: Obaseki receives APC defectors, confident of PDP’s victory

    Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, welcomed over 110 members who defected from the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ward 1, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

    Obaseki said at the weekend that the new members have further bolstered the PDP’s strength, setting the stage for a decisive victory in the upcoming September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo.

    The governor, represented by the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Uzi, officially received the defectors and presented the PDP’s symbol, an umbrella, to their leader, Pastor Sidney Egede.

    Read Also: ‘Why Obaseki hired 5,500 teachers in Edo’

    Obaseki said: “They (the defectors) know that APC is not an option, as they have formally crossed over to the PDP. They have seen the light and know that no other party can make a difference than the PDP. 

    “These are the remnants of the people who supported the APC in the last election cycle. Their crossing over means that 99 per cent of the people in Oredo Ward 1 are now all for the PDP.”

    Egede, while also speaking, claimed that APC was not an option in Edo, in view of Obaseki’s alleged good governance.

  • Obaseki: I’ve genuine interest for the poor

    Obaseki: I’ve genuine interest for the poor

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki at the weekend at the launch of the second phase of Edo feeding programme, said the initiative had no political undertone. He said it was put in place in view of his interest for the poor.

    Obaseki, who spoke at the Benin Anglican Diocese Bishop’s Court in the state capital, said the third phase of the feeding programme would be different, to ensure beneficiaries were put on a sustainable programme, thereby living independent of the palliatives.

    He said the distribution of the food items for the vulnerable was through the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslim groups and other associations.

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    Obaseki urged the Federal Government to copy the model, which he described as a drop in the ocean, compared with what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration was spending on food palliatives, but the efforts of the state government were reaching the real residents in need.

    He said: “Thank God that the people (beneficiaries) here are not politicians. I do not have any politician here with me, and I am not contesting an election.

    “From what you have seen, the way the group organised themselves, you could see the transparency with which they have run this programme, compared with what the Federal Government claims to be spending on palliatives. This is chicken change and a drop in the ocean.

  • I have genuine interest for the poor, no political undertone, says Obaseki

    I have genuine interest for the poor, no political undertone, says Obaseki

    Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, at the launch of the second phase of Edo feeding programme over the weekend, stated that the initiative had no political undertone, but put in place, in view of his genuine interest for the poor.

    Obaseki, who spoke at the Benin Anglican Diocese Bishop’s Court in the Edo state capital, assured that the third phase of the feeding programme would be different, in order to ensure that the beneficiaries were put on a sustainable programme, thereby living independent of the palliatives.

    The distribution of the food item for the vulnerable was through the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslim groups, and other associations.

    Edo governor urged the federal government to copy the model, which he described as a drop in the ocean, compared with what President Bola Tinubu’s administration was spending on food palliatives, but the efforts of Edo government were reaching the real residents in need.

    He said: “Thank God that the people (beneficiaries) here are not politicians. I do not have any politician here with me, and I am not contesting an election.

    “From what you have seen, the way the group organised themselves, you could see the transparency with which they have run this programme, compared with what the Federal Government claims to be spending on palliatives. This is chicken change, and a drop in the ocean, but if we do things properly in this country, we know there are challenges, things will go well, but with the current leadership, we are not helping ourselves.

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    “We are not helping Nigerians. Look at how we have run this programme. I hope the Federal Government will come and learn from here, because this is what I have always argued. People know what they want. 

    “We made the resources available, got the people to organise themselves, and you see the way they have handled it. They even procured from the local markets, thereby boosting the local economy. 

    “From the little that we gave to them, see how many families have benefited. So, it is about transparency, honesty, and our willingness to serve the public good.”

    The chairman of CAN in Edo state, Apostle Irekpono Omoike, in his remarks, disclosed that 60,000 bags of 10-kilogramme rice were distributed in the first phase, while 56,250 bags were distributed in the second phase, an indication that 116,250 families had so far benefitted from the initiative.

    Omoike also pleaded with Obaseki to ensure security for Edo residents, especially the farmers, for them to go back to their farms, rather than waiting to be given fishes, which was described as not being sustainable.