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Tag: Oshiomhole

  • ‘Oshiomhole can’t change delegates’ list’

    ‘Oshiomhole can’t change delegates’ list’

    Chief Charles Idahosa is the Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. In this interview with Ben Ogbemudia, he berates those alleging that his boss intends to rig the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Excerpts:

    The alleged backing of Mr. Godwin Obaseki by your boss, Governor Oshiomhole, is creating tension in the party. Are you not worried?

    It is so strange that many aspirants are talking the way they are talking because many of them are old in this business of politics. And they know how this thing is done. There is no way a governor will not have an interest in who succeeds him, particularly when you talk about Edo State that was dead when Oshiomhole came in. Today, we know how Edo State looks like. Oshiomhole has worked very hard; whether anybody likes his face or not, there is nothing anybody can do about that. He has worked very hard and he must be very concerned about who takes over from him.

    They are also alleging plans to change the delegate list by the governor. how true is that?

    I can tell you that Obaseki has worked harder than any of the aspirants; he has covered the state ward by ward. Obaseki has met the twelve delegates in each ward in Edo South, Central and North, one on one in their domain. These people are not working; they sit down here and boast how they will frustrate the governor, which will not work. Nobody is changing any list. What is happening is that, for instance, let me start with Uhumnwonde, my own local government. When we changed to the APC, one of the governorship aspirants of the PDP, Solomon Edebiri, who came in from the ANPP, out of respect, we allowed him to choose the executives from his ward. He is from Isi, the same place with our leader, Senator Owie.

    But, when he decamped, the executive left with him, but their names are still the names in Abuja while they are now PDP members. Ize-Iyamu who was in the APC then was virtually the sole administrator in the party in most local governments in Edo South. So, what do we now do? Do we now allow PDP members to become delegates in the APC election? Some are dead, some have moved to PDP, some travelled. So, these are the areas we are looking at and we told the national leadership to check and make the necessary amendments.

    We cannot allow Edebiri or Ize-Iyamu’s delegates, who are now in the PDP, to come and vote in the APC governorship primary. Yet, you see some people who declared for the APC yesterday, saying we will use 2014 delegate list when a lot of things have happened since then. So, it’s funny when they go to town accusing the g overnor of trying to change the delegate list. I was convinced about what the Governor said about Obaseki and I believed him because Oshiomhole is very passionate about Edo project.

    Where these people who are making noise today got it wrong is that their calculation is that radical Charles Idahosa will oppose the governor. This time around, I said I will not be used to destroy the progress of this state.

    Are you not worried by this rumour that the Binis may not want an Obaseki as governor?

    Godwin Obaseki’s father was not even born when this matter happened. There is none of the people saying it now that witnessed what happened. Let me tell you, Agho Obaseki was the man they accused. It was the Oba that nominated Agho Obaseki as the representative of the Benis to the white man. He was the one negotiating between us and the white people. When Oba Ovonranwe died in Calabar, it was the same Agho Obaseki that advised that the son of the Oba should be crowned and Oba Eweka became king. Let’s even forget that. I am Idahosa; my great grandfather was one of those people they took with Ovonranwe to Calabar; he spent 14 years there before they released him.

    That was how we ended up in Ehor. Our area in Ehor is called Ologbosere’s camp; we are from the line of General Ologbosere, who killed those white people. That was why we ran from Benin to live there. It took them five years to come and capture him there. As we speak, we have seven to eight Obaseki’s who are chiefs today in the palace of the Oba. The grandson of Agho Obaseki became the Iyase of Benin, the number one chieftaincy title. The Agho Obaseki they are calling a traitor was Iyase of Benin and Omo N’Oba Erediauwa has now turned Obaseki title to a hereditary title. So, does that in any way tell you that the palace hates the Obasekis? You see, because of political reasons, some lazy politicians want to re-write history. Can the Oba make his enemies chiefs in his palace? This is just a weak way of running somebody down.

     

    How optimistic are you that the APC primary will be free and fair?

    We are going to conduct a free and fair primary; our strategy is to canvass for votes from the delegates and that is what the Governor will do; not to impose anybody. People are already crying wolf because they know they cannot win; so they want to create this impression so that if they lose, they will say the Governor rigged the primary. Nobody is going to rig the primary. We are going to have a free and fair primary. But I hope they should accept defeat after the primary and work for the party because I accepted defeat after Oshiomhole defeated me in the general election and today I am his Political Adviser. That is true loyalty.

     

  • Oshiomhole builds school for IDPs in Edo

    Oshiomhole builds school for IDPs in Edo

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has built four blocks of classrooms for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Uhogua, Ovia Northeast Local Government.

    The classrooms have been equipped with a staff room, headmaster’s office, marble floors, ceiling fans, white boards and other facilities.

    The governor said children at the camp must acquire effective education to properly navigate through the rigours of life.

    He noted that failure to do so would have implications for the future.

    Oshiomhole spoke at the weekend during the inspection of newly built classroom blocks at the IDP camp.

    He said: “If you look at these buildings, you look at the floor, you look at the glass and everything else, you realise that for the next decade, all we need is to clean and maintain. The kids in this kind of classroom will behave according to the feeling of their environment. They will feel privileged and act decently.

    “Except the child decides otherwise, he has every incentive to want to go to school, to remain in school. The teacher is happy to come to work. He is proud of his office; he is proud of his classroom. He has a white board to use the marker, the same marker they use in Japan, in America and in the United Kingdom.

  • Oshiomhole and challenge of succession

    Oshiomhole and challenge of succession

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole may have endorsed an aspirant as his successor. Mixed reactions have continued to trail his position. His supporters believe that the governor could not be expected to be indifferent to the tendency of his successor. But, critics are of the opinion that the governor has polarised the party by pitching his tent with a contender. Will Oshiomhole succeed in his plan? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the succession battle in the Southsouth state.

    Nine years ago, he seized Edo politics by storm. He was full of zest, vigour and strength. As a veteran labour leader, he has been a household name for decades. Thus, stakeholders were rooting for him. As the former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, threw his hat into the ring, it was evident power shift was imminent in Edo State.  At the close of the historic governorship poll in 2007, the candidate of the defunct Action Congress (AC) defeated Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    However, the victory was allotted to the loser. The people protested the hijack, until the stolen mandate was restored by the Supreme Court. When the unionist-turned politician assumed the reins, he set three goals for himself:  massive transformation through infrastructural development, banishment of godfatherism and an  efficient and incorruptible government. Having lived up to expectation, the comrade governor was re-elected in 2012. But, as Oshiomhole’s tenure expires early next year, his major challenge is succession.

     

    Politics of endorsement

     

    Few months ago, the governor dropped a bombshell. Acknowledging the imperative of continuity, he endorsed an aspirant. Although he did not mention any name, sources said the governor has a soft spot for Godwin Obaseki, a banker from Benin-City, the state capital, and leader of the Edo State Economic Team. Justifying his position, Oshiomhole said he has the constitutional right as the governor and the All progressives Congress (APC) leader to anoint a candidate. Many chieftains, who share the governor’s view, believe that Obaseki, who has been part of the decision making process in the last seven years, is eminently qualified to continue where he will stop and sustain the tempo of good governance.

    The APC primary will be very interesting. The governor has not rescinded his decision to support a candidate. Some stakeholders, who want a technocrat to succeed Oshiomhole, are rooting for the dark horse. But, other aspirants-Deputy Governor Pius Odubu, Blessing Agbonmhere, Charles Airhiavbere, Peter Esele, Chris Ogienwonyi, Don Pedro Obaseki, Omon Irabor and Amadasun Ebugue-are protesting, saying that the governor is partial. They have also alleged that plans are underway to tinker with the list of delegates to favour the governor’s preferred choice.

    Unlike 2007, APC chieftains are more confident as the poll draws near. Many believe that the APC has a brighter future in the Southsouth state. The party wields the power of incumbency at the federal and state levels. The performance of the governor has been widely acknowledged, unlike his predecessor, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion of the PDP. Prominent indigenes, including former Bendel State Governor Sam Ogbemudia, have promised to assist the governor in his search for a credible successor. But, will the Iyomho-born politician succeed in his plan? Will the successor the governor is grooming be acceptable to the majority of delegates? Will the party remain the same after the primary?

     

    PDP’s credibility crisis

    Sources said the PDP is closely monitoring the APC selection process. Already, the party has zoned its ticket to Benin as the APC has done. “The PDP is waiting for an explosion in the Edo APC. The party thinks that, if the APC primary turns rancorous, it will benefit from defections from the ruling party. If the APC gets it right, the future of the PDP will remain bleak,” said a source.

    The PDP is in a dilemma. It appears the chapter faces a bleak future. The party, led by Chief Dan Orbih, has boasted that it will bounce back. For  eight years, it has been left in the cold, following its defeat at the polls. Thus, its dream of regaining power has always been aborted. Although the party has two senators, it is a divided house. PDP aspirants, including Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Osaro Onaiwu, Solomon Edebiri and Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, are working at cross purpose. The struggle for the ticket may further weaken the platform.  But, if the APC mismanages its primary, two scenario are possible; there may be defections to the PDP and without defecting to the PDP, some members may subvert the party during the election.

     

    APC aspirants

    No fewer than 10 APC chieftains are warming up for the shadow poll. More are likely to unfold their ambition as the race gathers momentum. APC aspirants include the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, a defector from the PDP, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, former university don Prof. Osunbor, Prof. Amadasun Ebegue, Blessing Agbonmhere, unionist Peter Esele, Omon Irabor, Godwin Obseki and his brother, Pedro Obaseki.

    Osunbor, who hails from Edo Central, is a determined politician. He has experience. But, many APC leaders see him as a new comer. When he left the PDP, many PDP chieftains were taken aback. In the APC, he has not become a force to reckon with.

    The factors against him may also work against Airhiavbere, who was in 2012 was sponsored by the PDP leader, Chief Tony Anenih, the acclaimed ‘Mr. Fix it,’ to challenge Oshiomhole. It was a miscalculation. The PDP lost its deposit and the ego of the eminent politician was deflated.

    Odubu is an experienced  politician. He is a loyal deputy governor.  He is popular in the ruling party. But, his fate lies in the hand of his boss and other party leaders. Already, the governor has anointed Obaseki.

    Ogiewonmonyi served briefly as the Minister of Works under Dr. Jonathan. He is also close to General Ogbemudia. But, party members see him as an independent minded chieftain, who is not tied to the apron-strings of the governor.

    Godwin Obaseki is highly connected. He is from a prominent Benin family. The people of Benin Kingdom; the royalty and chiefs; and prominent indigenes are excited about his candidature.

    His cousin, Pedro Obaseki, is a broadcaster and film maker who has made name in the entertainment industry.

     

    Supremacy battle in PDP

    A section of the party believes that only the founding fathers can rescue the party. But, another caucus has disputed this  claim, saying that the so-called founding chieftains are the architects of the PDP’s misfortune. The second group is of the opinion that many of the founding fathers have dented the image of the chapter, owing to their corrupt tendencies while steering the affairs of the state.

    The two groups locked in a supremacy battle have not reconciled. Former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, the arrowhead of the first group, declared that whhoever is going to be the next governor must be one of the PDP founding members. Former Senate Chief Whip Rowland Ovie, who is leading the second group disagreed. He said if the former governor sponsors a candidate, the flag bearer will be tainted. He said his performance in office failure led to the defeat of Osunbor and Airhiavbere in 2007 and 2012. Ovie added: “For the PDP to be seen to have broken ranks with irresponsibility, we have to be sure that our candidate for 2016 will not have any relationship with previous failures of the PDP government in Edo.”

    Can the two camps agree on a candidate? Among the PDP aspirants, two stand out. They are Ize-Iyamu and Edebiri. Pastor Ize-Iyamu is the former Secretary to Government. He served under Igbinedion. He is the former Southsouth leader of the defunct ACN. Many people have described Ize-Iyamu as a hardworking politician; a strategist and organiser. In 2012, he was the Director-General of the Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation. He has the support of Igbinedion. But, some elders, including Dr. Sam Ogbemudia and Owie, are looking at another direction. Party insiders have said that Anenih may not be comfortable with his candidature because he had joined forces in 2012 against the Iyasele of Esanland, when he and Oshiomhole rejected godfatherism. He was a believer in the slogan: “No man is god.”

    Edebiri, a Bini from Edo South, can be described as a serial contestant. The businessman contested in 2007 in the platform of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and in 2012 ran in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

     

    Oshipmhole’s burden

    Since the governor unfolded his succession plan, many APC chieftains who are not favoured by his permutations have been kicking. Pedro Obaseki has urged him to rescind his decision, saying that it could be a recipe for chaos in the party. He reminded Oshiomhole that two of his candidates failed during the last senatorial election, advising him to accept the limitations to his influence. He maintained that only a level playing field at the primary can foster harmony.

    The former Works Minister is bitter and more combative. He decried the endorsement of a candidate by the governor, saying that it can divide the party, ahead of the election. He alleged that plans were underway to tinker with the delegates’ list. But, the governor’s political adviser has denied it.

    The APC aspirants who have kicked against the governor’s endorsement of Obaseki are not teaming up against the Chairman of the Economic Team. On daily basis, Obaseki is waxing stronger on the field. He has concentrated  much efforts on mobilisation across the wards, local governments and senatorial districts. Since Oshipmhole declared his support for him, the governor has not make further statement. Obaseki has continued from there, holding consultations with stakeholders and soliciting for support from traditional rulers, businessmen, potential delegates, women and youths.

     

    Obaseki’s strategy

     While other aspirants are up in arms against him, Obaseki has taken his case to the people. He has presented to them, not as a politician, but a technocrat; tested and trusted. “The project I have embarked upon is inspired by my commitment and passion for service at this time when Nigeria is in crisis,” he said. He said having served Edo in the last seven years under Oshiomole, he knew the enormous power of government, adding that a policy stroke can distabilise a collective dream.

    “I have been part of the team that formulated a blue print and implementation plan. We wanted to pay to serve; we did not want to be paid to serve. I went to the University of Ibadan on Edo bursary; nobody asked me to pay back. The way people view government is how to get money from it, not how to use government to create wealth for all.

    “Governor Oshiomhole inherited insecurity, poor infrastructure and a civil service will a low morale. We said there was the need for us to plan. To budget is to govern. Poor budgeting has been the bane of our economy. How can we run a government without an engine to drive it? While I was working with the governor, I was not an appointee and I felt I could be more effective without been political,” he added.

    Obaseki reflecting on the economic crisis, warning that the challenges of governance in the post-Oshiomhole period will be more challenging. He described himself as the right man to succeed the governor, noting that he understood the Edo situation. He stressed: “In the last seven years, I have been part of the key decisions made by Governor Oshiomhole. The gains may be wiped away, if he is not succeeded by a competent administrator, who understands the foundation and the designs.

    “Governance will be more challenging now that resources are dwindling. The standard of governance cannot be lowered. People’s expectation will continue to rise. I am more than qualified, in terms of professionalism, capacity for planning, managerial ability and knowledge of running institutions.

    “I have been part of the decision-making and implementation process in the last seven years. I don’t see it as a pay back opportunity, but an opportunity to continue the excellent services of the last eight years.”

    Obaseki, who said the gang-up against him will fail, chided his detractors for lack of focus. “I have gone round the 18 local governments. People say they now see me at the wards. They say the person they claim they impose is the person they see and they don’t see other aspirants.”

    Denying the alleged plans to distort the delegates’ list, he said: “When a delegate dies, the vacancy is filled. The APC has a process. Some people defected. Their positions have to be filled. They first said I am unknown, I cannot win, the party will lose. Now, ot is about delegates’ list.”

    On structure, Obaseki said: “I am in a party. I can’t be in a party and build a sub-party. I rely on the party structure. I have been going to the delegates who will vote for me to get the ticket.”

  • Oshiomhole: Azura has made Edo a power generation hub

    Oshiomhole: Azura has made Edo a power generation hub

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the Azura Power Plant in Benin, the state capital, has the capacity to produce almost 50 per cent of Nigeria’s 4,000 megawatts (MW).

    The governor said the power plant made Edo State a hub of power generation in Nigeria.

    Oshiomhole spoke on Tuesday while inspecting the Azura Power Plant at Ahor in Benin.

    He said: “Let me appreciate your vision, your courage and your determination to navigate through all the technical political and social, economic, logistics issues that you have to go through to get to this level. It requires a level of confidence in our country, in our people, and confidence about our future to step out to initiate a gigantic project such as this.

    “Even while you are at the state of construction, all of us  are beneficiaries of that vision.

    “As we have always said, and there is nobody to say it better than you, that what Nigeria needs, Edo possesses: suitable land and nature, good people that are friendly to investors. Our people are educated enough to know that this project, the Azura Power Project, has become an indigene of this community and Edo State. And like every indigene, it attracts the support it needs, whereas in some parts of the country, you have people who want to make quick money by blackmailing contractors.”

    Oshiomhole added: “I am happy with what I have seen. Your choice of Julius Berger to handle the civil engineering work gives absolute confidence. I have just listened to some of the technical details. It is clear that we are in good hands. Whatever we can still do, you can take it for granted, because for us in Edo, the primary purpose of government is creating the enabling environment that gives the real private sector investors the confidence they need to locate in this state and bring fresh dollars, which you call foreign direct investment, into our country.”

    At a guided tour of the project site with Governor Oshiomhole, Managing Director of the power plant, Dr. David Oladipo, noted that the project employed 400 workers, including 150 from the host community.

    Oladipo said: “We have local contractors who meet the highest standard set by Julius Berger. They bring in materials and they have to be upgraded and tested. One of the commitments we have is to ensure we have real impact from the local community in terms of employment and business opportunities…”

  • Oshiomhole’s aide attacks Fayose

    Oshiomhole’s aide attacks Fayose

    Political Adviser to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole Charles Idahosa yesterday took a swipe at Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, describing him as a “fraudster”.

    The chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) said the governor’s persistent attack on President Muhammadu Buhari was to whip up sentiment from the public.

    He added that the Ekiti helmsman was only biting more than he can chew, “knowing that his sins will soon catch up with him”.

    “It’s just a pity that Nigerians tend to forget history fast. I am always shocked when people take Fayose seriously. This regular attack on Buhari is to prepare the ground because he knows he will go down.

    “All his actions are to whip up public sentiments so that when his sins catch up with him, people will say that it’s because he is always attacking the government. Is he the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary or spokesman?”

  • Understanding Oshiomhole’s industrialization policy

    It may not be possible for a government to build industries across the state and turn the economy around within a short time of eight years. There are however quick-wins that a serious government can undertake to achieve stunning results to the acclaim of a famished people. In other words, there are opportunities that a government can exploit immediately they present themselves to boost the living standards of the people. These opportunities will always present themselves in the life of every administration and whatever an administration makes of such opportunities depends on that administration’s policy thrust as powered by its economic team, if any.

    Bottomline is, even a bad situation can be quickly turned around by a government that thinks on its feet. That is what Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole has succeeded in doing in Edo in his little more than seven years of being in charge. Today, the result is there for all to behold.

    The governor had stated from the onset that governments have no business running industries but creating the enabling environment for investors. Indeed, he had stated that his primary focus was to ensure that businesses thrive through the creation of enabling climate. Today, the proof of that conventional wisdom is the avalanche of private sector industries dotting the entire length and breadth of Edo State – thanks to the vastly improved environment for doing business which his policies have brought about.

    As they say – the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That the industrialization policies are impacting positively on the socio-economic landscape of the state is no longer in contention. The fact that multinationals like Dangote Group of Companies, Yong Xing, Wells Farms, Bua Group, Azura power among others have registered their presence in the state goes beyond mere acknowledgement of the changing times but of the immense possibilities in the future. To be sure, some of these investments come under public-private-partnership initiative of the state government; others are wholly private sector driven. Together, the state is the richer for it.

    Never mind that dearth of statistics has remained the bane of the nation, it is projected that no less than 100,000 job opportunities have been created over the course of the last seven years under the Oshiomhole administration. These jobs cut across the public and private sector just as they straddle information and communications technology, health and social welfare and other sectors of the state’s economy. Some of the jobs directly created are in the Information and Communication Technology Agency, the Board of Internal Revenue, Edo State University, Central Hospital. These agencies among others, have employed and continue to employ thousands of youths many of whom would have remained in the labour market were these opportunities not opened up to them. That is not all. The state government is retooling Central Hospital to a Five-Star Hospital; it is building a new university all of which would further boost economic activities of the state and its people.

    Today, the state can count its chicks in the spin-off from private investment promotion. Wells Farm alone for instance, promises to employ over 80,000. Ditto Bua and Dangote both of which are also looking at employing thousands of youths just as Okpella Cement factory has employed several youths and still counting. Yong Xing and Azura power have also employed and will continue to employ youths in their thousands. Add to this the fact that workers in the public service are earning salaries as at when due; the pensioners are of course not left out. Taken together with the newly engaged workers in the various companies all of whom are now contributing actively to the economy, the state’s rising profile under its current helmsman is better appreciated.

    This is where the effects multiplier comes in. To bring the picture of the concept clearer home, it refers to the increase in final income arising from any new injection of spending. In simple terms, if the beneficiaries of the different opportunities being created in the state, for example, opt to complete the building of their new houses with their salaries, the project injects extra demand and output into the economy of the state. Imagine that not a few businesses including architects, suppliers of blocks, sand, water, iron rods, wood etc. will benefit directly or indirectly from the beneficiaries’ expenditure. The building of a new house, in other words, generates a new flow of income which includes wages and profits. The workers in turn engage drycleaners or washer men, lesson teachers, mechanics, artisans among others. They pay rents, if they are not building their homes. As for companies that have opened up in the state, their various host communities will benefit not just in terms of tremendous exposure but also in terms of increase housing needs and other infrastructure.

    As would be expected, the net effects of the development will extend beyond the frontiers of the state to neighbouring states. After all, economists will argue that when income is spent, the spending becomes someone else’s income which in turn stimulates another wave of demand and supply spawning investment by individuals, construction firms and business entities, not least saving by households – and ultimately the national GDP. The resultant boost in the GDP is called the multiplier effect.

    Truth is – it seems fairly easy to appreciate the direct impact of the physical engagement of the workers in terms of their salaries and wages. This is a far cry from the multiple impacts spawned by the hospitable environment deliberately promoted by the Oshiomhole administration. It is in the understanding of the linkages that justice is done to the Oshiomhole legacy.

    Today, economic potentials of Edo State have grown to humongous proportions – thanks to the creative policies of the Oshiomhole administration. Aside attracting investors to the state, there is no doubt that the foundation for the future has been firmly laid. In years to come, citizens of Edo State will certainly remember the Oshiomhole years not just in glowing terms but specifically as the golden years of its industrial transformation.

     

    • Mayaki is Executive Director, Media and Public Affairs, Edo Governor’s Office.
  • Oshiomhole, Ajimobi, Mimiko, Lalong, others preach peace

    Oshiomhole, Ajimobi, Mimiko, Lalong, others preach peace

    GOVERNORS yesterday joined other eminent Nigerians to felicitate with the citizens on Easter celebration.

    They urged Christian faithful to imbibe the virtues of peace, prayers, love, sacrifice and forgiveness, which they said are the lessons of Easter.

    Edo State: In a statement issued by Peter Okhiria, his Chief Press Secretary, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole said: “As we join Christians all over the world to celebrate this Easter, I urge the faithful in Edo State and Nigeria to imbibe the core values of Christianity and the lessons of the season, which are sacrifice, love, sharing and forgiveness of sins.

    “We should remember that the progenitor of the Christian faith is also known as the ‘Prince of Peace’ and we should, therefore, embrace peace with all men and maintain the peace which we have enjoyed in the state in the past years.

    “As we celebrate, we should not forget to extend a hand of fellowship to the less-privileged among us, as Christ taught us to ‘love our neighbours as our ourselves.’”

    Oyo State: Governor Abiola Ajimobi called on Nigerians to emulate the spirit of forgiveness and sacrifice.

    Ajimobi spoke while addressing reporters yesterday on his Easter message at the governor’s office, Agodi, Ibadan.

    According to him, “Easter means forgiveness, it means Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins for us too to learn to forgive and sacrifice.

    “You must sacrifice your time, enjoyment for this country to move forward. For Oyo State to be made better, it is not the job of the government alone. It is the collective responsibility of all of us to make sure this our state is better and progress.”

    Ondo State: Governor Olusegun Mimiko called for sustained prayers, sacrifice, cooperation and understanding from the governed to enable government serve them better in the face of current economic reality.

    Mimiko, in his message, said the occasion should not be seen as a period of winning and dinning alone, adding that it is a period for sober reflection.

    He challenged the people to be more prayerful  than before and implored them  to assist the government by making more sacrifice.

    Plateau State: Governor Simon Bako Lalong enjoined Christian faithful to use the period to reflect on Christ’s sacrificial work of redemption on the Cross of Calvary.

    The governor, who said as Christians reflect on the passion of Christ on Good Friday and the victory of a righteous life over death at Easter, they should remember that these symbolised “the gracious and merciful atonement of the sins of mankind”.

    The governor, who spoke through his Director of Press Samuel Nanle in Jos yesterday, said: “True Christian practice must correspond in showing love and sacrifice to make a difference in the lives of fellow human beings as exemplified by Jesus Christ.”

    Abia State: Governor Okezie Ikpeazu called on the Christian community to use the period of the celebration of Easter to pray for the country’s unity.

    Ikpeazu said the period should be used to reflect on the life and times of Christ, which the people should try to emulate for peace and unity to reign supreme in the country.

    Kogi State: Governor Yahaya Bello urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice, which, he said, is the hallmark of the Easter celebration, saying the season calls for sober reflection, sacrifice, tolerance and unity.

    The governor, through a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, called on the people of the state to work for unity and  emulate the selfless spirit of Jesus Christ.

  • Oshiomhole raises health workers’ pay by 5%

    Oshiomhole raises health workers’ pay by 5%

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has approved a per cent pay rise for the state’s health workers.

    The governor said the increment was for all health workers, including laboratory technicians, nurses and midwives.

    The government, earlier in the month, had raised doctors’ pay by five per cent.

    Oshiomhole announced the pay rise when he hosted members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), who visited him at the Government House in Benin, the state capital.

    He said: “I asked you to come over because I know that two years ago, we had a wage review based on certain criteria which you preferred to call 90 per cent. But for me, that was what we were willing to pay and able to pay at that time. I did say that when he situation improved, we would look at it and make some further upward adjustment.

    “At that time, our main source of revenue, which is oil, was at about $60, $70 and $80 dollars per barrel. But today, it is hovering around $30 per barrel, but certainly under $40. Nobody knows what it is going to be next. However, I do recognise that for us to maintain our integrity in the eyes of our workers, when promises have been made in good faith, as much as possible, we should try to keep those promises.

    “It is no secret that Nigeria’s economy is in a crisis. We are burdened not only by low price of crude oil; we are also saddled with massive looting and diversion from public treasury at the federation level.

    “If you have been reading the news, as I have in the print and electronic media, it is now established that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) did not remit as much as N3.2 trillion to the Federation Account under Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Minister of Finance. These bare the issues we have been talking about.”

  • Why I want to succeed Oshiomhole, by Obaseki

    Why I want to succeed Oshiomhole, by Obaseki

    do State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Godwin Obaseki has said that he joined the governorship race to build on the foundation of sustainable development laid by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    Paying tribute to the governor, Obaseki, a financial expert, described him as a sincere politician bubbling with passion for development, adding that he has succeeded in transforming the Southsouth state in the last seven years.

    The Benin-born technocrat said it is important that Oshiomhole should be succeeded by someone who understands the vision, developmental designs and the motivation for the paradigm shift in governance.

    The aspirant spoke with reporters in Lagos on his ambition, plans for the state and challenges of governance in the post-Oshiomhole era.

    He said  the state will need an administrator who is a democrat, who has experience and who can steer the affairs of Edo without lowering the standard set by the governor in this challenging period.

    Obaseki said: “In the last seven years, Edo has been blessed by an accountable government, a government that has done a lot in terms of infrastructural development. There is need for a successor who has an understanding of how to continue the development started by the governor; someone who is a democrat, someone who can manage resources now that the oil price is going down; someone who has experience, capacity and ability to manage men and materials.”

    The aspirant said the gamut of infrastructural projects undertaken by Oshiomhole, especially the 15-kilometre drainage system in Benin, the state capital, is unprecedented, adding that Edo people who will not accept the lowering of standards will continue yearn for more refurbished schools, quality teachers and other social amenities when the governor takes a bow.

    Justifying his fitness for the job, he said: “I have worked with the governor for many years. I have been part of every major policy decisions of the Oshiomhole administration in the last seven years and I understand why the decisions were taken; why, where and how they were funded. The governor has laid the foundation. It is important that somebody who understands the design should build on it.”

    Obaseki said if elected as governor, he will use the Information Communication Technology (ICT) to govern Edo and extend the pace of infrastructural development to include productive activities that are germane to job creation.

    He said Edo should also embrace the reality of diversifying into agriculture, stressing that the 200 million hectares of land are good for huge commercial agriculture.

    Obaseki dismissed the boasting by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to bounce back in the state as a ruse, adding that it is a figment of imagination. He said: “The PDP is a sinking party in Edo. Which faction of the PDP are we talking about? The PDP has its challenges. It should spend time to attend to its survival. The APC has done well. It is loved by Nigerians. The government of Oshiomhole has done well, It has worked for an unprecedented change in Edo.”

  • Oshiomhole to Melaye: ‘you’re childish, vainglorious’

    Oshiomhole to Melaye: ‘you’re childish, vainglorious’

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday dismissed Senator Dino Melaye as vainglorious and childish after the senator representing Kogi West mocked the governor for marrying a non-Nigerian.

    Melaye while contributing to a motion in the Senate on Wednesday on the need for Nigerians to patronize Made in Nigeria goods had said: “apologies to my uncle, the Governor of Edo State, we must as a people stop paying dowries in dollars and pounds.”

    His comment did not go down well with Oshiomhole who hit back at the senator who he said was renown ‘for his vainglorious rodomontade and the childish display of his ostentatious lifestyle.”

    Such lifestyle, he governor, added complements Melaye’s “love for foreign items.”

     Oshiomhole, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, said Melaye displayed hollowness by delving into a matter as private as his marriage to his heartthrob.

    The senator, he added, exposed himself as a simpleton and court jester whose words and tactlessness could not be taken seriously by mature people.

    He advised Melaye to mend his ways with his ex-wife and concubines before coming to the village square to display “crass ignorance and emptiness to the Nigerian people.”

    “If he has anything to offer, Dino Melaye should concentrate on making good laws for the people of Nigeria rather than descend to a ridiculous level, thus displaying to the whole world his unworthiness to sit in the hallowed chambers of the Nigerian Senate.

    He wondered how Melaye “could descend to this pedestrian level of using the hallowed chambers to ‘cargorise’ women as if they were pieces of items for purchase.

    “Any responsible individual that is truly worth to be called a Senator, a position that convokes respect, decorum and decent public conduct, should know the limits of his verbal diarrhea. The liberty of free speech guaranteed in the hallowed chambers does not impose lunacy on anyone to disparage other Nigerians, let alone pry into their matrimony in a very derisive manner.

    “We had intended to ignore this uncomplimentary comment as one of the several empty displays of the Senator, but the fact that it tends to reduce women to pieces of tissue calls for this response.

    “As we probed into Dino Melaye’s humanity, we were reminded that he is a man known for his vainglorious rodomontade and the childish display of his ostentatious lifestyle complements his love for foreign items.