The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ovia North East

  • Edo Poly partners NASRDA on geospatial information research

    The Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, has struck a partnership with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), for the optimal operation of the institution’s Center for Geospatial Information Science, paving the way for professional training and research in geospatial studies.

    Rector of Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, Prof. Abiodun Falodun, in a chat with journalists, disclosed that the institution is going to make the best use of the state-of-the-art facilities at the center for the advancement of society.

    Noting that he has already given the charge for accurate mapping of the institution’s host community, Usen, in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State, Prof. Falodun said, “We want to ensure that the centre meets the needs of the immediate community and its offerings relevant to the people. This is why we are going to properly map the host community.”

    He said the school has already reached agreements with NASRDA for partnership to exploit the agency’s expertise in contributing to development in the state and country at large.

    According to him, “I am very pleased to announce that we now have a robust partnership with NASRDA on the operations at the CGIS. As a centre that will engage in a lot of drone operations, we are very confident that this operation will pave the way for a lot of the work we do here.”

    He hinted that the centre is in advanced stage of mounting professional training programmes in geospatial information science, and explained that training will be conducted for people who already deploy Geographic Information Systems in their work and others who aim to kick start a career in geospatial science.

  • Protesters place casket of slain Pastor in front of Govt House

    Protesters from Odighi community in Ovia North East local government area on Friday stormed the Edo Government house with the casket containing the remains of Pastor Pius Eromosele who was brutally murdered by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    Late Pastor Eromosele was reportedly shot behind close range before his attackers used machete to cut through his skull and all parts of his body.

    His decomposing body was found after three days by a search party comprising of hunters, vigilance group and the police.

    His burial has been slated for Saturday but residence of Odighi decided to storm the government house to demand for arrest of the Pastor’s killers.

    The casket was placed in front of Government house while the protesters sang songs demanding for arrest of the killers and stopping attacks on farmers by herdsmen.

    Placards carried by the protesters read, “We want justice for our father”. “Fulani herdsmen that are killing us must be fished out”.

    “We need protection and justice.”

    Speaking to newsmen, Kingsley Emmanuel, one of the workers of late Pastor Eromosele who narrowly escaped being killed, said two herdsmen stopped them at the farm with guns.

    Kingsley said the herdsmen showed them a man in a photograph as being the person that sent them to kill Pastor Eromosele.

    He said the herdsmen collected the sum of N31, 500 and asked the late Pastor to call his wife for ransom payment.

    According to him, “After they beat us with sticks and guns, my oga called his wife around 5pm and told her what happened. They said she should bring N4m but later reduced it to N2m.

    “They took us to another place and tied my oga down. My oga was begging them but they refused. My brother Akpan was cut on the hand but he managed to escape.

    “The next day, they said they wanted to kill us since my Oga wife did not bring money. After my Oga begged them, he told his wife to keep the money and used it for his burial.

    “They used cutlass to cut my hand and shoulder but my Oga told me to run so I ran but was very weak so I slept in the bush.”

  • 700 APC members join PDP in Ovia

    700 APC members join PDP in Ovia

    …..PDP Reps stormed Edo for Ize-Iyamu

    No fewer than 700 members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Wednesday defected to the People’s Democratic Party in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

    The defectors who were from various communities in Ovia North East were led by a leader of APC in the locality, Friday Ighodaro.

    Other APC leaders that defected with their supporters were Stephen Osagie, Ifeanyi Okolie, Iredia Samuel and Peter Igbinedion.

    Friday said they left the APC because ‘it is a one-party.’

    Osagie on his part said the APC supporters from his Ulakpa community decided to quit the APC because the road leading to their community was graded by the lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency, Barr. Omosede Igbinedion.

    The former APC members announced their defection at a campaign rally of the PDP held at Okada, hometown of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom.

    Barr. Omosede in her remarks said it was her father, Chief Igbinedion that turned Okada village into a town and the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu will turn it into a city.

    Omosede told her kinsmen that the APC stopped some of her pet projects including rural electrification and road project at Okun community.

    She urged the people to show the ‘short man’ that he failed them through the ballot papers.

    Seven PDP members in the House of Representatives stormed the campaign rally to drum support for Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

    They included Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, Hon Uzoma Abumka, Hon Ladi Adekoto, Hon Sambo Garuba, Hon Oghene Ego and Hon Tunji Soyinka.

    Ogor urged the people to use their vote to send what he termed negative government  out of the system.

    State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, accused Governor Oshiomhole of spending N90m monthly to maintain water fountain at the Oba Ovoranmwen Square in Benin City at a time residence lacked water to drink.

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu told the people that contents of his ‘Simple’ agenda document was his convenant with the people of the state.

    Ize-Iyamu said Oshiomhole was behaving as if he was pursuing a third term agenda.

    His words, “I feel sad when I hear Oshiomhole insults people like Chief Igbinedion when it was Chief Igbinedion that helped him to power.

    “He should have tell the people what he did in the past eight years  he he resorted to insulting elders.”

    Ize-Iyamu promised to improve the people lives as well as partner with businesses to develop the state.

  • Kidnapped Edo teachers released

    After 14 days in captivity, three primary school teachers that were abducted during school hours were released on Tuesday morning.

    They were snatched by gunmen at Orhogbua Primary School at Ekenwan village in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.

    Sources said they were released at about 3am at a village close to Gelegele village.

    The victims- Patience Osadoplor, Momodu Aisha and Patience Oroghene were said to have been handed over to their family members.

    They were abducted on July 30 and a ransom of N60 million was placed on the teachers but was later reduced to N7.5 million.