The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prof. Yinka Omorogbe

  • Edo grants clemency, parole to 84 prisoners

    The Edo State Government has granted clemency and parole to 84 inmates in various prison formations in the state, in alignment with the Federal Government’s commitment to decongest prisons across the country.

    Edo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, said the move has the backing of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Salihu Isah, with the aim of tackling overcrowding in Nigerian Prisons.

    Prof. Omorogbe said the state government in conjunction with the Attorney General of the Federation and a donor agency raised the sum N9 million to secure the release of the prisoners, who could not meet their bail conditions due to their lowly status.

    READ ALSO: Edo LG IGR hits N210m

    According to her: “the high number of inmates awaiting trial for crimes ranging from stealing, breaking and entering and other minor offenses, are the major causes of overcrowding. The state government is working hard to decongest and improve the living condition of prisoners as well as ensure proper rehabilitation of the inmates.

    Edo State Controller of Prisons, Mr. Joseph Esu Usendiah, said 23 inmates were being released from the Benin prisons, while 61 inmates are to be released across the various prisons in Edo state, bringing the total number of those affected to 84.

     He said the move will help decongest the already overcrowded prisons, as it would help the Ministry properly manage resources for the welfare of the remaining inmates.

     One of the affected inmates, identified as Mr. Efosa, who has been in prison since 2016, thanked the Edo State Government for coming to their rescue. He said he is now a changed man and promised to lead a crime-free life.

  • Human Trafficking: Edo taskforce takes campaign to Iguemokhua town

    Human Trafficking: Edo taskforce takes campaign to Iguemokhua town

    To penetrate the hinterlands with the campaign against human trafficking and illegal migration, the Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking has stormed Iguemokhua town with messages of the dangers posed by the menace.

    Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, represented by the chairperson, Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe led the campaign train to Iguemokhua town in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state, impressing on the people that it was dangerous to expose their children to the hazards of illegal migration to Europe by land.

    Officials of the taskforce distributed information materials and spoke to different categories of persons, including teenagers, parents and traditional rulers, among others on the dangers of human trafficking.

    Mrs. Obaseki also commissioned market stalls at Iguemokhua, which were renovated by the Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Osaze Osemwegie-Ero, who hails from the town.

    Mrs. Obaseki lauded the initiative and said that “It would provide decent environment for the people to carry out their trading.”

    Hon. Osemwegie-Ero, said, “I will do more to attract projects to the town. I embarked on the building of the market to fulfil my promise to assist traders with decent place to carry out their trading.”

    The Odionwere of Iguemokhua Town, Mr Omozuwa Ekhorutomwen expressed appreciation to the commissioner for his effort to attract projects to the town.

    Read Also: Human trafficking: Edo to partner Peace Corps on returnees’ re-integration

  • 302 Libya returnees graduate from Edo govt capacity building programme

    302 Libya returnees graduate from Edo govt capacity building programme

    To ease their re-integration into society, the Edo State Government has graduated 302 returnees from Libya from her capacity building and skills development programme.

    Chairperson, Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking, and Commissioner for Justice/ Attorney General in Edo State, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, at the ceremony to mark the end of the two-week vocational and technical training programme, said “the graduation marks the first step in preparing the returnees on the path to becoming successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour.”

    The second batch of graduands from the programme were trained on beadmaking, make-up and basic sewing, and their graduation is coming few months after the first set of returnees were trained on agribusiness and provided with 150 hectares of land and 100 million start-up fund to ease their settling into society.

    According to Omorogbe, “163 of the returnees acquired skills in make-up; 92 in basic sewing, while 47 were trained in the art of beadmaking.”

    She charged the graduands to be ambassadors of Edo State and expressed delight at the success of the programme. She said the state government will assist returnees who have successfully acquired skills in different trades to enable them set-up small-scale businesses through which they can provide for themselves and employ others.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Edo State Governor on Anti-Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration, Mr. Solomon Okoduwa said, “The graduation ceremony has further demonstrated the commitment and interest of the state government in the fight against human trafficking and irregular migration in the state.”

    He added, “Mr. Godwin Obaseki has shown that he will keep his promise to assist the returnees and reintegrate them into the society by providing them with sustainable means of livelihood.”

    Okoduwa said that the graduands will be organised into co-operatives, which will enable them access credit facilities at zero-percent interest. He noted that “all the graduands will be required to register with the cooperative. Their progress will be monitored to see how they will put credits into good use. It will also help us breed entrepreneurs and employers of labour.”

    A bank manager, who is also one of the facilitators, Mr. Michael Adetola, urged the returnees to apply financial discipline as they set up their businesses, stressing, “Financial discipline plays important role in managing small businesses. Without it, one makes wrong decisions, which account for the failure of most small businesses.

  • Ogoni Cleanup: Environment Rights group charges FG to move faster

    Ogoni Cleanup: Environment Rights group charges FG to move faster

    The federal government has been charged to speed up the remediation and cleanup of the Ogoni environment, as advised by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

    Making the call on Tuesday during its 8th Annual Security and Environmental Conference in Benin, Edo state, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Sheriff Mulade, also tasked all regional agitation groups to adopt the nonviolence approach.

    Meanwhile, the United States of America’s Consul-General to Nigeria, John Bray, who was expected at the event, was absent due to the failure to get security assurances from the Edo state government to attend.

    Mulade also appealed to the Ogoni people to be patient with the federal government even as they sustain the dialogue approach, until they see their land and environment restored.

    He noted that the dialogue approach would grow peace and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region, saying “It will assuage the citizens as well as reduce tension and further crisis in the area.”

    While cautioning the various regional agitation groups, including the Arewa youths, Niger Delta agitators, Oduduwa youths, to adopt the nonviolent approach, in order not to plunge the country into chaos, he advised the Nigerian armed forces to respect the rights of citizens and treat them with dignity.

    “Let the military know that applying force will escalate the conflicts and create more disaffection between the military and the civil populace.

    “Learning how to solve disputes without aggression is a great way to enjoy peace. We can collectively or individually sponsor activities and actions that promote environmental justice, clean environment, enhanced security and culture of peace”, Mulade said.

    The Programmes Director at the CEPEJ, MacDonald Ekemezie, explained the absence of the US Consul General saying “the Edo state government was supposed to give the US Consul General assurances on his security, but they didn’t do it.”

    It should be noted, however, that the absence of the American Consul-General due to security concerns, raised apprehension at the event.

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, who was represented by Suleiman Kadri, expressed concerns that insecurity would scare any investor away from the region and called on the leadership of CEPEJ to make the issue a critical topic in its discussions.

    In a goodwill message, the Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, who was represented by Mrs. Victoria Adeleye, said Edo state is very hospitable just as he assured the people, particularly the organizers of the event, of their safety, during and after the programme.

  • Edo to enact laws against human trafficking

    Edo to enact laws against human trafficking

    The Edo State Government has disclosed plans to enact laws against human trafficking, as part of the ongoing measures to tackle illegal migration and drastically reduce the trade in human beings.

    The state Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice and Chairperson of the Edo State Taskforce on Human Trafficking, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, disclosed this at the flag-off of a state-wide sensitisation  workshop on human trafficking and illegal migration, held at Idogbo, the Headquarters of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area.

    Prof. Omorogbe said, “the state government is working on a law to ensure perpetrators who aid human trafficking and illegal migration are sentenced to jail without the option of fine. All hands must be on deck to support this drive in curtailing the menace, which has damaged the reputation of the state.”

    The Edo State Taskforce on Human Trafficking is a collaboration of the state government and international agencies such as the European Union. It is aimed at rebranding the state as an investment destination with human resources potential.

    Prof. Omorogbe said instead of youths to take to illegal migration, they should rather take advantage of the state government’s initiative on job creation, as the state is already setting up technical centres for skills acquisition.

    The Enogie of Ukhiri, a community in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, Bar. Godwin Aigbe, commended the state government’s efforts in organising the sensitisation workshop to enlighten youths on the dangers of human trafficking and illegal migration.

    Bar. Aigbe said “youths should take advantage of the government’s job initiative by registering on the state job portal, which will avail them better opportunities than embarking on treacherous illegal journey to Europe.”