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Tag: Senator Monday Okpebholo

  • Edo gov considers amnesty for cultists, illegal arms possessors

    Edo gov considers amnesty for cultists, illegal arms possessors

    The Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has opted for amnesty for cultists and illegal arms possessors in the state.

    Okpebholo, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Fred Itua, disclosed this while meeting with the leaders of Obagie, Oke-Oroma, and Amagba communities over land and insecurity concerns in Benin.

    While reinstating his administration’s resolve to develop the proposed new city around the communities, he revealed that a technical committee would soon be set up to handle the restitution of cult members and criminally-minded youths, in a bid to reduce the menace of violent crimes, including kidnapping.

    Edo governor noted that a major component of the proposed amnesty programme would include skills acquisition and empowerment programmes for the affected youths, in order to make them useful to themselves and society.

    He assured the visiting leaders of his support to bring about lasting peace in their communities, especially as the Edo government would be embarking on the development of the new city in their domain.

    Okpebholo stated that peace would be restored to all restive communities in Edo, including Obagie, Oke-oroma and Amagba.

    He assured that his administration was ready to listen to the victims of demolition by the immediate past government, while asking them to see members of the committee on land resolution with their papers.

    On the development of LOT ‘A’ in the new city plan, the governor noted that officials of his government would look around and protect the traditional sites, in the process of developing the new town, while those in LOT ‘B’ could come forward with their documents to the committee, once the process commenced.

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    He assured that his administration was ready to carry out the regularisation of land property in the affected areas, for property owners to have their lands back in other LOTS,  while calling on property owners to register with the Edo Geographical Information System (EdoGIS).

    Okpebholo said, “Survey your lands and register them with EdoGIS, so that you can collect the titles.”

    Visiting leaders of the communities assured the Edo governor of their total support, especially in the development of the LOT ‘A’ in the new city and in his drive to improve the security of their communities.

    Pa Michael Omoruyi, Pa Abel Emokpae, and Ebo Amagba spoke respectively for Obagie, Oke-Oroma, and Amagba communities.

    The leaders hailed Okpebholo for setting up the committee to engage them, saying it was the first time that Edo state government was interfacing with them since 2017, when their lands were first acquired.

    Edo governor, a few weeks ago, set up the six-member committee on land resolution, with Dr. Tony Ikpasaja as the Chairman and Dr. Abdulwasiu Oyakhire as Secretary.

  • Edo governor-elect promises immediate focus on development upon assuming office

    Edo governor-elect promises immediate focus on development upon assuming office

    The governor-elect of Edo state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has assured Edo residents that his administration will start working diligently from November 12, to bring urgent development and progress to all sectors of the state.

    Okpebholo, who represents Edo Central Senatorial District, made this statement during his appreciation visit to Auchi, the headquarters of Edo North Senatorial District.

    He emphasised his commitment to revamping all sectors across the three senatorial districts of Edo, aiming to turn the state into a massive construction site.

    According to him, there is an urgent need to reposition Edo on the path of development and progress.

    The governor-elect decried the current gory state of things in Edo while noting that the state had been at a developmental standstill, since the exit of Senator Adams Oshiomhole on November 12, 2016, while promising to address the issues plaguing Edo, immediately after his inauguration.

    Okphebholo promised to declare a state of emergency on road construction, health care delivery, educational sector and agricultural reforms, while declaring that his administration would not give excuses for failure, since.

    Edo residents were tired of seeing billboards that depicted hopelessness and cluelessness on their strategic roads.

    He said: “The reason I am here is not just to thank you, for your overwhelming support during the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State that returned me as your governor-elect, but also to reassure you that all that we promised during the campaigns will be delivered speedily.

    “I am in a hurry to work and bring relief to the residents of Edo State. My deputy, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa and I have taken time to assess the situation of the state, and the outcome is pitiable. Our people have been subjected to avoidable untold hardship, our infrastructures are in a sorry state, and nothing seems to be working. It is as if Edo State has not had a governor since our leader, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, left office in 2016.

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    “We cannot continue like this. I left my base very early this morning, but got here late, because it was very difficult to navigate our way here from Irrua, in Edo Central Senatorial District. The roads are in a very bad state. Rather than fix them, for the sake of our people, the outgoing Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was busy playing politics with them by putting up billboards and giving unnecessary excuses, to the detriment of the lives and safety of the Edo people.

    “Let us assume their hands were truly tied. What about the adjourning state roads? Why didn’t they fix those as alternatives for Edo people?”

    Edo governor-elect also assured the residents of the south-south state that his administration would be different while reiterating that he was elected to proffer solutions to the issues plaguing Edo, and not to give excuses as to why he could not perform while stressing that a responsive and responsible government must have the capacity to think up solutions, as well as having the empathy and compassion to do whatever was necessary to alleviate the suffering of the people he was elected to serve.

    He said: “I want to assure you that we will not give you any excuse for failure, and we will not fail, by God’s grace and mercy. You voted for us to produce solutions.

    “We will immediately embark on fixing the adjoining state’s roads while negotiating with, and partnering with the federal government to fix the federal roads so that when next I am coming to Auchi, God willing, it will be on a smooth, wide and good road.”

    Okpebholo, while speaking on the education and health sectors, assured the people that his administration would give priority attention to better healthcare services across the state and provide an enabling, conducive environment for quality education that would meet world standards while ensuring a motivated workforce that would maintain and sustain the standards.

    He gave an assurance that there would be a mechanised agricultural intervention that would ensure that Edo not only became food-sufficient but would become a major exporter of agricultural products.

    Edo governor-elect reiterated that the state had enough arable lands to feed not just Nigeria, but sub-Sahara Africa while stressing that it only required a government that was able to think and ready to channel the state’s resources to the right usage.

    Okphebholo called for the continuous support and prayers of Edo residents while pointing out that although the tasks ahead were enormous, his administration would work assiduously to put the state in enviable positions in all sectors.