TheNewsGuru

Tag: Benin

  • FG suspends evaluation, accreditation of certificates from Benin, Togo

    FG suspends evaluation, accreditation of certificates from Benin, Togo

    The Federal Government has suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republic.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by Mrs Augustina Obilor-Duru, Assistant Director, Press, Ministry of Education.

    This suspension came as a result an investigative work by a journalist that led to a publication in the Daily Nigerian Newspaper on Dec. 30.

    A reporter with the newspaper, Mr Umar Audu had carried out an investigation titled

    “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in six weeks, participated in NYSC scheme”.

    Obilor-Duru said, however, that the suspension was pending the outcome of an investigation that would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the two countries.

    She said that the investigation would also involve the ministries responsible for education in the two countries as well the Department of State Security Services (DSSS), and the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).

    She called on the general public to support the efforts by showing understanding and providing useful information that would assist in finding lasting solutions to prevent further occurrence.

    “This report lends credence to suspicions that some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a Degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified.

    “The ministry has also commenced internal administrative processes to determine the culpability or otherwise of her staff for which applicable Public Service Rules would be applied.

    “The issue of degree mills institutions, i.e institutions that exist on paper or operate in clandestine manner outside the control of regulators is a global problem that all countries grapple with.

    “The ministry has been contending with the problem including illegal institutions located abroad or at home preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronise such outlets,’’ she said.

    She also said that periodically, warnings had been issued by the ministry and the National Universities Commission (NUC) against such institutions adding that in some instances, reports were made to security agencies to clamp down on the perpetrators.

    “The ministry will continue to review its strategy to plug any loopholes, processes and procedures and deal decisively with any conniving officials.

    “The Ministry had always adopted the global standard for evaluation and accreditation of certificates of all forms which relies on receipt of the list of accredited courses and schools in all countries of the world.

    “The ministry wishes to assure Nigerians and the general public that, it is already putting in place mechanisms to sanitise the education sector.

    “This, including dissuading the quest for degree certificates (locally or from foreign countries) through a re-invigorated focus on inclusivity, reliance on all skill sets as directed by President Bola Tinubu,’’ she said.

    She also said that the ministry was, however, committed to collaborating with stakeholders, including civil society organisations, to consistently enhance the Nigerian education system.

  • Benin palace orders Ewaise to lay curse on subjects twirling ‘Eben’ during marriages

    Benin palace orders Ewaise to lay curse on subjects twirling ‘Eben’ during marriages

    The Oba of Benin palace has ordered the Ewaise group to lay curse on those twirling ‘Eben’ during marriage ceremonies as it’s designed strictly for chiefs.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in a statement signed by Chief S. 0. Obamwonyi, stating that:

    “The twirling of Eben in Benin customs and
    tradition is by chieftaincy title holders while paying homage to the Oba of
    Benin. Twirling of Eben is never a part of marriage ceremony.

    “The Palace of the Oba of Benin condemns this act by lzoduwa Imasuen
    and his groom’s men in all ramifications.

    “His Royal Majesty, Oba of Benin has
    instructed the Ewaise group to place a curse on all those that are undermining
    and bringing into frivolities and disrepute our highly valued age-long tradition.

    Read full statement below:

    OFFICE OF THE PRIVATE SECRETARY
    OF THE OBA OF BENIN
    OBA. PALACE, BE BENIN CITY

    1035, King’ Sar. Bri Cay, do Sate. eget
    ISBN, cok isbn

    BTC.A40/VOL.LVVII54 18% October, 2023

    OBA OF BENIN PALACE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

    The attention of the Benin Traditional Council has been drawn to a recent
    traditional marriage ceremony of one Izoduwa Imasuen which took place on 26th
    August, 2023. It was observed that during the marriage ceremony, lzoduwa
    Imasuen and his groom’s men were twirling the traditional Eben while dancing
    during the marriage ceremony.

    The general public should note that this act by lzoduwa Imasuen is an abomination, aberration and a distortion of Benin traditional marriage
    processes and procedures.

    The twirling of Eben in Benin customs and
    tradition is by chieftaincy title holders while paying homage to the Oba of
    Benin. Twirling of Eben is never a part of marriage ceremony.

    The Palace of the Oba of Benin condemns this act by lzoduwa Imasuen
    and his groom’s men in all ramifications. His Royal Majesty, Oba of Benin has
    instructed the Ewaise group to place a curse on all those that are undermining
    and bringing into frivolities and disrepute our highly valued age-long tradition.

    The general public especially those that are planning traditional
    marriages should endeavour to stick to the acceptable customs and tradition,
    and avoid bastardization and self-imposed curses.

    Oba ghato ‘kpere, Ise.

    Chief S. 0. Obamwonyi,
    (Esere of Benin),

  • BREAKING: Police rescues abducted CAC members Kidnapped by Gunmen along Benin

    BREAKING: Police rescues abducted CAC members Kidnapped by Gunmen along Benin

    The Nigerian Police force has rescued 08 out of 25 abducted CAC members Kidnapped by Gunmen along Benin – Akure expressway.

    At the time of filing this report, effort still ongoing to rescue 17 others.

    The CAC members were on Friday afternoon kidnapped when their vehicle was ambushed by gunmen on the Akure-Benin expressway.

    The incident occurred at Elegbeka while the group was on its way to Ifon in the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    The victims, mostly members of the church’s choir, were going for the funeral ceremony of the father of their organist when their bus ran into the ambush at about 3 p.m.

    The expressway has become notorious for kidnap attacks as its many failed portions make it easy for kidnappers to ambush the road’s users.

  • AFCON: CAF dashes Nigeria, Benin Republic 2027 joint bid, Morocco to host 2025 edition

    AFCON: CAF dashes Nigeria, Benin Republic 2027 joint bid, Morocco to host 2025 edition

    The 2027 African Cup of Nations will not be hosted by Nigeria and Republique du Benin, TheNewsGuru.com can authoritatively report.

    The hopes by the the two neighbouring  West African nations was dashed today in Far away Cairo the capital of Egypt.

    This follows the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award the rights to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the announcement at the end of its executive committee meeting on Wednesday.

    Earlier, Morocco won the right to stage the 2025 edition of the AFCON finals.

    Nigeria last hosted Africa’s largest football competition in 2000.

    The country co-hosted the competition alongside Ghana.

  • INSECURITY! Nig Customs intercepts bomb production items in Benin

    INSECURITY! Nig Customs intercepts bomb production items in Benin

    Nigerian Customs Service has reportedly intercepted a bomb production materials in Benin, the Edo State capital.

    The interception was made by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, on Monday.

    According to the NCS, it intercepted bomb-making raw materials from suspected smugglers. Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Kayode Kolade, made the disclosure while addressing journalists at the unit’s warehouse in Benin City.

    Kolade warned smugglers against importing explosives and other contraband in the interest of humanity or they will have the law to contend with.

    He explained that 9 sacks of 50kg each contained explosive materials like fertilizers, device cables and superpower 90 chemicals.

    The NCS also intercepted “1,329 bags, 50kg each of smuggled foreign parboiled rice; five cartons of 100mg DSP Cough Syrup with codeine containing 1000 bottles; 1 unit of armoured Bullion Van and 761 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing. Also, “883 cartons of various unregistered and expired medicaments including tramadol; 100 cartons of various wines; 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tyres; 335 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato pastes and 300 cartons of foreign spaghetti.

    “The zone also arrested nine suspects in connection with the seizures within the period under review – July 25th to September 23rd 2023.” Kolade added, “We all know the security implications if these explosive components get to their destination unchecked. It may interest you to know that Superpower 90 is designed for priming applications and as a column explosive in surface and underground mining and general blasting.

    “The high detonation velocity and the robust nature of Superpower 90 make it an ideal primer for the initiation of column charge. Let’s us not just imagine if dynamites and landmines are detonated using these items,“ he added.

  • Why many Nigerians are trooping to neighbouring African countries for tertiary education – Prof Akande

    Why many Nigerians are trooping to neighbouring African countries for tertiary education – Prof Akande

    A United States based educationist, Prof Busari Shaamsuddeen Akande has posited that many young Nigerians are trooping to neighbouring African countries of Togo and Ghana for tertiary education because of safe environment, required skills for industries and quality supply of electricity.

    Akande noted that Nigerians don’t mind the high cost of higher education in those countries, saying they will do anything to study away from home.

    Akande, Secretary of Council of the American Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership, based in the State of Kentucky, USA, spoke in an interview with pressmen in Calabar on Sunday.

    “These smaller, neighbouring countries produce young graduates with the required skills to support key industries.

    In his opinion, Akande said the massive size of a country does not matter when it comes to educational success.

    According to him, when a country is small, it can recover faster, develop faster and make all the innovative changes faster.

    He said higher institutions ought to be specialised so that students come out well skilled and specialised in their chosen fields.

    “Not where graduates of law from the University of Agriculture and School of Legal Studies produce mass communicators.

    “In Benin Republic, you have a university of management strictly for management sciences.”

    Akande proffered ways the country can attract investors into the educational sector to make universities less reliant on the government.

    He emphasised the quality of learning, the expansion of higher education through alternative financing mechanisms, paying attention to early childhood development and early reading, as some of the ways that can appeal to investors.

    “The country can create awareness of culture, engage good teachers/instructors and make the educational sector accountable by promoting autonomy,” he said.

  • EXPLOSION! 34 roasted to death at black market fuel depot in Benin

    EXPLOSION! 34 roasted to death at black market fuel depot in Benin

    Explosion at a black market fuel depot in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, has killed 34 people.

    A government official confirmed the incident to newsmen on Saturday.

    The government official said no fewer than 34 people were killed when a contraband fuel dump burst into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria.

    A serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji,” Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou told reporters.

    “Unfortunately we have 34 deaths including two babies. Their bodies are charred because the cause of the fire is smuggled fuel.”

    The minister said another 20 people were being treated in hospital, including some in a serious condition.

  • Ogbaka-Edo warns Obaseki not to cause crisis over move to create 18 traditional councils

    Ogbaka-Edo warns Obaseki not to cause crisis over move to create 18 traditional councils

    …advises state govt to reverse itself on decision

    The Ogbakha-Edo in Benin has sent a strong warning to the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki not to go ahead to create 18 traditional councils across the state as Benin people have only one Oba.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in a statement issued and signed by Professor Sam Guobadia, Chairman and Nosa Omorodion clearly stated that:

    “We wish to express our position on the needless and avoidable crisis generated by the recently announced decision of the Edo State Government to establish traditional councils in each of the eighteen (18) local government areas of the state.

    “We are particularly concerned that the seven (7) local government areas which comprise the Edo South Senatorial District are included in the decision. The local government areas are Oredo, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, Uhunmwonde and Orhionmwon.

    “As announced by the State Government in its release dated August 11th 2023 and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, the intention of the state government is to create a “new regime” pursuant to “a 1979 law”, by which each local government area including those in Edo South Senatorial District will have a traditional council; and that this is to ensure that “… all traditional rulers in the 18 local government areas of the state will receive monthly allowances to administer their domains”.

    “A perfunctory reading of the publication may suggest that the state government’s intention is altruistic and intended to strengthen the traditional institution in the state. However, before such sensitive resolutions are arrived at, it is expected that due consultation and dialogue with our revered monarch, the Oba of Benin and other relevant stakeholders of Benin ethnic extraction would be carried out.

    ” The strategic role of consultation is to consider valid interests, seek qualified opinions, gather insights from various sources and look at the situation from different perspectives of all in a concerted effort to reach a harmonious agreement.

    ” Unfortunately, from our findings, no form of deliberation or dialogue was initiated with the aforementioned parties before the government zeroed on this infamous verdict.

    ” Stemming from this, Ogbakha-Edo has reached the informed conclusion that if the state government presses ahead with its plan without initially executing this vital step, it has the consequence of completely eroding the traditional structure and cohesion of Edo South as epitomized and symbolized by the Benin Monarchy and the Chieftaincy institution among others.

    “No Benin person worthy of being called a Benin can standby and allow such monumental desecration of our revered traditional institution. This is our heritage and it is priceless to us!

    “In view of the foregoing, Ogbakha-Edo wishes to put on record thus:
    1. The Benin Kingdom is of very ancient origin dating back to the millennia, with the Oba of Benin as its ONLY traditional ruler, cultural pride and relevance in the larger contemporary society of Nigeria.

    2. Due to the incidence of colonialism and subsequent creation of local government areas, the Benin Kingdom now comprises the seven local government areas constituting Edo South Senatorial District, which local government areas are listed above.

    3. Despite the creation of the said seven local government areas, the Oba of Benin remains the ONLY traditional ruler in all the seven local government areas comprising Edo South Senatorial District.

    4. The Oba of Benin exercises his traditional ruler-ship across all the seven local government areas by himself and through chiefs appointed by him.

    5. There are different categories of chiefs appointed by the Oba of Benin, with the Enigie being one of the categories.

    6. The Enigie are appointed by the Oba of Benin as his representatives in the various towns and communities where they function across each of the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District.

    7. The Benin Traditional Council (BTC) is the competent traditional body through which the Oba of Benin exercises his power and authority throughout the Benin Kingdom.
    8. The chiefs of Benin Kingdom (including the Enigie) are all under the power and authority of the Oba, and the competence of the BTC. The chiefs cannot be constituted into any separate traditional council in the seven local government areas of Edo South, by whatever name called.

    9. The decision of the Edo State Government to create traditional councils in each local government area in Edo South amounts to constituting parallel traditional councils to compete with and function side by side with the existing Benin Traditional Council when the Oba of Benin is the ONLY traditional ruler in the whole Edo South Senatorial District, and therefore the ONLY traditional ruler in Oredo, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, Uhunmwonde and Orhionmwon local government areas.

    10. Even from the publication of the state government, there is an obvious admission, albeit unintended, that a traditional council can only be established in a local government with a traditional ruler. Since the Oba of Benin is the ONLY traditional ruler in the each of the local government areas of Edo South, it is incongruous for the Edo State Government to insist on its plan to establish new traditional councils in Edo South to co-exist with the existing Benin Traditional Council.

    11. The often cited section 45 of the Local Government and Chiefs Edict, 1979 which appears to be the sole provision upon which the Edo State Government purports to act, does not envisage establishment of traditional councils in the local government areas comprising Edo South Senatorial District. Instead, the section relates only to other senatorial districts of the state where there are more than one traditional rulers in the local government areas within those senatorial districts.

    “In view of the above, Oghakha-Edo hereby calls on the Edo State Government to reverse its decision as it affects Edo South Senatorial District, since there is only ONE traditional ruler in all the seven local government areas within the District, and that is the Oba of Benin. Instead, the government should make deliberate attempt to engage in wide spread consultation that will produce far reaching and generally acceptable outcomes for the betterment of the great kingdom of Benin and her people.

    “The state government does not need to await the outcome of any judicial process to reverse itself. As a government manned by human beings who can be given to error, there is nothing shameful for the Edo State Government to concede that in this particular instance, an innocent mistake has been made to include the local government areas in Edo South within the purview of the decision.

    “Ogbakha-Edo is convinced that it is only by reversing itself that the Edo State Government can demonstrate candour and manifest its desire for the sustenance of peace and tranquility in Edo South Senatorial District and across the state, while maintaining respect for our revered traditional institution.

    Long live the Benin Monarchy!
    Long Live the Benin Kingdom!
    Long Live Edo State!

    Professor Sam Guobadia, Ph.D, FICA, FIPMD
    Chairman
    Ogbakha-Edo

    Nosa Omorodion
    Publicity Secretary
    Ogbakha-Edo

  • Niger denounces military cooperation agreement with Benin

    Niger denounces military cooperation agreement with Benin

    Military in power in Niger has said that it had denounced a military cooperation agreement concluded in 2022 with neighbouring Benin, which they accuse of “considering aggression” against their country.

    In a press release read on national television, the military regime of Niamey indicated “having called on several occasions for compliance with the obligations” of this agreement signed on July 11, 2022, with Benin which they decided to “denounce”.

    The military who came to power in Niger through a coup d’état on July 26, claim that Benin has “decided to consider aggression against Niger instead of supporting it”.

    “The Republic of Benin has authorised the stationing of mercenary soldiers and war materials in view of an aggression desired by France in collaboration with certain countries” of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS against Niger, they assured Tuesday while reiterating their “desire to avoid escalation”.

    For several weeks, ECOWAS has been threatening military intervention in Niger to restore constitutional order and reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, held prisoner and refusing to resign.

    This agreement with Benin concerned in particular the exchange of intelligence, air assistance to monitor the movements of jihadists, and joint operations between the two Beninese and Nigerien armies.

    Northern Benin, bordering Niger and Burkina Faso, two countries undermined by recurring jihadist violence, has been the scene of attacks and incursions by these groups in recent months.

    This weekend, the new authorities in Niamey also accused France of preparing “aggression” by deploying “forces” in several West African countries. Accusations denied by Paris which does not recognize the military regime.

    Several military agreements with France were also denounced by the generals in power on August 3 who claim that the presence of 1,500 French soldiers on their territory is now illegal.

  • Army reacts to robbery attack on personnel in Benin

    Army reacts to robbery attack on personnel in Benin

    The Nigerian Army has said that no money was carted away when its military vehicle was attacked by armed robbers on Wednesday in Benin.

    Capt. Yemi Sokoya, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement on Friday in Benin, said that media reports suggesting that the hoodlums made away with Ghana-Must-Go bags containing money were inaccurate.

    Sokoya, who is the Public Relations Officer of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, said efforts ate ongoing with other security agencies to arrest the suspects and bring them to book.

    “The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a series of inaccurate narratives in the media space in respect of an attack on a military hilux vehicle at Akpakpava road by some armed gunmen on Wednesday, 23 August, 2023.

    “Contrary to several reports, a clerk from 4 Brigade Finance office and a driver went to town to fix the office printer and also stopped at WEMA bank to process and collect a bank statement.

    “The armed gang in a red Toyota Camry car, who must have trailed and noticed that the soldiers were not armed, opened fire on the vehicle, at a traffic light junction probably thinking the soldiers were carrying money.

    “But when they discovered that the vehicle was empty, they zoomed off. Unfortunately, some of the bullets hit the driver on the chest and he died.

    “A lot of reports have insinuated that the armed robbers made away with huge cash in a Ghana-Must-Go bag. That is entirely false, as no cash was involved,” said the Army spokesperson.