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Tag: Edo State

  • Igbinedion University appoints Chairman of governing council

    Igbinedion University appoints Chairman of governing council

    Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo, on Thursday inaugurated its 7th Governing Council, appointing renowned academic and pharmacist, Prof. Ahmed Mora, as the new Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council.

    Mora, a former Chairman of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, has served on several university governing boards, including that of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

    The inauguration ceremony, held in Benin, was presided over by the university’s Chancellor, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, who was represented by his son and Deputy Chancellor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.

    In his remarks, the Chancellor praised the outgoing 6th Council for its “uncommon diligence and commitment,” which, he said, contributed significantly to maintaining the institution’s status as a leading private university in Nigeria.

    He highlighted some of the council’s key achievements, including the development of a five-year strategic plan, inauguration of an oil palm mill, establishment of a 70-room hotel, and the successful execution of the university’s 25th anniversary celebration.

    “We are indebted to the sixth council for their invaluable contributions to the enviable position of Igbinedion University within Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape.

    “This serves as both an inspiration and a challenge to the seventh council which we are inaugurating today,” he said.

    According to him, every council member has been carefully chosen based on the antecedents and the value they bring.

    Igbinedion announced Mora as the Pro-Chancellor and the council chairman, and Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan as deputy Pro-Chancellor.

    In his acceptance speech, Mora expressed surprise and humility at his appointment, describing the appointment as a collective responsibility.

    “Honestly speaking, I don’t know what to say. I was asking someone to pinch me to confirm I wasn’t dreaming,” he said.

    “This is a collective responsibility. It’s just being one among equals. We will all work together,” he said.

    Mora said he looked forward to working with the council and university’s management to build on its achievements.

    “This is a private university. No ASUU. When we say we start on the 12th, we start on the 12th. That’s one of the beauties of this system,” he noted.

  • Flood claims life of 12-year-old pupil in Edo

    Flood claims life of 12-year-old pupil in Edo

    A 12-year-old boy, Nathan Spencer, has lost his life after being swept away by floodwaters while on his way to write the Middle Basic Assessment Examination in Benin.

    The incident occurred on Saturday along the Uselu-Ugbowo road during a downpour that left several parts of the city inundated.

    Spencer, a pupil of Future Leaders Academy in Benin, was reportedly heading to Liberty Secondary School in Uselu, Benin his designated examination centre for the First School Leaving Certificate Examination.

    Eyewitnesses said the floodwaters had submerged parts of the road, creating hazardous conditions for commuters and pedestrians.

    A viral video circulating online after the flooding showed a man carrying the lifeless body of the pupil on his shoulders, with bystanders urging him to rush the boy to the nearest hospital.

    Several onlookers could also be heard criticising the boy’s parents for allowing him to make the trip to the examination centre unaccompanied.

    This incident has sparked renewed concerns about the state’s flood preparedness and the safety of schoolchildren, especially during the rainy season.

    Meanwhile, the Edo Government said it has withdrawn operating licences of two schools over the incident.

    Dr Paddy Iyamu, the State Commissioner of Education disclosed this on Tuesday when he paid a condolence visit to the parents of the deceased.

    Iyamu asserted that the headteacher of one of the two schools had also been arrested in connection with the unfortunate incident.

    The commissioner expressed the government’s displeasure over the incident, saying Gov. Monday Okpebholo was deeply touched by the death and directed an immediate visit.

    “The state government will ensure that those responsible for the pupil’s death are held accountable. The principal is in police detention,” he said.

    Iyamu, however, advised parents and guardians to monitor their kids and wards closely and not leave them in the hands of hustlers in the disguise of being school owners.

  • Okpebholo approves N1bn annual bursary for Edo students

    Okpebholo approves N1bn annual bursary for Edo students

    Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has approved a ₦1 billion annual bursary scheme for students of Edo origin enrolled in tertiary institutions across the country.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Benin by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Fred Itua.

    According to the statement, Okpebholo made the pledge during a recent town hall meeting with youths, in response to a passionate appeal by several Edo youth leaders.

    They had urged the government to provide financial support to indigenes pursuing higher education in universities and other tertiary institutions nationwide.

    The governor said the bursary, which would be disbursed annually, was aimed at alleviating the financial burden on students and their families.

    He said that eligibility would be verified through applicants’ local governments of origin to ensure that only genuine Edo indigenes benefitted from the scheme.

    Okpebholo added that the initiative forms part of his administration’s broader commitment to promoting educational access, academic excellence, and youth empowerment.

    The governor said details on application procedures and timelines would be released soon by the relevant government departments and agencies.

  • PDP releases official timetable for bye-elections in Edo

    PDP releases official timetable for bye-elections in Edo

    The Edo chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has released the official timetable for the Edo Central Senatorial and Ovia Federal Constituency bye-elections.

    The announcement was made in a communiqué issued after a meeting of the party’s State Working Committee (SWC), held on Friday, at the PDP State Secretariat, in Benin.

    The communiqué was signed by the Secretary of the party’s Caretaker Committee  in the state, Jarret Tenebe.

    According to the communiqué, the SWC resolved to inform members, aspirants, and stakeholders of the approved schedule for the forthcoming bye-elections.

    The timetable was approved by the party’s National Working Committee, in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

    The sale of nomination and expression of interest forms is scheduled to begin on Saturday, and will close on Thursday.

    “Forms will be available for purchase and submission at the PDP State Secretariat, 20 Aiguobasimwin Crescent, GRA, Benin,”it said.

    The communiqué emphasised that all intending aspirants must strictly comply with the timetable, procedures, and guidelines outlined in the PDP’s electoral framework.

    “Ward congresses to elect three-man ad hoc delegates (where applicable) will be held on  July 17, at designated party ward secretariats.

    “Local government congresses to elect one national delegate per Local government area(LGA) will take place on July 18, at each LGA party secretariat.”

    The PDP reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a free, fair, and transparent electoral process anchored on party discipline and democratic principles.

    It also urged all members and stakeholders to cooperate and work toward the smooth and peaceful conduct of the bye-elections.

  • Edo IGR hits N52.6bn in 6 months

    Edo IGR hits N52.6bn in 6 months

    The Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) on Thursday announced that the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rose from N36.1 billion in the first half of 2024 to N52.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

    The Executive Chairman of EIRS, Oladele Bankole-Balogun, made this known at a press briefing in Benin, while reviewing the agency’s performance over the past six months under his leadership.

    He noted that the N52.6 billion generated in the first half of 2025 represented an 89.5 per cent performance rate, compared to 36 per cent recorded in the same period of 2024.

    Providing a breakdown of the monthly revenue figures, Bankole-Balogun said the state generated N10.4 billion in January, N9.6 billion in February, N6.9 billion in both March and April, N7.8 billion in May, and N11 billion in June.

    “These figures collected in 2025 gave us N52.6 billion in total, as against a budgeted half-year figure of N58.8bn,” Bankole-Balogun said.

    “This performance represents 89.5 per cent achievement year-to-date It also marks a 46 per cent increase compared to the N36.1bn total achieved in mid-2024.”

    “This achievement is historic. It reflects strong synergy between staff, management, and, most importantly, the unwavering support Gov. Monday Okpebholo,” he added.

    He also announced that in line with Federal Government tax reforms, the EIRS would implement PAYE tax exemptions for those earning N800,000 or less annually.

    “There will be reduced PAYE for monthly earners below N1.7m, 25 per cent personal income tax for those above N50m annually, and VAT remains at 7.5 per cent,” he said.

    Bankole-Balogun added that EIRS would enhance public enlightenment efforts to ensure taxpayers were well informed about the new tax structure and expected compliance.

    He stressed that the service was committed to transparency, value-added services, and building a robust, sustainable tax system to serve the people of Edo.

    He expressed appreciation to individuals, companies, and government MDAs whose compliance had played a major role in making the EIRS’s 2025 success story possible.

    “Your taxes remain the foundation for the massive infrastructural and developmental projects currently underway across our dear state,” he added.

  • Edo Guber verdict: Supreme Court adjourns sine die

    Edo Guber verdict: Supreme Court adjourns sine die

    The Supreme Court has adjourned sine die [indefinitely] judgement in the Edo State Governorship Election Petition appeal.
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    The apex court adjourned the judgement after taking arguments for and against the election that produced Senator Monday Obekpolo as governor.

    Justice Garba Lawal, who presided over the hearing of the appeal filed by Mr. Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that the date for delivery of the judgement would be communicated to the parties involved.

    Ighodalo, whose appeal was argued by Ken Mosia, SAN, prayed the Supreme Court to remove Okpebholo and pronounce him as the winner of the election.

    His ground was that he scored the majority of lawful votes in the election.
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    However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Kanu Agabi, SAN, asked the apex court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.

    Agabi argued that Ighodalo and the PDP had, in their petition, stigmatised the election as invalid and unlawful on the ground of non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

    The electoral body said that having declared the election as unlawful and illegal, Ighodalo and the PDP could not turn around and pray the court to declare them as winners of an illegality.
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    INEC accused Ighodalo and the PDP of being inconsistent in their grievances against the election and pleaded that their case be dismissed for want of merit.

  • Why I dumped Labour Party for APC – Edo South Senator, Imasuen

    Why I dumped Labour Party for APC – Edo South Senator, Imasuen

    The Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Neda Imasuen, has defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, made the announcement while reading Imasuen’s letter during plenary in Abuja. The letter was titled, “Notice of defection from the LP to the APC.”

    It letter partly read: I write to respectfully notify the distinguished senate through the office of the senate president of my resignation from the LP and my decision to officially join the APC.

    “This decision followed extensive consultations with my constituents, my political stakeholders and my supporters across Edo South District.

    “They had expressed their desire to have me enter a party that will give our people national prominence and political relevance.

    “I want to align my senatorial district with the development and the renewed hope agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration,’’ he said.

    According to Imasuen, his defection was necessitated by irreconcilable internal crises and leadership challenges within the LP.

    He added that this had hampered his capacity to effectively represent and deliver on the true mandate of governance to the good people of his constituents.

    In his remarks, Akpabio said, “This is very important for the benefits of this country and the peace of this nation.

    “This has accounted for the many complaints and tears that the senator had been heaping up,” he said.

    Imasuen chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.

  • Edo PDP, Govt bicker over Okpebholo’s N100bn loan

    Edo PDP, Govt bicker over Okpebholo’s N100bn loan

    The Edo Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC-led government on Wednesday bickered over the state Assembly’s approval of a N100 billion loan request by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

    This was contained, in a statement, by Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee in Benin.

    It would be recalled that the House of Assembly on Tuesday approved N100 billion loan request for Okpebholo to carry out infrastructural development across the state.

    “According to the Debt Management Office, Edo’s total domestic debt since 1991 stood at ₦112 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024.

    “If accessed, this loan means that the current administration would have doubled Edo’s debt in just eight months what took 34 years to accumulate,” Dr Aziegbemi said.

    He alleged absence of transparency, adding that there were no details on projects, contractors, interest rates, or timelines disclosed to the public so far.

    He noted that Edo citizens deserved to know what financial commitments were being made in their name and what exact cost the burden placed on future generations.

    “It is unacceptable to incur such debt without scrutiny or explanation. The state assembly has failed its constitutional oversight duty by endorsing this vague borrowing plan.

    “Ordinarily, loans of this magnitude are sourced from development finance institutions with low-interest rates not from commercial banks charging exorbitant rates up to 30 percent,” he added

    According to Aziegbemi, when PDP flagged the IGR decline from eight billion to two billion, they falsely claimed Edo was generating N10 billion monthly.

    “Yet this same government reportedly inherited over N50 billion from the Obaseki administration less than eight months ago, so where has all the money gone,” Aziegbemi queried.

    Aziegbemi reminded the state government and Assembly that the Freedom of Information Act 2011 applied to all levels of government in Nigeria.

    He disclosed that in light of the supreme court’s 2025 ruling in Osakue v. Edo state, PDP would file an official FOI request demanding full loan transparency.

    The PDP, therefore, demanded the details of all projects to be financed: contractors’ names and profiles, the full loan agreement, and assembly records.

    ”Edo PDP says no to mortgaging our future. We will not stand by while our people’s resources are hijacked to fund private political greed,” Aziegbemi said.

    Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua noted that Edo government was not obtaining a direct N100 billion loan  in spite of the Assembly’s approval of the facility.

    In a statement, Itua stated that the state government was acting as a guarantor to contractors, enabling them to secure funding for key infrastructure projects from First Bank.

    He explained that the facility allowed selected contractors to access funds directly, supported by the state’s financial guarantee to ensure smooth project implementation.

    “Governor Okpebholo’s administration is adopting this innovative funding model to fast-track infrastructure development across Edo, with disbursements tied directly to project-specific needs.

    “First Bank Plc will release funds to contractors based on verified project requirements, with a total facility tenure of 40 months,” he said.

  • Edo unions oppose return of missionary schools to churches

    Edo unions oppose return of missionary schools to churches

    Major education unions in Edo have rejected the state government’s plan to return some public schools to their original missionary owners.

    Governor Monday Okpebholo announced the proposed handover on June 16 during a courtesy visit by Bishop Gabriel Dunia of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi.

    However, in a strongly worded joint letter dated June 24, the unions expressed their opposition to the move.

    They include the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), and the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON).

    The letter, obtained by NAN on Wednesday, was signed by Comrade Bernard Ajobiewe (NUT State Chairman), Comrade Rasheed Mayaki (NUT State Secretary), Comrade Osahon Julius (ANCOPSS State President), and Comrade Efairibhor Peter (AOPSHON State Chairman).

    The unions warned that the handover could compromise the secular nature of public education, limit access for children from low-income families, and potentially ignite religious tension in the state.

    “The government’s involvement has ensured that education remains accessible, affordable, and secular. Returning these schools to missionary owners threatens to erode those gains,” the statement said.

    They cautioned that missionary schools are known for high tuition fees and religious-centric curricula, which could exclude children from poor backgrounds and conflict with national education standards.

    The unions warned that granting the Catholic Church’s request could prompt other religious groups, such as the Anglican Communion and Muslim organisations, to seek control of their former schools.

    According to the unions, such a development could lead to the “fragmentation of the education system” and increase inequality.

    They also questioned the fate of public servants currently working in the affected schools.

    “What happens to the government workers in these schools? Will they be transferred or laid off?” they queried.

    Citing specific examples, the unions said some of the missionary-founded schools earmarked for return are the only government secondary schools in their host communities.

    “For instance, St. Joseph’s Grammar School in Otuo serves seven quarters. If returned, there will be no government school left in the area.

    “Children would have to trek over six kilometres to the next available school, violating the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act,” they argued.

    They further listed other schools that may be subject to future claims, including Anglican Grammar School, Igarra; Ikpomaza Grammar School, Okpella; and Ansar-Ud-Deen Grammar School, Agbede.

    “What is the fate of the common man’s child who cannot even afford two square meals a day?” they asked.

    The unions urged the governor to reconsider the decision and instead invest in strengthening the public education system for all.

    “We strongly advise that any plan to return public schools to religious organisations be suspended pending wide consultation with relevant stakeholders,” they said.

    The unions reaffirmed their commitment to supporting any government policy aimed at improving education in the state, but insisted that such moves must prioritise equity and access.

  • Edo Assembly approves N100bn loan for Okpebholo

    Edo Assembly approves N100bn loan for Okpebholo

    The Edo House of Assembly on Tuesday approved a N100 billion loan for Gov. Monday Okpebholo to carry out infrastructural development across the state.

    The approval followed Monday’s letter, addressed to the Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku.

    The letter, signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ikhilor, stated that the contractual loan facility would be sourced from the First Bank Nigeria Plc.

    The letter, titled “Request for Legislative Approval of N100 billion”, explained that the loan would support contractors’ financing for infrastructural projects in various parts of Edo.

    At the Committee of the Whole, the lawmakers unanimously supported the N100 billion request, saying that it would help complete all ongoing infrastructure projects in the state.

    The speaker directed the Clerk, Yahaya Omognai, to forward clean copies of the resolution approving the request to the governor for immediate implementation.

    The house also passed a bill establishing St. Matthew Royal College of Nursing Science, Edenu-Irrua.