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Tag: Edo State

  • Oba Ewuare warns youths against evil activities

    Oba Ewuare warns youths against evil activities

    Oba Ewuare II of Benin has cautioned youths to desist from evil activities capable of ruining their futures.

    The monarch gave the advice at a lavish reception for the youth on Saturday at the palace ground in Benin.

    He said that for the young ones to excel in life, they must eschew all forms of youthful delinquencies and focus on virtues that would make them future leaders.

    Oba Ewuare also cautioned them to always be diligent in their behaviours, noting that obedience to parents’ instructions was key to generational blessings.

    He added that the palace had concluded arrangements to host the event twice a year.

    The monarch further reassured the people of the Kingdom of better life, stressing that the it would do everything within its powers to ensure that peace and tranquility reigned in Benin kingdom and Edo, at large.

    The event also featured dance competition and various prizes given to winners, while white pigeons were released as symbol of peace and tranquility in the state.

     

  • Security: Edo Govt. to establish emergency response centre

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo says his administration is building an emergency response centre to coordinate all the operations under the newly-inaugurated State Security Architecture.

    Obaseki stated this when the new Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosun paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Benin on Wednesday.

    He said the response centre would be ready in three months.

    Obaseki commended the outgone Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo, for his cooperation and support in the birth of the new security architecture and Trust Fund in the state.

    The Governor said the security trust fund would be managed in a transparent manner and urged citizens of the state to support and contribute to the initiative.

    He assured the new commissioner of police of the support of his administration to ensure he succeeded in his responsibility.

    Obaseki said the former Commissioner of Police was diligent, resourceful and incorruptible, urging the new commissioner to run a corruption-free command and ensure that the people of the state trusted the force.

    Earlier, Odumosun said his mission was to protect lives and property and ensure that the state was safe for all.

    Odumosun promised to improve on what he met on ground, saying that he would police the state with international best practices using community policing as a pivot.

    “I will publish the names of all the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Area Commanders in the state, to enable the people of the state reach them in emergency situations.

    “This will enable us evaluate their response time to crime,’’ he said.

     

  • Hakeem Odumosu takes over as new Edo Commissioner of Police

    Mr Hakeem Odumosu, on Wednesday assumed office as the new Edo Commissioner of Police.

    Odomosu takes over from Mr Johnson Kokumo who is leaving for a development course to further his career at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

    Speaking shortly after taking over the command, the new CP assured residents of the state of an improved security during his tenure.

    He said his tenure would make the state hot for criminals as well as ensure that residents have unrestricted access to top management of the police command.

    He also said that he would ensure that the command does the needful in tandem with the laws of the country as well as protect the fundamental rights of the people.

    He further said that he would take-over from where his predecessor stopped and also consolidate on his achievements.

    Earlier, Kokumo said the state has 55 Divisions and 10 Area Commands.
    He also said that the state command is blessed with officers with the finest set of management team to work with.

    He added that the state was relevant to the entire nation, and urged the people to give maximum cooperation to the new CP.

     

  • Edo Assembly female candidate cries out over sexual harassment

    Edo State House of Assembly only female candidate seeking to represent Oredo West Constituency, Miss Charity Idahosa, says she is being sexually harassed by men over her ambition.

    Idahosa, contesting under the platform of Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), made the allegation in a chat with newsmen in Benin on Thursday.

    She described the experience as frustrating, and a recurring negative trend against women in politics.

    “Well it has been mixed feelings. I came into politics with the desire to make a change and contribute my quota to the development of Oredo West constituency.

    “It will be shocking to note that people I had looked up to for support often asked for sexual gratification before giving their support and for me it absurd and unacceptable.”

    The MAJA party candidate who declined to mention names added: “I know this may sound funny but it is real.

    “There are a lot of women out there that cannot speak out on some of their unpleasant encounters and experiences.

    “I think it is time for Nigeria women to rise against this trend. We need to be protected and supported.”

    The MAJA candidate, however, vowed to remain undaunted in her desire to contest the state assembly election in spite of the frustration and lack of support.

    Idahosa stressed that female candidates require a law to protect them from all forms of harassment in the pursuit of their political ambitions.

     

  • Obaseki demands Police investigation of New Year’s day shooting in Benin

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has urged the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo, to investigate the shooting incident at Ring Road, Benin, the state capital on New Year’s Day.

    In a statement, issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy , Mr Crusoe Osagie, the governor assured that anyone found culpable would be brought to book.

    Obaseki demanded for a clear report on what actually transpired and the condition under which the reported shooting took place.

    He said the administration placed high priority on the security of lives and property with the huge investment in the recently launched state’s security architecture and trust fund.

    “Unconfirmed reports trending on some news platforms claim the incident at Ring Road happened during the frenzied celebration of the cross-over to the New Year.

    “It is alleged that a life was lost, but we are yet to get the details of the incident from the Police and other concerned security agencies,” he said.

     

  • Obaseki okays multipurpose production centres in Edo to boost activities of MSMEs

    Obaseki okays multipurpose production centres in Edo to boost activities of MSMEs

    In a concerted effort to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state for increased productivity, the Edo State Government through its skills development platform, EdoJobs, with development partners, are set for the launch of the Edo Production Centre, a multipurpose, one-stop-shop for small businesses.

    The centre is the brainchild of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration and will be managed in partnership with the Market Development for the Niger Delta (MADE) II programme, Benson Idahosa University (BIU) and the Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, the United States of America.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Skills Development and Job Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said that a number of production centres are going to be sited in the three senatorial districts of the state, noting that the pilot centre is situated in Benin City.

    She added that a stakeholders’ meeting has been schedule for January 7, after which different small and medium business owners will be allowed into the centre, which is equipped with 24 hours electricity and other support structures to make them more productive.

    Small businesses expected to be hosted at the centre include welding and fabrication, recycling and waste management, polythene makers, printing press, clothing factories, bakeries and confectionaries, packaging companies, among others. The center is fitted with factory space, security and office space.

    She said there will be live-in desks for relevant government agencies to engage, support and provide services to small businesses at the centre, noting that the agencies to be hosted are the Bank of Industry (BoI), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), among others.

    According to her, “The Edo Production Centre is a space where small manufacturing and production businesses can take advantage of constant power supply, advanced training facilities and a space to do their business.

    “We realised that typical skills acquisition programmes need to be revamped to create lasting impact and provide viable paths to prosperity for youths. So, skills acquisition in Edo is currently delivered alongside entrepreneurship and business management, start-up acceleration, digital marketing and branding programmes.”

    She said the project will be made up of a shared workspace for artisans and an efficient delivery and logistics ecosystem, and users will be able to enjoy power and water supply, internet services, warehousing, a shared online portal to improve access to market and in some cases shared equipment.

    “Artisan groups to benefit from the project include welders, furniture makers, tailors, aluminium fabricators, shoe manufacturers, wood processors and so on,” she added.

     

  • Benin residents experience miserable Christmas

    Benin residents experience miserable Christmas

    Benin residents experienced a miserable 2018 Christmas as long queues surfaced at bank cash points known as the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and Points of Sale (PoS) in Benin City, Edo capital, according to checks.

    Most of the machines had failed to dispense cash during the Yuletide with scores of residents returning home disappointed.

    Some of the respondents who spoke in separate interviews with NAN on Wednesday described the situation as frustrating and unfortunate.

    According to them, most of the machines in the city have not been dispensing cash since Friday night, a situation which has resulted in spending long hours in the queue at the few ATMs that were working.

    Mr Peter Ojo, who said he was unable to get cash from the machines he visited on Friday night, regretted that the situation had not changed as at Christmas morning.

    “It is a very `funny’ thing that the banks did not make contingency plans for a period like this,” he told NAN.

    For Mr Osagie Mathew, he said had been in the queue since 6.00 a.m. on Wednesday waiting to cash money for the Christmas celebration.

    He said: “I have been to more than six ATM machines of different banks but the same thing applies to all: unable to dispense cash.

    “It is like a deliberate plan by all the banks to deprive their customers of cash withdrawals during holiday.

    “What we are experiencing now was just what happened during the last Christmas and Easter celebrations where we had to contend with the failure of ATMs and fuel scarcity.”

    A journalist, Osagie Omorogieva, said he trekked several kilometres to Akpakpava road, moving from one machine to another.

    “I tell you, it was all a futile effort as I could not get any of the machines that was dispensing cash in the long stretch of Akpakpava road.

    “The only two ATM machines at Diamond Bank and Union Bank that were dispensing cash was like a market place,” he said.

    NAN reports that the situation is not different at the ATM machines on both Airport road and Sapele road.

    A security guard at a new generation bank on Sapele road, who did not want his name in print, appealed to customers to exercise patience, saying the officials of the bank are already addressing the challenges to restore normalcy.

    “I’m sure the people responsible will come and look into this problem before the end of today.

    “I can tell you that the rush for cash by customers is largely responsible for this problem. But it will be sorted out soon,” he promised.

    Apart from the ATMs, most PoS centres were unable to attend to their customers’ needs due to network failure.

    A motorist, Mr John Omoruyi who described the situation as “appalling”, said he went to NNPC mega station with the hope of using their PoS to buy fuel but he could not get the transaction through owing to network problems.

    “They had network problem and I couldn’t buy fuel.

    “This is not just peculiar to the filling station as my friend also had a similar experience in one of the supermarkets where he was unable to make purchases due to the failure of PoS.”

     

  • Christmas rush: Travellers groan over 100% transport fare hike in Edo

    Christmas rush: Travellers groan over 100% transport fare hike in Edo

    Barely 48 hours to Christmas, commuters in Edo groaned over hike in transport fares by more than 100 per cent to many destinations from Benin.

    Transport fare from Benin to Makurdi, Benue, which hitherto cost N4, 000, jumped to N8, 500 as at Sunday morning.

    Transport fares to Abia, Enugu and Anambra have increased from N3,000, N2,500 and N1,500 to N6,000, N5,000 and N3,500 respectively.

    Some of the commuters who spoke in separate interviews with NAN in Benin wonder why the increase when there was no increase in official price of fuel or scarcity of the product in the area.

    Others, however, traced the development to the usual yuletide.

    A commuter, Mrs Okechi Mba, described the increase as a“desperate means by commercial drivers to exploit passengers, many of who he noted must travel home, no matter the transport cost during festive periods.

    “It is just act of wickedness against their fellow human beings. How do you explain this huge increase?

    “I am still confused as to the cost of travelling from here down to Aba; myself and three kids. It’s sad,” she lamented.

    Mr Agbo Ogenyi, called for regulation of cost of transportation that had become a yearly affair.

    Transport fare for intercity has also increased due to the increasing movement of commuters.

    Benin to Auchi, Sabongida-Ora and Ekpoma increased from N1,000, N800 and N1,000 to N1,500, N1200 and N1200 respectively.

     

  • Obaseki signs N183.7bn 2019 budget into law

    Obaseki signs N183.7bn 2019 budget into law

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has signed the state N183.7 billion Appropriation Bill for 2019 into law, saying it would be implemented for the betterment of the people of Edo.

    The budget, earlier pegged at N175 billion, was reviewed upward to N183,744,326,962.19 by the Edo House of Assembly.

    Speaking shortly after assenting to the Budget on Wednesday in Benin, the Governor thanked the legislature for the timely consideration and passage of the budget.

    “Last year, when parliament considered our budget and approved the budget before 31st December 2017, people taught we were joking.

    “I recall you said as long as you are Speaker, this will be the tradition.

    “You have kept your word. I want to thank you sincerely for considering the budget in this manner,” Obaseki said.

    He also expressed appreciations to the legislators for being flexible enough to accommodate additions to the budget, due to new developments in the state.

    “We just got the right to host the 2020 National Sports Festival last Sunday.

    ” No sooner an application was made to the committee, you moved into action to incorporate the expenditure that will be required to ensure that we successfully host the game.

    “We want to also thank you for the gesture of putting in reasonable amount to support our security architecture.”

    Presenting the 2019 approved appropriation bill to the governor for his assent, Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Mr Kabiru Adjoto, said due consultation was done with the different Ministries, Departments and Agencies before the upward review of the budget.

    Adjoto said the upward adjustment capital expenditure was 4.3 percent of the N175 billion present to the House by the governor.

    He said the increment was to provide funds for the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects across the state.

    The speaker said: “We decided to adjust the budget from N175 billion to N183 billion to accommodate for the state hosting of the 2020 National Sports Festival.

    “We had to make more money available for the Agriprenuer programme, health sector, security and infrastructure; especially the completion of the state high court project and Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.”

     

  • Customs seizes smuggled rice worth N101.7m

    Customs seizes smuggled rice worth N101.7m

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded about 1,160 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice and five trucks used to convey them, in Edo.

    The rice and trucks worth N101.7 million were seized by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Strike Force in zone “C”.

    Zone “C” comprises Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi.

    At a media briefing in Benin on Tuesday, Mr Abdullahi Kirawa, the National Coordinator of the Strike Force, said that the seizure was achieved through intelligence reports from members of the public and Customs intelligence unit.

    Kirawa said that the seized bags of rice were concealed in five trucks.

    He said that the smuggling showed the level of desperation of perpetrators.

    “The NCS will not relent in ensuring that activities of smugglers are nipped in the bud,” the official said.

    He said that smugglers had introduced new ways of smuggling rice into the country, listing the ways to include concealing bags of rice in fuel tankers and GP tanks.

    Kirawa appealed to members of the public to see smuggling as an evil wind that would blow no good.

    He urged members of the public to help to expose smugglers.