Tag: Godwin Obaseki

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NEWS & LIFE

FG urges States to provide land for irrigation projects

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev has appealed to state governments and communities to provide land that would encourage farmers to practice irrigated farming.

 

Utsev in a statement on Friday said this was necessary in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to cultivate 500,000 hectares of irrigable agriculture across the twelve River Basins to boost national food production.

 

The statement quotes the minister as saying this when he paid a visit to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State at the Government House Benin City.

 

The minister said his visit was to officially launch the 2023 Dry Season farming through the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority.

 

He announced the commencement of nationwide dry season farming to meet the National food production targets.

 

He sought the state government’s approval of Title Deeds for acquired lands from communities in the state to facilitate the proposed partial commercialisation of River Basin Development Authorities.

 

This, he added would encourage Public Private Partnerships in key projects for the benefit of the public.

 

Utsev highlighted the ministry’s intervention projects in water supply, irrigation, dams, erosion control structures, and sanitation facilities within the Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority catchment areas.

 

The river Basin covers Edo, Ekiti, Ondo States, and Delta North Senatorial District.

 

In his response, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, while welcoming the team to the state, stressed the need for synergy between states and the federal government.

 

He commended the minister’s dedication and urged him to bring fresh perspectives to achieve shared goals.

 

The governor emphasised collaboration on efficient water use, also urged the Federal Government to consider state water agencies, highlighting the economic potentials of water resources across the country.

 

The statement quotes both parties expressing commitment to collaborate in areas of irrigation, water supply, dams, and programmes like Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene and Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene.

 

Obaseki presented the Alaghodaro Summit Souvenir to the Minister, recognising his visit during the ongoing Edo Economic Summit

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FEATURED STORIES POLITICS

Obaseki’s pathetic turn of mind deserves pity

Gov Obaseki

By Bayo Onanuga

While inaugurating the Edo State chapter of the already-destined-to-fail Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Council yesterday in Benin, the underperforming, ever loquacious Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki betrayed his oath of office by wishing for the break up of our country because of his brand of crass partisanship.

Obaseki told his band of jesters that Nigeria will break up if our party, the All Progressives Congress wins the 2023 presidential election which our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is primed to win as the best among the candidates seeking the mandate of Nigerians.

Asiwaju Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima have demonstrated their combined capacities and competencies as Governors of Lagos and Borno States where they both provided purposeful and transformational leadership. The footprints of their achievements and legacies in public service continue to stand the test of time having engineered the emergence of worthy successors, who have continued to raise the bar in service delivery in the two states they proudly governed.

For a man who swore an oath of allegiance to the sovereignty and unity of Nigeria to be a purveyor of ill-will towards the same country because of partisan politics smirks of total irresponsibility and recklessness unbecoming of a governor who has a constitutionally sanctioned duty to preserve the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

It is worth stating that we are are not in any way surprised about Obaseki’s outburst about Nigeria’s breaking. He is, by nature, a divisive, obnoxious and toxic human being that lacks introspection and contemplation expected of a person occupying the office of a governor. He is obviously a man bereft of any iota of emotional intelligence and perhaps a misfit for the role he currently occupies.

At his ill-fated event in Benin yesterday, Obaseki also repeated the earlier false claim he made in April 2021 on Nigeria’s debt and his accusation that CBN was printing money to share directly to state governments, as if state finance commissioners hauled the billions of naira that is due to them by cash from Abuja every month. Only a disconnected and diseased mind could imagine this scenario that Obaseki concocted. The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed and CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele debunked his lies in a manner that portrayed him as a nitwit, cheap liar and busybody who was just playing to the gallery. What a pity for a man who claimed to have financial background.

It is worth stating that the CBN has never printed money to pay Federal Allocations to states as claimed by Obaseki.
This much was publicly stated by the Governor of CBN and Minister of Finance. In any case, there is nothing strange or unusual in a sovereign nation printing money when it has to be done because it is one of the core mandates of Central Banks all over the world as lender of last resort. Nations embark on such moves when they are in difficult fiscal situation, as the whole world has been confronted with since 2019 with Covid-19 pandemic that put the global economy on tailspin. Everyone is aware that sovereign nations had to do what they needed to do in response to an existential crisis as COVID-19 ravaged economies, shut down factories and companies. The crisis made farmers lose a season or two of cultivation and crops rotted in farmlands as farmers could not reach shut markets. Global value and supply chains were disrupted entirely, with shipping costs tripling as a result.

While playing his politics without honour and integrity, Obaseki didn’t remember to tell his crowd that Edo State benefited and took advantage of all the CBN/FGN windows and interventions via loans, restructuring of loans. The policy has helped to save his state and other 35 states from economic cataclysm because of their terrible fiscal positions, which made many of them unable to pay salaries and pensions for months.

This same Obaseki, along with other governors under the banner of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, has been putting pressure on CBN and Minister of Finance for more moratorium on their due obligations to CBN.

We advise Obaseki to stop his scaremongering and concentrate on how to save his faltering, failing, disconnected and unpopular Government in Edo State. He should stop abusing his office and stooping so low into the dirty gutter of bitter politicking and crisis-baiting. After more than 5 years in office, Obaseki does not have any landmark achievement in Edo State other than paying those on whose shoulder he rose to political relevance in Nigeria with evil. One of his mentors, the energetic Governor Nyesom Wike has expressed the deepest regrets in ever helping Obaseki to retain power in Edo State.

It is quite amusing when Obaseki said PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will rescue and rebuild Nigeria. We want to ask them how? How can the same people that destroyed the country and created the mess which the APC-led Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is working day and night to clean up, rescue Nigeria? It is the height of absurdity that Obaseki would recommend to reasonable Nigerians that his party could add new value to Nigeria after it superintended over the looting of over $5b in arms procurement contracts when Boko Haram ravaged the country. How can a party that has failed to build its National Secretariat in 16 years despite raising over N26billion build anything, including our nation?. And of course, nothing is expected from the same people who wasted $16billion to procure darkness for Nigerians in 16 years.

Obaseki should know by now that Nigerians do not want to have anything to do with his party and Atiku. And the signs are there for all to see: Obaseki’s PDP cannot even rescue itself from internal implosion.

Nigeria remains secure in the hands of our party APC. And the future is even brighter with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.

Their candidacy has brought RENEWED HOPE across the country. We believe Nigerians will invest their trust in our party and a renewed greatness is our destiny.

Bayo Onanuga
Director, Media and Publicity
Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council
October 25, 2022

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FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Tobi Amusan’s performance is a classic display of the dogged and indomitable Nigerian spirit – Obaseki

World Athletics Championships: Ajunwa tasks Amusan, others on professionalism

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, has described the fantastic performance of Tobi Amusan, ahich won her the women’s 100m hurdles gold for Nigeria at the World Athletics Championship 2022, as a demonstration of the indomitable Nigerian spirit.

Amusan set a new world record in the semifinals of the athletic event, becoming the first Nigerian to win a gold medal at the World Championship.

Obaseki, in a statement, hailed Amusan for the stunning, rousing and inspirational performance at the global tournament and for showcasing the indomitable Nigerian spirit to the rest of the world.

The governor said: “I heartily congratulate our track superstar, Tobi Amusan, on her enviable feat at the World Athletics Championship 2022, clinching gold at the global tournament and setting a new world record in the semifinals of the competition to become the first Nigerian to win a world championship.

“A worthy ambassador of the country, Amusan, a two-time African Games champion, has continued to blaze the trail, putting the nation on the global map for good.

“Her wizardry performance at the global competition at the weekend, is a classic display of the dogged and indomitable Nigerian spirit.

“We are proud of her exploits and are even more confident that she will bring more glory to the country.”

According to him, the victory is an excellent inspiration to Nigerian youths to toe the path of hard work, saying his administration would sustain investment in the sports sector to create more opportunities for Edo youths.

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EDUCATION

Obaseki links escalating drug abuse to ASUU strike

Obaseki seeks collaboration to expand Edo’s tax revenue
GOV Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

Edo’s Gov. Godwin Obaseki on Friday in Benin blamed increasing rate of drug abuse in the state on the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) strike.

Reviewing the state’s security situation for the months of February, March and April, Gov. Obaseki said Edo recorded 19 drug abuse cases in February, 34 cases in March and 23 cases in April.

“Drug abuse is now number two issue of concern in our state.

“Our analysis shows that there is high rate of consumption of drugs in the last few months.

“This is not unconnected with the ASUU strike which has kept many students at home and idle,’’ the governor said.

The review came after a joint security meeting between the state government and representatives of various security agencies in the state.

“I use the opportunity of this meeting to appeal to ASUU and the Federal Government to do all they can to end this strike as soon as possible.

“This is in the interest of the children so that we do not keep them at home and destroying their lives.

“If they are not going to school, as you know the idle mind is a devil’s workshop. One way we hope that we can reduce the use of drugs is if we take these children back to school.

“Another issue is the accident rate. We have observed slight reduction because of the rains.

“We use this medium to further appeal to the Federal Government that the major roads leading into Edo be repaired, particularly the Benin-Auchi, Okpekpe-Okene roads,’’ he said.

Obaseki noted that road accidents accounted for a large number of deaths recorded in the state.

He stressed that the state had enjoyed a relative decline in other incidents, which shows that Edo is becoming safer.

In his remarks, Commissioner of Police in Edo, Mr Abutu Yaro, corroborated the views of the governor on crime reduction, saying that Edo is safer now than earlier

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FEATURED STORIES NEWS & LIFE

NEC speaks on subsidy removal

President Muhammadu Buhari

As fear and controversy grown over the Federal Government’s plan to remove subsidy on petroleum products, the National Economic Council (NEC) says it has yet to take a decision on the issue of fuel subsidy removal as deliberations are still ongoing.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo fielded questions from State House correspondents after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the governor, NEC has been deliberating on the issue of fuel subsidy for more than a year.

“There was an ad hoc committee set up by NEC and headed by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai that included members of the executive arm of government and worked on recommendations as to what we should do about the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) locally.

“Because as you realise, as it has been told us, the cost of PMS in Nigeria today is about N162 for a litre whereas every other country surrounding Nigeria is selling the product at more than 100 per cent of the cost in Nigeria.

“The country, as at last year, spent in excess of …; we must have the exact figures — but we must have spent almost N2 trillion subsidising petroleum products.

“That is money that could have gone into building roads; money that could have gone into healthcare and education.

“So, for NEC, the argument has been put out; should we continue this regime of spending money that we do not have to subsidise the living standard of mostly those who have vehicles.’’

He said that when NEC looked at some of the analysis last year, it realised that less than one-third of the states of the country consumed two-third of the subsidy.

According to him, the issue of equity also comes up.

“All of these findings were presented to NEC and NEC has deliberations still ongoing.

“So, NEC has not come up with any decision yet and I think has also been made to the president,’’ he said.

On his part, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State said Nigerians ought to know about the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as the NNPC had become a limited liability company.

According to him, the NNPC will run differently henceforth.

“So, if the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning provides for six months, you probably can understand part of the reason for the provision of six months before NNPC takes off.

“At that moment, that is when decision will be made. But I want to make the correction that it is not governors who are making the recommendations.

“It is actually a NEC committee that is looking at this and no decision has been made; probably a decision will be made; the PIA would have taken charge and it would not require any recommendation from anybody,’’ Sule said.

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POLITICS

Planned demolition of Benin Central Hospital: APC tackles Obaseki

The Edo chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for an immediate and unconditional halt to the plan by the state government to demolish Benin Central Hospital and in its place build an ultra-modern motor park.

In a statement issued by its State Assistant Publicity Secretary, Victor Osheobo, on Monday in Benin, the APC described the plan as a plot to “Make Edo Grounded Again” (MEGA).

According to the party, there is no wisdom in the reason advanced by the government for the proposed demolition of the hospital which is to make way for an ultra-modern Motor Park to decongest the city centre and ultimately generate additional revenue for the state.

“We label such thinking not only as weird and evil, but also unacceptable.

“This is because no right thinking government will prefer to replace a viable health facility, which it should equip and staff, to better cater for the well-being of the people, with a Motor Park.

“The APC has it on good authority that the hospital has been stripped bare while bulldozers are already lined up for the demolition exercise.

“Our party will not allow this unpatriotic efforts of the government to continue because potentially it destroys the fortunes of generations of Edo children.

“We also demand an immediate and complete cessation of all MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) or partnerships the Edo State government has entangled itself with, to warrant this sinister move.

“We want to place Gov. (Godwin) Obaseki and his PDP government in particular on notice that the APC will hold them responsible for the extent of their complicity if they attempt to remain silent in the wake of this glaring and dubious attempt to shortchange the people of Edo by swindling them out of their legitimate inheritance,” the statement read.

The party urged all critical stakeholders and the general public to raise their voices in defense of the interest of Edo people, against the morbid scheme by those who have made it a duty to ensure that the state remained backward.

This, it said, is being orchestrated by undermining the historical, economic and social fabrics of the state to stimulate and encourage rampant poverty, and social problems under various guises including this one.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Mr Andrew Emwanta, the state Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, as saying that the Edo Govt will relocate the hospital to the Stella Obasanjo hospital, to pave the way for the transformation of the 100-year-old Central Hospital, a claim that the opposition tagged as lie.

Emwanta said the Stella Obasanjo Hospital is being expanded and improved to deliver quality health services to Edo people.

The Central Hospital, he said, had been in existence for over 100 years; hence most of the facilities are very old and do not support modern-day medical service delivery.

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NEWS & LIFE

Why I haven’t signed anti-open grazing bill – Obaseki

Court admits documents in alleged forgery suit against Obaseki
Governor Godwin Obaseki

Edo State Governor, God win Obaseki, has said that need to firm up implementation scheme is delaying his signing of theb anli-open grazing bill.

He said on Monday that it did not make sense to pass the anti-open grazing bill into law without carrying it out by arresting and prosecuting offenders of the same law.

Obaseki stated this at a stakeholders Town-Hall meeting on the proposed Anti-open Grazing Law.

He said that the delay in signing the anti-open grazing bill in the state follows the need to craft an implementable law that will put an end to the growing security and economic challenges in the state.

According to him, “We are one of the few states that have not signed the the bill into law, and the reason is simple to sign a law is very simple, it doesn’t make sense to put out a law you cannot enforce.

“The best way of enforcing a law is to bring everybody together to be part of for that law. We have a crisis in our country, it is deeply rooted, there are different causes why these are happening, let us go to the root of the causes and resolve it from the there.

“People have said that we have lived a hundred years together in harmony before now, why are we now having this problem today.

“If we don’t go to the reason why, then we will be scratching the surface, let us start by understanding why we are having this challenge. To sign a law is very easy, it doesn’t make sense to put out a law that you cannot enforce.

“The anti-grazing law in my view is to deal with some perception, I just want to tell you that this is not an issue between Christians and Muslims, it is not an issue between North and South, it is not an issue between Edo people and Fulani people.

“As long as we have decided that we will eat meats and drink milk, we will now have sit down and rearrange the business on how we will get the people who are producing the meat on how the must organize themselves.

“Let us not play politics with this issue, let us deal with this issue honestly and openly, there are security implications, because some people have now joined and using these herders to perpetrate insecurity.

“My worry is that if we don’t celebrate them, to understand that the business in cattle herding is separate, so that we can know those people who are using cattle rearing to perpetrate crime and insecurity in our state we will be missing the point.

“There are people who are doing their legitimate businesses of cattle herding and producing meat and their criminals who wants to destablized our country and our state,” he said.

In his contribution, the Representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Edo, Rev. Oriakhi Davies, said that cattle rearing is a private business and anybody interested in the business should go and acquire land for such businesses.

Davies suggested ranching as an alternative for open grazing, adding that governments should create cattle feed or import cattle feed for cattle herders to purchase such feed from government.

Also speaking, the State Chairman of cattle dealers, Alhaji Saad Ahmed, said that about 45 per cent of cows consumed in Benin comes directly from the North.

Ahmed appealed to the governor to take everybody equal irrespective of their religion and beliefs, saying that God has blessed Edo where they have been leaving without any trouble.

He stressed that most of the challenges caused by herders are from those who are coming from far part of the North to Edo.

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FEATURED STORIES NEWS & LIFE

Compulsory vaccination: Pastor punctures Obaseki’s stand

Adeboye

Pastor EA Adeboye was in an unusual mood early Saturday, October 2, 2021, when he criticised the move by some governors to bar from public places people who have yet to get COVID-19 vaccine.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State is particularly known for the crusade.

In an unusual satirical way, Adeboye wondered how an Obaseki wants all the people to get vaccinated when the amount of vaccines available cannot go round even 10 per cent of the population.

He said during a sermon at the ongoing Holy Ghost programme at the Redemption Camp, Mowe, Ogun State:

“The number of doses available in the country is not even enough for 10 per cent of the total population of the country, how do you then say whoever does not take the vaccine will not be able to go to the bank, church?

“it means 90 per cent of the people will not be able to access their money. We will need to go back to the olden days of keeping money, I hope you know this system.

“Well, I believe they just want to make us laugh and you know in Nigeria, we need things to make us laugh,” he further stated.

He, however, stressed that he never asked anyone not to take the vaccine.

According to him, he too will be prepared to take it, especially if doing so becomes a condition for him to spread the gospel.

Adeboye added, “If taking the vaccine will make you feel safer, you can go ahead to take,” stressing that “if there is need for me to take it, I will do.”

Pastor Adeboye explained that he will take the vaccine if is a requirement to travel to a country he intends to go for the gospel.

“I can do anything to do the work of God, including taking the vaccine to allow me to enter a country just to preach the gospel,” the leader of the church said.

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NEWS & LIFE

No COVID-19 vaccination, no wedding party – Obaseki

Obaseki seeks collaboration to expand Edo’s tax revenue
GOV Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

As the Federal Government plans compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for civil servants in Nigeria, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said that anyone who refuses to be vaccinated will be barred from attending weddings and other social events in the state.

He said this in response to the decision of a court that invalidated his order that the vaccination is compulsory.

He said his words had all along been misunderstood or misinterpreted in terms of the compulsion.

He, however, insisted that proof of vaccination would become a pass for people who want to join public gatherings in the state.

According to him, the organiser of such a wedding will ensure that their invitees have got vaccinated, otherwise, they will be stopped from getting in.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has also given an indication that the exercise will become compulsory for civil servants.

While many people and some organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, have said no to forced vaccination, Mustapha, on Thursday, stated during a meeting with the state’s commissioners for health in Abuja that the vaccine mandate would obviously come.

He said, “Before now, simple yellow fever vaccine, you couldn’t travel without the card until Nigeria exited from the list of endangering countries.

“The world is gravitating towards that direction. By the time the western world vaccinates its people, you won’t be able to get to any of the western countries without the vaccine certificate. It is happening.

“In the EU dispensation now, they have created some waivers for people that have been vaccinated. It is better we begin to prepare our people at home.

“The United Nations General Assembly will be starting soon. We will need our people to go there. Assuming the American Government says you can’t come into the US unless you are vaccinated and we have not vaccinate our people; how will they go to prepare ground for the meeting that will be attended by the President and other top government officials?

“It is a sequential thing. We are taking one step at a time. We realised that we don’t have sufficient vaccines; we will not be able to impose such mandate on an automatic basis until we make sure that vaccine is available and deployed in appropriate places and people we have opportunities to get the vaccines. Then we will now impose the mandatory nature of whether you must have the vaccine or not before you can access government facilities.”

According to the CAN President, the COVID-19 vaccines available in Nigeria were far below the country’s need.

He urged the Edo State Government to rescind its plan to bar people who could not show evidence of vaccination; from entering the church, mosques, as well as public events centres beginning from September.

“While we fully support vaccination, we equally recognize that vaccination depends on individual choice. In view of the foregoing, coercing people into getting vaccinated is a violation of the fundamental right of each individual,” he said.

The CAN president also asked political leaders to learn to tolerate citizens’ criticism of policies and programmes of government

He urged Nigerians to be modest and factual in their comments; and respect those “leading us…that does not erode their rights and freedom of expression; by speaking the truth always to those they elected into power without fear.”

Ayokunle warned Nigerians against inciting people against leaders, ethnic and religious groups.

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HEADLINES POLITICS

Obaseki’s bombshell: Says FG printed N60bn to augment March allocation

Obaseki condemns vandalism of TCN facilities in Edo
Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has thrown what some stakeholders may describe as a bombshell in terms of the state of the economy.

He said the economy was so pressed that the Federal Government/Central Bank had to print between N50 and N60bn for it to get states March allocation.

Besides, he said, the government had continued to borrow without an idea of how to pay back.

Speaking during a meeting with the transition committee on Thursday, Obaseki said Nigeria’s federalism was so strange that it was the only country in the world here states collects salaries from the centre.

He noted:
Speaking at the Benin meeting, Obaseki said: “Nigeria has changed. The economy of Nigeria is not the same again whether we like it or not. Since the civil war, we have been managing, saying money is not our problem as long as we are pumping crude oil every day.

“So we have run a very strange economy and strange presidential system where the local, state and federal governments, at the end of the month, go and earn salaries. We are the only country in the world that does that.

“Everywhere else, the government relies on the people to produce taxes and that is what they use to run the local government, state and the federation.

“But with the way we run Nigeria, the country can go to sleep. At the end of the month, we just go to Abuja, collect money and we come back to spend. We are in trouble, huge financial trouble.

“The current price of crude oil is only a mirage. The major oil companies who are the ones producing are no longer investing much in oil. Shell is pulling out of Nigeria and Chevron is now one of the world’s largest investors in alternative fuel, so in another year or so, where will we find this money that we go to share in Abuja?

”When we got FAAC for March, the federal government printed an additional N50-N60 billion to top-up for us to share.

”This April, we will go to Abuja and share. By the end of this year, our total borrowing is going to be between N15 and N16 trillion.

“Imagine a family that is just borrowing without any means to pay back and nobody is looking at that, everybody is looking at 2023, everybody is blaming Mr. President as if he is a magician.”