Edo

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has approved the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.

This decision comes despite a previous plea from the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje to refrain from probing the previous administration.

According to a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, the committee’s primary task is to verify the state’s assets and liabilities under the previous administration.

The committee, which is scheduled to be inaugurated on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at the Government House in Benin City, comprises respected sons and daughters from Edo State.

The members of the committee include Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe as Chairman, Anslem Ojezua as Deputy Chairman, and Prince Kassim Afegbua, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, Hon. Patrick Idiake, and Hon. Rasaq Bello-Osagie as members. Other members are Mr. Fredrick Unopah, Frank Osumuede Edebor Esq who will serve as Secretary, Mrs. Abdallah Eugenia, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, Pharm. Kenny Okojie, Mrs. Lyndsey Tes-Sorae, and Hon. Abass Braimoh.

The statement from the governor’s office added, “In furtherance of the Governor’s initiative to set the State on the path of development and accountable leadership, the need to set up a State Assets Verification Committee becomes very imperative.

“Despite repeated calls for a more holistic database of the Assets and Liabilities of the previous administration, the Godwin Obaseki-led Government came up with very scanty and limited Assets and Liabilities of the State.

“In line with the Governor’s campaign promise to ensure probity, accountability and transparency in Government, and to deepen the governance process, a Committee made up of respected sons and daughters from Edo State has to be constituted.

“The committee will be inaugurated at the Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, on Tuesday, 26th November, 2024, by 1 pm prompt.”

The committee set up by the Edo government to recover government assets says over 200 vehicles belonging to the state are missing.

The chairman of the committee Kelly Okungbowa shared the information with journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital on Friday.

He said three of these vehicles have been recovered less than a day after the group was inaugurated.

Okungbowa assured the Edo people that the committee was determined to recover the missing government vehicles.

According to him, bags of rice and garri meant to be palliatives from the Federal Government for the people of the state were discovered in one of the three vehicles recovered.

Governor Monday Okpebholo had set up the committee on Thursday to recover all government vehicles said to be in private custody.

A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing as those in the custody of the vehicles have refused to return them. The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands,” Okungbowa said during the inauguration of the committee.

“I am the chairman while my vice is the former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly EDHA, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror. We have our members across the three Senatorial Districts in Edo State and we are ready to do the job, abiding by the law.

“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government.

“We have two weeks to carry out this task and as I speak to you, we already have some vital information regarding some persons who are still holding government vehicles. We will do the job according to the law and the State government and the people will be happy. You can reach us on 08110165121”

Edo state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has revealed that he faced spiritual battles before his election victory.

The newly sworn-in governor made the revelation during his post-swearing-in thanksgiving service held on Wednesday night at the Dr Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

Governor Okpebholo said: “I want to thank God. In this last election, while I was praising God, they (traducers) were busy operating from Arise. They were busy operating from Facebook. They were busy operating from Channels.

“But, I took the battle to God because I know the secret. A few days to the election, they said this guy (Okpebholo) is crazy. We gathered to praise God in this state. They said, ‘What is he doing?’ They were there at Arise. But, I was listening to the voice of God. I won the battle.

“After the election, on Sunday morning, I came to my room. I found a bat had died on my bed, without me shooting any arrow. But the spirit of God was there. The arrow of God; the hand of God delivered me.

“I am grateful to the men of God that stood in the gap. I am grateful to those that believe that with God, all things are possible. And I will give you one advice: trust in God alone because he will do it for you.”

…..says APC not a dump site

As the race to the 2025 Edo Central Senatorial District by-elections gathers momentum, a political interest group in the Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State, the Edo Central Concerned Indigenes has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC, Edo State Governor elect, Sen. Monday Okpebholo and the leadership of All Progressives Party to reward loyalty to the party by ceding the Senatorial seat in the zone to Esan South East Local Government Area.

The group which comprised politicians, representatives from various quarters and other stakeholders made the appeal while reviewing the political state of affairs of the local government area. At an enlarged meeting over the weekend, they decried alleged marginalization of the area in terms of dividends of democracy.

The group made the plea in a statement signed by its Chairman, Elder Anthony Iseyesebho and Secretary Afekelu Otibho. It alleged that the local government has not enjoyed fair political representations in the APC government despite the contributions from the area.

The group urged the ruling APC to cede the Edo central Senatorial slot to the council as a mark of appreciation, stressing that the area deserves it by merit owing to its sustained loyalty to the party over the years.

“The truth of the matter is that our local government has not been enjoying fair political representations under the APC administration since.

The statement reads in part.

Esan South East local government has been fair to APC as a party. We appeal for APC to consider the local government to produce the next senator.

“We the Edo Central concerned indigenes of Esan South East chapter, appeal to the leadership of the party to cede the Senate ticket to the local government. We appeal to APC to give us SENATE. It has to be a dedicated, loyal, and committed party member from our communities .

They frown at the ambition of some persons in Esan North East, a local government that already had the federal house of representative member. It was worrisome and amounts to breach of equity and fairness that politicians from that axis are still advocating for Senate, thus; pushing for over concentration of power out of outright greed.

The group noted that the old Agbazilo consists of two districts, The Esan North East and Esan South East and one would expect our brothers from the Esan North East axis to enjoy their position as Federal House of Representatives and allow the other districts to contest for the senatorial office.

We also saw some pictures of Arch. Mike Onolenmemen, a supposed APC member, who never participated all through the governorship campaign still posting pictures of wanting to contest for the senate, and this will make one to ask if APC is no longer a political party? Or do you people want to turn it into an association?

A man who left nothing on ground to be remembered when he was a minister of Works and Housing.

Throughout the APC campaign he didn’t come out to join the Uromi people and the APC members to campaign. APC is a political party with members and they deserve fair treatment, APC should not be seen as dumped site.

Thousands of women, dressed in black, took to the streets of Benin City today in a massive protest, demanding the return of the mandate they believe was given to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, in the recently concluded Edo governorship election.

Chanting slogans of “Justice for Edo!” and “Our votes must count,” the protesters decried what they called the manipulation and tampering of the election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and alleged collusion with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

One of the protest leaders who addressed journalists said, “We, the women of Edo, are not here for violence. We are here for justice.

Our votes were for Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie. We will not sit by and watch our democracy be stolen from us.”

The peaceful protest, which saw participants from various parts of the state, blocked major roads in the capital, disrupting daily activities as they marched towards the INEC office, demanding immediate compliance with the court order to release all election materials for inspection.

Mrs. Iwinosa Aikhomu, another protester, said: “This is our state, our future, and we will not allow anyone to take it from us. INEC must follow the law, and APC must respect the will of the people!”

The protest comes in the wake of a heated political battle, with the PDP accusing INEC of refusing to release the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and other materials used in the September 21, 2024, election, despite a court order.

The women vowed to continue their demonstrations until the rightful winners are recognized.

The protesting women also called on the international community to intervene in the crisis, warning that continued suppression of the people’s will could lead to unrest.

“The world needs to know what is happening in Edo State,” said Mrs. Josephine Osagie, a marketwoman from Ekpoma.

Today’s procession is the latest in a series of demonstrations that have taken place across Edo State since the election results were announced.

Supporters of Ighodalo and Ogie have continued to demand justice, accusing INEC and the APC of attempting to undermine democracy in the state.