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General news

AAU VC Adagbonyin, bags alumni prestigious diamond award

AAU VC Adagbonyin, bags alumni prestigious diamond award

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec. 25, 2022 (NAN)The Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo, Worldwide Alumni Association has honoured the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyin, with its prestigious Diamond Award for the development of the institution.

The honour was bestowed on
Adagbonyin during the 2022 end of year Dinner and Award Night, organised by the Benin branch of the association on Saturday in Benin.

The award, presented to Adagbonyin, was in recognition of his “doggedness, unbeatable records and commitment to the development and repositioning of the institution”.

According to the association, the award is aimed at ensuring collaboration between the vice chancellor and the association and charting a positive direction towards the growth of the university.

In his remarks, President of the association, Chief Fidelis Ogbejele, commended the vice chancellor for all he had done to reposition and restore sanity to the institution.

Ogbejele promise to use the national executive council of the association, under his watch, to work harmoniously with the university and state government to realise the dreams and objectives of the founding father, Prof. Ambrose Alli.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyin, congratulated the president of the association and his team for a well deserved victory at the election.

Adagbonyin assured the association of management unflinching support and collaboration in all its activities.

He commended the Benin branch for a well organised event and for finding him worthy of the award.

The Benin Branch Chairman, Mr Friday Ehiorobo, who congratulated the Vice Chancellor on the award, said it was given purely on merit, and thanked him for finding time to come and lead the occasion.(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NY/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

General news

BEDC MD raises alarm over missing NMMP meter, set up forensic audit

Meter

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec. 22, 2022 (NAN) The new Management of the
Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc. (BEDC) on Thursday raised alarm over the whereabouts of the meters provided by the Federal Government under the national Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to the company.

It would be recalled that the new management took over the company on Sept. 19 from the former Managing Director Funke Osibodu over her inability to pay up a Fidelity Bank loan and poor performance of the Benin Disco.

The new Managing Director of the commission, Dr Henry Ajagbawa raised the alarm in Benin while briefing newsmen on his achievement during his first 100 days in office

Ajagbawa said “we cannot account for the free meters obtain from the Federal Government under NMMP.

“Everything about the NMMP meters sent to BEDC is shrouded in secrecy. As the head of the new management team, I have ordered for forensic audit to look into it.

“That will guide our next line of action,” he said.

Ajagbawa also said that more than 10 staff have been sacked over various infractions committed against the company.

He stated that two staff were also on the run after being declared wanted by the police for infractions while so many others were facing disciplinary actions.

He explained that the new management had embarked on corporate restructuring, process re-engineering and financial restructuring to get the company running properly.

“One of the inhibitors to performance in the organisation was the level of infrastructural decay and lack of work tools.

“This has resulted in suboptimal performance in the company over the years.

“A fleet of more than 130 vehicles were abandoned in a state of disrepair and disuse

“The new management has revamped more than 80 vehicles to service the operation of the company,” added

Ajagbawa explained that the repair, rehabilitation of offices, substations were ongoing within very limited resources.

He added that the result of all the efforts and the effects of all the 109 new policies formulated for the effective operations of the company were yielding results.

“The revenue collection loss has reduced from 55 per cent to 44 per cent in a space of less than 100 days.

“This loss reduction reflects the revenue collection growth from N5.5 billion in September to N6.8 billion in November, less than 100 days,” he said.

According to him, the company is collaborating with Edo government to lighten up urban Edo as quickly as possible and later the rural areas.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NY/KAY

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Edited by Kayode Olaitan

General news

BEDC raises alarm over missing NMMP meters, begins forensic audit

 

BEDC raises alarm over missing NMMP meters, begins forensic audit

Meters

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec 22,2022 (NAN) The new Management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, PLC (BEDC) on Thursday raised alarm over the whereabouts of the meters provided by the Federal Government under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to the company.

The management took over the company on Sept. 19, from the former management over alleged inability to pay up a Fidelity Bank loan.

The new Managing Director and CEO, Dr Henry Ajagbawa, raised the alarm in Benin while addressing newsmen on his achievements during his first 100 days in office

Ajagbawa said “we cannot account for the free meters obtained from the Federal Government under NMMP.

“Everything about the NMMP meters sent to BEDC is shrouded in secrecy. As the head of the new management team, I have ordered for forensic audit to look into it.

” That will guide our next line of action,” he said.

Ajagbawa also disclosed that 10 staff had been sacked over various infractions committed against the company.

He stated that two staff were also on the run after being declared wanted by the Police for infractions while many others were facing disciplinary actions.

He explained that the new management had embarked on corporate restructuring, process re-engineering and financial restructuring to get the company running properly.

” One of the inhibitors to performance in the organization was the level of infrastructural decay and lack of work tools.

” This has resulted to suboptimal performance in the company over the years. A fleet of over 130 vehicles were abandoned in a state of disrepair and disuse

” The new management has revamped over 80 vehicles to service the operation of the company,” he added

Ajagbawa explained that the repair, rehabilitation of offices and substations were ongoing within very limited resources.

He added that the result of all the efforts and the effects of all the 109 new policies formulated for the effective operation of the company were yielding results.

” As today, the revenue collection loss has reduced from 55 to 44 per cent in a space of less than 100 days.

” This loss reduction reflects the revenue collection growth from N5.5 billion in September to N6.8 billion in November, less than 100 days.”

According to the CEO, the company is collaborating with Edo Government to lighten up urban Edo as quickly as possible and later the rural areas.(NAN)

(www.nannews.ng)

NY/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture

FG, Niger Delta project train 1,033 incubatees in Edo

FG, Niger Delta project train 1,033 incubatees in Edo

Training

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec. 22, 2022(NAN) The
Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises-Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project said it had so far trained 1,033 incubatees out of the 4,250 targeted in Edo in various agribusinesses since the inception of the initiative in 2020.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LIFE-ND is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Federal Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),

Jude Ekpu, the Edo Co-ordinator of the project, disclosed this at an engagement session with media stakeholders on Thursday in Benin.

Ekpu, represented by Mr Benedict Akhamie, the State Communications Officer, noted that the project was designed to address poverty, boost food security, create jobs for youths and women in rural communities

Ekpu said the project adopted an incubation model of training where youths and women learnt under the tutelage of experienced agribusiness owners.

He added that about 116 trainers were engaged to train the beneficiaries on four priority commodities namely cassava, rice, poultry and fishery.

He said the capacities of the participants were developed on record and book-keeping, agricultural entrepreneurship, agricultural enterprise development, food and nutrition, environment and climate change.

He noted that the target beneficiaries were unemployed and under-employed youth between 18 and 35 years as well as unemployed women who were heads of households.

He further explained that the project operated in nine states of the Niger Delta and was planned to be implemented over a period of 12 years.

“With a financing gap of six years in the first instance and additional six years to be financed by other partners or an additional IFAD loan.

“The project is implemented in 10 local government areas per state and 10 communities in each local government area, giving a total of 100 communities in Edo alone.

He listed the participating Local Government Areas as Akoko Edo, Esan North-East, Esan South-West, Esan West, Etsako Central, Ikpoba Okha, Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East, Owan West and Uhunmwonde,” Ekpu said.

Ekpu, however, solicited support from the media practitioners to promote activities of the initiative and ensure wider visibility of projects. (NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NY/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Agriculture

Edo to empower 500,000 poultry farmers by 2030

Edo to empower 500,000 poultry farmers by 2030

Empowerment

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec 21,2022(NAN)Edo Government said it would, in collaboration with Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited and Heifer International, empower 500,000 smallholder poultry farmers by 2030 through improved poultry production practices.

The state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, made this known during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Heifer supported 10,000 per day Amo Farm Poultry Processing Plant at Obayantor, Ikpoba-Okha local area of Edo.

Obaseki stated that the state was ready to harness the potentials in poultry production, to diversify the economy and eliminate unemployment in the state.

“What you are seeing here today is revolutionary because we have deliberately worked on this for the last five to six years.

” It has always been our dream to make sure that we return Edo state to its place of pride in agriculture in this country.

“Today, we are putting a processing facility that will help hatch chickens so that farmers will come and buy, they will support them with feeds, veterinary products .

“And once they have grown their chickens, they will buy back from the farmers and the farmers can go on with their normal jobs with this as a side business.

“Farmers no longer have to wait for christmas or easter to sell their chickens because there is already an existing market they can sell to,” Obaseki said.

The Country Director of Heifer International, Rufus Idris, stated that the partnership was to support 200,000 farmers by 2025 and 500,000 farmers by 2030.

Idris said the farmers would engage in the production of noiler and broiler chicken, while a private sector partner, Amo Farm, would guarantee sustainable off-take of the chickens produced by the farmers.

He explained that the initiative would impact about 500,000 farmers, create more than 850 jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for youths and women.

“This initiative will increase farmers access to access to innovative finance, infrastructure and innovation.

“Under this partnership, Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited is to establish a standard poultry processing plant, starting with a 10,000 chicken per day capacity.

“Nigeria consumes about 1.5 million tons of chicken annually but only 30 per cent of that is produced locally.

“Nigeria’s Poultry sector, a $4.2 billion industry, is witnessing a rise in demand for poultry meat and egg, driven by increasing population and urbanization,” he said.

According to him, Edo Government’s vision is to make the state a poultry hub that produces and processes five million chickens per week

Also speaking, the Managing Director, Amo Farms, Ayoola Oduntan, said negotiation for the plant had been on since 2017.

Represented by Alaba Yunusa, Oduntan promised to make the poultry processing plant the largest in Nigeria.(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NY/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

 

Education

UNIBEN VC commends FG, Obaseki, others over projects

Commendation
By Nefishetu Yakubu
Benin, Dec. 20, 2022 (NAN) The Vice-Chancellor of University of Benin (UNIBEN) Prof. Lilian Salami on Tuesday commended the Federal Government, Edo government and other stakeholders for the goodwill projects the institution is enjoying on campus.

A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Dr Benedicta Ehanire and made available to newsmen in Benin, said that the projects were at various stages of completion.

Ehanire said: “In spite of the current economic hardship, the university management is currently enjoying enormous goodwill resulting in various projects undertaken, directly by the federal and state governments, agencies, companies and Individuals.

“The projects include students’ affairs building and ICT edifice donated by Abdul Samad Rabiu initiative for Africa.

“We also have an office complex by NNPC Exploration and Production Ltd., Optometry building and three new hostels by TETFund.

“Also, there are Sen. Daisy Danjuma Hostel for Girls donated by T.Y Danjuma Foundation and another students’ hostel by the NPDC.

“Centre of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering Legacy edifice is another one built by Shell Petroleum Development Company”.

She said there were also various TETFund intervention projects such as the Professorial Office Building, lecture theatres in Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses as well as the Urology Building.

She noted that Gov. Godwin Obaseki had rehabilitated the intra-campus roads as part of the state government’s free-will contribution to the university’s success story.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NY/KAY
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Edited by Kayode Olaitan

Health

2,099 persons to benefit from FG’s social investment programme in Edo

Programme
By Nefishetu Yakubu
Benin, Dec. 20, 2022 (NAN) No Fewer than 2,099 vulnerable groups and rural poor have been selected to benefit from the Federal Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0) in Edo.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the number were selected out of the 7,126 potential beneficiaries that registered for the programme in state.

Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, announced this during the inauguration of the Cash-grant and other Social Investment Programmes in Benin

Umar-Farouq, represented by Mrs Patience Achor, a deputy director in the ministry, said that the 2,099 beneficiaries were selected from across the 18 local government areas of the state after the verification exercise.

She explained that more than 1,142,783 potential beneficiaries registered across the 774 local government areas in the first phase of GEEP.

The minister listed the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in the state to include TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni.

According to her, the GEEP has been restructured to have a top-bottom representation from the federal, state and local government levels

She added that the grant for the vulnerable groups was designed to provide a one-off cash grant of N20,000 across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

“Our target in Edo State is to disburse the grant to 2,764 beneficiaries across the state. 70 per cent of these beneficiaries must be women, while the remaining 30 per cent will be the youth.

“The president has further directed that at least 15 per cent of the total number of beneficiaries must specifically be allocated to citizens with special needs,” she said.

According to her, the initiatives are in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to fighting poverty from all angles.

Earlier, Mrs Osayuwamen Aladeselu, the Edo Focal Person, National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), said more than 4,009 persons had benefitted from the Marketmoni in the state.

Aladeselu also added that more than 30,000 persons had benefitted from Tradermoni since 2019 when the GEEP 1.0 was inaugurated in the state by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

She commended the Federal Government for the empowerment programme and advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the fund.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NY/KAY
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Edited by Kayode Olaitan

Politics

PVC collection: Large turnout, as voters receive PVCs in Edo

PVC collection: Large turnout, as voters receive PVCs in Edo.

PVC

By Nefishetu Yakubu
Benin, Dec.12, 2022 (NAN) Residents of Benin in Edo on Monday thronged the different offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

INEC had earlier announced Monday to Jan. 22, 2023 as dates for the collection of the cards nationwide.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the exercise in Benin, reported that it began in the early hours of Monday and witnessed massive turnout.

The exercise was characterised by complaints of slow process and unavailability of some Voters’ cards.

A visit to INEC office in Oredo, Egor and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas, showed that while some residents, whose cards were not available, were asked to check back in January 2023, others who collected were beaming with smiles.

Mrs Virginia Nwajorgu, a trader, who came to collect her PVC at Egor Local Government Office, was in tears after she was told by an INEC official that her voter’s card was not yet available.

Also, master Favour Osaretin, a 24-year old UNIBEN undergraduate, said: “We have been here since morning and they told us the card is not available but my name is on the system.

” I even checked INEC website by myself and my name is there, but my card is not available. They asked us to drop our names and phone numbers that when the card is ready they will call us.” he said.

Similarly, Smart Ehiorobo, a middle-aged man, lamented the PVC collection process, adding that inadequate INEC personnel was making the process very slow.

“I was outside for hours and when I finally got inside, they checked the system and saw my name but to my greatest surprise, I was told to come back in January 2023, that my card is not available.”

Kenneth Omokhafe, another prospective voter, said: ” We actually thought you will just come here, pick up your voter’s card and go home.

“But there is a lot of confusion right now because INEC is understaffed and with what I’m seeing, they are not ready for this exercise.

“My expectation was that you come here, stand according to your ward to collect your PVC but the reverse has been the case.

“People have been here since morning and any moment from now, they will tell us they have closed. It will get to a stage, people will become tired of the exercise and abandon their PVCs,” he said.

But for Eghosa Ebohon, Mrs Rosemary Osifo and some others, the process was seamless as they were able to collect their PVCs within 20 to 30 minutes.

Reacting to the development, the Head, Voter Education Department of INEC, Edo office, Mr Timidi Wariowei, told NAN that the commission was yet to receive reports of the exercise from the various locations.

” We have not received reports yet. The exercise just started today, if it is established that some cards are not available, we will communicate to Abuja,” he said.

He, however, expressed the belief that the situation was not peculiar to Edo State. (NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NY//IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

 

Education

Edo govt. approves fees for exam registration, practicals in schools

Fees

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec 9, 2022 (NAN) The Edo Government on Friday, approved fees collectible per candidate by school heads for online upload and registration of pupils for the 2023 Primary Six Certification Examination in the state.

The state government also approved fees payable for enrolment and practicals for the 2023 middle certificate examination in secondary schools.

This is contained in a statement
signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr Oni Ekhosuehi, on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Oviawe and made available to newsmen in Benin.

Ekhosuehi said that while the fee for upload/registration was fixed at N500 per candidate, the fee for practicals and enrolment was put at N1000 per candidate.

“This is to notify parents and guardians and the general public that the commissioner for education has graciously approved  N500 only per candidate to be collected by school heads for  online upload/registration of their pupils for the 2023 primary six certificate examination.

” For the 2023 middle certificate examination, the commissioner also approved N1,000 only per candidate to be collected by school principals for the online upload of their students for the enrolment and practicals,” she said.

According to her, Arising from the above, any school principal and school head who flouts this directive will be sanctioned accordingly.(NAN)
(www nannews.ng)
NY/CHOM

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Edited by Chioma Ugboma

 

 

Agriculture

Edo distributes generators, defeathering machines to poultry farmers

Farmers
By Nefishetu Yakubu
Benin, Dec. 2, 2022 (NAN) The government of Edo on Friday distributed generators and defeathering machines to 100 poultry farmers across the three senatorial districts in the state.

The items were distributed under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (N-CARES) code named EDO-CARES.

N-CARES is a World Bank assisted project designed to ameliorate the adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the poor and vulnerable people

The State Project Coordinator, EDO-CARES, Mr Edward Izevbigie, said that the “project seeks to improve livelihood, increase food security as well as reviving Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the state”.

Izevbigie said that the state government was committed to boosting the state food basket through various agricultural programmes and interventions.

“This generators and other poultry equipment are not for sale. Put them to good use to boost the food basket of the state.

“The government has a very strong monitoring and evaluation unit, so we are going to monitor their usage,” he said.

Mrs Ifueko Alufohai, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, urged the farmers to ensure good use of the items.

Represented by Osahon Ojomon, a director in the ministry, Alufohai noted that the Federal Government and the World Bank would also be monitoring the progress of the farmers.

Mr Rosemary Imafidon, a beneficiary on behalf of other beneficiaries thanked the state government and its partners for the kind gesture.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NY/FAT/KAY
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Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi/Kayode Olaitan