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Politics

2023: INEC takes delivery of last batch of PVCs in Edo

PVC

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Dec. 1, 2022 (NAN) Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo, on Thursday, said it had taken delivery of the last batch of permanent voter cards (PVCs) from its headquarters in Abuja.

 

Head, INEC Voter Education and Publicity in the state, Mr Timidi Wariowei, told newsmen in Benin that the PVCs arrived at the commission’s office on Nov. 30.

 

Wariowei said that counting and sorting of the PVCs were currently ongoing to ascertain their actual number.

 

“We have just received the last tranche of PVCs for Edo. The commission had earlier promised Nigerians and in particular, Edo people, that the last batch of PVCs would be ready by November end.

 

“And on Nov. 30, the PVCs arrived at the Edo office of the commission.

 

“As you can see, the electoral officers from various local governments are counting and sorting the PVCs to get the actual number received.

“After the exercise, the cards will be taken to the local government areas for collection,” he said.

 

Wariowei disclosed that as at Nov. 20, the number of uncollected old PVCs stood at 483,796, out of which 12,351 had been collected, leaving a balance of 471,445 in the office.

 

He stated that the number of the new PVCs received as at Nov. 20 was 44,036, out of which 21,638 had been collected, leaving a balance of 22,398 in the office.

 

The INEC official also said that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would arrive at the state any moment from now.

 

“As we speak, our officials are at Benin airport, waiting to receive the BVAS which we are going to use for accreditation on the day of election. (NAN)

(www.nannews.ng)

NY/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq

Education

Edo Govt. plans designated centres for JSS, primary school exams

Edo Govt. plans designated centres for JSS, primary school exams

Examination

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Nov, 30, 2022 (NAN)
Edo Government on Wednesday announced that designated centres would be set up for the Junior Secondary School and Primary School Leaving Certificates Examinations in the state.

The state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said private schools would no longer be allowed to write the two Certificate examinations in their various schools.

Nehikhare was reacting to a viral video of some private school owners protesting against government reforms in the education sector.

He noted that the effort was part of the state government’s reforms currently ongoing in the education sector, adding that the reforms were in the interest of the pupils and students.

“These exams will no longer be written in four bedroom buildings or business centres but government approved designated centres.

“Government will announce the designated centres where the examinations would take place beginning from March, 2023.

“Private schools that are not ready to abide by these reforms would not be allowed to operate in the state.

“The decision to have designated centres for these examination is to curb examinations malpractices,” he said.

He explained that the state emerged first in the 2022 West Africa School Certificate Examination with 92.8 per cent pass, including Mathematics and English Language.

” So, our reforms in the education sector are yielding results.

“Our reforms cannot be holistic if it is restricted to only government schools and that is why we are trying to bring private schools into that ecosystem.

“So, the standard in education should be uniform across board. This is what some unscrupulous people are fighting,” he added.

The commissioner disclosed that government would also carry out biometric capturing of all students and issue Identity cards to them to enable the state to plan for students, whether in public or private schools.(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NY/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Education

VC urges students to embrace digital skills

VC urges students to embrace digital skills

Skills

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Nov 29, 2022 (NAN) The Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, on Tuesday called on Nigerian students to embrace digital skills, to make the country a destination for creative tech talents in Africa.

Ezemonye made the call during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Convention of the Nigerian Universities Nursing Students Association (NUNSA), (South South Region) held in Okada, Benin.

He said, “We have just launched the Igbinedion hub in partnership with Ehizua Hub to foster digital innovation and technopreneurship, to provide access to affordable and quality education as well as bridge the financial and digital divides.

“This strategic partnership is a bold step towards positively changing the trajectory of private tertiary education in Nigeria.

“IUO, by this development, has become the first private university in sub Sahara Africa to drive innovation and digital technopreneurship to meet the rising demand for creative tech talents

“Digital Literacy provides innovative solutions to complex challenges which is an essential component of the hub.

“Activities at the hub will include Upskills, creative Tech, Start up, Smart pathway, Online learning Management system, fostering digital innovation and Technopreneurship.”

Ezemonye listed facilities at the hub to include virtual room, which can be used for interviews and virtual meetings, control room, studio, startups, smart rooms and working spaces.

The Vice Chancellor, while welcoming the nursing students from all the universities in the South South to Okada, said he was confident that the objective of the convention would be met.

“I urge you all to avail yourselves of the opportunity provided to benefit maximally from the interactions that will take place during the weeklong event.

In her welcome address, Mrs Chika Obi, the President of NUNSA, IUO chapter, said the association was committed to raising the quality of life for the student nurse.

“We want all nursing students, regardless of race and gender, to achieve their potential, and provide practical step by step assistance,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the theme of the convention was ‘Nursing the Future’.(NAN (www.nannews.ng)

NY/SOA

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

 

 

 

 

 

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Health

Edo courts jail 39 GBV perpetrators in 3 years

 

Edo courts jail 39 GBV perpetrators in 3 years

Conviction

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin City, Nov. 25, 2022    (NAN)The Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Gender Issues, Andrew Emwanta, on Friday  said  that 39 perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence were convicted in the state within three years.

Emwanta disclosed this at a rally to mark this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in Benin.

The commissioner  led  a rally of Civil Society Organisations and Women groups to  the Edo State Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Emwanta, who said that  the convictions started since the launch of sexual offenders register in the state, also disclosed that about 255 related cases were ongoing in courts.

He said that Gov. Godwin Obaseki was determined to ensure all forms of gender-based violence were eliminated through the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law 2021 as amended.

“The Executive has done its part, the Legislature has done its own part by passing the law.

“And the judiciary has within three years convicted 39 offenders,” he said.

He enjoined the media to be more supportive in reporting issues about sexual and gender-based violence as well as reducing other social vices.

Mr Bright Oniovokukor, the Project Director, Indomitable Youth Organisation (IYO), said it would sustain collective efforts to end gender-based violence. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

NY/AVU/IA

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Edited by Victor Asije/Idris Abdulrahman

 

 

Politics

13% derivation fund: we only received N2.1bn – Edo govt

 

 

Fund

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Nov. 23, 2022 (NAN) Edo Government on Wednesday said that it received N2.1 billion from the 13 per cent derivation fund paid by the Federal Government to oil-producing states.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, Joseph Eboigbe was reacting to the statement by Rivers Governor Nyesome Wike that Edo received N28 billion.

Speaking to newsmen in Benin, Eboigbe said that the statement was false.

He said N28 billion was approved for Edo which would paid over a period of five years, adding that only three tranches of N700 million amounting to N2.1 billion had so far been received.

“A total of about N1 trillion was established and refunded to the oil-producing states.

“It went through the process of economic council and a distribution method was adopted from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

” They now established what will go to each state, Edo state’s share of that figure was N28 billion.

“What was also approved was the way and manner the money will be distributed to the states. The net amount will come to each state over a period of five years.

“Each year, you will have quarterly remittance. The releases started in October, and we have only received three tranches of N700 million which amounted to N2.1 billion and this is what we have received.”

“This is verifiable in our bank accounts. So, we have received only three quarterly releases so far. This is what has come into the state coffers.

” It is less than our monthly internally generated revenue which is N3 billion monthly,” he said.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Information, Chris Nehikhare, said the state government had judiciously used all its resources.

He said that Edo was the only state paying N40,000 minimum wage to workers, adding that monies were being spent on construction of roads, schools, hospitals, and reconstruction of the state secretariat complex among others.

Mr Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser to the state governor on Media, said some governors were only playing politics with the 13 per cent derivation funds. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

NY/EEE

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Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

 

 

 

Health

NLNG inaugurates $500,000 15-bed ICU in UBTH

 

Inauguration

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Nov. 22, 2022 (NAN) The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), on Tuesday inaugurated a 15- bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ICU, which was constructed at a cost of 500,000 dollars, is part of the  first phase of hospital support programme by NLNG in Edo.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Dr Phillip Mshelbila, said the project was part of NLNG’s approved national corporate social responsibility hospital support programme.

Mshelbila was represented by Mr Andy Odeh, the General Manager, External Relation and sustainable development, NLNG.

Mshelbila said the programme was conceived following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that the gesture was to stem the likely pressure that medical institutions could experience in managing patients if there was another outbreak of the pandemic.

“The programme consist of health intervention projects across 12 federal university teaching hospitals in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and Abuja.

“The 12 benefitting hospitals were selected based on the need to ensure spread across the geo-political zones, special status for south-south zone as NLNG host area.

“Consideration was also given to hospitals in states with higher population,” Mshelbila said.

Mshelbila said that the approved cost was 500,000 dollars per location, adding that six million dollars was budgetd for the entire programme.

“The hospital support programme was further split into two phases for ease of implementation, spanning delivery period tone between 2022 and 2024.

“The project was carried out following thorough needs assessment to optimally deploy resources,” he said.

According to him, for UBTH, the target is to achieve the remodeling and conversion of an existing building into a 15-bed ICU.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Dr Darlington Obaseki, said the initiative was followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with NLNG in January.

Obaseki said that the project would complement the existing seven-bed ICU to cater for the hospital’s growing number of patients.

“We are one of the busiest hospitals in this country. Every week, we see close to 6,000 patients, we admit about 450 patients and we see about 430 emergencies in this hospital every week.

“So, this connote that we are highly subscribed and oversubscribed as a hospital which is an indication of the quality of services we offer.

“Unfortunately, over the years, we have only a seven-bedded ICU which is almost always oversubscribed.

“So, when the opportunity came for us to benefit from this Nigeria LNG hospital support programme and they asked us to identify a problem, we remembered that we needed to expand our ICU

“We are here today and we appreciate NLNG for the kind gesture,” he said.

According to him, the facility has state of-the-art equipment
such as central monitoring system, oxygen alarming system, ventilators, and infusion pumps among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

NY/EEE

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Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture

Dry season farming: Edo distributes irrigation equipment to 516 farmers

Dry season farming: Edo distributes irrigation equipment to 516 farmers

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin Nov. 21, 2022 (NAN)Edo Government on Monday inaugurated this year’s dry season farming by supporting over 516 smallholder farmers with irrigation equipment to boost farming in Udo community, Ovia South West Local Government Area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items were distributed under the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) code named EDO-CARES.

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

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Stephen Idehenre, said government was encouraging all year round farming by empowering farmers with irrigation equipment to boost production

“Today, over 500 farmers will be empowered with the 171 units of small irrigation equipment; 139 units will go to Auchi, Etsako West Local Government and 32 units here at Ovia South West.

” Presently, this programme has installed rice processing mills with destoners that have the capacity to process three metric tons per day in Iguoriakhi (Ovia South West) and Agbede (Etsako West).

“Others are Eme-Ora (Owan west), Illushi (Esan South East), Warake (Owan East) and Oshomegbe community (Etsako Central), thereby empowering over 360 rice processors.

“The cassava processors are not left out as 8HP Cassava processing mills with hydraulic press, have been installed in Ojah community (Akoko Edo), Ewossa (Igueben), Ikhide (Esan North East) and Ogba (Oredo) among others.

He said this resulted to the empowerment of 228 beneficiaries and finally 585 smallholder farmers had also been empowered with agricultural inputs across the state.

“The project has rehabilitated six wet markets in Okhokhugbo community in Egor, Ugoneki, Okokhuo community in Ovia North East and Ivbiaro community in Owan East among others,” he said

Idehenre explained that the project had also rehabilitated 10 tons capacity cold room in Usen, Ovia South West Local Government for 40 beneficiaries.

According to him, the project has empowered more than 2,200 beneficiaries

The state Project Co-ordinator, EDO-CARES, Edward Izevbigie, said the project sought to improve livelihood, increase food security and revive SMEs in the state.

Izevbigie said that the eneficiaries were selected from the state social register of the poor and vulnerable.

He noted that the state government also put in place programmes in agriculture, agroforestry, fisheries, livestock husbandry and other related small-scale industries that would facilitate production.

“In the state agripreneur programme for year 2020 and 2021, about 444 hectares were cultivated for rice production in Agenebode, Warrake and Iguoriakhi.

“The programme also empowered 329 fish farmers to produce over 400,000 catfishes,” he said.

Mrs Glory Orji, a beneficiary, on behalf of other beneficiaries, thanked the state government for the gesture and promised to put the irrigation equipment to use.(NAN)
NY/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

(www.nannews.ng)

General news

Edo warns ritualists to stay off government’s facilities

Ritualists

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Nov.18, 2022 (NAN) Edo government on Friday warned ritualists to stay away from the state secretariat in Benin.

Commissioner for information, Mr Chris Nehikhare, told newsmen in Benin on Friday that government was particularly irked by the slaughtering of ritual animals at the state secretariat by people of Irhirhi community.

“Six persons were arrested on Monday; they will be charged in court. Government is resolute about prosecuting them.

“We know the land grabbers are fighting back.

“Government’s directives must be obeyed. Government will continue to provide infrastructure as long as it is beneficial to the people,’’ he said.

Nehikhare assured that government would intensify its war against land grabbers and other undesirable elements working to frustrate its efforts.

He said also that government had concluded plans to make telecommunications companies operating in the state to lay fibre optic cables in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

The commissioner stressed that the plan became necessary in the face of government’s plan to make Edo an industrial hub. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

NY/ALLI

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Edited by Alli Hakeem

Politics

INEC confirms updated version of PDP candidates list in Edo

INEC confirms updated version of PDP candidates list in Edo

By Nefishetu Yakubu

Benin, Nov. 17, 2022 (NAN)The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC), Edo office, on Thursday confirmed the updated version of the list of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates vying for state and National Assembly elections in Edo.

Mr Timidi Wariowei, Head, Voter Education and Publicity, confirmed the updated version of the list in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria NAN in Benin.

Wariowei said the office was, however, yet to receive the hard copy of the updated list to paste on their notice board.

He said: “There is an amended version of the list of PDP candidates vying for state and National Assembly elections in Edo on INEC website, strictly based on court order.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that there has been controversies following the emergence of different lists of candidates produced from parallel primary elections conducted by the party in the state.

INEC had earlier published the list of candidates for the state and National Assembly elections in the state but now updated it. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

NY/KOO/IA

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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Idris Abdulrahman

Agriculture

Edo, Heifer sign agreement to build modular poultry processing factory

Poultry
By Nefishetu Yakubu
Benin, Nov.17, 2022 (NAN) The government of Edo on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with Heifer International and Amor Farms Sieberer Ltd. to build a modular poultry processing plant that can process 10,000 poultry birds daily.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Solomon Ibadon from the state Ministry of Justice, Edo, supervised the signing of the agreement in Benin.

Speaking during the event, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Stephen Idehenre, said that the Edo was committed to making state the biggest poultry hub in Nigeria.

Idehenre said: “The essence of the MOU is to create a market for our poultry farmers; we have identified the challenges of farmers which is lack of access to market.

“We have now brought in a poultry birds off-takers which is Amo Farms to offtake and process about 10,000 poultry birds per day.

“Most of those abandoned poultry farms will be revived because there is now a ready market.

“If we must grow the agribusiness, we must begin to find solution to the off-takers challenge that we have in all the agricultural value chains”.

Mr Rufus Idris, the Country Director, Heifer Nigeria, said the initiative was designed to help smallholder poultry farmers earn a sustainable living income.

Idris noted that the project would increase access to premium market, finance and new technology for smallholder poultry farmers.

He said: “The project will improve productivity and sustainable livelihoods income for 500,000 smallholder farmers by 2030.

“The project will support market system actors to improve capacity competitiveness, resilience and bridge the demand and supply gaps.

“In this tripartite market system development partnership, the state government will provide the enabling business development environment”.

Idris explained that the project was being financed by Heifer International with support from Amo Farms to facilitate the setting up of a new modular poultry meat processing factory in Edo.

“The new poultry factory would offtake broiler and noiler breeds of birds produced by hundreds of thousands of smallholder poultry farmers that are targeted as beneficiaries of the project,” he added.

The Group Managing Director, Amo Farms Sieberer Ltd., Dr Ayoola Oduntan, said that the project would create a fair market opportunity for poultry farmers in Edo and make the state a poultry production hub in the Niger Delta Region.

Oduntan noted that the establishment of the processing plant would have the capacity to process 10,000 poultry birds daily.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NY/KAY
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Edited by Kayode Olaitan