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Tag: Okpebholo

  • Okpebholo, Imansuagbon, Idahosa mourn Clark

    Okpebholo, Imansuagbon, Idahosa mourn Clark

    BENIN CITY – THE governor of Edo State, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, former Labour Party governorship aspirant, Kenneth Imansuagbon and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon Charles Idahosa has said elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark lived a fulfilled life and fought for his people till he breathed his last.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Okpebholo, Fred Itua said the governor expressed sorrow and condolences on the passing of Clark and described him as a revered statesman, former National Commissioner for Information and a worthy Leader of the South-South.

    He said “Today, Edo State mourns the loss of a true giant,” said Governor Okpebholo. “Edwin Clark dedicated his life to the service of our region and our nation. His contributions as an advocate for education and a champion of social justice have left an indelible mark on our history. He was a man of integrity, vision, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our society.”

    “He was a mentor to many, and his guidance and counsel will be deeply missed. He inspired generations of public servants, young leaders, and community members to strive for excellence and to serve with dedication.

    “Edwin Clark’s legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched and the positive impact he had on everyone. We have lost a true treasure, but we are grateful for the time we had with him and the invaluable contributions he made,” the Governor further stated.

    On his part, Imansuagbon described Clark as a man of truth describing his death as a monumental loss to Nigeria.

    He recalled his last visit to Chief Clark in 2024, where he engaged with the late leader on national issues. “I remember sitting with him, listening to his deep thoughts about Nigeria. He was a man who spoke the truth, even when it was uncomfortable. He never shied away from saying what needed to be said,” he stated.

    Imansuagbon in a signed statement made available to newsmen in Benin said “In a country where almost everyone is a liar, we have lost a man of truth. He was fearless in holding leaders accountable and calling for justice. His passing leaves a vacuum that will be difficult to fill,” he said.

    Idahosa described him as a man who lived for his people “He lived a good life, he was outspoken and he fought for his people he was a true representative of his people, I knew him as a young man when he was our education commissioner he was a great man and may his soul rest in peace.”

  • 100 days in office: Okpebholo renovating, reconstructing 100 schools

    100 days in office: Okpebholo renovating, reconstructing 100 schools

    BENIN CITY – AS part of his desire to make an immediate impact, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, is reconstructing and renovating structures in 100 schools across the state to mark his 100 days in office.

    Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Mrs. Onomen Brigg stated this when she accompanied the member representing Edo South on the Board, Mrs. Angela Okpamen to visit school facilities in the state.

    She also called on communities where schools are located, parents and residents to help check vandalism of schools’ facilities, adding that Governor Okpebholo was already including fencing of all the schools in the state.

    She visited Ebo Primary School in Iyekhogba and Ore-Oghene Primary School both in Oredo Local Government Area and Evbareke Junior Secondary School, Use Junior Secondary School and Okhekhugbo Primary school in Egor Local Government Area of the state, where she said all the renovation and reconstruction works would be competed between one week to three weeks.

    According to her, “Security is one major issues we have to look into and we also have to sensitise the communities, so that they can put an eye on these property because the children are the ones that will suffer if these facilities are destroyed, if these thefts and vandalism continue.”

    so we need to sensitise the people and the community, everybody involved, the teachers, and the pupils and students, so that if they see anything they can say something

    “Fences are part of the security arrangement, so we are also going to make sure that these schools have fences and security posts, so that you can only come into the compound through the security post. This is

    also key to us and the governor has already started. Most of the construction going on, fencing is part of what he is looking at.

    “We did five today, we have a100 currently going on all across the state, we are going to Edo Central and Edo North within the week

    “The construction and the renovation includes furnishing, so the chairs and the tables are already part of it. You can’t put a new wine in an old wine skin, so you can’t get new chairs and tables and put them in a dilapidated building, so we need the buildings to be good and okay, then furniture can go in.

    “Some of them will be completed in one week, some less than a week and then two week and maximum three weeks,” she said.

    It was observed that in many of the schools visited, the pupils lacked furniture as many sat on the floor while some where overcrowded with about 200 students of four arms using one classroom.

  • Okpebholo suspends FEWMA CEO over alleged insubordination

    Okpebholo suspends FEWMA CEO over alleged insubordination

    Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has suspended Ahmed Momoh, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (FEWMA), over his alleged involvement in a turbaning ceremony and the appointment of Chiefs and Village Heads in the South-Ibie Kingdom.

    The suspension, which takes immediate effect, was announced in a statement released on Saturday by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor.

    The governor cited insubordination as the reason for the suspension and directed Momoh to hand over all government property in his possession to the most senior public servant at the agency.

    Momoh, who hails from the South-Ibie Kingdom in Etsako West Local Government Area, reportedly defied a directive from the Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs to halt the turbaning ceremony scheduled for January 25, 2025.

    The ministry earlier suspended the event due to security concerns, warning that it could escalate tensions in the community.

    According to the statement, the planned installation of new Chiefs and Clan Heads was to be conducted by Umoru Inusa Umoru, the alleged Aidenogie of South-Ibie. However, the state government deemed the ceremony unauthorised and ordered it to be postponed.

    Despite this, Momoh allegedly proceeded with actions that threatened the peace in the area.

    ““The Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the suspension of the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Edo State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (FEWMA), Mr. Ahmed Musa Momoh, effective immediately,” the statement read.

    The government reiterated that any actions by Umoru in his capacity as the purported Aidenogie must cease until proper clearance is obtained from the relevant authorities.

  • Edo: PDP calls 10 witnesses against Okpebholo

    Edo: PDP calls 10 witnesses against Okpebholo

    BENIN CITY – THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the September 21 governorship election, Asue Ighodalo on Thursday called four additional witnesses to bring to ten the total witnesses they have called to continue their attempts to prove their allegation of irregularities in the election.

    This number is the largest the party and the candidate have presented since the case started.

    Recall that the PDP and its candidate in the election are challenging the INEC’s declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

    The four witnesses challenged the outcome of the result in some polling units in Esan North East, Oredo, Esan South East and Esan Central Local Government Areas in the state

    Giving his testimony at the resumed hearing of the Petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the petitioners’ witness and PDP Esan North East Local Government Area Collation Agent, Mr. Igbarase Matthias, prayed the tribunal to admit his statement on oath which he deposed to on October 11, 2024, in support of the petitioners’ case

    He claimed in his statement that there was overvoting in nine polling units relating to exhibits PCB 40- PCB 48 of Form EC25B series in his Local Government Area.

    Matthias told the court that in arriving at his statement on oath, he relied on certified true copies of INEC’s Voters Register, Forms EC25B’s, EC8A’s, INEC election manual booklet, screenshots of IREV copies of Form EC8A, BIVAS accreditation Report and BiVAS Extract being CTC’s of Form EC8C, after personally examined them

    He tendered IREV-certified true copies of results sheets obtained from INEC and duplicate Copies of Polling Unit Results Sheets of Form EC8A given by INEC to polling unit agents and his party agent card as documentary evidence.

    Upon cross-examination by lead counsel to the 1st Respondent (INEC), Kanu Agabi, the witness said he made his deposition on October 11, 2024, while the screenshots of INEC’s BIVAS Report he relied on his statement were certified by INEC on January 8, 2025.

    He admitted that PDP Unit and Ward Agents signed the election result sheets, adding that he did not function as a unit agent or Ward agent for his party in the election.

    On his part, the PDP agent for Oredo Local Government Area, Aigbe Ighodaro Lucky, told the court that there was overvoting in 66 polling units in the local government area and incorrect scores were entered by INEC for his party in favour of the APC during the election.

    He said he relied on INEC documents to arrive at his statement on Oath and adopted the same as evidence in the petition.

    Ighodaro also told the Tribunal that there was no prior recording of serial numbers of sensitive materials deployed for the election locally in INEC’s form EC25B.

    When cross-examined by counsel to the respondents, the witness claimed to have relied on INEC documents made available to him in the formation of his deposition, despite never participating in the signing of the documents except Form EC25C

    “My Lord, I did not examine any BiVAS Machine used for the election all through the process during my work as PDP Local Government Area Collation Agent in Oredo. But I examined the documents given to me by my party”, the witness submitted.

    For Adekunle Oboh, PDP Local Government Area Collation Agent in Esan Central, there were irregularities in 23 polling units in the area during the election.

    He specifically told the court in his testimonies that there was no prior recording of serial numbers of sensitive materials deployed to the polling units in the area in Form EC25B.

    Oboh said the polling unit results sheets were signed by his party agents up to the ward level before he signed Form EC8C.

    According to Wilson Ibhawa, the petitioners’ Esan South East Local Government Area Collation Agent, there was no prior recording of serial numbers and sensitive materials used in the election in Form EC25B in five polling units in his area.

    Justice Wilfred Kpochi, Chairman of the Tribunal, however, admitted the documents in evidence provisionally, pending the arguments of the respondent’s counsel.

    He, therefore adjourned sitting to Friday, January 24, 2025 for the continuation of the hearing.