Borderline News 24

By Dada Ayokhai  Two  persons were reportedly   killed following a  boundary dispute between Sabongida-Ora and Uhonmora- in Owan West local government area of Edo State. It was learnt that the crisis started on a  Sunday when some people went to measure land at the boundary between the two communities.  It was further gathered that on hearing the news, youths of both communities mobilised to the area and started fighting.  It was also gathered that the development  compeled schools and businesses to close down as youths of the two communities fought dirty over a boundary. A source from the community who preferred anonymity, said the crisis which started on Sunday over disputed boundary land has left two persons dead. "The crisis started three days ago when some people went to measure the land at the boundary between the two communities and they were attacked. He alleged that the motorcycles  used in transporting people  ...

By Dada Ayokhai  A politician and technocrat from Owan West Local Government of Edo State,  Barr. Frank Dix Unuigboje has urged the  Edo North indigenes to cast aside whatever differences that may exist among them and come together as one indivisible entity to support their son, Hon Shuaibu and his principal, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, as they grapple with the challenges of bettering the life/ welfare of the people of the Edo State.  BARR. Unuigboje, who is still playing a vital role in the meteoric popularity of the PDP in Owan West and by extension, Edo North, is one of the party's leading lights and great mobiliser.  He made this clarion call in a chat with journalists  in Benin city, the Edo State capital.  Barr. Unuigboje singled out Hon. Shaibu for praises on account of his untainted loyalty to his principal, stating they hold the key to unlock the greatness and potentialities of Edo State. According to Barr. Unuigboje ,who was a former Edo...

By Dada Ayokhai  A politician and technocrat from Owan West Local Government of Edo State,  Barr. Frank Dix Unuigboje has urged the  Edo North indigenes to cast aside whatever differences that may exist among them and come together as one indivisible entity to support their son, Hon Shuaibu and his principal, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, as they grapple with the challenges of bettering the life/ welfare of the people of the Edo State.  BARR. Unuigboje, who is still playing a vital role in the meteoric popularity of the PDP in Owan West and by extension, Edo North, is one of the party's leading lights and great mobiliser.  He made this clarion call in a chat with journalists  in Benin city, the Edo State capital.  Barr. Unuigboje singled out Hon. Shaibu for praises on account of his untainted loyalty to his principal, stating they hold the key to unlock the greatness and potentialities of Edo State. According to Barr. Unuigboje ,who was a former Edo...

By Dada Ayokhai A center committed to the care of children with Neuro-development challenges, which  will also help society find  strategies and solutions to enable these children live full lives, has opened its doors to the public in Edo State. Known as Oseno Centre, its founder, Sabina Idowu Osehobo says while it is to designed to revitalize frontline services for families of children with Neuro-developmental challenges, it also plans to find independence at a level suitable for each person. Addressing newsmen in Benin City,  she said the vision of the Osenon centre is healthy communities devoid of preventable  deaths where people with challenges can actualise their potentials. On the services available at the centre, she said among others the centre was set up for awareness creation among target audiences and creation of of networks of parents and persons with challenges to unite and interact in their personal interest. She also spoke about a in-h...

By DADA AYOKHAI The management of the Benin Owena Rivers Basin authority has commesed Construction work on the bridge linking  Atte to  Egbigere   and other adjourning communities  in Akoko Edo local government. Similarly, the absence of the bridge has also affected the evacuation of farm produce from the affected areas to the neighboring towns.     Already, work on the bridge, which has reached 30 per cent completion stage, has  brought tremendous smiles on the faces of the inhabitants hitherto cut off from their kinsmen in Akoko Edo and its environs. The Atte/Egbigere bridge, constructed during the military administration of late Samuel Ogbemudia, who served as governor of the old Bendel State, collapsed as a result of old age and disrepair.  The  bridge also served as a link from Atte to Uzairue and Okpella in Etsako. The  Inhabitants of the affected areas were subjected to the agony of having to make several det...

By DADA AYOKHAI It seems  the disdainful manner prominent citizens were treated and the utter disregard for judicial  process in the demolition of property  during the oshiomhole administration has once again reared its ugly head in the state. The state government had, penultimate week, gone on a demolition spree, armed with bulldozers and some uniformed men in tow, to demolish some choice property  belonging to three notable members of the APC who are also close political allies of the former governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole.  Those who had their property reduced to rubbles during the demolition exercise carried out by officials of the state government includes  Dr Pius Odubu, a former deputy governor of the state; Prof Julius Ihonvbere, a member of the House of Representatives and Mr Mike Itemuagbo, a    renowned sports marketer in the country.    Recall how Comrade Oshiomole ruled the state with iron fist, demolishing...

By Dada Ayokhai The story of the strong economic tie between Ozalla and Iruekpen, both located in Edo North and Edo Central respectively, serves as a good example of how peaceful coexistence can transcend linguistic, cultural and other artificial barriers. The story of Ozalla and Iruekpen has evolved over the years and comparable to the economic relationship between two adjoining communities. Whilst Ozalla falls into Edo North senatorial district, Iruekpen, on the other hand, is under Edo Central senatorial district.  In reality, there is no cultural affinity between both communities, since each belongs to divergent cultural, language, traditional and historical experience.  However, both communities have still managed to develop a special bond built on trust to the extent these "artificial" differences no longer poses a threat to their economic existence.      Ozalla is one of the border towns in Owan West local government area of Edo North. Th...

By DADA AYOKHAI The management of Benin - Owena River Basin Authority has pledged to sustain the current tempo on water conservation and management as well as ensure it  delivered on its core mandate.  Rekindling its pledge while commissioning a plethora of water projects in Edo North senatorial district, the Authority said it will not spare any effort in that regard.  And, to demonstrate its seriousness, the Authority recently commissioned two water and other related projects in Ihievbe, Owan East and Uzanu in Etsako East, respectively.  They included a three block classroom  fitted with a modern toilet and borehole at Oboikhoduma Primary School, Emabu, Ihievbe, Owan East as well as two sets of boreholes in Uzanu; one of which is situated at Igiele Primary School, the other inside the town.  Incidentally, the minister of state for budget and national planning, Prince Clem Agba, hails from Uzanu.  With this frenzy of commissioni...

By Dada Ayokhai A foremost PDP Leader in Edo State, Hon. Henry Duke Tenebe, said the recent Court of Appeal judgement in Abuja instituted  by the APC, which dismissed the  Certificate Forgery against the governor has vindicated his earlier statement that the forgery case was a ruse. According to Tenebe through a press statement said, "he had always known  that the forgery case was a ruse, insisting the Edo State chapter of the APC simply latched on to it as a last resort, having realised that the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki was the People's  choice and destined to win  the  Edo 2020 guber election." The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja  struck out the certificate forgery case instituted against the governor by the APC.  In so doing, the Court of Appeal relied heavily on an  earlier judgement of a Federal High Court which had dismissed the case for lacking merit and also awarded costs against the APC. Recall Hon Tenebe had immediat...

By Dada Ayokhai The hope of the All progressive Congress, APC, to take over the Edo state government House was again dashed  as the  Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which held that Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki did not forge his certificates to contest for the 2020 gubernatorial election. The Appeal Court panel, which delivered the judgement in the case with suit no CA/ABJ/CV/ 71/2021 between All Progressive Congress (APC) & anor v. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki & 2 Ors., consist of  Hon. Justice Stephen Adah JCA (PJ), Hon. Justice Ige JCA and Hon. Justice Mohammed Mustapha JCA. In the judgment given by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, Thursday, March 18, 2020 the court ruled that "the lower court has not made any mistake and that the plaintiff and witnesses did not pin the 1st Respondent to have forged the certificate." It held that the judgment of the lower court is apt and very clear, not...

By Dada Ayokhai  The Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has welcomed the federal executive council(FEC) approval of over N6 billion for the provision of clean portable water for Ogoni Communities in River State. In a statement issued in Benin City, ERA/FoEN urged the Federal Government to publish all contractual agreement details on the N6 billon water projects being undertaken by Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for the sake of transparency and accountability. ERA/FoEN through its Programmes Director, Mr. Mike Karikpo,  said the move would enable “local Communities, Civic groups and international Community to monitor and evaluate the success of this very important and people-oriented aspect of the project adequately”. ERA/FoEN said the remedial measures as recommended in the UNEP Ogoni Environmental Assessment report, would help HYPREP to pursue and redeem the goodwill of the people and time that had been los...

By OTUNBA Mike ALADENIKA.  No nation toys with it's internal security structure let alone making it's varrious entry points porous to the extent of been exposed to security challenges by non Nationals.  Various political and security schools of thought agreed that for a nation to fortify it's internal security and guarantee the safety of lives and properties of it's citizens as entrenched in the Constitution demands a proactive disposition of government.   Developed nations, even at the face of agreed international, continental and subregional principles and understanding do provide for adequate monitoring of movements into and out of their countries.  The government also take proper documentation of movements of other Nationals into their countries, all with a view to check the influx of possible criminal minded foreigners who may want to take advantage of existing international understanding.  It then became worrisome for anyone to have reason...

By Dada Ayokhai  Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has urged  the people of the state to make themselves readily available to be vaccinated against the Coronavirus disease assuring them  them of its safety. The Governor  made the appeal while taking his first dose of the COVID19 vaccine as a mark of flagging off the COVID19 vaccination exercise in the state. Those who also took their jabs along side with the governor were his deputy, Philip Shaibu, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, Mrs. Mariann Shaibu, religious and traditional leaders. Mr. Obaseki said he decided to take the first dose of the vaccine to boost the confidence of the citizens of the state despite calls from friends not to take it following the news from some countries that they have suspended their vaccination exercises owing to the negative impact it has had on their citizens. "At this juncture, let me explain why we didn't start on time but to start up about an hour late, as at this morning when ...

By DADA AYOKHAI  Teachers in Edo State have accused the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki of applying the draconian rule of "No work, No pay" on them by deducting from their salaries, the numbers of days they were not at  work due to strike action directed  by their umbrella body, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT. Recall that the NUT, had directed their members to embark on strike action over non implementation of  series of demand from the state government which was later called off after five days. Some of the teachers claimed that about 23 to 26 thousands were deducted from the salaries of those  who are senior staff. Most lamentable were the junior staff who said after the deduction, the balance of salaries will not able to sustained them for the month. Some of the categories of teachers across the seinor and the junior cadres who are indebted to the government through servicing of loan facility went home without pay due to the deduction. Accordin...

By AZAKA AUGUSTINE OHIOLE Life is a big challenge. And you either fight or be fought. To fight, many things are at stake, because, it denotes your readiness to take the active position for your life. That is, you're assuming the driver post of your destiny. Of course, this comes with lots of confrontations. One, you will be misunderstood; two, you will be criticized; three, you will be rejected.  From the foregoing, you can indicate that to fight in this world may be a dangerous, life-threatening, and panic-stricken adventure. The very reason it is a road less travelled. By demonstrating an interest to fight, the world immediately marks you out as a threat. The consequences are that you will welcome blows from people you do not fight, and bullets from guns you do not trigger. Automatically, the world becomes a war zone. On the other hand, to be fought is to agree to take the passive position for your life. It means to surrender your steering wheel into the hands of anot...

By DADA AYOKHAI  Senator Yisa Braimoh is not loquacious but whenever he decides to talk, his words are sparse and laced with wisdom. The highly respected former senator who represented Edo North in the 6th  Assembly has added his voice to the deluge of congratulatory messages heaped on Dr Tony Aziegbemi . Dr Tony Aziegbemi recently clocked one year in office as the state chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State.  His singular feat of leading the PDP to capture power in Edo State, against the backdrop of fierce resistance from the APC and its acclaimed federal might, thrust him into the limelight as an astute politician and a man with the "winning aura". Talks of Dr Aziegbemi’s one year in office are dominating the Edo political airwaves.  PDP stalwarts across the state have hailed the one year tenure of the Russian trained Economist turned politician as "momentous and impactful", describing his politics of accommodation as the g...

By DADA  AYOKHAI  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State and their counterparts across the entire South-South geo-political zone will  probably converge in Benin, the capital city of Edo State on Sunday, March 14, 2021, to clink glasses, make merriments and celebrate the sweet aroma of their recent political conquests under the charismatic and able leadership of the State Party Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi.  On the 14th of March, 2021, it will be exactly one year when Dr. Tony Aziegbemi mounted the saddle as the State Party Chairman. At onset, he was the dark horse, luckily, his tenacity and zeal propelled him to go into the trenches to galvanise the required critical support base and when the party's congress eventually held, he emerged victorious.  There is, indeed, every reason to celebrate. Here was a party living in the shadows of its past glory and suddenly, it transformed into the ruling party, with all of its attachments.  Those...

 By Dada Ayokhai Edo State deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, has advised Christians to pray to God for Nigeria to overcome the security challenges being experienced in some parts of the federation as they observe the Lenten season. in a statement signed by his media aide, Razak Zekeri, and made available to newsmen in Benin, Shaibu said, this is the time the Christians have to fast and pray for God to touch the heart of the insurgents and herdsmen, to stop the attack on the people of Nigeria and beyond. Shaibu also frowned at the way Christians tend to keep themselves pure during the Lenten period and shortly after the end of it, return to their old ways of life, stressing that such should not be rather they should continue with their good ways. " Christians must see lent as a continuous spiritual exercise and not a period that ends but that they must imbibe the spirit of lent for as long as they live.  "Some people abstain from sin throughout the lent peri...

By Dada Ayokhai The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),  has arraigned Odejobi Temitope Michael, before Justice E. N. Alukwu of the State High Court in Enugu. Michael was charged for failing to return N2,000,000 wrongly sent to his account. The money was inadvertently paid in February 2019, by Chikezie Chukuma, who thought the account belonged to an auto dealer. It was when Chukuma went to take delivery of the car he realized the error in payment. But the defendant failed to refund the money, forcing the owner to report the matter.  Michael pleaded “not guilty” when the charge was read to him. His lawyer, B. J. Adigwe filed a motion for bail pending the determination of the case. The prosecution counsel, S. C. Anyanwu, opposed. Anyanwu argued that Michael might not return to face trial if he goes back to Benin Republic where he resides. Justice Alukwu ordered the remand of the defendant in EFCC custody and adjourned the case until April 25, 2021. Credi...

By DADA  AYOKHAI The former Edo state PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih  has  emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South South National Vice Chairman. With this victory, Chief orbih  becomes  the first PDP Leader from Edo state to lead the party at the regional level.    Chief  orbih polled a total votes of  960 out of the 964 votes cast at the party Congress which took place at   Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt in a contest where he was an unopposed candidate. In his acceptance speech after the inauguration of the new leadership of the party in the zone, orbih pledged to reposition the party and make it stronger ahead of the 2023 general elections. He assured that the new executive would not betray the trust and faith reposed in them by the delegates. Orbih commended  the PDP governors in the zone for continuously  keeping faith with the party. He added that South South was prou...

By DADA AYOKHAI Edo State is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and truly living up to its reputation as the "heartbeat of the nation", going by the rising rate of kidnapping and abductions in the state.  A day hardly passes without tales of a heart- rending abduction executed against the ordinary citizens of the state by  a marauding group of kidnappers and abductors who have turned the state into a thriving kidnapping empire.   Both the ordinary citizens as well as the elites, who sojourn daily either to eke out a living or on transit to visit or touch base with their loved ones, nobody is spared of this dehumanising and vexatious plight.  Edo State seems completely under siege. These rampaging kidnappers or abductors and some of their local collaborators, holds the state at the jugular. Of all the South-South geo-political states, Edo State is beginning to occupies pole position as number one den of kidnappers.  The Fulani herders are brazen and h...

By  Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin A group on the platform of Edo Dynasty United Worldwide (EDUW), yesterday, called on the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to setup an investigative panel to probe into the activities of the outgone local government chairmen while in office with the view of keeping successive chairmen on check. President of the group, comrade Brown Ehigie Osemwengie, made the call while reacting to the activities of the outgone council chairmen in the 18 local government areas in the state. Recall that the Edo State governor,  Godwin Obaseki has directed all the 18 Local Government Council Chairmen and their political appointees in the state to vacate the offices. The governor also ordered elected  Councillors  at local government councils to vacate their offices. The directive followed the expiration of their tenure in office on March 5,2021. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Princess M. E. Jos-Ba...

By Dada Ayokhai It was jubilation galore across the length and breadth of Ikabigbo in Uzairue clan, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State following the installation of Chief Ibrahim Alegeh as the new village head  of the community.   Ikabigbo is one of the 21 communities in Uzairue clan. The instalation of Alegeh followed the death of the traditional ruler of the community, Chief Zibiri Ogeyemhe, in August 2020. Elders of the community had piloted its affairs for six months before the installation of the new leader. Chief Ibrahim Alegeh who was turbaned on on the 2nd of March was  born in 1961 at Ikabigbo community,  He attended Ikabigbo primary school and Institute of Continuous Education (ICE) Auchi and upon graduation he moved to Bauchi state where he set up his welding fabrication company. He later moved to Abuja after over a decade in Bauchi where he also spent over a decade before joining Heartland land construction company where he resigne...

 By DADA AYOKHAI The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its chieftain, Williams Edobor, challenging the certificate presented by Governor Godwin Obaseki to contest the 2020 governorship election in Edo State. A three-man panel of justices of the appellate court made the reservation after listening to arguments from both parties on Monday in the nation’s capital. Counsel to the APC, Akin Olujimi, insisted that the purported degree certificate submitted by Governor Obaseki to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was false.  In his response, counsel to the governor, Ken muzia,argued that based on the pleadings of the appellant, the false information allegedly submitted by the respondent was on the fact that he did not graduate from the University of Ibadan in 1979, neither did he resign from Afri Investment Limited. On January 9, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal Hig...

By DADA AYOKHAI  The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City the Edo state capital has set aside the judgement of the High Court which nullified the candidacy of the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2020 Edo governorship election Hon , Audu Ganiyu. The high court had in the judgement delivered on 6th January 2021 held that Ganiyu had submitted false information to the independent national electoral commission, INEC, in his form ec9. In delivering judgement on three separate appeals filed against the judgement by Osagie Ize—Iyamu, Audu Ganiyu and the APC, the Court of Appeal on Monday held that the case at the high court was statute barred as the matter was filed out of time. As to the claim of forgery, the court of appeal set aside the judgement of the lower court holding that it lacked merit as no proof of forgery was made against the defendant and the claims concerning the differences in spelling of name amounted to mere discrepancie...

By DADA  Ayokhai Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, yesterday gave reasons why he supported governor Godwin Obaseki against the immediate past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole during the September 19,2020 governorship election in the state. Shaibu said this on Sunday in Benin at reception organised by the  out-gone local government chairmen in the state shortly after their  Thanksgiving service at St. Paul Catholic Church. He said they started the revolution of  not placing Edo in the hands of Individuals that will  mortgage their collective heritage and wealth and be flying jets all over  under Oshiomhole's administration as governor of the state. "We said there must be a change and that godfathers must be brought to their kneels and people must decide who lead them while leaders must be accountable to the people and not few godfathers,".  He said the collective thing that bid them together in the ...

By Deborah Coker The former President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Mr Peter Esele , says national minimum wage should and must remain in the Exclusive List of the Constitution. Mr Esele made the disclosure in Benin ,Edo state capital during an interview  with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) .  According to the former TUC  President, it is the prerogative of the Federal Government to fix national minimum wage. He said the position of some stakeholders that fixing  of the minimum wage should be removed  from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent  is what he considered as  dereliction and abdication of responsibility by those in power. Recall that some state governors have argued that national minimum wage should be in the Concurrent List to allow states of the federation to determine their minimum wages independently “It is very unfortunate that the National Assembly would want to take away national minimum wage from the Exclusive List. ...