Kakaki

The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Chairman in Edo, Dr. Bishop Akhalame, on Monday declared his intention to contest the 2024 governorship election in Edo state.

Dr. Akhalame made the declaration in Benin during the unveiling of his book titled “Reaction and Sustaining the Edo Economy”.

It will be recalled that Akhalame had contested the 2016 and 2020 governorship elections in the stateHe noted that his desire to contest the 2024 election was to reactivate the economy and correct bad governance in the state.

“Today, I publicly declared my intention to contest the 2024 governorship election under the Zenith Labour Party to change the narrative and reactivate the state economy for the good of the people.

“Edo is blessed with a lot of resources but the problem we have is bad managers. My book is a template of the action plan I am going to implement to ensure that Edo economy become the best in Nigeria.

“This is why I contested the 2016 and 2020 elections, this time, I am very confident of winning because Edo people need a leader who has the ability to solve practical problems bedeviling the state,” he said.

He noted that if elected, he would run a participatory government where everyone would be involved in decision making process.

“A lot of things have gone wrong in the governance of Edo state, that is why I brought out a book that would be a covenant between me and Edo people.

“My political ambition is a journey, I didn’t get it right in 2016, I missed it in 2020 but in 2024, I am confident of victory because I have the capacity to change the state,” added.

Also speaking. Professor Benson Osadolor, former Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, said in 2024, Edo state cannot afford not to elect a governor who must be of proven integrity to do the job.

“It is not just enough to say I want to run for governorship but what exactly can you offer, how dedicated are you to the progress and development of the state,” he said.

Osadolore said the book written by Akhalame would be useful in reactivating and sustaining the economy of Edo state.

Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), Prof Lawrence Ezemonye on Wednesday showered encomiums on Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, saying history would be kind to the latter for making an indelible imprint on the education landscape of Nigeria.

Business Mogul, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, who is the Esama of Benin Kingdom founded the Nigeria’s premier private university in 1999.

Speaking during the institution’s 24th Founder’s Day celebration in Okada, Edo, Ezemonye said the Founder’s feat in the annals of the history of Nigeria’s education sector remain unquantifiable.

“It is trite saying that nothing happens unless first a dream. As we celebrate the founder, Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, CFR, Esama of Benin Kingdom on this auspicious occasion for a dream come true, we revel in the ground-breaking feat that the establishment of Igbinedion University Okada, as the first private university in Nigeria represents.

“It is significant that his noble vision has forever altered the narrative of the nation’s tertiary education system for good. Indeed, history will be kind to the Honorable Chancellor for making such an indelible imprint on the education landscape of Nigeria,” he said.

At 24, the vice-chancellor said it was significant to note that the brilliant exploits of the blue-sky graduates in their various fields of endeavour across the globe evident the quality of the University’s products.

He said this was predicated on IUO’s commitment to continually seek ways to advance knowledge and educate our students to make a difference in our society and our world.

The vice chancellor noted that the institution’s educational quality was reflected in the fact thay all its 34 undergraduate academic programmes were duly accredited by the National Universities Commission and other professional bodies.

Personalities at the Founder’s Day ceremony include former governor of Edo state and the institution’s Deputy Chancellor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, and South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Thamsanya Dennis Mseleku, who delivered the Founder’s Day lecture titled, “Advancing Higher Education legacy through Partnership: Private Sector Engagement .”

The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises- Niger Delta (LIFE-ND)on Wednesday held a working session with over 1000 beneficiaries to evaluate their performance in various chosen agribusiness and follow up on progress of the intervention in the state so far.

The project has so far trained 1,033 incubatees out of the 4,250 targeted to benefit from the federal government intervention in Edo.

LIFE-ND is being funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)in collaboration with the Federal government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Speaking with newsmen during the session, Mrs. Grace Iredia-Amedu, the Edo Agribusiness Promotion Officer, LIFE-ND, said the session would be an avenue to interact with the farmers, provide them with information concerning the project.

Iredia-Amedu said” this working session is taking place in five locations across the location governments where the project is being carried out.

“The session would also enable us get feedbacks from the beneficiaries on how they are being treated by their incubators and where we are not satisfied, we will reassign the incubatee to another incubator,” she said.

According to her, we want our beneficiaries to get first hand information from us.

As it is, it is only the incubators that give them information and will no longer want that.

She noted that the project targeted unemployed and under-employed youths (aged 18-35) as well as women headed households with children under the age of 15 years.

“Who are willing to engage in the production, Processing, and marketing of the selected commodities of Rice, Cassava, Fishery, and Poultry.

“The project was designed to address poverty, boost food security, create jobs for youths and women in rural communities.

According to her, the project adopted an incubation model of training where youth and women learn under the tutelage of experienced agribusiness owners.

The Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc (BEDC), on Friday partnered the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Edo State branch to reduce work related hazards and ensure productivity at workplace.

Speaking at an event to mark the World Safety Day organised by the BEDC, in Benin, the Head Safety and Environment, BEDC, Gilbert Nweke, said safety negligence was impacting negatively on productivity in the workplace

Nweke noted that a healthy working environment would always lead to a high productivity on the part of the workers.

“So, what we are simply saying is that when there is an improved working and healthy environment, productivity seems to go high.

” But what you see in the third world countries, is that the employers will be smiling to the bank while the workers will be wetting their pillows with tears”, he said.

Thknown the nature of services its workers are into, decided to partner Red Cross to train them on handling an emergency situation which might crop up in the course of their jobs.

“As a member of Red Cross, so I understand safety especially in the area of emergency response and also evacuation procedures.

“So, we have been conducting a lot of drills but we set aside the World Safety Day, to conduct mock drills based on how to respond to unconscious person, somebody who has suddenly dropped or collapsed in the workplace.

“So, we need to empower them , teach them what to do because we have discovered that some of our workers due to work pressure or exhaustion, some of them may collapse in the office or at the work sites and many of them do not have the necessary skills to resuscitate such person.

“You discover when somebody collapse, just a minor first aid treatment can resuscitate that person back to life but when there is ignorance, they allow the person to die not because they hated him but they just don’t know what to do.

“So, that is why we decided to bring in the Red Cross so that they we demonstrate to us how to do it so that we will be better equipped because the nature of our work is an emergency work, is a twenty four hours service and sometimes, people can over stretch their limits and when it happens, what do we do?”, He asked rhetorically.

On his part, the branch secretary of Red Cross, Wilson Ekhomugiazin thanked the company for inviting them to help facilitate the Simulation Exercise.

He said staff of the company were taught on how to handle emergence situations vis-a-vis”how to manage an unconscious casualty that is breathing and how to provide assistance to a casualty that is not also breathing.

He urged the company to sustain the advocacy of safety measures at workplaces.

 Seplat Energy has donated well-equipped Seplat Science Technology engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Laboratories to schools in Edo and Delta to promote practical learning in both private and public schools.

The multimillion laboratories was donated to Ihogbe College in Benin and has also be extended to schools in Delta.

Speaking at the event in Benin, the Director of External Affairs & Sustainability, Seplat Energy, Dr Chioma Nwachuku said the initiative was geared towards assisting the students develop their science, engineering, mathematics, and art skills using technology.

Nwachuku noted that the STEAM Laboratory, supported by Solar Energy, has internet access to provide the teachers with a technology-enhanced learning environment to support project-based learning for their students. 

She explained that Seplat STEAM laboratory was designed to help students learn how to work as ateam, solve problems and apply their knowledge in advanced and in creative ways to prepare them for the future.

“Seplat is excited that the STEAM laboratories will further strengthen the application of STEAM learning that the company has continued to promote in schools through the Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP). 

“The Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme, known as STEP, equips secondary school teachers with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to teach students the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics learning model. 

“Teachers are critical factors towards achieving quality education. Hence, in 2020, Seplat commenced the STEP initiative to empower teachers with the essential STEAM knowledge and skill sets. 

“This highly sought-after programme has delivered immense outcomes for 634 teachers and  touched over 25,000 students in Delta and Edo secondary schools,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director of New Energy, Seplat, Mr Effiong Okon, said “We started the STEP initiative by training teachers, and now we have taken the next step by investing in the STEAM Laboratory and providing unique gadgets. 

“This laboratory will significantly change how students learn and how our children’s potentials can be unleashed.

“Although we started with producing oil, Seplat is currently investing in New Energy, and this STEAM Lab will be successfully powered by solar energy because we have a high sun density.

 “So we do not have to rely on the grid or power-generating sets to run the Lab. We look forward to collaborating with the students and possibly championing new scientific breakthroughs.” 

“The Lab has various science devices and tools, such as electrical kits, chemical supplies, computers, art materials and a projector among others,” he said.

According to him, the donation of STEAM Labs to schools attests to Seplat’s commitment to improving creative thinking powered by science and higher teacher-student engagement for a well-rounded education.

In her speech, the Commissioner for Education in, Edo, Dr Joan Oviawe, thanked Seplat on behalf of the state government.

Oviawe reiterated that the donation supported the state government’s drive to enhance the role of technology in improving the quality of education in the state.

“The Edo State educational eco-system is proud to be associated with Seplat. This gift is welcome, and we want to assure you that this school would put the Lab to good use,” she said.

In his welcome address, the Principal of Ihogbe College, Barrister Johnson Egharevba, expressed the excitement of the entire school adding that,  his students have also attended Seplat-organised competitions in the past.

 Egharevba disclosed that three of the school’s STEP-trained teachers have developed power banks based on knowledge gained from STEP

The Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN), Edo chapter on Friday trained meat handlers on meat and meat products, handling, processing, packaging and storage in Edo.

Declaring the one day training opened, the commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Stephen Idehenre, said the
Poor handling of meat posed a serious threat to human health and the environment.

Idehenre noted that the collaboration of all stakeholders was needed through engagement such as trainings and sensitisation campaign to address the issues.

“This is just the beginning of more engagements to come. We will continue to talk to meat handlers to prevent any outbreak of disease in the state,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the state chairman of ASAN,
Peter Aikhuomobhgbe explained that the poor and unhygienic way meat is handled abattoirs and markets in the state necessitated the training programme.

Aikhuomobhgbe noted that the poor state of the abattoir and the poor handling of meat was raising concerns among stakeholders about the attendant health risk

“As animal scientist, we are worried about the unhealthy environment, transport system and the very poor way people handle meat.

“You will not like to eat meat if you go to our abattoirs. The way the meat is transported to the markets is another problem.

” So the essence of this training is aimed at making meat wholesome,”he said.

According to him, as an association, our role is multi-disciplinary and one of which is to educate the people on how to handle, process, package and store meat.

Prof. John Igene in his lecture titled Meat and Meat Products handling, preservation, processing, packaging and storage, said proper meat handling was critical for the overall wellbeing of Nigerians

Igene is an Emeritus professor of Research Innovation, Food and Technology, University of Benin.

He noted that poor meat handling and storage procedures often resulted in food poisoning adding that food safety was the only way to secure lives.

” The quality of meat supplied to the general population may be affected by techniques used in handling and preserving the meat.

“In order to properly slaughter and process meat,it is imperative that the rural and urban abattoirs be built with qualified workers.

According to him, We need to enhance public meat inspection, supply standardised facility to maintain a high level of meat sanitation.

The director of Animal Husbandry department, Eno Otamere noted that participants were drawn from livestock farmers, operators of abattoirs, poultry farmers and pig farmers among others.

The Management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company PLC (BEDC) has held a customer engagement forum where it warned customers against meter bypass and other forms of electricity theft in Asaba, Delta.

Speaking at the forum on Thursday in Asaba, the Managing Director, BEDC, Dr Henry Ajagbawa said the engagement was an avenue to get feedbacks from its customers about its services.

Represented by Mrs Evelyn Gbiwen, Head of Corporate Communications, BEDC, Ajagbawa noted that the forum would also be used to resolve customers complaints and challenges.

Ajagbawa said” part of the reasons for the customer engagement forum is to find out how customers perceive our services. We are here to also listen to their complaints and resolve them as much as we can today

“As you make your complaints, we sincerely hope they will be resolved today. It is our responsibility to listen to you as customers and our duty to resolve all issues raised. 

“We are a customer friendly company and we are committed resolving all the issues and complaints you might have right at this venue, as well as fully attend to questions and concerns of electricity customers,” he said.

Mr. Cutis Nwadei, Head, Special Projects and Community Engagement urged customers to pay their bills as at when due to enable the company meet up with Its obligations and vision.

Nwadei disclosed that Nigeria presently generates only about 4, 200 Mega Watts of electricity, out of which only nine percent was allocated to BEDC for distribution within its operational areas of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states. 

” I implore you all to pay your bills. We pay the market operator, as well as the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Company, which both have their meters showing what we have to pay, so it means that ours is what remains after we have paid our own bills as a distribution company,” he said.

Nwadei therefore appealed to the customers to co-operate with BEDC staff while on enumeration adding that, the company was committed to metering all its customers.

 He gave out the company various channels of communication such as its 24-hour call centres on 07001236660, 07001235553 or 07080671191 or Social Media channels, @Beninelectric on Twitter or at customercomplaints@beninelectric.org . 

According to him, customers who had paid for their pre-paid meters and are in possession of their receipts should approach the Asaba Regional Office at New Anwai Road, Asaba, to get theirs, as the company recently procured a good number of meters in a bid to enhance customer satisfaction. 

Other BEDC officials who spoke at the forum include Mr. Emmanuel Imole, Product Manager, Henry Onovwaka, the Regional Head, Asaba Region, Mr. David Alabi, Regional Safety Officer, Mr. Edise Ekong, Corporate Communications Officer, Imoghome Umakhihe, Head, Customer Service, and Mrs. Mbagwu Gloria, Regulatory Officer. 

All the above mentioned BEDC staff took turns to enlighten and educate the customers on various aspects of the power sector in Nigeria, especially as it concerns the BEDC.

The Benin Electricity Distribution Company PLC (BEDC) says it has handed over one Mr. Timothy Oyedele and his accomplice to the police for allegedly defrauding customers in Sapele, Delta.

A statement signed by Barr. Esanye Mayor, Head, Legal Department/Company Secretary, BEDC and made available to newsmen in Benin, said they were arrested for fraud.

According to the statement, Oyedele is a staff of BEDC attached to Oguanja 1, Sapele Region of Delta State .

Mayor said that the BEDC staff
was caught conniving with a non staff popularly know as “NEPA2 to perpetuate to defraud customers.

“They go around collecting money from customers as payment for energy without issuing receipt for such payment. The act is against the company’s policies.

“The arrest was as a result of a deliberate disregard for the company’s policy and stern warning on the use of “NEPA 2” in carrying out operations of BEDC network.

“From the internal investigation carried out, it was discovered that the said Mr. Timothy Oyedele with his accomplice have been in the habit of defrauding customers.

“They will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“The Managing Director, Dr. Henry Ajagbawa had previously appealed to customers and staff to only make payments through approved payment channels and to always collect receipt after payment.

“He also warned staff to disassociate themselves from infraction punishable under the law” he said.

According to Mayor, BEDC will rely on the power sector reform act, Miscellaneous Offence Act and the Nigerian Criminal Code to prosecute infraction and other practices inimical to the operations of the company.

Some beneficiaries of Edo Livelihood Support Programme, under the Cash Transfer Unit on Thursday declared support for Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in the House of Assembly elections scheduled for March 18.

The programme which started in 2022 has impacted no fewer than 169 beneficiaries across the state.

The Programme is one of the Disbursement Link Indicators of the state government targeted at the poor and vulnerable household in the state.

Speaking at a feedback meeting at the State Cash Transfer office in Benin,
a cross section of the beneficiaries from Oredo and Ikpoba Okha Local Government
thanked the governor for the kind gesture.

They opined that Obaseki has impacted their lives positively through the project adding that the project must be sustained beyond 2023

Mr Monday Aideyan, a welder , who appreciated the governor for the project said the fund he received was used to buy welding materials to boost his trade.

“I was surprised that I was selected to benefit from the project. When they came to my work place, they asked what trade I was into and I told them.

” And they trained us on how to grow and sustain our businesses after which we were told to go and open account with Zenith Bank,” Aideyan said.

According to him, I was given N200,000 and the money went a long way for me and my family.

Also, Mr. Martins Idusuiyi, a farmer said he diversified into chicken business with the money he was paid.

Mrs Mariam Abu, a food vendor with eight children said she was paid the sum of N100,000 which she injected into her business adding that, the money has tripled.

” I am a widow, I have not received this kind of support since my husband died. So I will not joke with the business, she said.

According to her, I want to beg everybody to support the government so that the project can continue for others to benefit from.

The head of the State Cash Transfer Unit, Flora Bossey explained that the beneficiaries were being paid between N20,000 and N200,000 to support their businesses.

She revealed that the selection process was purely based on data from the state social register of poor and vulnerable, noting that the objective was to support small businesses mostly affected by Covid 19 pandemic.

The Benin Electricity Distribution Company PLC (BEDC), on Thursday, unveiled ‘iRecharge’, an online payment platform that will enhance efficiency in bill collections and make payment easier for customers in its franchise states of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti

Dr Henry Ajagbawa, the Managing Director, BEDC, made the announcement during the unveiling ceremony of the iRecharge online payment platform at the company’s headquarters in Benin.

Ajagbawa noted that customers were unable to reach payment points across its operation areas, adding that it has hindered the ability of the company to make collections from the energy sold.

He said” One of the report done by our consultant pointed out the lack of access to payment platform or agents as one of the significant draw backs in our operations.

“On top of that, we met on ground, a monopolist situation, where we had only one aggregator on a payment platform with a limited agents of about 1,600. That further accentuated the problem of reachability.

“What we have done when we came on board, is to institute a new payment platform with about 14 aggregators bringing about 15,000 agents across the four states.

“And iRecharge is one of such aggregators that was onboarded for this purpose. They came with this unique payment system,” Ajagbawa said.

The managing director tasked the management of iRecharge on proper execution of the payment platform, adding that the company had not been pleased with some aggregators in the past.

“Therefore, we are using this opportunity to call on iRecharge to be very astute in execution to ensure that bottlenecks are removed,” he added.

Ajagbawa urged iRecharge to work closely with the BEDC cooperate affairs team to get the information to every nook and cranny of its operation areas.

According to the MD, the communication strategy must be very intense and deep such that you reach the people in the rural areas in manner and language they understand.

Mr Tomi Araromi, the Managing Director, iRecharge Tech-Innovations, said the new payment platform provided and paired a unique NUBAN account number to every prepaid and postpaid meter number.

Araromi noted that payment of electricity bills could be made with just one bank transfer to these account numbers.

“What this means is that your prepaid and postpaid meters now have their own account numbers where electricity bills payment can be made.

“Payment to this account numbers automatically generates and sends a token/receipt to the payee via SMS, Email and WhatsApp without convenience fees.

“To can get your meter bank account numbers via http://www.irecharge.ng, download the mobile App, dial 66061# USSD Code or via WhatsApp through 09096666612,” he said

Also speaking, Mr Victor Olojo, the National President, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) said the association was working with iRecharge to provide a hitch free services.