Kakaki

The Benin Electricity Distribution plc has entered into patnership with an independent power company to restore power supply to four local government areas of Ondo State that were long disconnected from the National grid.

This is contained in a press statement made by the Managing Director of the company, Dr Henry Ajagbawa during an interactive session with newsmen in Benin city.

Ajagbawa, spoke through the Head, Community Engagement and Special Project director of the company, Mr Curtis Nwadei.

He noted the partnership was to render excellent services to the company’s numerous customers in BEDC franchise states

He directed that no community should be out of supply on the account of BEDC policy, which is also in line with NERC regulations and guidelines.

According to Ajagbawa, BEDC decided to partner with the independent power company to restore supply to Four LGAs that made up Ondo South Senatorial District.

” in a bid to ensure our customer satisfaction, despite the massive destruction and vandalism of BEDC electrical fittings, transformers and injection sub stations in the network.

” The management of BEDC still went ahead to restore power supply to the local government areas of the state.

‘The task of restoring power supply to the communities were sequel to limitations of funds, as the company’s funds cannot accommodate the project.

“Hence BEDC has to go into pathnership so that areas the company’s allocation from the National grid couldn’t cover will benefit from the partnership initiative.

‘The company’s Geographic information system (GIS) team were already on ground for Enumeration while the Admin/ Services department were taking inventory of these areas.

According to him, we are going to lease out our infrastructure to the company to distribute energy which will be a win-win scenario for both companies and a happy story for our esteemed customers in these areas.

The Management of BEDC electricity Plc on Sunday vowed to arrest and prosecute any fake agent caught collecting cash from unsuspecting customers under the guise of bill payments in its franchise states.

The Acting Head, Corporate Communications, BEDC Evelyn Gbiwen told newsmen in Benin that security agencies in the state have been alerted following several complaints from customers.

BEDC operation areas include Edo Delta Ondo and Ekiti.

Gbiwen urged customers to desist from giving money to staff and fake agents who were not known to the company.

She appealed to customers to report all fake agents going around defrauding them of their money to security operatives in the state.

“Customers are encouraged to make bills payments through approved payment agents that would give them receipt for every payment made.

“We have always enlightened our customers through the print and electronic media on bill transparency, the need to always insist on collecting receipt for every payment made.

” We also encourage them to be vigilant by making sure that the receipt issued to them contains all the details of payment made.

“BEDC is determined to fish out and prosecute all fake agents with the extant laws.

“BEDC approved agents do not need to be paid in cash as they are fitted with customized POS machines to make payments and provide receipts.

“The receipt would show the customers details such as customer account/meter name, address, amount paid, date and time.

“Customers who continue to patronize these fake agents are only giving away their money and would still be made to pay their bills through the proper channels,” she said.

According to her, customers are encouraged to explore alternative e-payment channels.

She explained that BEDC had increased the number of aggregators and payment agents across its franchise states to facilitate seamless bill payment.

The management of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company PLC on Tuesday held a first of its kind special valentine party for members of staff at its headquarters in Benin with exchange of gifts and fun activities.

The MD/CEO, Dr. Henry Ajagbawa, kick-started the gift exchange with a whooping sum of fifty thousand naira (50,000) to some staff as part of valentine celebration amongst other gift items.

Ajagbawa who briefly appreciated every one of his staff, encouraged them to love one another adding that there is love in sharing.

The ambience was jolly and exciting as staff engaged in singing competitions, karaoke, comedy, dance and much more happily.

The Valentine’s day outting ended with smiles as staff had an armful of gifts exchanged with love.

No fewer than 1,400 students of Igbinedion University, Okada at the weekend took the matriculation oath of allegiance to be of good conduct through out their stay in the university.

Speaking during the 24th matriculation ceremony held at Okada, Benin, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Lawrence Ezemonye urged the students to be committed to promoting the culture of unity in diversity for personal and national development.

Ezemonye who admonished the students to be of good behaviour throughout their stay in the institution, said the 1,400 students were christened the 2022/2023 set of matriculantsas Sapphires.

He noted that foreign students were also admitted into various accredited academic programmes of the seven colleges in the institution.

“This unique composition reflects the university’s irrevocable commitment to diversity and inclusion in all ramifications.

“It is my hope thay you will leverage on the unique opportunity of being in a cosmopolitan and inclusive community to promote the culture of unity in diversity.

” At this ceremony, students will be matriculated into the various colleges and departments of the university.

“From the records, all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, including some foreign students are represented in the current matriculation.

“The demography also reflects students from both gender and different religious backgrounds.

“This ceremony is also significant because it provides the opportunity for the fresh students to pledge their unalloyed and total allegiance to the authority of the university,” he said.

Ezemonye commended parents of the matriculating students for choosing to invest in their wards’ education for a better future.

“To invest in formal education is to push the limits of your world a bit further away towards realising your full potential.

“By pushing your limits, you improve your ability to think creatively and come up with powerful and innovative ideas required for personal and national development,” he added.

According to him, I congratulate you for being lucky to gain admission into Igbinedion university out of the several thousands that applied.

I can assure you that your choice of Igbinedion university is not misplaced.

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on Monday inducted 26 newly qualified medical doctors of the 2021/2022 session of Igbinedion university, (IUO), Okada into professional practice.

The Registrar of the council, Dr
Tajudeen Sanusi, represented by Dr Henry Okwuokenye, a deputy Registrar of the council, administered the oath.

Sanusi advised the new doctors to embrace specialisation in the field of medicine to enable them remain relevant and for global competitiveness.

Speaking during the 17th oath-taking and induction ceremony in Okada, Benin, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye noted that 18 out of the 26 new doctors were females.

Ezemonye who draw the attention of government to the massive ongoing brain drain in the health sector, said the phenomenon was affecting and depleting the number of doctors in the country .

“Today’s event provides a further opportunity to draw attention to the massive on-going brain drain in the health sector.

“The phenomenon is affecting medical doctors and all cadres of health workers. It is depleting the number of doctors in the country.

“And impacting negatively on the doctor to patient ratio and contributing to worsening of the unacceptable high morbidity and mortality data for the country.

“The urgency for government and all stakeholders to address the issue cannot be over emphasised,” he said.

Ezemonye noted that Igbinedion university places premium on high ethical standards in the training of its medical students.

“We will therefore continue to collaborate with the council to produce doctors that will uphold the hippocratic oath and practice the profession with honour, dignity and fear of God.

“Altogether, 26 medical doctors produced by the Oba Sijuade Okunade College of Health
Sciences who have been found worthy in character and learning will be inducted into the medical profession at this ceremony.

“An induction ceremony for newly qualified doctors is certainly an opportunity to reinforce the ethical basis of the noble profession of Medicine and Dentistry,” he added.

He commended the visionary leadership of the Founder and Chancellor, Chief Dr Gabriel Igbinedion for his foresightedness in
establishing the university.

The Guest Speaker, Dr Osahon Enabulele, President, World Medical Association, called on the federal government to address all the push factors pushing medical doctors out of the country.

Osahon said” Insecurity must be resolved if we must have our workforce intact. No doctor will want to work in an environment where he or she will be kidnapped.

“No doctor will also want to work in an environment where there are no working tools and medical equipment to work with,” he said.

According to him, the brain drain in the health sector need the transparent and sincere efforts of government to tackle.

Osahon, however, urged the young doctors to equip themselves with the rules and guidelines governing the profession for them to be aware of their rights in the workplace.

The Vice-chancellor of Igbinedion University, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, has advised students to embrace international conferences to broaden their academic and employability horizon to make them competitive.

Ezemonye gave the advice at a one-day students internationalisation workshop held on Tuesday at the University campus in Okada.

Ezemonye stressed the immense benefits derived from exposing undergraduates to international conferences, saying that the university had designed its programmes in that direction.

“This university has, for a long time, placed greater premium on exposing its undergraduates to opportunities in academics internationally to prepare them to be major players in the global space.

It may interest you to know that this university has a master class concept designed to get experts to talk to students on industry, career and investment as a way of exposing them to international skills and programmes.

“What we are doing is to prepare you for the future. In the next few weeks, our final year students in entrepreneurship programme will be starting a course in career enhancement.

“It is a virtual programme which internationalises the career desire of our students. So we want to expose our students to international skills
acquisition.

“So if any of those skills are introduced to your programme, please embrace them, they are part of the Internationalisation of students programme.

” I am using this opportunity to introduce you to America window platform being hosted here. That window has trained over 11,000 participants, many of whom have been given scholarship to study in the United State of America.

“I urge you to be attentive and pay attention to all the presentations as certificates that have the potential to open doors of opportunities will be issued to you,” Ezemonye said.

Speaking virtually, the guest speaker, Mr Allessandro Dimauta, the executive director and project Manager of Associazone Diplomatici said conferences are platforms for opportunities.

Dimauta said “we are working with universities around the world to make sure that they see possibilities outside the shores of their countries.

“Through the Change the World Model United Nations Academy, a global platform where students came together to internationalise and gain opportunities, we have trained quite a number of students globally.

“Annually, we graduate more than 50,000 students through conferences that are related to academic fields,” he said.

According to him, over 300,000 students are expected at this year’s conference coming up in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in Singapore.

In their separate presentations, Queen Egbumukei and Dr Uche Ibezie both alumnus of Igbinedion university advised the participants to take interest in students Internationalization programmes.

Caption: Okomu oil palm company MD, Dr. Graham Hefer, presents certificate to one of the 44 recipients.

Leadership of the Workers Union of Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc, says rewarding excellence is a catalyst for improved performance, growth and cordial relationship between the management and workers.

Its Chairman, Mr Kennedy Onyesom, made the assertions on Monday at the long service award ceremony, held at the company’s headquarters in Okomu, near Benin.

No fewer than 44 workers, comprising junior and senior staff members, received certificates, cash award and household items for their long and dedicated services to the company.

Onyesom, while appreciating the management of Okomu, said the gesture was one of the incentives to motivate the workers for enhanced productivity, efficiency, improved and better working environment.

He said: “Workers of Okomu Oil Palm Company have every reason to be thankful to the management.

“This is because for the past 28 years, the management has not reneged on its promise to reward staff members with long service award annually.“The management has been consistent and this is evident in the strong cordial relationship between the management and union, which has also contributed to the successive achievements of the company over the years.

“We will continue to be grateful to the Managing Director, Dr Graha Hefer and his team for their commitments, especially,  to the workers’ welfare.

“While I will continue to praise the managing director for his magnanimity toward the workers’ welfare, I will also call on the employees not to fail in putting in their best.

”Earlier, Hefer, felicitating with recipients of the awards, said it was nice to see the excitement on the faces of the workers at such occasion.

He said: “Today, it is my turn to thank you. I salute you all, the recipients with a big thank you, because you deserve these awards.

“These awards are rewards for the dedication and direction you have shown these past years that you have contributed to the company’s achievements.

“It is my turn to say congratulations to you for working hard for the growth of the company.

“It is through your hard work that the company attained what it has become today.

“I am asking for one thing from you, that is, you should continue to be loyal staff of the company as well as remain being good ambassadors of the company.

“Anywhere you go, always speak good of the company and that is the only way the company can grow and maintain its growth as I look forward to celebrate many more long service award ceremonies,” he said.

A recipient of the long service award, Mrs Adesuwa Uwujaren, who had spent 20 years in service, thanked the management on behalf of other recipients.

Some of the items gifted the recipients, who had spent between 15 and 25 years of service, included 5kv generators, complete set of settees, deep freezers and Plasma Televisions.

The 44 recipients were drawn from different Departments namely; Plantation, Rubber, Estate, Workshop, Finance, Administration and Oil Mill.

By Joy Odigie

Asaba, June 30, 2022. (NAN) The International Press (IPC) has built the capacity of about 30 journalists in Edo, Delta and Anambra States on skills to ensure safety as well as the use of digital security tools while carrying out investigative/ dangerous assignments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training is part of the IPC’s strategy to enhance press freedom through documentation, dialogue and capacity building.

Speaking during the two-day capacity building for journalists in Asaba, Mr Peter Nkanga, a press freedom defender, said that there were realiable digital applications journalists could install on their mobile devices to send out destress calls and alerts.

Delivering his lecture on Data and Digital Security and Related Security Issues in Investigative Reporting and Coverage of Dangerous Assignment, Nkanga said that journalists were also being faced with cyber staking which invaded their privacy or rights.

He, therefore, advised journalists to embrace the use of digital security tools that would make their information secured on their gargets as well as enhance their personal safety.

Also, Dr Majority Orji, Lecturer, Delta State University, Abraka, urged journalists to be objective while carrying out investigative reportage to prevent libel.

Orji, who delivered a lecture on Investigative Journalism or Reporting: Understanding the Challenges and Possible Dangers, said that journalists needed to be mindful about their sources, safety and interest of the public when carrying out investigations.

Meanwhile, Dr Isreal Uzo, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychology, University of Lagos, urged journalists to always take their mental health seriously as well as look out for signs that predisposed them to stress, depression and anxiety.

Uzo, represented by Mr Moses Tingir, a Clinical Psychologist, however, called for a review of the Mental health law in the country to enhance service delivery as well as the way people perceive mental health issues.

In his remarks, Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, IPC, noted that journalists needed to put safety and professionalism first when seeking out the truth during conflicts and dangerous situations.

Arogundade added that journalists should be able to identify the different stages as well as types of conflicts to enable them write reports that would promote conflict resolutions.

Earlier, Miss Adeola Olanrewaju, Media Monitoring Officer , IPC, said the training was organized as a response strategy to address the unrelenting assaults on journalists and media institutions by state and non-state actors who rarely face justice.

Olanrewaju, said that the centre had documented about 45 attacks against journalists in the last six months, noting that the incidents were possibly under-reported.

“We continue to have impunity for crimes against journalists and other media professionals in Nigeria as a result of which the perpetrators have become emboldened”.

She furthered said that that the attacks on media personnel had more far reaching consequences on the physical as well as mental health of the journalists.

“The bigger concern however is that while we pay more attention to the statistical aspect of the harassment and molestation of journalists, we tend to be less concerned about the effects on their physical and mental health.

“Yet, this should be the crux of the matter because like all other human beings, journalists have emotions and feelings, which cannot just be toyed with even if we concede that there can be occupational hazard in journalism”.

NAN reports that the two-day media capacity building workshop was on ‘safety/security consciousness and mechanisms in investigative reporting and coverage of conflicts/dangerous assignments and it held from June 29 to 30. (NAN)

 Breach
By Kevin Okunzuwa
Benin, June 30, 2022( NAN) The Iyase (Tradional ruler) of Udo, Chief Patrick Igbinidu, has urged the people of Imaroghioba, Ovia South West local government area of Edo, to always honour its agreement with Okomu Oil Palm Company Ltd.
 
The traditional ruler also urged the community to avoid unnecessary aggression against the company which could be construed as breach of their peace agreement.
 
He said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin while reaction to Wednesday’s attack on the company by the community.
 
In the incident where the community was protesting the constitution of a vigilance group by the company it allegedly damaged the company’s excavator.
 
Igbinidu said that such skirmish was avoidable through further dialogue between the parties.
 
NAN recalls that the Iyase had in May convened a peace meeting between Imaroghioba community and Okomu oil palm company when crisis erupted between the parties.
 
Members of the community had then demonstrated to protest the trenches dug by the oil company around its plantation.
 
The company had claimed that it dug the trenches in a portion of land belonging to it to stop the incessant thefts of its oil palm fruits.
However, members of the community said the action was an infringement on their rights of passage and an oppressive tendency by the company.
The misunderstanding was however, resolved through a peace meeting convened by the Iyase of Udo, who oversees communities within the locality, including Okomu and Imaroghioba.
 
The meeting had representatives of the security agencies and other stakeholders in  attendance.
 
Part of the resolutions of the peace agreement was that the digging of the trenches should continue.
 
Another was that the company should assist the community to create alternative road in areas where the trenches were seen as obstruction of the road as claimed by the community.
 
It was also resolved that there should be a neighborhood security watch to help both the company and the community.
 
Okomu oil company Communications Officer, Mr Fidelis Olise, told NAN in Benin on Thursday that the community’s attack on its facility was without provocation.
 
According to him, the damaged excavator was mobilized to create access road to the community being an aspect of the resolution it reached with the people of the community at the peace meeting.
 
The Iyase, who confirmed the attack to NAN, said, “I have spoken to the acting Odionwere of Imaroghioba community, Chief Gabriel Ikhuolegbe, to find out what happened.
 
“Although the acting Odionwere confirmed the incident he, however, denied that any of the community members was responsible for the damage.
 
“I have advised him to call his people to order while I am also in liaison with the Iguobazuwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to see that incident does not escalate,” he said.
 
Contacted, the acting Odionwere, who also confirmed the incident to NAN, however, attributed the new disagreement to the manner the constitution of the vigilance group was handled by the company.
 
He said the vigilance group was dominated by members of a particular tribe, whom he alleged had issues to grind with the youth of the community.
 
“Most of these people do not have good records in the community; and now they have been recruited as members of the vigilance group.
 
“They want to use them to oppress our people while they are guarding Okomu oil company personnel.
 
“This action is not acceptable to our people, hence, the resistance,” he said.
 
Also contacted, DPO Ade, in a telephone conversation confirmed to NAN that he was briefed on the incident but said, “I am right now in a meeting trying to resolve another matter.”
 
NAN reports that Okomu oil company, with headquarter in  Okomu, Ovia South West Local Government Area, is bound by 29 host communities across three local government areas of Edo: Ovia North East, Uhunmwonde and Ovia South West.