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APC Kicks As Betsy Obaseki Allegedly Orders Closure Of Free Medical Outreach

Published

5 years ago

September 2, 2020

Ask The Police Who Gave The Order – Besty’s Aide

The All Progressives Congress has condemned the disruption of its ongoing free medical outreach in Edo Central Senatorial District by the Police acting on the instruction of Edo First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki.

The party said the medical outreach, initiated and flagged-off on Tuesday by the wife of its candidate in the governorship race, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, to provide free health screening and other medical services to the people, especially the vulnerable denied access to healthcare for years, was disrupted in Uromi by members of the Police deployed by the DPO and Area Commander of the Uromi division.

According to a statement released by Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the Edo APC Campaign Council, the Police officers were acting on the instruction of the wife of Edo Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki.

She was attending a political event in the area and allegedly felt displeased by the complete overshadowing and abandonment of her event by the people who thronged the free medical outreach.

He condemned the First Lady’s actions, saying “it borders on arrogation of powers with no constitutional basis, insensitivity to the plight of the people, and a cruel prioritization of political showmanship over the health of the poor and vulnerable abandoned for four years by her husband, Governor Godwin Obaseki.”

Mayaki said: “By directing the Police to shut down the free medical outreach, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki arrogated unconstitutional powers to herself and sadly displayed the poor attributes including insensitivity to the plight of the people that earned the Obaseki-administration the infamy of being one of the worst seen in Edo State.

“The cruelty and insensitivity is further magnified by the fact that Mrs. Betsy Obaseki ordered the shut down because she felt slighted that her political event in the area was completely overshadowed by the medical outreach as the people, men, women, and the aged, expectedly chose to cater to their health than attend a vanity political show that holds no value to them.

“To order the closure of a free medical event catering to the poor over petty political concerns, especially vanity showmanship, is cruel and totally condemnable.

“The medical outreach, initiated by Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, was designed to provide care for the poorest of the poor and vulnerable citizens with various health conditions. All of these people have been abandoned and they live in communities where there are neither doctors nor health centres because the Governor, in his characteristic failure, fell woefully short of his promise to build 192 primary health centers with just 22 in four years.

“We condemn the actions of Mrs. Betsy Obaseki in the strongest possible terms and we urge the Commissioner of Police to rein in on his men to resist carrying out such cruel assignments and insist on the ethics of the profession, no matter who is asking.”

However, in a reaction, Press Secretary of Mrs. Obaseki, Mr. Peter Okonkwo said the first lady does not run the police force in the state neither is she the Chief Security Officer of the state.

He added that if at all such happened, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), should be asked who gave him such orders because he must be acting on the orders of a superior.

Okonkwo said “Her Excellency Betsy Obaseki is busy with the Women Wing of the PDP Campaign committee and is currently campaigning in Uromi as we speak.

“She does not run the Police force and so this accusation is totally frivolous. The APC is intimidated by the massive support of Esan people for the PDP government and their resolve to return Governor Obaseki for second term, so they are now making up excuses not to continue their campaign”‘, he stated.

News

Immigration Officer Gets N5m For Arresting Fleeing Ritualist

Published

8 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

An immigration officer, Ugochukwu Orji, who arrested a fleeing Enugu State-based native doctor accused of killing and kidnapping people for rituals, has been rewarded with N5 million for his efforts by an industrialist, Ebuka Onunkwo.

Onunkwo, who is also a senatorial aspirant for the Anambra South senatorial by-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, hosted the immigration officer at his residence in Ihembosi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to a press statement released by his media team on Tuesday.

Orji was at his duty post along the Seme Border area last month when the fleeing native doctor, popularly known as “Ichie Billion” attempted to use a motorcycle to cross over to the Benin Republic from Nigeria at Seme Border, but having seen his face on the internet, he quickly intercepted him.

Recall that “Ichie Billion”, who hails from Umuojor village in the Isiagu Community of Enugu State, had been on the run after being declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force in connection with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl and alleged multiple ritual killings.

The native doctor was thereafter intercepted by the Nigerian Immigration Service and subsequently handed over to the Lagos State Police Command following his arrest at the border by the immigration officers.

Onunkwo, an industrialist, while presenting a cheque of ₦5 million to the immigration officer at his residence, said the gesture was part of his company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and encouragement for moral renaissance in the society.

News

Tariff Hikes Won’t Solve Nigeria’s Power Crisis, Expert Tells Tinubu

Published

8 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

Attempts by the current administration to rely on increased electricity tariffs to resolve Nigeria’s chronic power supply issues are unlikely to succeed, according to energy expert Nick Agu.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Agu argued for a fundamental restructuring of the power sector, prioritising infrastructure over tariff hikes.

Responding to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s optimism and recent celebration of Nigeria reaching a new peak generation of over 5,000 megawatts, Agu acknowledged the incremental increase as “a good thing, is good news.”

However, he quickly added, “But should we celebrate? The answer is probably not.”

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

He noted that while Nigeria, with over 200 million people, struggles with around 5,000 megawatts, South Africa (65 million people) boasts 55,000 megawatts, Brazil (200 million people) supplies 150,000 megawatts, and even Qatar (3 million people) provides 8,000 megawatts.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

News

From 158 To 351: Lagos Teen Excels In UTME After Initial Glitch

Published

9 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

A 16-year-old student, Oyindamola Apampa, has achieved a remarkable aggregate score of 351 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with 65 in English Language, 98 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics, and 90 in Chemistry.

Apampa, a student of Lagoon Secondary School in Lagos, described the feat as the result of determination, strategic preparation, and divine favour.

A statement on Tuesday revealed that it was her second attempt at the UTME, explaining that her initial score of 158 was later invalidated due to technical issues experienced at her exam centre.

She said, “In my first UTME attempt, I scored 158. However, the results were widely criticised and later acknowledged by the authorities as inaccurate due to technical glitches affecting several examination centres, including mine.

“Consequently, the examination body authorised a resit to address these irregularities. In the resit, I achieved a score of 351.”

She added that her parents played a crucial role in supporting her academic journey by fostering a learning-friendly environment at home.

“My parents made our home a positive place for studying. We have a full library in the family living room, in addition to a separate multimedia study room where the whole family often gets together to talk about different topics and help each other learn,” she shared.

Apampa also credited a learning centre in Lekki, Lagos, for providing her with additional academic support through UTME preparation classes and frequent mock examinations.

“The frequent mock exams at our learning centre were a great help in my preparation for UTME,” she said.

In his reaction to the learning centre head, Osayi Izedonmwen, stellar 98 per cent pass rate in the 2025 UTME, attributed the achievement to its hybrid learning approach.

“At Teesas, we are fully IT-equipped to seamlessly support both online and physical learning within a convenient and friendly environment. This has played a key role in helping our students excel,” Izedonmwen stated.

Apampa is no stranger to academic excellence. She was placed on her school’s Honours list after securing 10 As and one B in her Junior WAEC.

She has also represented her school in international competitions, such as the Conrad Challenge, where her team reached the final stage and earned a special mention.