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Benin-Auchi-Lokoja Road: Senate Urges FG To Mobilise Contractors To Site

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The Senate has urged President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency, Mobilise Contractors to Site and stem further deploration state of Benin–Auchi- Lokoja Road, just as it asked the President

to grant approval for the augmentation of costs on the road through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing pending the constitution of the Federal Executive Council for ratification.

The Senate has also urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to, as a matter of urgency, commence repairs on the failed portions of the Road as well as provide adequate funding to complete the reconstruction of this road.

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The Upper Chamber had also asked the Ministry of Works and Housing to Come up with a plan to settle all lingering issues bordering on the dualisation of the Road with contractors and also review the terms and conditions of the contract to meet current realities of inflation.

READ ALSO: Embrace ICT For Your Own Good, Edo Deputy Speaker Urges Assembly Staff

Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were sequel to a motion titled: “Urgent Need for the Federal Government to Mobilise Contractors to Site and Stem further Deploration State of Benin–Auchi- Lokoja Road.

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The motion was sponsored by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North.

In his presentation, Senator Oshiomhole said that the Senate: “Notes the deplorable and dangerous state of Benin–Auchi–Lokoja Road that links the South East and South South States to the Northern parts of the country.

“The contract for the reconstruction of the road was awarded to Dantata and Sawoe, Reynold Construction Company, Mother Cat and GIG company in 2012 by the Goodluck Jonathan Administration, following cries and complaints by commuters about the hardship they encounter daily on the road;

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“Also notes that certain portions of the road have failed completely, especially around Ekpoma to Agbede axis, and this development is causing sufferings to the many Nigerians who rely on this route for their socio-economic activity, despite the over 200 billion Naira that had been budgeted since the award of the contract for the reconstruction of the road.

READ ALSO: Edo Residents Protest Poor State Of Auchi-Igarra-Ibillo Road, Want Urgent Intervention

“Aware that the federal government, in January 2023, as part of the Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme Phase, further approved the sum of N75 Billion to hasten the reconstruction of the road, specifically extending from Obajana Junction in Kogi State to Benin City in Edo State.

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“Disturbed that the pace of work on the road has been very slow and certain portions of the road have failed completely. This has become a nightmare to motorists, especially because heavy-duty trucks spend days in the same spot without movement, thereby preventing smaller vehicles from navigating their way through the road.

“This situation, now sadly compels smaller vehicles to opt for longer alternative routes through Ondo State, totally out of their normal direction, in order to avoid the many kilometres of gridlocks and sometimes the inability to manoeuvre through the failed portions.

READ ALSO: UNICEF, USAID Train 32 Education Managers In Bauchi

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“Also disturbed that transporters now hike their fares due to increased hours of the time it takes for them to arrive at a journey that they would otherwise spend less time to arrive at, thereby passing the buck to the passengers and travellers who now pay astronomically high fares to their destinations.

“This situation is disheartening, considering the current high cost of living that Nigerians are already grappling with.

“Worried that the deplorable state of the road has caused damage to properties and led to the death of numerous innocent commuters through accidents.

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“Also worried that the road passes through the sites of two major cement factories in Okpella, Edo State which attracts heavy duty vehicular movement 24 hours of the day, throughout the year, making it a very strategic route for the country’s development.”

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VIDEO: Why I’ve Never Tried Convincing My Christian Wife To Convert To Islam — Tinubu

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he has never attempted to convince his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, to convert to Islam, stressing his belief in love, religious freedom, and mutual respect among people of different faiths.

Speaking on Saturday at the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwada, Tinubu said his marriage to a Christian pastor has never created any conflict in their home.

The president, who arrived in Jos, Plateau State around 2 p.m. for the ceremony at the COCIN headquarters church, said he inherited Islam from his family and has always upheld the principle of freedom of religion.

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READ ALSO:Benin Monarch To Tinubu’s Daughter: Do You Know Role Of Iyeki In Benin Culture?

He noted that both he and the First Lady serve the same God and would ultimately be answerable to Him, adding that what matters most are people’s deeds, character, and love for others.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace tolerance and peaceful coexistence, emphasising that hate should never have a place in the country.

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He also prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Lydia Yilwada and asked God to grant comfort and blessings to those she left behind.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Appoints New Heads For Key Agencies

He said, “Hate is not an option for us. Love is what you preach, that we should love one another.

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“Nobody, nobody determines what God has ordained. God’s ordained action and his promises are what matter. I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor. She prays for me.

“No conflict. And I never did at any single time try to convince her or convert her. I believe in the freedom of religion.

“We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same almighty God. We will answer to him. We will account to him. Our deeds, our character, our love for our fellow beings are what are important.

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“May the almighty accept the soul of Lydia and give all that she left behind blessings and glory, so we say, may her soul rest in peace.”

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UK Police Quiz Six After Fatal Synagogue Attack

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Six people arrested on suspicion of “terrorism”-linked offences after a fatal car-ramming and knife attack on a UK synagogue remained in police custody on Saturday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged people not to take part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded in Thursday’s attack in northwestern Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, within minutes of the alarm being raised.

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Three men and three women are in custody.

The attack has heightened fear among Britain’s Jewish community.

Police said they were patrolling places of worship across the city “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.

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READ ALSO:US On Brink Of Govt Shutdown With Funding Talks Stalled

The attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

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Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

The Gaza conflict has inflamed passions in Britain, with frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in cities that some critics allege have stoked antisemitism.

A “global movement for Gaza UK” protest went ahead in London late on Thursday, with police making 40 arrests.

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London’s Metropolitan Police asked organisers delay another planned demonstration backing the banned Palestine Action group later on Saturday.

However, organisers Defend Our Juries rejected the calls.

READ ALSO:US Faces ‘War From Within’, Trump Tells Generals

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A spokesman said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.

– Accidental shooting –

Starmer urged protesters not to join the pro-Palestinian rally.

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“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.

During the attack, Shamie was seen “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”, synagogue chairman of trustees Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, told ITV News.

“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in,” he added.

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READ ALSO:JUST IN: Court Bars Police From Enforcing Tinted Glass Regulation

A UK police watchdog, meanwhile, said it would look at the police shooting of Shamie.

The probe would also look at the shooting of a second victim who suffered a fatal gunshot and a third person who was shot but survived.

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was no evidence anyone other than police used firearms at the scene.

“Our independent investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” it said in a statement.

“A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”

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IOPC investigations are standard practice in situations where the use of force by police may have resulted in the death of a member of the public.

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Edo Inaugurates Committee On Drug Abuse, Healthy Living

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L-R: ACGN, NDLEA, Fidelis Cocodia, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani during the Inauguration

Edo State Government has inaugurated Drug Control Committee for the state and local governments, aimed at curbing the menace of drug abuse in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Monday Okpehbolo said the committee was not only saddled with the responsibility of curbing the menace of illicit substances, but to promote healthier living across communities in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo described the initiative as “a vital step in our unwavering commitment to stopping the menace of drug trafficking and substance use among youths.”

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The governor, who bemoaned the rising tide of drug dependency and its impact on society, pointed out that the committee’s creation aligns with the national drug master plan and represents a bold stride toward protecting Edo future generations.

READ ALSO:Idahosa Hails Insurance 1-0 Thrashing Of Niger Tornadoes

On his part, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, represented by ACGN, Fidelis Cocodia, Zonal Commander, Zone 13, emphasised grassroots interventions, awareness campaigns, and support systems as the backbone of the fight against drug abuse.

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Edo State commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed that while national drug use prevalence stands at 14.4 percent, Edo state surpasses the average at 15 percent.

He noted that the state is one of the hardest-hit states in the country, warning that the trend has fueled crime and heightened youth vulnerability.

READ ALSO:Idahosa Lauds Edo Specialist Hospital Facilities

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The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole pledged to make Edo a model in drug control through rehabilitation, youth enlightenment, and second-chance opportunities for recovering addicts.

Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, described drug abuse as a pandemic, noting that “you hardly see a crime without drugs being involved.”

She added that women’s empathy and influence must be harnessed in the campaign against drug abuse.

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