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Commercial Activities Grounded In Benin As Pensioner Protest, Demand Payment Of Gratuities

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Pensioners in their hundreds on Wednesday took over the Benin City Centre popularly called Ring Road to protest the non-payment of their gratuities since they retired from active service.

The protest led to heavy gridlock in the City centre and major adjoining roads.

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Dressed in all black attire, the senior citizens said the current administration did not continue the payment of their gratuities from 2012 where the last administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole stopped.

INFO DAILY reports that the Oshiomhole government started the payment of gratuities from 1998 till 2012 as at the time he left office in 2016.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Amadin Okoro said: “We are aggrieved; a lot of us are dying. A lot of us are not well, many of them are supposed to go for operations, no money. Besides gratuity, local government retirees are owed arrears and their gratuities since 2008. But for the state, it has not paid since 2012 till date.

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“Our appeal to the governor is that he should pay us so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour, which we suffered for 35 years.

“In fairness we receive our pensions monthly but the crux of the matter is our gratuity.”

Another protester, Esther Ehigie said she retired in 2012, adding that she and others were screened and invited for a meeting in 2017 where the authority for payment which is called yellow paper was collected from them but their money was not paid.

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READ ALSO: Pensioners Protest, Wants Edo Govt. Pay Gratuities

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare said the government of Governor Godwin Obaseki has been paying the gratuities of all those who have retired since he became governor and that provision has already been made to clear the backlog.

He said: “We have gone very far to tackle the backlog, we made promises to the pensioners that they we will be paid their arrears, which we have done. We made promise that they will get their pensions as at when due, that we have done, the third leg of that is to clear the gratuity arrears, which is a huge sum of money, we have a plan in place which is coming to fruition, in the 2023 budget.

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“We made provision to clear some of these gratuities and those pensioners have been put in batches so that they can be paid and very soon this will be effected.

“We implore our pensioners to exercise more patience and restraint while the issues are being sorted out.”

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My Wife Poisoned My Food, Attempted To Kill Me ‘Cos I Planned To Marry Another Wife —Husband

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Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has dissolved the wedlock between a couple, Odion and Elohe, on the account of lack of care, constant violence and irreconcilable differences.

Odion stated that Elohe failed in her responsibility towards him.

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He explained that his wife showed him no care and was indifferent to his well-being.

The plaintiff said that the defendant was in the habit of abandoning the home for months and failing to give any reasonable explanation on her return.

According to the plaintiff, the defendant became hostile and denied him sex after a revelation in the church that he would take a second wife.

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Odion further stated that Elohe attempted to poison him.

He told the court he was no longer interested in their relationship and thus prayed for divorce.

READ ALSO: My Wife Arrested Me With Amotekun ‘For Owing Bank N500,000’ —Husband

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The plaintiff also requested an order restraining the defendant from threatening or interfering with his private life.

Elohe denied all the allegations brought against her.

She also refused that their marriage be dissolved.

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Elohe stated that it was Odion who stopped having sex with her.

She added that she moved out of her matrimonial home after he made her life miserable.

Odion stated, “My marriage to my wife has brought me no joy. I regret marrying her.

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“My wife and I met in Lagos.

“She moved in with me after we dated for a while.

“We did not hold a marriage ceremony, and I did not pay her bride price.

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“She started misbehaving after we had our first child.

READ ALSO: My Wife Deserted Me ‘Cos I Didn’t Have Money —Husband

“My wife would leave home for weeks without my consent and would never bother about how I fared.

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“She would return home whenever it pleased her and give explanations that were unreasonable.

“Things got worse between my wife and I after there was a revelation that I was going to take a second wife.

“She started denying me sex and also rained curses on me on daily basis.

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“My lord, my wife wishes me dead.

“She deserted me when I took ill and had to go through a surgical operation.

“She was away for a year and two months.

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“My wife went as far as telling people that I was dead.

“Elohe did the worst when she attempted to poison me.

“I had stomach ache after I ate the food she prepared and laced with poison.

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READ ALSO: My Husband Threw Me Out, Now Lives In A Room With Our Female Children —Wife

“My lord, I no longer wish to stay in marriage with my wife.

“I, therefore, pray this honourable court to put an end to our relationship.

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“I further request an order restricting her from threatening and interfering with my private life.” Elohe responded, “I do not agree to divorce.

“I have laboured to raise our children. He can not throw me out now when time is ripe to enjoy the fruit of my labour.

“My husband lied that I denied him s3x. He was the one who stopped having sex with me.”

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We always had misunderstandings, but we never fought.

He later moved out of the house.”

Giving judgment, the court president, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, stated that there was no marriage to be dissolved because no customary marriage held between the duo and no bride price was paid. According to her, both were cohabiting.

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Owoseni, however, ordered both parties to go their separate ways since the plaintiff was no longer interested in their marriage.
(Tribune)

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My Wife Humiliated Me Before Her Friends, Beat Me, Tore My Clothes —Husband

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He gave me stipend for food—Wife

Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has adjourned for judgment, the divorce suit brought before it by a man, Oladipo, against his wife, Tosin, whom he alleged was disobedient, associating with bad friends and in the habit of beating him.

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Oladapo stated that he established Tosin in a trade on three different occasions, but that his investments went down the drain.

According to the plaintiff, the defendant flouted his orders and went into alcoholic business.

He added that his wife beat him to a pulp and tore his clothes to shreds during a misunderstanding. Oladipo prayed the court to dissolve their union.

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He also entreated the court for their child’s custody.

READ ALSO: My Wife Deserted Me ‘Cos I Didn’t Have Money —Husband

He further sought an order, restraining her from threatening and interfering with his private life.

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Tosin denied all the allegations brought against her but agreed to divorce.

According to Tosin, she and her husband fought because of food.

The defendant explained that the plaintiff always gave them a stipend to buy cooked food from food vendors, which was not satisfying.

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She acknowledged that her husband set up business for her thrice but that she spent the proceeds from it on food.

Tosin pleaded for custody of their child, who is a female.

READ ALSO: I’ve Not Known Peace Since I Married My Wife 17 Yrs Ago — Husband

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Oladipo, in his evidence, said, “My wife has become rebellious in the home because she associates with bad friends who influence her negatively.

“She flouts my orders at will and humilates me before our neighbours and her friends.

“I set her up in business at three different times, but all my resources went down the drain.

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“My wife is defiant. I warned her against selling alcoholic drinks, but she turned a deaf ear to me and went ahead into the business.

“I got furious, went to her shop, and ordered her to close the business.

“My wife, to my chagrin, pounced on me, beat me to a pulp, and tore my clothes to shreds.

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“She humiliated me in the presence of her friends and the neighbourhood.

“My lord, I have had enough of my wife’s atrocities.

“I pray for divorce and custody of our only child.

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READ ALSO: My Husband Accused Me Of Infidelity, Dared Me To Cross Charm He Placed On The Floor —Wife

“I further request an order restricting her from threatening and interfering with my private life.”

Tosin, in her testimony, said, “My lord, we fight because of food.

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“He refused to give me a feeding allowance to buy foodstuff.

“He gave me and our only child peanut to buy cooked food from food vendors, which was not satisfying. “It is true that he established a business for me three times, but I spent the proceeds from them on food since he never ceased to starve me and our child.

“I decided to cook my meals, and he started accusing me of infidelity.

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“My lord, I agree to divorce, but I pray this honourable court to grant me custody of our child because she is a female.

“I also appeal to the court to make him responsible for her upkeep, giving feeding, education, and health care a priority.”

The court president, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, after she heard both parties, adjourned the case.

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Tragedy As UNIZIK Undergraduate Jumps From Three-storey Building, Dies

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Tragedy struck at a private lodge near Royal Kitchen Junction, Ifite-Awka, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, late Thursday, when a male student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, jumped from a three-storey building and died.

It was gathered that the student (name withheld) jumped from the balcony of the building located near the school after allegedly consuming some unknown substances suspected to be “mkpurummiri”.

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According to eyewitnesses near the scene, after the victim fell to the ground, all efforts to bring him back to life proved abortive, as he was later confirmed dead in a nearby hospital, where he was rushed.

One of the sources said, “We suddenly heard a loud thud yesterday (Thursday) evening, prompting a rush to the scene where the young man was found lying in a pool of his own blood, critically injured.

READ ALSO: UNIZIK Expels Student Who Assaulted Lecturer

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“The victim, whose name is being withheld pending notification of his family, was identified as a tenant in the lodge. Shockingly, when concerned residents checked his room, his roommate was found in an incoherent state, allegedly under the influence of the same substances they had taken earlier.

“Despite efforts to save him, the student was confirmed dead at a nearby hospital. Authorities are working diligently to contact the deceased’s family and investigate the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

It was further gathered that the roommate of the victim is currently in custody and will be questioned further once he regains stability.

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READ ALSO: UNIZIK Female Student Allegedly Bites Lecturer During Fight

Contacted on the development on Friday, the Chief Safety Officer at UNIZIK, Ken Chukwurah, confirmed the incident, adding that the incident happened at a private lodge outside the school, and an investigation is ongoing.

Chukwurah said, “We are still investigating to be sure of what happened, how it happened and the proper identity of the victim.

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“It happened in a private lodge outside the school, and we don’t have control over who is admitted to such lodges.”

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