News

CSR: Blame Our People For Alleged Neglect, Not Okomu Oil Company – Indigene

Published

1 year ago

July 14, 2024

An indigene of Okomu community, Mr. Samson Yanbor, has described as baseless, the claim by some of his kinsmen that the Okomu Oil Palm Company operating in the area is not living up to its responsibility in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility to the people.

He added that some of the indigenous contractors should be blamed for not executing projects awarded to them by the company.

The former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Godwin Obaseki made the assertions in a chat with INFO DAILY in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

INFO DAILY reports that Okomu, an agrarian community in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State has been embroiled recently in crisis, resulting in burning of houses, shooting of security personnel, claim counter claim of sponsor of attacks.

Yanbor, a former Vice Chairman, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, alleged that contracts of huge amounts were given to some of the indigenes by the oil company but they never bothered to execute them.

He added that the company also gives bursary to students from the area as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility

He said: “The oil company has been living up to its Corporate Social Responsibility in all the communities. Go to Okomu community, you see the projects being done by the company.

“The reason why you don’t see some projects is not far fetched. Some projects not done or abandoned are projects handled by indigenous contractor. These our brothers go to the company to bid for contract, and after getting the contract and the funds, they will not execute the projects. Should the company be blamed for this? My answer is no. The company and the management are strangers so there is a level they cannot go in compelling an indigene to execute a contract.

“I will be more specific though I will not mention names. For instance, one of the indigenes was given a huge contact to build a stone-walk Jetty in one of the communities in the Okomu kingdom but he didn’t build it. He collected the funds and never bought a bag of cement for that project. The same person was given a contract to build some houses in one of the communities, but he never did.”

On the security challenge bedeviling Okomu and communities under it, the former SSA, while thanking Governor Obaseki and all the security agencies for the efforts made in maintaining peace in the area, however, called for more security in the area.

“I am using this medium to call on the Chief of Defence Staff, the DSS Director in Edo State, the Commissioner of Police, the 4 Brigade Commander and the governor to curb the excesses of Lawrence Yanbor by getting him arrested,” he said.

He said that Yanbor and his gang have been terrorising the area with Impunity, alleging that he (Yanbor) is being sponsored by some persons whom he called for their arrest too.

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

51 minutes ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.