News

Edo Govt Sets Up Committee To Look Into Okomu Oil Palm, Host Communities Impasse

Published

3 years ago

December 11, 2020

Editor

Edo State government has set up a committee to look into the age-long impasse between Okomu Oil Palm and its host Okomu and communities under it.

The setting up of the committee followed a petition written by the host communities to the Presidency wherein they accused the company of marginalisation, land encroachment, etc.

In a meeting summoned by the committee headed by Mr. Luck Wasa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment to hear the grievances of the people, Coordinator of the communities, Chief Sunday Ajele, said they have lost hope in the state government particularly previous ones hence sending a ‘save our soul’ to the Federal Government.

He said several petitions written to Edo State government in the past where they narrated the agony, pains and suffering Okomu Oil Palm subjected them to did not yield any result, rather the government asked them to go and settle with the company, just as he expressed optimism that the Obaseki-led government will do justice to the matter and compel Okomu oil to do the needful.

Narrating their ordeals in the hands of management Okomu Oil Palm to the committee, Chief Ajele accused the company of forcefully evicting his people from their ancestral land without compensation, rather using the security agencies to threat and terrorise his people.

“It is strange to evict people from their ancestral land and then claim that it is because you have certificate of occupancy. It is strange for a multinational to disallow the people from using the stream for their fishing.

“Between 1990 and year 2000, four communities were evicted, their houses demolished; their property demolished; their farmland demolished without compensation. The company claimed that because they have Certificate of Occupancy they can evict any community of their choice in the area.

“Tell me, how do you evict the people-farmers from their farmland and you said you will not compensate them? Imagine anything cash crop like cooa, no compensation. If you have cassava and others, you are only compensated N12,000 for an acre of land.

“In year 2010, a petition letter titled ‘enough is enough’ was written to Edo State government, and later the government said we should go and settle with the company,” he said.

In his remarks, chairman of the committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Lucky Wasa assured the delegates from the communities justice and a fair playing ground.

He urged the delegates not to lose hope in the committee, stressing that profering a lasting solution made the governor to set up the committee.

News

Bauchi Commissioner Gifts 3 Students Cash For Prompt Resumption, Ability To Read

Published

8 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

The Bauchi state Commissioner for Education, Dr Jamila Dahiru, on Thursday, gave a cash gift of N5,000 each to three Senior Secondary II students of Government Science Secondary School, Misau for their determination to succeed in Education.

Two of the students, Adamu Adamu, Mustapha and Haruna impressed the commissioner for their presence in school in the first day of resumption while Abdullahi Musa marvelled her for his reading ability and comprehension.

According to the commissioner, the gesture was to appreciate their determination to learn as well and motivate other students to emulate them.

While paying a courtesy visit to the Emir of Misau, Alh. Ahmed Sulaiman, the commissioner disclosed that the Bauchi State government was working with stakeholders from the Misau Emirate to fine-tune modalities of temporarily accommodating the students of Federal Science Technical College, Misau at its Science Secondary School Misau.

She said the college made the request in a letter to the ministry stating that the facility given to them could no longer accommodate their students population, hence the resolve to convene the stakeholders meeting to fine-tune ways of sharing the facility for the betterment of the state.

She disclosed that government science secondary school Misau, one of the best in the state in terms of befitting facilities has the capacity to accommodate up to five thousand students, but currently houses about three hundred students.

She appreciated the Emir for his continued support to programmes and policies of the government with more emphasis on the education sector.

Speaking on behalf of the Emir and other stakeholders, a retired Director with the Ministry, Muhammad Musa, expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for the honour and promised to assemble critical stakeholders from the emirate so as to arrive at an acceptable decision for the benefit of all and sundry.

News

NDIC Obtains Order To Wind Down 96 Microfinance, Mortgage Banks

Published

8 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has said that it has obtained Winding up Orders for 96 out of 183 microfinance and primary mortgage banks whose licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria in May 2023.

The Managing Director, NDIC, Bello Hassa, revealed this at a sensitisation seminar for Judges of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday organised by the NDIC, to enlighten the judiciary on the intricacies of the banking industry.

Hassan said, “As at date, the Corporation had obtained Winding up Orders for 96 out of 183 Micro Finance and Primary Mortgage Banks whose licenses were revoked by the CBN in May 2023, in less than one Year of revocation.”

He added that the NDIC was committed to fulfilling its mandate of protecting depositors through bank supervision, failure resolution and liquidation so as to boost confidence in the financial system.

Speaking on the role that the judiciary plays in the fulfillment of the mandate, Hassan said, “We recognise the judiciary as one of our critical stakeholders. With this, when cases are brought before them, they can receive accelerated hearing and proclamation of Justice.”

Citing some of the achievements from previous editions of the seminar, Hassan said that instances where liquidation-related litigations experienced delays were reduced.

News

JUST IN: 36 Speakers Back State Police

Published

9 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

Speakers of the 36 Houses of Assembly in Nigeria on Thursday expressed support for the National Assembly’s ongoing efforts to alter the 1999 constitution to create state policing in the country.

The Speakers made their resolution known at the end of their meeting in Abuja.

The Senate and House of Representatives are currently working to amend various constitutional provisions, including those regarding state police, financial autonomy for local government, fiscal federalism, and mayoral status for the FCT.

Details shortly…