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Edo Public Service Most Digitalised In Nigeria – Obaseki

Published

2 years ago

August 12, 2023

L-R: Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Iyobosa Okungbowa; Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun and his wife, Mrs. Victoria Oyegun, during the commissioning of the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City, in honour of the former Edo State Governor, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who yesterday marked his 84th birthday

… says Over 5,000 Computers, Fiber Optic Connection Across Offices Put In Place

… Edo Will Achieve Paperless Governance Environment September 1st – Obaseki

The governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has boasted that the state public service is most the digitalized public service in Nigeria with over 5,000 computer and fiber optic connection across offices in the State.

He added that by September 1st, 2023, the state would have achieved a paperless governance environment which, according to Obaseki, would make the first state to achieve the feats of first paperless governance environment state.

Obaseki said this at the commissioning of the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City, in honour of the former Edo State Governor, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who marked his 84 birthday anniversary Saturday, August 12, 2023.

INFO DAILY reports that JOOPSA was put in place to upskill the Edo State Government public service with high impact leadership, technical management and ICT skills to deliver on the new way of working in line with Edo STEP.

INFO DAILY also reports that it was established to also educate the state workforce on the business aspect of public administration and finance, to create an entrepreneurial mindset, and helping the state boost/improve Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Obaseki who further described Edo public servants as the best, added: “I will be the last governor to work with physical files in the State.

“The offices of our public servants in Edo State are the best they can be and well equip with State of the art facilities which can be compared to any you can fine in the world with 24/7 electricity and fast internet connectivity.”

According to the Governor, “We have taken the welfare of our public servants as a priority because we know that if you don’t pay people properly, and takecare of them you should expect high productivity from them. The don’t joke with the welfare of of our workforce as we ensure that all working with us have heath insurance as you don’t need to pay for treatment.

“We have fully funded contributory pension scheme, which we started 1st of January 2017 and the scheme I am told that the savings in that scheme is approaching N10 billion as we will not have a situation when people retired you don’t have money to pay them”.

Obaseki said in order to curb and deal with the human capacity deficiet in the civil service, his administration embarked on setting up JOOPSA as a centre of excellence to train and build the capacity of public servants to enable them perform optimally.

Adding, “The Academy will undertake training, research, exchange and intellectual linkages with other local and International Institutions. It is clear to us that only a well skill workforce that can drive meaningful and impactful change in governance and sustain our development efforts in Edo State.

“The fact that we have moved Edo State Civil service to an electronic platform makes important to have the facilities where we can train and improve the Knowledge of our workforce given the fact that the training need for efficient service delivery are always going to be reoccurring because technology keeps changing. Therefore, it important we have a permanent structure and system to continue to upgrade our workforce in the State.

“Edo State have decide to go digital as the world has taking that direction and Edo is leading the way as we invest in extensive digital infrastructure as we are now on the verge of completing the link of 2000 KM of fiber optic connection across Edo State to connect every local government area to enable people link up to what we are doing in JOOPSA.

“Our workforce will continue to receive continue training to opt and deliver effective and efficient service delivery to contribute to the development and growth of the State.

“We decided to name this academic after the first executive governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, because he is an example of what the State tries to propagate. That of integrity, fidelity, interlectualism and excellence.

“We are standing on platform played before our time and important to honour those who started the journey to encourage others to sacrifice for the Country”.

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NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

17 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

22 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

News

JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

23 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.