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Edo Senator Trains, Empwers Over 200 Constituents, Protest Greets Venue

Published

4 years ago

November 29, 2021

Editor

In a bid to empowering his constituents and making them self-reliance, member representing Edo South Senatorial District at the Red Chamber, Abuja, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, on Monday organised training for over two hundred graduates and unemployed in the constituency.

The training was sponsored by Cross River Basin Development Authority and facilitated by the Senator.

But venue of the training was, however, greeted with protest by some constituents who complained of being schemed out of the training.

Some of the constituents who were locked out of the venue told INFO DAILY that they had the invite for the training and arrived there but unfortunately they were told their names were not in the list.

A woman who was among the people locked out and was complaining but pleaded anonymity when INFO DAILY asked her what really happened, said “As you can see, we are not allowed in. They told us our names could not be found in the list with them so they did not allow us. I received SMS that I should come for the training but unfortunately I am not allowed.”

Another male who came for the training but would not want his name in print laments, “This is my second time of trying to benefit from the training but unfortunately I am being denied again. They said there is another one coming up two weeks from now, but how sure I am that I am going to be allowed. I have the SMS on my phone that I should come for the training, but now they are saying something else.”

However, responding to question on why some persons are denied access to venue of the training, legislative aide to Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Pet Eghobamien, said the experience over time is that some persons invited via SMS from their office do forward such SMS to their friends disguising as if they were invited originally.

He said, “Experience over time is that when we invite people to come for training like this via SMS, they do forward such SMS to their friends to attend too. But when they come, we do discover that the SMS was not from us but forwarded by someone else.”

Starter pack for those that would be trained on hair making and barbing

He continues, “But immediately I finish talking to you, I am going out to meet them. We are going to sort that out. What we will do is, those we invited but are not here, we are going to replace them with some of the persons outside. Everything would be sorted out,” he assured.

Speaking further on the training, the Legislative Aide to the Senator said the training is a regular one organised by the Senator, adding that a total of 220 persons were penned down to benefit from the training.

Eghobamien, who said over 7,000 persons had so far benefited from the training since it inception, noted that, for this particular training, 200 persons would be trained on fabrication with N50,000 take home while the 22 persons to be trained on hair making would be given all the equipment needed to start a hair making shop.

He said, “As of today, we have trained 7,000 people. He doesn’t just train them, he empowers them. He does it yearly and there is another one coming before Christmas which will close the year and then we will resume the following year. He has promised and he is fulfilling.

“There are different classes. For the metal works, we have 200 persons to be trained. For barbing and hair making, and fashion, we have 22 persons. For those that will be trained on metal works and local fabrication, they will go home with N50,000.

“We are not giving the other ones money but we have given them full complement of what they need to start their businesses. For barbers, we gave them everything, including generator sets to start. All they need is get a shop and start the business.”

INFO DAILY reports that they were trained on metal works and hair making with a starter pack for those in hair making for those on hair making.

Related Topics:Matthew Urhoghide Protest

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Headline

Four Places In The World Without Traffic Lights

Published

9 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

In a world where traffic lights are an essential part of road management, a few countries and regions stand out for functioning without them. These places rely on alternative systems ranging from police officers and roundabouts to cultural driving habits to manage traffic. Here’s a closer look at the nations and areas where traffic lights are absent.

Bhutan

Bhutan is famously known as the only country in the world that operates entirely without traffic lights. Even in its capital city, Thimphu, which has witnessed growing traffic due to urbanisation, automated signals have never been adopted. Instead, traffic management is handled by police officers who stand at major intersections, directing vehicles with hand signals.

In 1995, when a set of traffic lights was briefly installed in Thimphu, public complaints led to their swift removal, as locals felt the system clashed with the country’s traditions and culture of cooperation. Bhutan’s reliance on human-directed traffic reflects both its small population and strong sense of civic responsibility.

Vatican City

Vatican City, the world’s smallest sovereign nation, also operates without any traffic lights. With an area of just 44 hectares and a population of around 800 people, the city-state does not require traffic signals to regulate movement. Roads inside the Vatican are short and few, and traffic is mostly managed by signage and the Vatican’s own police force. However, just outside the Vatican’s walls, in Rome, traffic lights are abundant, highlighting the contrast between the bustling Italian capital and the tranquil governance of the Holy See.

Niue

In the South Pacific, Niue, one of the world’s smallest island nations, also has no traffic lights. With a population of less than 2,000 people and very limited vehicle traffic, there is little need for automated signals. Roads are quiet, and driving is relaxed, with motorists often waving to one another as they pass.

The absence of traffic lights in Niue is less a necessity than a reflection of the island’s lifestyle, where community trust and minimal congestion make formal traffic control unnecessary.

Tekesi County, China

A unique example of urban planning without traffic lights can be found in Tekesi County, Xinjiang, China. The county town was designed based on the ancient Bagua (Eight Trigrams) symbol from Taoist philosophy. Its distinctive circular and radiating street layout relies on roundabouts to direct vehicles.

In 1996, authorities cancelled the installation of traffic lights in order to preserve the Bagua system, making Tekesi a rare modern settlement that manages traffic without signals. The design has since become both a cultural attraction and a point of pride for residents, who see it as a symbol of harmony and balance.

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Nigerian Student Wins ‘Top In World’ Cambridge IGCSE English Award

Published

10 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

A Nigerian student, Kenechukwu Oluwanifemi Uba, has emerged the “Top in World” candidate in the November 2024 Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement).

Uba, a pupil of Caleb International College, Magodo, Lagos, received the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award for her performance, which was recognised by Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson to the Proprietor and Founder, Caleb Group of Schools and University, Prof. Elvis Otobo, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.

The certificate, signed by the Group Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge, Rod Smith, was presented during a ceremony organised by the British Council and Cambridge University Press & Assessment at the Civic Centre, Lagos.

Speaking on the achievement, the Proprietor/CEO of Caleb Group of Schools and University, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, said the recognition reflected the school’s values of integrity, perseverance and innovation.

“We are overjoyed by Kenechukwu’s outstanding performance.

“Her success embodies our core values of integrity, perseverance, and innovation. We invest heavily in cutting-edge teaching methods—from flipped classrooms to AI-driven language labs—so that every student can discover their potential and lead with confidence,” Adebogun said.

Uba expressed gratitude to her teachers, classmates and family, noting that preparing in the school’s language lab helped build her confidence.

“From the moment I joined Caleb, I felt inspired by teachers who challenged me to think deeply and by peers who encouraged me to persevere. Preparing for the speaking endorsement in our state-of-the-art lab sharpened my confidence. This recognition belongs to everyone—my mentors, my classmates, and my family,” she said.

Caleb International College described the award as proof of its commitment to raising globally competitive students through advanced learning facilities and strong character development programmes.

Headline

Iran Has Executed At Least 841 People This Year — UN

Published

10 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

At least 841 people have been executed in Iran since the start of the year, the UN said Friday, decrying “a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation”.

The United Nations’ human rights office said there had been a “major increase in executions” by Tehran during the first half of 2025.

“Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people since the beginning of the year,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

“The real situation might be different,” she added. “It might be worse, given the lack of transparency.”

In July alone, she said, Iran had executed at least 110 individuals — twice the number of people executed in July 2024.

“The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation, with disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants,” Shamdasani added.

She cited the executions of Afghan nationals, and of Baluch, Kurdish, and Arab citizens.

In the first six months of the year, at least 289 people were executed for drug-related offences.

Shamdasani said the pattern witnessed across multiple countries showed that when their governments perceive threats to their grip on public order, they become increasingly repressive and less tolerant of dissent.

– Hangings before children –

The spokeswoman in particular criticised the staging of public executions in Iran. The rights office documented seven such cases since the beginning of the year — some reportedly in front of children.

“Public executions add an extra layer of outrage upon human dignity… not only on the dignity of the people concerned — the people who are executed — but also on all those who have to bear witness,” she said.

“The psychological trauma of bearing witness to somebody being hanged in public, particularly for children, is unacceptable.”

The UN human rights office said there were serious concerns over due process in capital punishment cases.

“What we are particularly worried about is that a lot of these death sentences are imposed based on vague laws,” the spokeswoman said, such as charges of enmity against God.

Shamdasani said that 11 individuals were currently facing “imminent execution” in Iran, including six charged with “armed rebellion” due to alleged membership of the exiled opposition People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (MEK).

The other five had been sentenced to death over their participation in large-scale protests in 2022, she said. Iran’s supreme court last week confirmed the death sentence against workers’ rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi, she added.

The UN rights office was urging Iran’s government “not to implement the death penalty against these and other individuals on death row”, Shamdasani said.

“The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity,” she added.

“It creates an unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. It should never be imposed for conduct that is protected under international human rights law.”

UN human rights chief Volker Turk is calling on Tehran to impose a moratorium on the application of capital punishment, as a step towards abolition.
AFP