News

Jubilations As BEDC Connects Oke-Irhue Community To National Grid

Published

4 years ago

December 31, 2019

Editor

There was jubilations, fanfare at Oke-Irhue, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State, Sunday, December 29, following connection of the community to national grid by Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) PLC.

Oke-Irhue, an agrarian community, was connected to national grid for the first time in its existence.

BEDC’s powering of the community with electricity on Sunday put an end to the travail of some members of the community who, over the years, had relied solely on generator as the only source of power.

Non-availability of electricity has no doubt slow down the pace of development in the area despite being blessed with abundant resources, even as the residents opined that the energisation will no doubt spur the socio economic development of the area.

A statement by BEDC management says the connection was in furtherance of the company’s mandate of ensuring power availability in communities of energizing, spread across its franchise states which were without power supply for a long period of time.

YOU ALSO LIKE: BEDC Continues House Metering Across Four Coverage States

The statement further says it is the company’s resolve in partnering communities without electricity supply in order to address their power outage challenge, after fulfilling all necessary preconditions for energisation.

Speaking, President-General, Oke-Irhue Community General Assembly (OCGA), Mr. Douglas Agbonleni, commended members of the community, the electricity committee for their patience, commitment and cooperation in ensuring that the energisation project became a reality, urging them to guide “this noble project jealously against the activities of vandals.”

Agbonleni noted that there would be re-awakened socio-economic advantage engendered by the new status of the community, as he thanked BEDC management for its guide, support and understanding in spite of inadequacies, promising that the OCGA would keep its own side of the bargain by ensuring safety of the equipment and meeting financial obligations.

He noted, “We the entire people of Oke-irhue are happy in that 15months after the community’s General Assembly worldwide took up the challenge and struggle to light up our community, God finally answered our prayers during this special season of Christmas by granting our village the opportunity to be linked with the national electricity grid today 29-12-2019, a project which has been ongoing since 2002.”

The Commissioner of Police (rtd) thanked the Federal Government and the entire community members including those in the diaspora for the actualization of the project which according to him started through the Rural Electrification project (REA) initiated since 2002.

Recall the Federal Government through the Rural Electrification Agency embarked on the electrification of the community long before the privatization of the power sector with the provision of two 300KVA distribution transformers.

BEDC however took over the project and carried out enumeration, line rehabilitation/maintenance and also the subsequent metering of customers by through its Meter Asset Providers (MAP) scheme.

Advertisements

News

Edo: Coral City To Accommodate 50,000 Residents — Commissioner

Published

5 hours ago

September 21, 2023

Editor

The Edo State government on Wednesday said it expected its proposed Coral City would accommodate not less than 50,000 residents when completed.

Edo State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development, Isoken Omo, who addressed a joint press conference with her counterpart in the Ministry of Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said that the reason for the new city, which she said started September 2022, was to reduce the pressure on the Benin City Centre.

“We have done the design, and we have 1,300 plots available for different land uses: residential, commercial, multi-purpose, religious, leisure, schools, markets, health centres, everything you need for a city to thrive, and it is coming with full infrastructure like roads, drainages, power, telecommunication, and others.

“We intend to house 50,000 people when it is fully completed. We have broken the project into four phases so that within the tenure of the current administration, we will do the first phase with the expectation that the subsequent governments will continue the project. We opened for subscription with 467 plots to jump-start the project,” Omo disclosed.

To achieve that, she added that a New Town Development Authority had been set up to oversee the comprehensive development of the project and appealed to Edo residents to begin to apply for plot allocation in the new city, assuring that the land acquired would come with title documents.

She said that the project would be in four phases, adding that after the initial subscription, subscribers would also be allowed to do staggered and instalment basis.

Also speaking at the press conference, Nehikhare reiterated the state government’s commitment to prioritising the people’s welfare.

Nehikhare disclosed that since the state government flagged off its free bus rides penultimate week, the feedback from the people had been most encouraging as commuters who had been using the free buses had been able to save their daily transportation fares.

Advertisements

News

Seplat JVC Trains 350 Teachers In Edo, Delta

Published

6 hours ago

September 21, 2023

Editor

No fewer than 350 teachers drawn from Edo and Delta states respectively were, Wednesday, trained under the Seplat/Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP).

The 4th edition of the Seplat/Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) which held in Benin was in partnership with Seplat/NNPC E&P.

Speaking, Seplat Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Chioma Afe, said training is geared towards deepening teachers skills to deliver knowledge to students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

Afe also explained that STEAM scheme is to improve self awareness and knowledge of teachers.

According to her, “beyond that, we want to re-orient our teachers. STEAM helps creativity. We can teach Science to students creatively,” adding: “Teacher’s leadership is the process where our teachers collaborate with others to improve teaching to impact teachers.”

Also, the Adviser Community Relations of NNPC E&P, Mr. Owunari Levi, lauded Seplat for its support for the sustained growth and progress of the company’s oil and gas exploration pursuits.

Levi said: “This programme is one of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives designed to provide and build the capacity of Teachers residing within the NNPC E&P Limited/SEPLAT operational communities.”

Advertisements

News

Tribunal Judgement: Police In Kano Impose 24-hour Curfew

Published

18 hours ago

September 20, 2023

Editor

The Kano state police command has imposed a 24-hour curfew, to guard against the breakdown of law given the recent judgement passed by the governorship election tribunal on Wednesday.

According to a statement signed by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammad Gumel and made available to pressmen, the curfew takes immediate effect.

He said that given the Constitutional mandate of the Nigeria Police Force alongside the relevant Internal Security and Law Enforcement Agencies to preserve law and order in the State, the Kano State Police Command has mapped out strategies in that direction and called on the good people of the State to give the necessary confidence and supports.

He then added that “Kano State residents are called upon to note that combined Security forces have already been dispatched to the nooks and crannies including the entry and exits of the State to ensure enforcement and strict compliance of the Twenty-Four Hours (24hrs) Curfew order as communicated by the State Government via letter with Reference No: K/SEC/H/435/T.1/153 dated 20th September 2023 taking effect from 6 pm of Wednesday, 20th September to 6 pm of Thursday, 21st September 2023. Violators will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

”Finally, I wish to appreciate all the peace-loving People of the State and urge them to remain law-abiding as it’s in the best interest of all that we come together to maintain law and order in the State.