Edo State government has proposed the dredging of Ikpoba River to curb flooding and exploring potentials for enhancing revenue generation in the state.

The state Commissioner for Mining, Hon. Andrew Ijegbai, disclosed this when he led a delegation on an inspection of the river in Benin City.

According to him, the initiative was to find a lasting solution to the incessant challenges of flooding and river overflow on the busy road.

He added that his team was on the ground to assess the condition of the river to get a firsthand observation of its impact on communities near its bank.

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Also speaking, Director of Mining in the ministry, Mr. Omoruyi Ihianle expressed the state government’s determination to turn challenges into successes.

He stated that the primary objectives of the project were to generate revenue for the state government through mining and to mitigate flooding in the host communities.

“As a government, we have found a way of converting our challenges until success.

“As a result of the silted river channel, the host communities have been suffering from flooding, hence the Edo State Government is stepping in to desilt while raising revenue for the State Government,” he said.

The Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) has announced the sale of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) for N100 billion.

AMCON’s Managing Director/CEO, Gbenga Alake, disclosed this at a media parley on Thursday.

Apart from IBEDC, AMCON also manages other distribution companies, including the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, and Kano Electricity Distribution Company.

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Alake said, “Today, I announce to you that Ibadan DisCo has been sold. When we came in, it had already been sold, but we renegotiated the price and got almost double of what it was initially going to be sold for.”

Regarding ongoing legal issues, Alake stated, “We have sold it, and whatever is still happening in court, we will face it.”

However, officials of IBEDC did not respond to inquiries about the sale.

Justice Peter Kekemeke of an Abuja High Court on Thursday struck out former boxer Bash Ali’s suit for being “statute barred”.

Ali had instituted the suit against former Sports Minister and the National Sports Commission, Sunday Dare and Attorney General

Delivering a ruling on the preliminary objection by the defendant in the suit, Kekemeke held that the case was no longer valid because the time limit for bringing it to court had passed, as defined by a statute of limitations.

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“From the piece of evidence before the court, there is none pointing that the first defendant signed a contract.

“The suit was filed on Oct. 10, 2021, three months before the claimant’s counter affidavit; his case did not fall into the expectation known in law, and the cause of the act accrued on May 20, 2020, is statute barred.

“The notice of preliminary objection succeeds; the case is consequently struck out.”

Ali had in his suit prayed the court for an order declaring that withdrawal of support given to him was illegal.

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He prayed for an order of the court directing the first defendant to retract the defamatory matter published against him.

All further asked the court for an order of the court directing the first defendant to resume their support.

He also asked for N500 billion for loss of income, among other demands.

The defendants in the case are Sunday Dare, then minister of youth and sports development; the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development; and the Attorney General of the Federation.
(NAN)