News

Kingship Tussle: Egbema Leaders Of Thought Takes Swipe On Warri North Chairman

Published

2 years ago

November 9, 2022

Editor

…Accuses Him Of Bias, Compromise, Imposition Of Candidate

A Group known as Egbema Leaders of Thought (ELOT) has taken a swipe on Warri North Chairman, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, on his alleged bias, compromise and imposition of one Napoleon Egin, as the new Agadagba of Egbema kingdom.

For this, ELOT added that the Chairman cannot be trusted to play any role in the selection process of a new Agadagba of the kingdom that can guarantee an outcome that will earn respect and loyalty of the Egbema people.

ELOT was reacting to the Chairman’s reaction to its earlier publication wherein it accused him the same act of bias but he (chairman) denied the allegation and consequently described it (allegation) as laughable.

A statement made available to INFO DAILY and signed by ELOT’s Chairman, Elder Edmund Tiemo and Secretary, Erepade Mawari, said contrary to the Chairman’s claim that a meeting of the entire Egbema produced the man in question as the new Agadagba of the kingdom, there was nothing of such, but the community/Ruling House concerned was only mandated to nominate 12 persons, adding that Mr. Egin, whom the Chairman is projecting, was screened out.

The statement reads in part: “In the first place, at no time was there a meeting of ‘‘the entire Egbema people assembled for a whole day to come up with one (Napoleon Egin) out of six names’’ purportedly submitted by Ogbudugbudu community as being falsely alleged by the chairman. We challenge him to prove us wrong.

“Following a resolution of the meeting at Ofunama, on September 24, 2022, the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House was mandated to produce a suitable candidate for consideration as Agadagba of Egbema kingdom.

“The Ogbudugbudu Ruling House accordingly convened a meeting of the entire community where twelve (12) prospective candidates, including Barr. Napoleon Egin, were screened.

“After a rigorous and well documented screening process, three of the twelve candidates were adjured to meet the minimum qualification of having a none-Egbema mother. Barr. Napoleon Egin and eight others were screened out by the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House based on the requirements of the gazette.

“The meeting in question was well attended by the Elders and young people, including the Ama-Okosuwei of Ogbudugbudu Community. The screening process was peaceful and transparent and its outcome was generally acceptable to the entire community.

“The Chairman’s reference to the existence of a second list is in fact turning the truth upside down and putting a spin on the process of choosing the Agadagba-Elect. He said that a second list was prepared as a result of the announcement of Saturday, 24 September, 2022, for Ogbudugbudu people to produce a candidate and that his findings showed that the Ama-Okosuwei of Ogbudugbudu community was not willing to sign that document but to allow peace to reign, he allowed the second list to be included. He says, ‘‘I was in that meeting” of Saturday, October 01, 2022.

“In fact there was no second list. The only authentic list was the one submitted by the Ogbudugbudu Community openly on Saturday, October 01, 2022.

“The so called first list being referred to by the WN – LGA Chairman was a fake list clandestinely smuggled in through the back door by the LGA chairman in connivance with his faction of the chiefs. That list was roundly condemned and rejected by the generality of the people present.

“The list was secretly and fraudulently prepared since August 24, 2022. In spite of the loud opposition to this list, the LGA chairman overruled and ordered that the fake list should be accepted, presumably because the list contained the name of his preferred candidate.”

It continued: “This was the main reason the LGA chairman came to attend the October 1 meeting with security gun boats to act as a ramrod for his mischief-making Chiefs to force down the fake list against the people of Egbema Kingdom.

“The meeting of September 24, 2022, rose with a unanimous decision calling on Ogbudugbudu Ruling House to produce a candidate within one week to be considered as the next Agadagba,” it added.

ELOT empathized that it has no preferred candidate neither in against of Mr. Egin being a native of the kingdom, adding: “ELOT has no preferred candidate and at no time during our meeting with the Chairman did we talk about any particular candidate.

“ELOT would want to make it explicitly clear that we do not have anything against the chairman of the WN-LGA or the traditional council of chiefs. We have nothing against Napoleon Egin as a person.

“He is an active member of ELOT who is supposed to uphold truth and justice, but instead, he has readily lend himself to be used as a tool for foisting evil and untruth.

“ELOT, as a body, is committed to ensure that justice and truth is upheld at all times in the Kingdom regardless of who is involved.

“Our position is that the WN-LGA Chairman, Mr. Smart Yomi Asekutu has soiled his hands in this matter. He is deeply entangled. Mr. Smart Yomi Asekutu should tread the path of honour and disentangle himself from this web and allow Egbema Kingdom to follow due process and install their own King,” it added.

Calls put across to the Chairman by INFO DAILY were not picked neither did he reply SMS sent to his cell phone.

News

Traders In Edo Protest Middlemen Activities, Seek Govt Intervention

Published

55 mins ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Traders under the auspices of Ekiosa Market Traders Association, on Monday protested what they tagged activities of ‘evil middlemen and women’, which according to the protesters are causing price hike and artificial scarcity in Benin markets.

The protesters also protested against the neglect of their market (Ekiosa Market)by concerned authorities, which according to them got burnt in 2019.

The protesters who carried placards with different inscriptions as ‘evil union in Edo market are responsible for hike in food;’ Edo people say no to evil union in our market;’ Edo State government ban evil union in Edo markets;’ ‘we say no to evil union in Edo market,’ lamented that many of them are stranded due to government failure to rebuild their market that got burnt, adding that the middlemen and women are making them unproductive.

Speaking during a peaceful protest to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State council, Lucky Orukpe, President of Traders Welfare Union, accused the middlemen and women of causing artificial scarcity in Edo market and also price hike in farm produce.

He alleged that these middlemen and women who form unions among themselves are making sure that whoever fails to join their union does not have a place to sell in the market in Benin City.

He said: “Today, in our market, if you bring your farm produce to sell, we have people we call middlemen and women in our market in Edo State. They will compel you to join a union before you can sell your garri; they will compel you to join their union before you can sell your yam.
If you are not in their union, and you are bringing produce to sell, no vehicle will carry you. When they succeed in compelling you to join their union, they give you time to come to their market.

“Today, farmers are scared to bring farm produce to the market. So, these evil unions are causing artificial scarcity in our market in Edo State.”

Ourkpe who alleged that the ‘evil middlemen and women just devised a new means of operation recently, lamented that due to their activities, food prices are lesser in states that Edo supplies food.

He further lamented: “We carry food from Edo State to other states but food is cheaper in these states, this is because of the activities of these middlemen.”

Ourkpe who said these men are not government agents but individuals, urged the state government to as a matter of urgency address the issue before it got out of hand.

On his part, Anthony Agho, president, Ekiosa Market Traders Association, lamented “we the Ekiosa Market traders are stranded in the streets. We have no where to trade. And they forbid us from selling on the walkway, so how are we going to survive.

He continued: “In 2019, Ekiosa Market got burnt, and since then we have been managing. In 2020, Oredo Local Government came and said we should leave the place and that they want to renovate it. Then in January 2024, the local government came and told us that we should leave and that between 4 months the work will be completed, and since then we have been waiting.”

News

Amadasun Owns Landed Property Situated At Zone MD Obazagbon, Benin Court Rules

Published

3 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

A Benin High Court presided over by Hon Justice A.N. Erhabor has issued a certificate of “execution of warrant of possession” to Mr Frank Omo- Amadasun in order to take full possession of his landed property situated at Zone MD/A44/OBAZAGBON in lkpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

In 2021, some persons encroached the landed property measuring 1,000 feets by 1,000 feets in Obazagbon near Avbiama in Ikpoba okha local government area of Edo state.

The land acquired in 1979, was in full control of the complainant before its encroachment.

This forced Amadasun to institute a legal procedure against those who encroached on his land including Johnson Akpobosa, Peter Akpobosa, Abel Oyo Akpobosa l, Mrs Omoruyi, Mrs Oronsaye and 11 unknown persons.

In the case marked: No.B/975/2021, there was consequently an enrolment of order where the judge granted an interlocutory injunction restraining all the defendants/ respondents, their servants, agents, or any person howsoever described as acting on their behalf or instruction from further trespassing on the piece or parcel of land measuring approximately 1,000 feets by 1,000 feets known as plot 53351 lying and situate at Zone MD/A44/OBAZAGBON, lkpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suite before the court.

But despite the restraining order, the defendants went ahead to start developing property in the land.

In the judgement, the court confirmed that Mr Amadasun has a verifiable Certificate of Occupancy to the land with digital registrar in the EDOGIS.

The court also confirmed that the claimant is the rightful owner in possession of 1,000 feets by 1,000 feets bounded by Beacon numbers 542, 543, 544 and 454 which covers an area measuring approximately 8, 557 hectares now known as plot 53351, lying and situate at Obazagbon in lkpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

After the judgement, the claimant, then got a certificate of execution of a warrant of possession which has been fully executed.

Contacted , the Edo state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the police received a letter from the Deputy Director of the High Court to execute the court order over the land.

SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the Edo state Commissioner of Police , CP Funsho Adegboye has since ordered men of the Anti Kidnapping And Cybercrime Unit of the Edo State Police Command to take over the judgement execution order.

As at Press time, the claimant has since taken over the full possession of the land as ordered by the court but not without resistance by some persons in Obazagbon in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo state.

News

Ex-First Bank Chairman Is Dead

Published

4 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

A former Minister of Labour and former Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, Ajibola Afonja has died aged 82.

The Oyo-born Prince passed away on Sunday night, May 19 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Confirming the passage of the former Minister in a statement, the Oyo Global Forum (OGF) through its Chairman, Taiwo Adebayo described the late Afonja as a unifier.

“On this dark day in Oyo, we mourn the loss of Ajibola Afonja, former Labour Minister and Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, who passed away on Sunday night, aged 82.

“Although, a national figure with tremendous influence, he was particularly light for the Oyo community where he made pioneering efforts as an industrialist. His legacy of generosity and open-heartedness touched countless lives, and his presence will be profoundly missed.

“Until his last month, Daddy IDS, as he was affectionately known, as a reference to his manufacturing company, remained hardworking, dedicated to realizing one of the most transformative business visions for the country’s economy. It was the E-Customs project.

“His absence leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, but his spirit of generosity and leadership will continue to inspire us. For all of us that he inspired, we shall honour his memory by carrying forward the values he embodied and continuing his legacy of service and compassion, the values that guide OGF, which he supported during his lifetime.”

Afonja was Chairman of the Board of Directors of First Bank Plc and was appointed as Minister of Labour under the interim government of Earnest Shonekan.

He was the chairman of Integrated Dimensional System and many other companies. He attended Kingston University, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom where he bagged a degree in Accounting in 1970.