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N30b Benin Water Storm Project Saga: Group Calls For Independent Investigative Panel

Published

3 years ago

March 3, 2021

Editor

Group known aa Edo Dynasty United Worldwide (EDUW) has called on the Edo State government to set up an independent investigative panel to unravel those who allegedly embezzled the N30 billion Benin City Water Storm Project.

The group, however, commended the state governor for the bold steps to probe the project.

President of the group, Comrade Brown Osewingie made the call while reacting to the earlier statement made by the state governor, Godwin Obaseki that he would probe the project.

“He should nominate an independent body to carry out the investigation on the Benin City Storm Water Project.

“The independent body must not appoint persons within the political party.

“They have to look for companies, have a town hall meetings, make it a public Investigation, invite all the people that they need to investigate and whoever that is culpable should be sanctioned”, he said.

Osemwengie expressed concern that the governor was part of those who midwife the project that has been abandoned and that he never criticized it while he was there and wondered why the sudden change.

“We applaud the state government for standing up to investigate the N30 billion water storm project. Some names have been called.

” This is my concern, that water storm project was awarded while governor Godwin Obaseki was the head of the economy team.

“Let us assume that he was not in charge of the money but governor Adams Oshiomhole was, and the money that was allocated was not under his control (Obaseki) and nothing was done fine.

“While he was the governor of Edo State in the first one year in APC under the same party with Oshiomhole, how come he did not mention the water storm water project, he did not mention the corruption? Why now is he trying to call him out? He needs to answer to the people of Edo State.

“Yes, if the governor knows that it is wrong at a time and he did not say anything about it, he should tell us why he didn’t say anything about it and why he has to wait till now.

“We also applaud him for speaking up. Yes, we like that but he needs to also answer to us why he has to wait”, he said.

He further noted that the government should deal with whoever that is found culpable and that there should not be sacred cow.

“We don’t want any witch-hunt and the independent body has to carry out their investigation publicly, call out those that are culpable, retrieve the money from them and sanction them. They should use the money to fix Edo state.

“We are not supporting anybody as much you want to accuse Oshiomhole, that N30 billion, is a lot of money, as long as you want to accuse him and we want him to account for it, we also want people that were with him that are now in PDP to be asked questions, we want transperacy in this investigation and Obaseki must not dictate who and how the investigation is conducted”, he said.

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

Published

9 months ago

July 22, 2023

Editor

Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

Business

Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

Published

12 months ago

May 18, 2023

Editor

Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

“In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2022

Editor

The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.