News

Obaseki Seeks Improved Collaboration With Churches As Edo PFN Inaugurates New Executive

Published

5 years ago

November 7, 2020

Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has called for increased partnership between the government, Christian leaders and all religious organisations to drive development in the state.

Obaseki said the government should not be far from the people rather the government and the governed need to work together in ensuring development in the state.

Obaseki, who made these submissions during the inauguration of new executives of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Edo State Chapter, led by Pastor Margaret Agbonifo, said the Church must be in synchronisation with the government in developing the society.

He said, “The Church must be connected to the government as the church is part of the government. We are in government because of the people; Government should not be far from the people. It should not be separate from the people; we need to work together in ensuring development in the state.

“We have security challenges; people are hungry and we have not educated the youths well enough; we can’t live a life of excuses. Together, we shall do our best to restore dignity among our youths.

“I am not the Governor because I am the best but because God wants me to be Governor; I am in office to serve Edo people and make life better for them.”

Obaseki who acknowledged the steadfastness of PFN under the leadership of its immediate past chairman, Rev. Mon Igbinosa, noted that he ensured strong collaboration with the government among several other achievements.

“PFN gave people like late Archbishop Benson Idahosa the foresight to make Edo State the home of Pentecostal movement in Nigeria.

“God has continued to make history in Edo State, as the first female is today to step in to preside over Edo State branch of the PFN, which is the first of such a feat in Nigeria.

“We will collaborate with her in the next four years, ensuring that things work out for the best for the people of the State.

“Our children are angry and unhappy causing destruction in the land and have been asking what can be done to pacify them. We didn’t train them that way as something must have gone wrong to cause such behavior and we will use the next four years to get to the root cause of the situation.

“We must give the youths hope, connect them to God and take responsibility for them and God has brought our mother to lead PFN in the State to achieve this”, he noted,” he said

Admonishing the new PFN executive in Edo State, Vice-President of PFN, South-South, Bishop Simeon Okah urged the new executives to ensure they do the work they are called to do efficiently.

In her acceptance speech, Pastor Margaret Agbonifo promised to run an administration of continuity, ensuring that all projects embarked upon by the previous administration are completed.

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

5 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

5 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.