News

Obaseki Swears In Over 200 SAs, SSAs, Charges Them To Be Accessible

Published

6 years ago

November 28, 2019

Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Thursday, sworn over 200 (Two hundred) Senior Assistants (SA) and Senior Special Assistants (SSA), charging them to be accessible to the general public in their respective wards, local governments and to also be his representative.

In his speech, Obaseki threatened to, without hesitation, sack anyone found incompetent, corrupt or sabotaging his government, stressing that his government has zero tolerance for corruption and incompetence.

He disclosed that his government is people-focused and all the programmes and policies of the government are geared toward serving the people, hence they must follow suit.

Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki delivering his speech at the swearing in

“We are a people-focused government and your actions must portray this. All our programmes and policies are geared towards serving our people. The style through which we are governing Edo is a departure from the past and many people are struggling to understand where we are today.

“You’ve been called to serve and not to enrich yourselves. This our government has zero tolerance for corruption and incompetence. If you are found culpable of corruption, abandonment of your duties, incompetence and sabotaging our government, we will not hesitate in relieving the person of his position”, he noted.

The governor said he did not influence any of the appointment, saying party executives in various wards, local governments made them hence they must be answerable and responsible to them.

Accroding to him, his government is opening Edo to the whole world where the god-given resources would be fully utilised and where dividence of democracy would be taken to the uttermost grassroot.

A cross section of some of the newly swear in SSAs

He noted, “We must open Edo State; Edo cannot be restricted to few persons. The purpose of our government is to open Edo so that we can utilise all our god-given resources to their fullness. So, I encourage all of you that after today, as you go back to your various wards and local governments, you must build the pot of our people .

“Our aim is to go to the grassroot and deliver the dividence of good governance to them. I want to hear from you report about your various wards and local governments; I want to know the challenges our people are facing”, he concluded.

Responding on behalf of other newly appointed SAs and SSAs, Mr. Ogie Ogedegbe, assured the governor of their full support, saying “we will not let you down.”

He noted that all the appointees are politicians of great experience and would all work in their respective wards and local government to make sure the governor win the party ticket and the forthcoming gobernosrhip election in the state.

News

First Female Lawyer In Mid-West Region Is Dead

Published

47 minutes ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

First female lawyer in the old Mid-West region, Grace Ogbemi, is dead.

She died in Lagos at the age of 89 just a week before her 90th birthday.

Before her death, she was a successful Itsekiri businessman and politician.

Born in Warri July 11, 1935 to Chief Reece Edukugho, Madam Grace Ogbemi was called to the English Bar in 1958, becoming the first female lawyer in the Mid-West Region, now Edo and Delta states.

She was a partner in the law firm of Godfrey Amachree Ogbemi & Co.

She got married to Franklin Ogbemi, a Chartered Engineer.

She died on July 5, 2025.

News

Why We Refused To Vote, Opted For Football – Lagos Youths

Published

2 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

While election officials and stakeholders made repeated calls for civic participation in the ongoing local government polls in Lagos, some young residents of Alausa, Ikeja, chose football over voting.

Between 9am and 2pm on Saturday, during the peak of the electioneering process, groups of youths were seen at three different spots in Alausa engrossed in football matches instead of heading to polling units.

When approached by our correspondent, many of them cited a lack of trust in the electoral outcome as the reason for staying away from the polls.

“You can’t force me to vote. I chose to play ball, and why will I vote?” said Ayomikun Ola, one of the youths.

Another young man, Opeyemi Omoemi, was blunt in his response: “We all know that it’s the APC that wins all, as usual. So there is no need for me to disturb myself.”

Wasiu, also found on the field, said, “Bro, there is no need. I am satisfied with the football than the vote.”

Bayo, who joined the game, explained that he was underage. “I haven’t clocked 18, that’s why I didn’t vote. The best is to play football,” he said.

A young woman, Seriki Ganiyat, attending to customers at her shop nearby, said she could not afford to leave her business for the election.

“It’s not necessary. I have children to feed. Imagine if I had to leave my shop to go and vote. What for and what will my children eat this night?” she asked.

Their views reflect a broader pattern of low voter turnout and widespread apathy observed across many polling units.

At Polling Unit 003, Ward 7, only 61 out of 1,000 registered voters had voted as of 1:05pm.

Similarly, at PU 007 of the same ward, only 30 people had cast their ballots by 1pm., while PU 031 had recorded just four voters out of 29 by 1:12 p.m.

At PU 026, only one voter had shown up out of 21 registered. PU 027 recorded just five votes from 62 registered voters by 1:43pm.

In Ward F, PU 011, 45 voters turned up from a total of 908. PU 085 had no votes cast at all by 1:45pm, despite having four registered voters.

Ward C’s PU 004, with 913 registered voters, recorded just 30 ballots as of 1:47pm. At Ward F, PU 036, only 50 out of 986 had voted by 1:51pm.
(PUNCH)

News

JUST IN: Vote Counting Begins In Yaba

Published

2 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

Vote counting has officially commenced at Polling Unit 024 in Ward B, Makoko area of Yaba, Lagos, marking the winding down of the 2025 local government election across the state.

However, the conclusion of the poll has been overshadowed by a pervasive low voter turnout, raising questions about the exercise’s overall impact.

“The lack of voter enthusiasm could impact the credibility and inclusiveness of the exercise,” an election observer noted, reflecting a sentiment shared by many watching the democratic process unfold.

This concern comes as officials at Polling Unit 002, located in the same Ward B, continued to await the arrival of voters even as counting began elsewhere.

Despite a generally peaceful atmosphere reported across various polling units, voter turnout remained significantly low in many parts of Yaba.

At Ward F, 012, situated along Iwaya Road, voting was still ongoing as of press time, with officials describing the turnout as notably lower than anticipated.

Similar reports echoed from other sections of Iwaya, where Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission officials observed a sluggish pace of voting activity throughout the day.

In contrast, Ward G at St. Timothy College presented a more active scene, with multiple polling units—including 001, 002, 003, 004, and 005—conducting voting in an orderly manner.

This provided a glimpse of the organised process, even amidst the broader challenges of voter engagement.

Election observers, while commending the largely calm and disruption-free process, reiterated their concerns that the palpable lack of voter enthusiasm could indeed impact the credibility and inclusiveness of the local government elections.

LASIEC officials have continued their efforts to encourage eligible voters to come out and cast their ballots before the scheduled close of voting at 3pm.
(PUNCH)