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Ongoing Enumeration Exercise’ll Foster Socio-economic Devt, Improve Livelihoods – Edo Govt

Published

3 years ago

March 2, 2021

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Tuesday restated that the ongoing enumeration exercise tagged Data to Make Edo Great Again (Data to MEGA) would aid development planning, foster socio-economic development and improve the livelihoods of the state’s residents.

Obaseki said this when he received the Country Director of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Jean Bakole, who led members of his delegation on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City.

The governor noted that the enumeration exercise “is a programme where we have over 1,200 young men and women trained to collect data from the people for social interventions and economic planning.

“Data from Oredo Local Government Area (LGA) has already been collected in 20 days,” he added.

Governor Obaseki said the data collected will enable his administration to get adequate and credible data to plan for the people, adding, “This information will help the government to improve the lives of the people of the State.”

Obaseki, who noted that COVID-19 has plunged more people into poverty, assured Edo people that the data being collected by his administration will be used for economic governance and not political governance.

“We realised the importance of data and embarked on this project. We want to use the data for socio-economic planning and development and not for political governance. To drive industrialization, beyond data, you must utilize mechanisms to be able to analyze and evaluate that data into policies. You must have a system to achieve this.”

The governor further noted: “Benin City is the cheapest point to generate electricity as generation and transmission meet in the State. We have 1,000 megawatts generated here that goes to the grid.

“Technology is another focus as COVID-19 has changed the world. Technology rules the world and we want to emphasize technology to make Edo a hub for training technology capacity. We have the largest broadband connectivity in Benin City where we have about 400km of bandwidth.”

Earlier, Bakole hailed the governor for his administration’s policies and programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of residents, reassuring the support of UNIDO in changing the narrative and transforming the state.

“UNIDO is here to support you and the people of Edo State to ensure the success of the administration and make life better for Edo people.

“Nigeria lacks policy in investment, trade and economic diversification. We have designed a country programme for Nigeria to address these issues to move the state forward.”

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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.

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

Published

11 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.