News
Outrage Over Obaseki’s Disregard For Court Order
Published
3 years agoon
By
Editor
There was outrage yesterday in Edo State over the demolition of some houses by Governor Godwin Obaseki despite a court order restraining it.
Justice Veestee Eboreime had, on August 4, 2022, ruled in favour of elders and leaders of Oke-Oroma community and restrained the Edo Governor from
further trespassing on, bulldozing or developing the land in dispute situate and lying at Oke-Oroma Village, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, Edo State with an area of 714.750 hectares or doing anything whatsoever on the land in dispute that is inconsistent with the rights of Claimants/Applicants pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
In the Suit filed by Gaius Emokpae and five others, Justice Eboreime also granted an Interlocutory Injunction restraining the
Defendants/Respondents, their servants, agents and/or privies from taking possession of the land situate and lying at Oke-Oroma Village.
Defendants in the suit were Edo State Governor, Attorney General and the Edo State Geographic Information Service.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Edo Govt Imposes 24-hour Curfew In Obazagbon, Ogheghe Communities
The Oke-aroma elders threatened to file contempt proceedings against the Edo Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Iyamu.
Mr. Omorogiuwa who spoke on behalf of the elders said the forceful take over of the land was to hand over such to neighbouring Amagba community.
He dismissed allegations of land grabbing levelled against his community by the state government, adding that the administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion de-acquired the forest reserve some years back.
“What the Government has done is to trample on the order of court and subvert the rule of law. There is no issue of land grabbing involved. It is up to the Bar to defend the rule of law in our State and our law practice.
“Government is supposed to protect its citizens and not destroy their lives. To build a new town is not done through annexation and forceful acquisition. The action of Governor Obaseki is against United Nations rules on human rights. We will use the law to ensure our ancestral land is preserve for our generation to come.”
A socio-cultural group, the Benin Solidarity Movement, (BSM), condemned the action of Governor Obaseki saying developers would not have been allowed to spend money to erect structures on the land.
President-General of the group, Ambassador Curtis Eghosa Ugbo, in a statement, the destruction of the properties at a time Nigerians are passing through difficult times was wicked and devilish.
“One would have expected Governor Obaseki should have not only erected signposts in the said plots of land to show that the properties belong to the State Government but also create awareness of ownership of the said plots of land.
“These are Edo citizens who paid their taxes as at when due. They deserves accolade, they struggled to purchase the land unknowing to them that the landed properties they had acquired belong to the Edo State Government.”
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An activist, Barr Daniel Osa-Ogbegie, warned that the Governor was acquiring community lands for his cronies and friends.
“A Governor is subject to laws, not above the law. A resort to self help has been held in a plethora of cases to be illegal, ultra vires and therefore subject to payment of damages.
“My heart goes out to all those their houses were demolished by the ematon Governor, but what really pains me is that Obaseki has been going around Edo South, grabbing communal lands on behalf of his friends ,Nigerians and Chinese.
“Governorship is not forever. A time will come when books will be opened and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
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Swiss food giant, Nestle, on Monday dismissed Laurent Freixe as chief executive with immediate effect over an “undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.”
The multinational behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars said Freixe’s dismissal followed an investigation.
In a swift move, Nespresso CEO, Philipp Navratil, was appointed to take over by his fellow board members.
“The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestle’s code of business conduct,” a statement said.
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The board said it had ordered an investigation overseen by chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with the support of outside counsel.
“This was a necessary decision. Nestle’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service,” Bulcke said in a statement.
A company veteran, Freixe joined Nestle in France in 1986. He ran the firm’s European operations until 2014, steering them through the subprime and euro crises that began in 2008.
He headed the Latin America division before his promotion as CEO.
Freixe had only been in the top spot since a surprise switch in September 2024, entrusted with reversing soft spending by consumers for the company’s food and household goods.
READ ALSO:Soludo Sacks Vigilante Operatives Over Assaults On Female Corps Member
Nestle’s share price slumped by nearly a quarter last year, raising concerns in Switzerland, where pension funds invest heavily in the company, whose brands also include Purina dog food, Maggi bouillon cubes, Gerber baby food and Nesquik chocolate-flavoured drinks.
Nestle shares closed up 0.13 percent at 75.49 Swiss francs on the Swiss stock exchange.
– Net profits –
In late July, Nestle reported a 10.3-percent drop in first half profits as it struggled to turn around its fortunes amid sluggish consumer spending in China, even as it passed on higher cocoa and coffee prices to consumers.
New chief executive Navratil had been an executive vice-president at Nestle, which is headquartered in Vevey on Lake Geneva.
READ ALSO:Nigerian Grandmother Sacked By UK Varsity Over Misplaced Bracelet
“The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance,” insisted chairman Bulcke.
Navratil started his career with Nestle in 2001 and took on various roles in Central America, leading the coffee and beverage business in Mexico from 2013 to 2020, when he took over responsibility for global strategy and innovation for the Nescafe and Starbucks brands.
He became chief executive of the Nespresso brand in July last year and joined the company board in January 2025.
“I fully embrace the company’s strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestle’s performance,” said Navratil, pledging to “drive the value creation plan with intensity.”
News
VIDEO: Motorists Stranded As Bridge Fails On Lagos-Benin Expressway
Published
7 hours agoon
September 1, 2025By
Editor
Motorists and passengers were stranded for hours after a truck fell near a failed portion of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river beneath and rendering the route impassable.
A viral video from the scene showed queues of trapped vehicles as frustrated road users called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently repair the dilapidated sections of the highway.
One stranded passenger, who was filmed in the video, lamented that the incident left commuters stuck for over two hours, halting both vehicular movement and the flow of goods.
He said, “I’m currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.
READ ALSO:Polytechnic Students Declare Nationwide Protest Over Truck Accidents
“This truck fell here, and there’s no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.”
The visibly frustrated commuter revealed the deteriorating state of the bridge, pointing to exposed sections above the river, which he described as a threat to lives and businesses.
He criticised the Federal Government’s focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing Umahi of neglecting critical economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
“This is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos – Calabar Highway,” he said.
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“This is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As I’m speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.
“This road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didn’t fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.”
He further argued that the Lagos-Benin Expressway carries more economic importance than the Lagos-Calabar Highway, urging the minister to prioritise repairs.
READ ALSO:Early Morning Accident Claims Eight Lives, Injures Eight Others In Lagos
He said, “Mr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeria’s economy. But that Calabar Expressway, it’s not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you won’t see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.
“I see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we don’t use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.”
The video has gained the attention of concerned citizens on social media, some of whom describe the road as a “death trap” and joined in calling for quick intervention on the road.
Watch video below:
https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1962577345832714466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1962577345832714466%7Ctwgr%5Edf307ccd0eb71fe84e2d24b726307513398112b3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpunchng.com%2Fvideo-motorists-stranded-as-bridge-fails-on-lagos-benin-expressway%2F
News
Bauchi Govt Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Building Committee
Published
10 hours agoon
September 1, 2025By
Editor
Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has inaugurated a 32- member Pastors/Imams peace building Committee to promote peaceful coexistence in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Monday, the governor said the move was necessitated by the need for the government to consolidate on the peace it had built and sustained over the last six years.
According to him, this peaceful coexistence had recently been threatened by the actions of unpatriotic elements within the state who didn’t wish the state well and were bent on hiding under the cover of farmer-herder clashes to taint the gains Bauchi has made so far.
While acknowledging that minor incidences are common, especially during the farming season, Mohammed said that the dimension of the recent threats in the areas was indicative of a deliberate attempt to cause disharmony.
READ ALSO: NSE Pledges To Mentor Young Engineers, Elects New EXCO Members In Bauchi
He said it was to also portray the state in bad face in order to sully the recognition it had attained as one of the most peaceful states in not just the Northeast sub-region but in the country at large.
“We will not allow our hard earned peaceful coexistence to be truncated by the special grace of Allah. We have invested massively over the last six years in security and peace building measures and mechanisms.
“I will not allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to scuttle the serenity and harmony that we have attained upon which our development and growth lies. I will deal decisively with all shenanigans fueling this crisis.
“I want to assure the citizens of the state that we are working very hard and continuously with the security agencies to contain every situation around the state”, he said.
READ ALSO: Bauchi Refutes Allegations Of Poor Educational Project Execution
The governor said the committee is to embark on religious, sensitisation to promote peaceful coexistence and encourage inter-group communication.
He said they are to also mediate disputes and foster dialogue between different groups where necessary, act as bridges by leading initiatives for inter-faith dialogue and understanding.
Mohammed added that they are to utilize their religious institutions to provide the platforms for community engagement and mobilisation of people towards peace building efforts, influencing attitude and behaviors.
The committee, the governor said, is to leverage on the teachings of religious sacred texts to inspire others to embrace the values of love, forgiveness, eschew hatred and violence.
READ ALSO: Bauchi Govt Gifts N2.6m To 5 Elders For Selfless Service
Responding, Rev. Benson Bature and Imam Faidu Musa, Chairmen, Council of Imams and Pastors of the two LGAs who are the co-Chairs of the committee vowed to discharge their assigned duties even if they would have to pay with their lives.
They said they knew the miscreants were being pushed by some people that didn’t want peace to reign in the two LGAs, pledging to fish them out and hand them over to the authorities.
According to them, this would be done in no distant time as the religious leaders were working in unison, adding that even if a member of the committee is found culpable, he would be handed over to the authorities.
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