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[UPDATED] Edo 2020: Deputy Speaker, Four Other Members Pledge Support For Ize-Iyamu

Published

5 years ago

August 3, 2020

The Deputy Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly and representative of Akoko-Edo Constituency I, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, and four other members of the Assembly have pledged their support for the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, bringing the numbers of elected members who have declared their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo Assembly to an overwhelming majority of 17.

Hon. Yekini Idiaye was joined by Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje, Akoko-Edo Constituency II, Hon. Nosayaba Okunbor, Orhiomwon East Constituency, Hon. Dumez Ugiagbe, Member-elect, Ovia North East Constituency I, and Mr. Vincent Uwadiae, Member-elect, Ovia North East Constituency II, on a solidarity visit to the private residence of Pastor Ize-Iyamu in Benin where they declared their support on Monday.

Speaking during the visit, the EDHA members maintained that they will not leave the All Progressives Congress, APC, for another while assuring Ize-Iyamu of their complete loyalty and commencement of mobilization of voters at the grassroots to secure his victory at the polls.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, said he had no reason to join the incumbent Governor in his defection, or to back his re-election bid, because the non-performing administration of Mr. Godwin Obaseki has failed to initiate any developmental project in his constituency despite his consistent intervention efforts.

He said: “There is no reason for me to deflect to another party because there is no single project in my village to show under this present administration.”

“I am from Somorika, in Akoko Edo Local government area and my village is the most backward in Akoko Edo.”

In the same vein, Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje said the four-year tenure of Governor Godwin Obaseki has been a waste for Edo State and it is time to go to the next level with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

“There are clear reasons why we are standing for our party because what would have been our problem in making progress has left us.”

“I want to assure Edo people that with the emergence of Ize-Iyamu, Edo will move forward”.

On his own part, Hon. Okunbor said the elected lawmakers believe in party supremacy and will be offering their support to the candidate of the APC, Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

In his remarks, Ize-Iyamu thanked the elected lawmakers for their courage and integrity, while also criticizing the Governor for dividing the State by denying representation to 14 elected lawmakers for over a year.

According to Ize-Iyamu, by the sheer fact that 17 of the 24 members of the Assembly have roundly rejected the Governor, the partial Assembly he forcefully put together, against the resolution of the National Assembly, has now fallen apart.

In his words, “Over a year, 14 members have not being allowed to occupy their seats and over half of the state have been deprived of fair representation.”

“The Deputy Speaker of the house has come to show courage and integrity that he can no longer support Gov. Obaseki. He made it clear that he was appointed under APC and will remain in APC. In a house of 24 members, 17 are no longer supporting the Gov. Obaseki meaning the house has fallen apart.

Ize-Iyamu assured the lawmakers of bringing development to their constituencies when elected as Edo Governor, stressing the plans contained in his SIMPLE agenda manifesto to harness the ecotourism potentials of Somorika.

News

Why I Won’t Attend Gaza Summit In Egypt — Netanyahu

Published

1 hour ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s Gaza summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh because it coincides with a Jewish holiday, his office said.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Donald Trump to attend a conference in Egypt today,” his office said in a statement.

“The prime minister thanked President Trump for the invitation but said he would be unable to attend due to the timing coinciding with the start of the holiday” of Simhat Torah, which begins Monday evening and continues until sunset Tuesday.

Earlier, Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu had been invited to attend following a call between US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Israeli premier.

AFP

News

Fubara Names New Rivers SSG

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the appointment of Benibo Anabraba as the new Secretary to the State Government.

The appointment was confirmed on Monday in a statement signed by Dr. Honour Sirawoo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to the release, Anabraba is scheduled to be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.

The statement said, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of Hon. Benibo Anabraba as Secretary to the Rivers State Government.

“The new SSG will be sworn in today, Monday, October 13, 2025, by 4:00 PM at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.”

The appointment follows Fubara’s recent reinstatement to office after a period of political and legal turbulence that led to his suspension under emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, and members of the House of Assembly. He cited the prolonged political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor and political benefactor, Nyesom Wike, as the reason.

In Fubara’s place, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator, with a mandate to restore political stability.

Recall that the immediate past administrator, upon assumption of office during the emergency rule imposed suspended all commissioners, special advisers, and assistants appointed by Fubara.

Ibas also dissolved boards and suspended heads of parastatals he met in office.

Since Ibas exited the state on September 18, the fate of Fubara’s appointees had remained uncertain. The Rivers State House of Assembly, at its first sitting after the lifting of the emergency rule, had called on the governor to submit a fresh list of commissioner-nominees for screening, alongside the 2025 budget for passage.

His return to the governorship has coincided with a flurry of administrative changes as the governor consolidates his team.

News

FG To Disburse ₦6.3bn Interest-free Loans To 21,000 Flood Victims

Published

2 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government is set to disburse ₦6.3 billion in interest-free loans to 21,000 Nigerians affected by recent flood disasters across the country.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a roundtable marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Sununu said the initiative aims to cushion the impact of flooding and enhance food security nationwide, Channels reports.

“In the next few weeks, 21,000 Nigerians will receive interest-free, collateral-free loans of ₦300,000 each.

“This intervention is designed to support farmers and strengthen communities affected by flooding,” he said.

The minister further revealed that the Federal Government, through the National Social Investment Programme, has reached over 8.1 million households with more than ₦300 billion in Conditional Cash Transfers.

“This support has improved the resilience, health, and education of many vulnerable households. The process will continue under the Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” Sununu added.

He also announced plans to empower internally displaced persons through a scheme that guarantees a market for their produce.

“Under our new collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, IDPs will retain 30% of their produce while the government will off-take 70%, providing direct cash payments to the participants,” he explained.

In her remarks, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, highlighted the growing threat of climate-related disasters and called for stronger preventive measures.

Umar noted that Nigeria faces increasing risks from climate change, conflicts, pandemics, and technological hazards, stressing that disaster management must shift from reactive to proactive approaches.

She also announced the launch of two key policy frameworks — the NEMA Strategic Plan (2025–2029) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2025–2030) to guide future disaster preparedness and resilience-building efforts.

“These frameworks promote innovation in financing, institutional collaboration, and risk-informed development,” she said, adding that NEMA is developing a National Risk Monitoring and Information Platform to enhance early warning and data-driven decision-making.

She further called for innovative financing options, including catastrophe bonds, climate funds, and blended finance models, to sustain disaster prevention and recovery initiatives.

The event, which focused on building resilience against climate-related disasters, was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, lawmakers, and international partners.

The PUNCH reports that 238 persons have lost their lives, while 135,764 others have been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country as of October 10, 2025, according to figures obtained from the National Emergency Management Agency’s 2025 Flood Dashboard on Saturday.

NEMA reports that at least 409,714 people have been affected so far, with 826 sustaining various degrees of injuries and 115 reported missing across the country.

Flood-related deaths were recorded in multiple states, bringing the nationwide death toll to 238.