NEWS Curve

By Lucky Isibor. The Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) , Dr. Godwin Uyi  Ojo on Thursday berated the co-founders of the organization, Rev. Nnimmo Bassey for what he described as another malicious falsehood and propaganda spreaded by the latter and his hirelings on the status of the two legal cases currently before the law courts seeking to resolve the legitimate management of the organization. A statement signed by Nosa Tokunbor, Legal Officer, Environmental Rights Action Nigeria/Friends of the Earth Nigeria(ERA/FoEN) and made available to newsmen in Benin city said the conflict in ERA/FoEN between Rev. Nnimmo Bassey and Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, co-founders of the organization has confirmed the falsehood being peddled by some mischief makers that the court had ruled in their favour despite the fact that the matter is a subject of litigation. According to him, There are currently two legal cases between Environmental Rights Ac

By Lucky Isibor. The Edo State chapter of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is presently  engulfed in  a self-destructive but avoidable crisis. It is quite unfortunate that the two major factions within the party   is holding  on to their stakes without any recourse to the enormous political and electoral consequences it may have on the party. Comically, the two warring factions, supposedly manned by two politically powerful gladiators, whose combined strengths would have delivered unrivalled electoral value to the party, any day, are now code named by their retinue of opposing supporters as "EMANTON" meaning IRON and the other as "the iron bender", a simple indication that resolution of the crisis is presumably not in sight. It is quite commendable if the governor is labelled an "Iron," Ematon, by Edo people based, of course, on the fact, he remains resolute in  giving the Edo people the best of what they deserve, by fulfilling the campaign

By Lucky Isibor Professor Ethel Ekeloseya Idialu of the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma will deliver the fourth edition of the Josemaria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF) Annual Lecture series holding on 30 June.           In a release signed by Dr. Jude Obasanmi, the Chief Responsibility Officer of JOSEF stated that this year's edition of the annual lecture series titled Beyond Paper Qualification: Reinventing Enterpreneaural Skills as Alternative to Fighting Poverty in Nigeria, will hold on Thursday, 30 June at Chosen Hotel, Ekpoma under the chairmanship of BLDR Rotr. Hope Ezehi of Haxel Construction Company Ltd. at 9.30am. The statement urged invited guests to be seated by 9 am. Professor Ethel Ekeloseya Idialu graduated from the then Bendel State University, Abraka Campus in 1990 with a B. Sc. (Ed) in Home Economics with a (Second Class Upper Division). In Furtherance of her education, she acquired two Masters D

By Lucky Isibor As part of the healing process, with a view to avert a possible crushing defeat in the forthcoming elections, similar to what the party suffered in the just concluded Ekiti State governorship Election, leaders of the Edo State chapter of the party have decided to close ranks and forge a united front.  Governor Obaseki and Edo PDP Chairman, Aziegbemin Luckily, the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is behind the fresh moves to unite the feuding factions in the state as a guarantee of electoral victory.  Though the peace search may still be in its infancy, pundits have, however, predicted a good outcome if the process is allowed to run its full course.  They have also hailed the state governor who, by his position as the leader of the party, for taking the bull by the horn to initiate a round table discussion involving all the aggrieved factions, stressing that the move is a welcome one and urging the other side to embrace the move, for the sake of making the

By Lucky Isibor. The fourth edition of the Josemaria Escriva Foundation Annual Lecture series will hold on 30 June.  This year's edition of the annual lecture series titled Beyond Paper Qualification: Reinventing Enterpreneaural Skills as Alternative to Fighting Poverty in Nigeria, will be delivered by Prof. (Mrs) Ethel Idialu of the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.                         Dr. Jude Obasanmi In a statement signed by the Chief Responsibility Officer of Josemaria Escriva Foundation, Dr. Jude Obasanmi and made available to newsmen states that the lecture will hold at the Chosen Hotel Ekpoma under the chairmanship of BLDR Rotr. Hope Ezehi of Haxel Construction Company Ltd will commence at 9.30am. The statement urged invited guests to be seated by 9 am.

By Lucky Isibor. The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has formally disclaimed one Prince kassim Afegbua who has been parading himself as being a member of the party in the state.  In a statement by the party's publicity secretary, Ogie Aigbe Vasco dated 20th, June, 2022, PDP said "Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former Presidential Campaign spokesman of our dear party, has long ceased to be a bonafide member of the PDP in Edo State." Ogie Aigbe Vasco said the party's  "attention has been drawn to the numerous media showmanship being put up by a former member of the PDP family in Edo State, Prince Kassim Afegbua in the past few days.  Though it is his right as a Nigerian to air his opinions on issues affecting the PDP, but he should not do so with the carriage and comportment of a registered and bonafide member of the PDP." The statement further said Prince Afegbua was a member of the party in Edo state until he ran foul of the spir

Gospel Defenders Ministries Int Inc has fix the grand breaking ceremony of it's Old People's Home and Internally Displaced Persons' (IDP) Camp for the 25 June.                       Archbishop Fred Aghedo Speaking to newsmen on arrangements for a hitch free grand breaking ceremony, the General Overseer of Gospel Defenders Ministries Int Inc, Archbishop Fred Aghedo, the ceremony will take place at the internal headquarters of the ministry at Eguare-Emu, at 11am. He said they've put up some buildings at the site just as they have started receiving some IDPs at the camp and appealed to members of the public to partner with them with a view to alleviating the plight of the internally displaced persons. "We have started putting up buildings for the internally displaced persons. So it pains my heart and I pray to God that I will be able draw the attention of the state government, development partners and well meaning members of the public to see the place and

By Lucky Isibor. The most effective weapon for winning an  opponent is, most often times, provided by the opponent  himself. The above assertion aptly and succinctly reflects the protracted self inflicted rancour that plagued the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Edo State chapter, which lasted to the build up to  the last governorship election in the state, from which it never recovered even up till this moment.                     Dr. Tony Aziegbemin.                 Chairman, PDP Edo State. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) evidently  capitalised on the APC's misfortune occasioned by power and ego play to swiftly  recover  the state from the control of the APC, a feat which, ordinarily,  would have been a seemingly  impossible task for the Peoples Democratic Party which has turned itself to a permanent opposition party in the state. The unresolved internal squabbles occasioned by who controls the structure between the former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole an

By Lucky Isibor The Edo Central Senatorial Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and leader of the party in the district, Chief Francis Inegbeniki,  has denied his alleged involvement in the Twenty Five Million Naira ( N25 Million) bribe to the National Organizing Secretary of the party  being circulated on some WhatsApp groups especially Edo APC platform. The bribe is allegedly meant to change the result of the last primary election of the party in Orhionmwon/Uhunmode federal constituency from Billy Osawaru to Hon. Elizabeth Ativie by the National Organising Secretary of the party                   Chief Francis Inegbeniki In a statement signed by the media aid to the Esan High Chief, Elias Inaede said the allegation which was posted in APC platforms and some other online platforms is a lie from the pit of hell being propagated by moles in the party and agents of the ruling People's Democratic Party, PDP in the state. While urging members of the Edo Stat

By Lucky Isibor The intra party crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is a classic example of a house divided against itself. Several attempts and efforts to make the warring factions sheath their sword and work together in the greater interest of the party have so far fallen on deaf ears.   Each passing day presents the hope of a quick resolution which fades into oblivion sooner than expected. Some have said it will take a high level  intervention to salvage the party and restore it to its eminence before the 2023 general elections. Others have wondered how the ruling party intends to extricate itself from its self-injury and be able to put its act together to face the huge task ahead of it.  Of major concern to commentators is how the party has allowed itself to be boxed into a corner. For a political party which has enjoyed contrasting fortunes; from being an opposition party to becoming the ruling party, within a short period, to now

By Lucky Isibor Stakeholders in Edo State have called for the passage of the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Law in the state to enhance individuals access to every information in the state to promote accountablility in goverment. The stakeholders comprising media practioners, civil society organisations and community based organisations made the call at a roundtable to discuss the Freedom of Information FoI and issues around it at the Edo State Secretariat of Africa Network for Economic and Environment Justice, ANEEJ in Benin City, Edo State. The roundtable was organised by Gatefield Organization in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID, Palladium (Make it Possible) and Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE). While dueling on an overview of the FOI Act, Duties and Obligations of Public Institutions Under the FOI Act in his presentation, Mr. Innocent Idemharia, the program officer of ANEEJ who represented Gatefield Orga

By Lucky Isibor. The Executive Director of Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative of Uromi Catholic Diocese (UROMI- JDPCI) Very Rev. Fr. Fidelis Arhedo has called for the promugation of a law that would proscribe punishments for parents of children found outside school during school hours and the children outside school.               Very Rev. Fr. Fidelis Arhedo Very Rev. Fr. Dr.Arhedo made the call while speaking at an event organised by UROMI-JDPCI to commemorate the 2022 Child Protection Day,  with the theme, "A Better Future for Every Child: Safeguarding Children's Rights to Education"; in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The clergy emphasised the need to develop policies, regulations and guidelines that would enforce child right to education more practically so that the education of the children would become inclusive.  " we can develop some policies and regulations in the country that will enforce child right to

The emergence of the Waziri of  Adamawa State, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the presidential standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party,  PDP, may after all serve as the harbinger of good tidings in the final resolution of the intractable dispute among the rival factions in the Edo State chapter of the party.   The state chapter of the PDP has been embroiled in an internecine dispute over which faction should exercise control of the party structure.  The Edo State chapter of the party is bleeding profusely from what observers would call "political haemorrhage and attempts to "patch" things up have often resulted in  "mere window dressing".  Governor Godwin Obaseki, immediately after the success of his re-election bid, as the leader of the party going by the PDP constitution made several attempts to take control of the party structure   from the "old executives to replace them with what he referred to as harmonized executives . The  leaders of the old PDP