NEWS Curve

By Lucky Isibor A leading Social Cultural Organisation in Edo State, the Coalition of Benin Social Cultural Organisation has passed a vote of no confidence on its leadership headed by Amas Edobor who was the Coordinator General. The vote of no confidence was passed on the Amas Edobor leadership of the organisation at a stakeholders meeting of the body held Friday, 30 December. After a thorough review of the activities of the socio-cultural group in recent times, the over forty members in attendance at the meeting noted that the organisation has been overwhelmed by a leadership failure. Members then moved a vote of no confidence against the former coordinator general, Amas Edobor which was unanimously adopted.  The group also unanimously elected Osaro Iyamu as the Coordinator General of the Coalition of Benin Social Cultural Organisation just as other vital positions in the executive of the group were announced.

By Lucky Isibor The Edo State chairman of Labour Party, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi has described the allegations trending on social media that he has perfected a plot to admit "a defeated ex-guber aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2016 through  the back door"  and some other incoherent conjectures as blatant and malicious vituperations of an unsound mind.                   Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi           Chairman, Labour Party, Edo State Comrade Ogbaloi who was surprised at the insinuations described the allegations as unfounded, adding that, ordinarily,  “I would not have bothered to join issues with the author of the said malicious and baseless  but misleading accusations which are grossly  deficient in social and moral capital and which  only succeeded in exposing the  Intellectual paralysis of  its proponents.” “This explanation however became imperative to dispel the futile political coloration by those seeking to dent my moral strength of charact

By Lucky Isibor Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria have task all the political parties contesting the 2023 general elections on the fight against corruption, social inclusion, and extractated their commitments ahead the transition to a new democratic dispensation to be ushered in next year. Leo Atakpu (2nd right) delivering the welcome address at the town hall meeting The civil society groups who gathered under the platform of the Enhancing Anti-corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project being implemented by the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and its eight (8) partners as part of the   Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project of Palladium and its resource partners which is funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), tasked the political parties on their anti-corruption strategies at a town hall meeting held on Wednesday, 21 December in Abuja. In his welcome

By Lucky Isibor Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, on Tuesday, signed the state’s 2023 Appropriation Bill put at N321.3bn into law after the bill was passed by the Edo State House of Assembly. Governor Godwin Obaseki signing the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law Signing the bill at the Government House, Benin City, Governor Obaseki said most of the projects in the budget will be funded from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Governor Obaseki who disclosed that the performance of the 2022 budget was above 90 percent said, “The budget for 2023 is a watershed budget because as we reviewed the year 2022, we found out that we broke every record in the year 2022. “In terms of budget performance, we hit more than 90 percent, which is considered excellent. This means that we got more than 90 percent of our estimated revenue of N220bn in the finance budget for 2022. “We also insisted and emphasized a lot more on capital expenditure than recurrent. Unfortunately, we had a very lon

By Lucky Isibor A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Thursday 15th December 2022, ordered the Federal Government to make available to the Incorporated Trustees of the One Love Foundation the precise details of the N4.5 billion Naira Pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Mr. Government Ekpemupolo AKA Tompolo.                            Patrick Osagie Eholor Executive Director, One Love Foundation The Case filed as SUIT No: FHC /ABJ/ CS/ 1723/2022 is sequel to a failed response of the letter previously written by the applicant: One Love Foundation, addressing the Federal Government through the Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources and Attorney General of the Federation, with a request under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to provide them with the exact details of entire contractual terms and documents entered into with Mr Government Tompolo on the recent N4.5 billion naira contract awarded.    The letter requested documents including: the Letter of contract

By Lucky Isibor The Federal Government, on Wednesday, approved a new whistleblower protection draft bill. This was one of the memos presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning Wednesday, 14 December. The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the week’s Council meeting, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, lamented that the existing whistle-blowing policy launched on December 21, 2016 was losing momentum. Launched in December 2016 by the Buhari-led Government, the Whistleblower Protection Policy, facilitated through the Federal Ministry of Finance, provides legal cover for individuals who voluntarily expose acts of fraud, bribery, looted government funds and assets, financial misconduct and other forms of corruption. The policy also rewards a whistleblower who provides information about any finan

As all is now set for the conferment of the chieftaincy title of Edenokun of Uromi on Chief Mrs. Dorothy Patrick -Anegbe by the Onojie of Uromi, Zaiki Anselm Edenojie 11 come Saturday, 17 December,  more congratulatory messages have continued to pour in for the Edenokun designate of Uromi.  The latest is coming from Chief (Mrs) Paulina Adenike Iyoha, AKA Dr. White. In a congratulatory message,  Chief Mrs Iyoha described Chief Mrs Dorothy Patrick- Anegbe as a woman of virtue who renders valuable support to her husband,  children, her entire family and those with whom her path has crossed.  According to Chief Mrs Adenike Iyoha, "Am not surprised that the Onojie of Uromi,  Zaiki Anselm Edenojie 11 singled you our for this uncommon honour. "You have been a shining light among your pairs and your philanthropy which is tailored to the alleviation of the plight of the downtrodden has been tremendous.  "I've no doubt in my mind that your elevation to the enviable

By Lucky Isibor  The Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (JDPCI) of the Uromi Catholic Diocese has facilitated the prosecution of 19 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in various Courts in Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State in the last six months. The faith based organisation has also assisted a rape incident survivor to access justice in Court and convicted the perpetrator. Rev. Fr. Fidelis Arhedo,  Executive Director, Uromi JDPCI (C) making his remarks at the event.  The Executive  Director of Uromi JDPCI, the Very Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Fidelis Arhedo stated this Friday, 9th December during the commemoration of the 2022 Human Right Day which also marked the climax of the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence which commenced on the 25th of November with the theme "Unite! Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls". The clergy man added that Uromi JDPCI has also established community human rights clubs in 30 communities and 25 A

By Lucky Isibor The African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has called on the Federal Government and it's relevant agencies to conclude work on the Whistle Blower protection Bill with a view to passing it into law to strengthen the nation's anti-corruption war.  Comrade Leo Atakpu, Deputy Executive Director, ANEEJ, (M) representing Rev David Ugolor, Executive Director of the organization at the press briefing to mark the 2022 Int'l Anti-corruption Day in Benin Cityty, Comrade Nowinta Igbotako (R), Board member, ANEEJ and Sandra Eguagie (L), Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation, ANEEJ The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor made the call at a press conference to mark the International Anti-corruption Day 2022 in its office in Benin City. David Ugolor who was represented at the event by the Deputy Executive Director of ANEEJ, Comrade Leo Atakpu also called  on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to issue guidelines for the fu

By Lucky Isibor Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized Governor Godwin Obaseki and his PDP-led government over an alleged failure to find a lasting solution to regular fire incidents which ravage major markets in Benin City, the Edo State capital, particularly at the end of the year. The criticism was made by Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the Edo Media and Publicity Committee of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, in a Wednesday statement in which he accused the Obaseki-administration of “unconscionable negligence, especially on the issue of incessant fire incidents reducing people’s livelihoods and means of economic survival to ashes.” His statement came after another fire incident was recorded at the Lagos Street market, after similar disasters at the Oba market, Ekiosa market, and Santana market. He said, “Every December, innocent women and traders in Edo State are made to suffer the terrible tragedy of seeing their life investments, and possibly

…restates commitment to securing Tinubu’s election The Edo State Media and Publicity Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) held its inaugural meeting yesterday in Benin city to set the agenda for its statewide engagement spanning all forms of media and with the objective of aiding the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate, as the country’s next leader. The meeting was convened and led by the State Chairman of the Committee, Mr John Mayaki, who was joined by other media stakeholders and influencers in the state. Participants examined media strategies and tactics relevant to its goal, while also setting the modalities for operations, including the creation of sub-committees and the appointment of other officials expected to join in the management of the operations. The Committee endorsed the appointment of Hon. Nathaniel Osamede as State Director of Operations, Barrister Daniel Osa Ogbegie as th

By Lucky Isibor A political pressure group, Nigerian Professionals for Atiku/Okowa 2023, has appointed coordinators for the 176,846 polling units across the nation's 36 States to canvass for votes for the Atiku /Okowa presidential campaign with a view to mobilising five million votes for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.                           Dr. Solus Ejele The National Coordinator of Nigerian Professionals for Atiku/Okowa 2023, Dr. Folus Ejele disclosed this while delivering a speech on behalf of the group during a courtesy visit by the group to the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in Abuja on Monday, 28 November. While throwing it's weight behind Atiku Abubakar's programme to restructure the nation, Ejele said the group is interested in who becomes Nigerian president in 2023 given the hostile business environment in the last fews adding they've decided to contribute their quo

By Lucky Isibor The treatment of water has remained the only option for man to dress water for portability, reclaim already polluted water at the site of use and conserve the health of earthly waters and the general health and well-being of humans. Prof. Michael Osehon Osuide (C) flanked by other academic giants as Prof. Abhulimen reads his citation at the commencement of the lecture This position was made known by Prof. Michael Osehon Osuide, a Professor of Industrial and Environmental Chemistry at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma while delivering the 97th Inaugural Lecture of the University titled "Healing the Waters", on Thursday, 24 November at the Rev. Chris Oyakhilome Auditorium. Prof. Osuide who enumarated the sources of water, the various modes of pollution and methods of purification suitable for the various uses of water, noted that the natural purification and conservation of water is failing as a result of climate change. The lecture also noted that

By Lucky Isibor Members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the Federal Government to fund the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) which has entered it's second phase, just as they called on development partners working in the anti-corruption sector to increase funding of both Government and Non-Government anti-corruption initiatives that aims at the implementation of the strategy.  Participants at the stakeholder dialogue This was part of the outcome statement of the Stakeholder Dialogue on the National Anti-corruption Strategy (NACS II) in Abuja, held November 29 by the Anti-corruption cluster of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project being implemented by the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) as anchor and her 8 cluster organisations. In a statement signed by the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, Ann Ojugo, of Joint Association of Persons with Disability