NEWS Curve

The management of Esan Magazine Thursday,  25 March honoured three prominent sons of Esan land to mark its 35th anniversary on the news stand.  Welcoming the awardees and guests to the award ceremony which held at Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Press Centre in Benin City, the Publisher/Editor-in-chief  of Esan Magazine, Mr. Peter Iwelomen said there could not be a better time to honour the award recipients than during the celebration of the magazine's 35th anniversary.   While noting that Esan land parades men and women who can hold their own any where in the world, Iwelomen said personalities like Chief Anthony Enahoro, Prof. Ambrose Alli, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Tom Ikimi and many others had their roots from Esan land. While listing the award recipients as Dcn.  (Dr.) Vincent Agenmonmen, Chief (Dr.) Leemon Ikpea and Chief, (Engr.) Patrick Anegbe, Iwelomen commended the spirit of hard work,...

                    Osarodion Ogie (Esq). Secretary to Edo State Govermenmet ....... PDP hails action, calls for full recovery of all stolen govt. land By Lucky Isibor. The Edo State Government has said it evicted squatters and trespassers from government buildings and landed properties in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) axis of Benin City, the state capital, after their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) were revoked, so as to effectively repossess the assets. In a statement, Secretary to the Edo State Govermenmet, Osarodion Ogie Esq., said the eviction followed revocation of the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) of the properties which were allocated to political office holders and companies by the state’s former Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. According to him, “On December 21, 2020, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, revoked the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) of 11 government properties within the Gov...

… Launches ANEEJ’s Social Protection Project. By Lucky Isibor. The Honourable Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba has assured that the ongoing review of the expired Social Protection Policy (2021-2025) would be ready in June 2021.  The minister gave the assurance while declaring open, the inception meeting of the Enhancing Social Protection Programme in Nigeria (ESPPIN) project being implemented by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) with support from Bread for the World, Germany. Prince Agba who commeded ANEEJ and BfdW for the project to be implemented in five states of Anambra, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Ekiti States as well as Abuja said the Federal Government has reached out to the 36 State Governments, and other stakeholders for their inputs into the draft policy. “The policy under review has already been presented to the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory for their inputs and a...

                  Late Prof. John Otaigbe. By Lucky Isibor. The Esan Okpa Initiative, one of the think tanks of the Esan nation has expressed shock over the death of one of its members, Prof. John Otaigbe of the department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry of the University of Port Harcourt. In a statement signed by the chairman of the board of trustees of Esan Okpa Initiative, Prof. Gabriel Oteze and made available to newsmen, described the late John Otaigbe as a true Esan man adding that he was a member of the board of trustees of the Organisation. Describing him as a very cerebral academic and a socialite who truly had a passion for the promotion of Esan customs, the statement noted that "John was truly an Esan Man. Until his death, John was a Trustee of Esan Okpa Initiative and the chairman, Outreach Committee of Esan Club 30, Please Harcourt.  "He was a Professor of profound intellectual capacity. A Unilag 1st Class gradu...

Evang. Dr. & Mrs. Emeka Ekwugha flanked by other church leaders cutting the anniversary cake.  By Lucky Isibor. A clergy and the Edo District Suprintendent of Assemblies of God Mission, Rev. Paul ThankGod Okeasi has urged pastors and all those working in the vineyard of God to have the mind of Jesus Christ in their work of evangelism so as to be able to truly win souls for God. The clergy gave the admonishion while speaking as guest speaker at the ordination of pastors, award ceremony and seventh anniversary of His Glory Royal Assembly, Edosa Street, Off Costain road in Benin City, Saturday, 20 March. The man of God who titled his message the "the mind of Christ", noted that " the mind of Christ is ritheous, the mind of Christ is holy, the mind of Christ is love, the mind of Christ is humble". He warned those being ordained not to seek vain glory and enjoined them to humble themselves like Jesus Christ who accepted death and even death on the cross. ...

By Lucky Isibor. A foremost PDP Leader in Edo state, Hon Henry Duke Tenebe has said the recent court of Appeal judgement in Abuja instituted  by the APC ,which dismissed the  certificate forgery cas against the governor has vindicated his earlier statement that the forgery case was a ruse  According to Tenebe in a press statement said   “he had always known  that the forgery case was a ruse, insisting the Edo State chapter of the APC simply latched on to it as a last resort, having realised that the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki was the people’s  choice and destined to win  the  Edo 2020 guber election.” The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja  struck out the certificate forgery case instituted against the governor by the APC.  In so doing, the Court of Appeal relied heavily on an  earlier judgement of a  Federal High Court which had dismissed the case for lacking merit and also awarded costs against the APC.  ...

By Lucky Isibor. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been called upon to step up their public visibility to enable the general public buy-in to their advocacy issues.  The call was made Friday, 19 March in a closing remark by Newton Otsemaye, at the end of a four day training on "Communication and Media Engagement for CSOs" in Edo State at Randekhi Royal Hotel in Benin City, organised by Agents for Citizen-Driven Transformation (ACT), programme funded by the European Union and implemented by the British Council. ACT focal person, Newton Otsemaye (c) flanked by Dr. Jude Obasanmi (r), the CRO of Josmaria Escriva Foundation Ekpoma and another participant at the seminar. Newton Otsemaye who is ACT focal person noted that some members of CSOs were doing mavelously well but that members of the public were unaware of their interventions adding that the seminar was designed to sharpen the communication skills of participants. He told participants to take the training ...