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Oshiomhole boycotts Auchi Day celebration
…We will not play politics of favouritism, says Obaseki
Attempts by the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs chaired by His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, to resolve the political impasse between Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hit the rocks on Wednesday, January 8, with Oshiomhole’s boycott of the Auchi Day celebration.
The event was promoted as grounds to broker a peace accord between the two influential sons of the state, with the traditional rulers acting as umpires.
The celebration, in its 23rd edition, was themed ‘Our salvation is in the hands of Allah’ and held at the palace of the Otaru of Auchi Kingdom, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Weeks before the event in Auchi, which hosted illustrious sons and daughters of the state, eminent traditional rulers, representative of the Oba of Benin, political watchers had predicted that the crisis would be resolved during the celebration as the traditional rulers would deploy their influence and wisdom in getting Governor Obaseki and Comrade Oshiomhole to settle their differences in the interest of the development of the state.
In the run-up to the celebration, the Oba of Benin, had announced a fast on January 6, declared by the council to seek the face of God in the lingering crisis and pray for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
However, the absence of Comrade Oshiomhole at the venue, which is few meters away from Iyamho, the APC helmsman’s hometown, punctured the spirited efforts of the traditional rulers to resolve the impasse between the two former allies.
Speaking at the event, Governor Obaseki said he will continue to pursue peace as there cannot be meaningful development without peace in the state, stressing, “I am impressed with the celebration, and would ensure its continuity in Auchi.”
He assured Edo people that his administration will never play politics of favoritism, but rather focus on developing all parts of the state equally.
The governor said the objective of his administration is to pursue policies and programmes that would guarantee a better life for the greatest number of people in the state, noting, “With the limited resources available to us, we have been able to renovate some primary schools and constructed road projects in the locality to improve the lives of the people. We aspire to do more for the people.
“We have commissioned the Auchi Fertilizer and Chemical Company, which currently produce 60,000 metrics tones of fertilizer of fertilizer, creating over 500 direct and indirect jobs. I am pleased to inform you that we will commence construction of Igbe, ICE and Mission Roads, which lead to Auchi, among other projects.”
The governor said his administration has started pilot programme on education, healthcare, job creation and entrepreneurial initiatives in Benin, promising to expand the programmes to Auchi.
“Our priority as an administration is on the youths. We want to give them hope and opportunities for work. As a government, we are following the policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration as we have commenced investment in agriculture; we would expand it significantly this year.
“We are investing in poultry and livestock. The first 256,000 birds which the state took possession of six weeks ago and distributed to almost 1000 farmers have done well. We are expecting that this year, Edo will be a hub in poultry production.”
The Otaru of Auchi Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Aliru Momoh Ikelebe III, commended the governor and his entourage for gracing the 23rd edition of the Auchi Annual Day celebration.
He called on leaders to reserve time to thank God for what they have achieved.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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