Edo Citizens in Diaspora Worldwide

11/03/2021

10/26/2021

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐄𝐝𝐨 𝐏𝐃𝐏 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐤𝐢, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐛𝐮’𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬
𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

*It’s of no consequence— Member
By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY
THE crisis in Edo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continued Monday evening as the party in Ward 2, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, suspended 10 of its members for alleged anti-party activities.
Most of the allegedly suspended members are the new PDP that defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC with Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu.
The letter for their suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Suileman Momodu, Secretary, Elamah Abdulganinu and 17 others.

They listed their offences to be: “Breaching of the party constitution and manifesto, disobedience and neglect to carryout lawful directive of the party organ and officers of the party;
“Engaging in anti-party activities, engagement in a conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the party and is likely to distrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the party.”

Other offences are: “Engaging in unauthorised publicity within the party, creating a parallel organ at the ward LGA level and promoting actions that belong to another group under the guise of the party by name, New PDP.”
Several calls to one of the allegedly suspended member, Hassan Bawa, was not answered.

But a member of the party from the area said the alleged suspension is of no consequence.
However, Momodu said the action was in line with the party’s constitution.

10/25/2021

DEBATES| OBASEKI'S ACHIEVEMENT| COMR STANLEY VS COMR EMMANUEL

DEBATES| OBASEKI'S ACHIEVEMENT| COMR STANLEY VS COMR EMMANUEL

DEBATES| OBASEKI'S ACHIEVEMENT| COMR STANLEY VS COMR EMMANUEL

10/22/2021

10/20/2021

10/14/2021

10/01/2021

Photos from BTV NIGERIA's post

09/28/2021

09/26/2021

09/23/2021

09/18/2021

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐛𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐨
𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

𝐄𝐢𝐝-𝐞𝐥-𝐊𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐫: 𝐉𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐛𝐮, 𝐄𝐝𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐩 𝐆𝐨𝐯 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 || 𝐁𝐲 𝐎𝐳𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐯𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐮

IT came like a thunderbolt when reports surfaced early this week that the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu was planning to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but yet to decide which political party he would join.

The story attracted reactions across the state and the country through conventional and social media; it even dominated political discussions in almost all public gatherings.

While the debate was on, Shaibu said on a national television; “I am happy with my governor, I don’t have any problem with my governor, so the issue that I am not happy with my governor is not there; I am absolutely loyal to my governor but there are issues that we need to resolve in PDP.”
Shaibu’s outburst created more debate and uncertainty in the state.It was gathered that the Deputy Governor was unhappy that all their followers who defected with them from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP were not integrated into the PDP and have been left stranded.


There have been reports that the PDP in Edo State has been divided between the Old PDP and New PDP that came from the APC.Governor Obaseki and his supporters joined the PDP when the party had already concluded its congresses where it elected its leaders from the ward to the state level including election of delegates for its national convention and that made giving the party’s gubernatorial candidate ticket to Obaseki the only issue for discussions when he came.
Since his defection, all moves to call for dissolution of the executives for fresh congresses have been resisted with some of the party members even instituting a suit against that in a court in Abuja.

A chieftain of the party and political leader in Edo south who left the APC with Obaseki, Hon Charles Idahosa alluded to this in a recent interview with journalists ahead of his birthday.
He said “I left the APC when Oshiomhole started giving us problems but here we are in PDP, there is a lot of crisis.

09/15/2021

09/08/2021

𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏

𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 8, 2021. || 𝑩𝒚 𝑶𝒛𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒖𝒗𝒂 𝑨𝒍𝒊𝒖 – 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚

Hundreds of motorists were stranded at the busy Ugbowo-Lagos road in Benin City for several hours late Wednesday as a result of a downpour that resulted in flooding.

The situation led to several vehicles breaking down and passengers trekking and wading through the waters to navigate their ways to dry areas to get commercial vehicles.

Some commercial vehicles who usually load from Ring Road to Main Gate of the University of Benin and other areas in the axis were discharging their passengers around Five Junction and the passengers had to trek through the flood to connect vehicles after Uselu where vehicles coming from the Main Gate axis to Ring Road were dropping their passengers.

Several private vehicles that dared to pass through the flood broke down.

Commercial vehicle operators who had to complete their from Ring Road increased their fares from N100 to between N400 and N500.

A motorist who identified himself as Godwin Osahon shared his experience and called on the state Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to urgently intervene in the erosion menace that has become a threat to life in the Ugbowo major highway‎ whenever it rains.


He said “What is responsible for this is that the drainages around here have not be desilted for a long time.

“I thought we have overcome this flooding with regular desilting because the drainages are there but they have been blocked.


“Over two hours after the rain had stopped, the road is still flooded. I think the state government is not doing enough.

“They seem to have abandoned us the masses to our date and that is not fair.

09/01/2021

𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝑩𝒖𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 1, 202110:16 𝑨𝑴
𝑩𝒚 𝑭𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒙 𝑶𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒉 || 2 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari in Paris, France May 18, 2021. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari in Paris, France May 18, 2021. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

ABUJA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the ministers for power and agriculture on Wednesday in a rare cabinet reshuffle, citing the need to improve economic management and the delivery of public services.

Saleh Mamman was replaced as power minister by Abubakar Aliyu, the minister of state for works and housing, while Mohammed Sabo Nanono was replaced as agriculture minister by Mohammad Abubakar, his counterpart at the environment ministry.

Buhari told a cabinet meeting the sackings were a result of a process of "independent and critical self-review", according to a statement from his spokesperson.

"These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public goods to Nigerians," Buhari said.

Report ad
High food price inflation has been a persistent problem in Nigeria since the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It stood at 21% in July, according to the latest official data.

The World Bank has warned that millions of Nigerians were being tipped into poverty and even food insecurity because of steep rises in the prices of staple goods.

Electricity supply, a perennial problem in the West African nation, remains erratic, with daily power cuts lasting hours a fact of life even in the most developed urban areas.

Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by John Stonestreet, Jon Boyle and David Clark

09/01/2021

𝑪𝑶𝑽𝑰𝑫-19: 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝑬𝒅𝒐 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒏𝒗𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔
“𝑳𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝑶𝑽𝑰𝑫-19 𝒗𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒆,” 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝑶𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒌𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.

𝑩𝒚𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒔 𝑼𝒌𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒖𝒈𝒖𝒔𝒕 31, 2021 2 𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has restrained the Edo State Government and its Governor, Godwin Obaseki, from forcing residents of the state to take COVID-19 vaccine, according to a report by The Nations newspaper.

Mr Obaseki had said recently in Benin that Edo residents would be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before they would be allowed into public places like churches, mosques, and malls.

The Nation reported that the court in a suit, dated August 30, 2021, ordered the governor, the Edo State Government, and three other respondents, “to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights and for the leave of court to serve the respondents by publishing the court’s processes in a national daily newspaper circulating in Nigeria.”

The suit was filed on behalf of the applicant, Charles Osaretin by Echezona Etiaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, according to the report.

The case, which has been adjourned to September 10 for hearing of the substantive motion, was heard by a vacation judge, Stephen Pam.

What Obaseki said
“With what we have seen so far, COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay. This is the third wave and there is nothing that points to the fact that other waves will not come,” Mr Obaseki had said.

“What we are likely to see is intermittent waves of this pandemic. We are not going to shut down Edo State but we will make sure we protect all Edo citizens.

“Therefore, I have come out with the following regulations, beginning from the second week of September 2021.

“Large gatherings as well as high traffic public and private places will only be accessed by persons who have proof of taking at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“Such people will not be allowed to worship in churches and mosques. There will be no access to banking halls and event centers without proof of vaccination at the gates,” the governor added.

COVID-19 related deaths have risen to 11 in Edo, while 92 new infections were confirmed on Monday.

Edo, with 5,402 confirmed cases as of August 30, is the seventh most infected state in Nigeria, according to the data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

08/12/2021

08/10/2021

Hip Hip Hip! Hurray! It’s celebration time 🎉🎼🎸🎼 Our Edo Nollywood actor is plus one today. Let’s wish our handsome brother a Happy Birthday 🎁

08/08/2021

Idahosa (Hosa) Wells Okunbo (born 7 January 1958)was a Nigerian business magnate, investor, philanthropist and trained commercial pilot.
May his soul Rest In Peace 🙏

07/25/2021

Many are called. But, Few are chosen.
#David Oyedepo
#Oyedepo

07/24/2021

Photos from BTV NIGERIA's post

07/23/2021

Happy Birthday to Iye Boyi, the CEO of ILELE EDO TALK SHOW 🎊🎉🎹🎼🎁

07/22/2021

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨, 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐛𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧.
𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐2, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐦
𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐮

The Proprietor of Pacesetters Group of Schools, Abuja, and politician, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, has reacted to a trending video, ‘where a man of Esan in Edo State extraction poured invectives on the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Oba Ewuare II’, saying the fellow must be completely ignored as “it is evident that he requires urgent mental medical evaluation.”

Imansuangbon noted that the Esan people (Edo Central) and Afemai hold the revered Benin monarch and the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, in high esteem.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in the September 19, 2020, Edo State governorship election said there was no doubts that the Esan and the Afemai people draw their linage from the respected Benin kingdom, which, therefore, makes them brothers and sisters with the Benin people.

Imansuagbon in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Benin-city, added that the Esan people globally pledged their loyalty to the Oba of Benin and Obaseki.

While noting that the viral video was provoking, he added that the comment does not represent the Esan people or any well-meaning Edo indigene.

The statement read: “I was shocked while watching the video and listening to the rubbish the lunatic was saying. The Esan and the Benin people are brothers. It is a fact that was passed to us from many generations, and nothing can change that. Whatever he said should not be taken seriously.

“Giving him such level of recognition by listening to his rubbish talk is to make him feel important. He should just be ignored for who he is.

“I will also like to seize this opportunity to call on his family to take him for a psychiatric test so as to get to the foundation of his problem, and save him from destruction.

“At this period in the history of Edo State, we need one another because in unity lies our strength to build a greater state for all.”

07/20/2021

𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙂𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙁𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙅𝙚𝙩
𝘽𝙮 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙊𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙯𝙪
𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙮 20, 2021 12:45 𝙋𝙈

A Nigerian air force fighter jet flies behind trails of smoke above Kwenev airbase, on the outskirts of Makurdi, Nigeria, April. 21, 2017. A similar jet was shot down Monday by an armed criminal gang.
FILE - A Nigerian air force fighter jet flies behind trails of smoke above Kwenev airbase, on the outskirts of Makurdi, Nigeria, April. 21, 2017. A similar jet was shot down Monday by an armed criminal gang.
Nigeria's air force says armed bandits have for the first time shot down one of their fighter jets. It says the jet was shot down Monday as it conducted an airstrike against criminal gangs in northern Kaduna and Zamfara states. An air force spokesman said the pilot ejected safely but analysts and critics warn the attack shows a previously unknown level of firepower and threat to stability.

Officers cheered at a military base in Kaduna as the pilot of the ill-fated Alpha attack jet, Abayomi Dairo, arrived back on the base Monday.

The Nigerian air force statement said Dairo ejected from the jet shortly before it crashed and also survived intense ground fire from the bandits.

Nigerian authorities have increasingly turned to air operations to decimate criminal gangs, locally referred to as bandits, operating in the country's northwestern regions. Authorities say hundreds of bandits have been killed in airstrikes in recent weeks.

But security analyst Senator Iroegbu says the downing of the fighter jet shows the bandits are getting emboldened.

"It's alarming that the so-called bandits have so much capacity and capability because to bring down an Alpha jet... meaning they could have air missile[s]. I'm not sure an ordinary anti-aircraft gun could have brought down such a jet," Iroegbu said.

The criminal gangs gained notoriety late last year through mass kidnappings of school students and demands of huge ransoms.

More than 1,000 school students have been kidnapped since December. Most have been freed through negotiations, but some are still being held captive.

Iroegbu said he suspects the ransom money paid to kidnappers is being used to purchase more sophisticated weapons. "This is their way of getting more money to acquire more weapons for whatever they're doing," he said.

Authorities strongly oppose ransom payment to bandits. Last month, authorities moved to enact a law that criminalizes the payment of ransoms and punishes those who do with up to 15 years in prison. The bill has been met with resistance and is being reviewed.

In May, eleven top ranking military officers, including the chief of the army, were killed in a plane crash in northwest Kaduna state. Officials said that crash was caused by bad weather, and there have been no claims the plane was shot down.

07/20/2021

𝑶𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒐

𝑩𝒚 𝑩𝒊𝒔𝒊 𝑶𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒚𝒊, 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒖 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇, 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏

There was a protest on Monday in Benin, the Edo State capital, over the ownership of the looted artefacts belonging to the ancient city by some European countries.

The protest happened despite the decision of the Federal Government to temporarily keep the artefacts upon their return from Europe.

The government’s position followed the face-off between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II.

The protesters, who carried placards bearing various inscriptions, were members of Igun Bronze Casters Guild and descendants of Igun community in Edo State.

They marched round Benin, visited the palace of the monarch and the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) of the ancient city, where they addressed reporters.

The protesters condemned the claim by members of Europe and America-based Igun-Igbesanmwan-Owina Descendants Cultural Movement, who earlier said they were part-owners of the looted artifacts and that they should be part of the negotiations for their return.

The protesters, led by the Ine of Igun, Chief Osarenren Inneh, were accompanied by some chiefs.

They urged security agencies, including the INTERPOL, to fish out those they said stayed overseas while fanning the embers of disunity.

The protesters said from time immemorial, they had been casting the bronze artworks for the Benin palace, making the object the property of the palace.

Inneh said: “We have never, in any way, been the owners of the artefacts that we were ordered to do by the palace. There is no member of this Igun that will say that as at 3,000 years ago, they could buy a kilo of manila. So, all the works that were done were inside the palace and were done for the monarch.

“We do works for the beautification of the palace. We do works to keep the history of Benin Kingdom in forms of plaques and art forms. So, we duplicate the history of the kingdom.

“We have never, in any way, been privileged to do these works for ourselves until we were given our royal charter in 1280 AD by Oba Oguola. They gave us that charter for commercial purpose and the artefacts were long in existence, even before the royal charter.

“We are servants to the palace; we are servants to the Oba of Benin. Nobody should pitch us against the palace, because we cannot go against the palace. We are grateful to the Oba of Benin for all that he has been doing for us over the years.

“Those who thrive in making mischief just for the fun of it had better be warned to look elsewhere for their game. For sure, this new chapter will not end well with them.”

The protesters also asked the “enemies of progress and troublemakers” to desist forthwith, in order not to incur the wrath of the Benin monarch.