Oshiomhole Talks Tough: "No More Business as Usual"
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, has disclosed that he is in a hurry to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state who are in dire need of the good things of life. He averred that in line with this he will be operating in an unconventional style, adding that he would not be interested in arguments that things are done differently.

The governor was speaking while swearing- in the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon. Pally Iriase at the Government House at the weekend. He charged the new appointee not to operate according to the old tradition. He advised him to operate in the best interest of the populace. Going further, Comrade Oshiomhole said he had closely studied the Nigerian constitution and there was no section in it where governors are addressed as Executive Governors, adding that the phrase distracts them from focussing on the job at hand.

He cautioned that he should not be dressed in borrowed robes by professional praise singers who go on the pages of newspapers to place congratulatory adverts using government funds. He stressed that anybody caught in such circumstances would be made to return such funds to government coffers. Meanwhile, the State Government has announced the dissolution of committees, boards and commissions constituted by the last administration. Also sacked were all political appointees of the administration.

An announcement emanating from the office of the SSG said that the sacked officials should hand over all government properties in their possession immediately to the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Central A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , Governor's Office, Benin City. In another development, congratulatory messages have continued to pour in to the new governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. One of such messages of goodwill was received from a former governor of the state, Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia (CON); a well known chieftain of the PDP and a close associate of the ousted gvoernor, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor.

According to the politician, "I have known you as a dogged, committed and tenacious fighter. It is my hope that you will bring such doggedness, commitment and tenacity to bear on the huge task of governance ahead of you. "True, we are in different parties, but above this, we are both sons of Edo State to which we owe irreducible loyalty. Therefore, service to our state comes over and above party affiliations. "I congratulate you on your swearing-in as the Executive Governor of Edo State and wish you a successful tenure."


Oba of Benin Extols Osunbor's Legacy in Road Construction
The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N'Oba N'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, has disclosed that what endeared the former governor of the state, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor to his heart was the attention he gave to the issue of road construction. He made the disclosure when the new governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Benin City. Welcoming the governor to the palace, Oba Erediauwa, congratulated him saying that he has known the comrade for a long time as an intelligent, hardworking and uncompromising leader.

The Oba urged the governor to embark on developmental projects, especially road construction and erosion control, enjoining him to collaborate with the presidency in order to tackle the problems of Benin-Ore Road and the poor electricity supply in the state. He prayed that God and the ancestors would hearken to the prayers of the masses for the governor to deliver and move the state forward.

Earlier, Comrade Oshiomhole reiterated his determination to fulfil all his electioneering campaign promises to the people of the state. He revealed that in a couple of days his administration would constitute an executive council in order to start work without delay. Thanking the monarch for his invaluable support through prayers, most especially for declaring three days of prayers and fasting for peace to reign in the state during the appeal court judgment, he also pleaded for further prayers from him for the success of his administration.

Speaker Cautions on Squabbles Over Niger Delta Ministry
Rt. Hon. Zakawanu Garuba, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, has cautioned those squabbling over the issue of who heads the newly created Niger Delta Ministry. According to the lawmaker, the creation of the ministry "became necessary as a result of not just the crisis in the region but the need to carry out developmental project in the Niger Delta".

He recalled that during the first republic there was a Ministry of Lagos Affairs, adding that basically it is been done to ensure that infrastructural development gets to the people thereby minimising the restiveness in the region.

"The issue of who head the ministry is a distraction. We should be more interested in having a leadership that will actually assist in the realisation of the dream of the president", he posited. On how he has been able to galvanise members of the House considering that the membership cuts across the two leading political parties, PDP and AC, "we have succeeded because of our desire and determination that the state must move forward".

The Speaker asserted that he sees the election of Senator Barack Obama (an African-American) as the American President a realisation of the dream of Martin Luther King (Jnr.). He gave kudos to his party, the PDP for leading the country for ten uninterrupted years of democratic governance, adding that the party has not only done well but should be credited for getting Nigeria going. Rt. Hon. Garuba spoke against the recent clamour for the review of the Nigerian constitution. He averred that the number of amendments that has happened to the American constitution after many decades of its operation is few.

"I believe that some of the provision of the constitution may be faulty but it is not something that we should start calling for automatic review of it", he stressed. On the issue of derivation, the lawmaker believes that the National Assembly can by an act of parliament make it 50 percent instead of going through the issue of amendment to reflect the percentage of revenue allocation. "Most of these issues that require constitution amendment are issues that basically the constitution has provided guideline for", he submitted.

Speaking on the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Bill, Rt. Hon. Garuba said that it will put public officers in check, adding that it will make the activities of government open to the people "and it should be encouraged by even some of us in government". The speaker spoke against the call for the scrapping of the third tier of government (the local government). "I believe the local government is the most relevant tier of government. It is the tier of government that have direct impact on the life of the people at the grassroots. "To some people the federal government exist in abstract", he opined.
Isaac Olamikan, Benin

Edo Set to Lead in Food Production
Ms Uwa Osunbor, Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Farm Development, said that the state is gradually moving towards becoming a model for others in the area of food production. She dispelled the notion that the country is facing a problem of insufficient food. Rather, she averred that the problem in the country is insufficient money to buy the food we need. "We have never had food problem in Nigeria ", she emphasized.

Ms Osunbor said that the state governor, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor placed agriculture especially food production on his priority list, adding that in line with this he has empowered 250 farmers in the state through the communal farm project. This apart, she disclosed that the governor also cultivated 75 hectares of cassava for the farming season.

She emphasized that what the state government did this year is a pilot programme, adding that in the next farming season more will be done to ensure that food is not a problem in the state. The Special Adviser stressed that the state government has mapped out plans to start training farmers on the use of modern farming equipment so that their work would be made easier and their yields would improve by many folds.


Isaac Olamikan, Benin



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