By joshua 
Edo Government Tackling Security With Full Force, Afegbua
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
The Edo State government yesterday said it has put in place a lot of things on the ground to ensure the current security situation in the state is reduced to the lowest minimum.
The commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua stated this while briefing journalists on the preparation for the one year anniversary of the present administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo in office.
The state has also opened up some commands, one in Edo North, Edo Central, around Uromi area and the other in Edo south, where we have pleaded with the military to assist with some soldiers. Only last week, 100 Policemen were deployed to Okpella as a way to combat any kidnapping in that area.
Also extra measures have been put in place, there’s a military post in Okpella, there’s also a Police post. And the Police authority has also granted Okpella the status of having an Area Command. The structure for that is currently going on which is part of our interventions.
Moreso 2,500 men and women were recruited into the Edo security corps. And they were trained by soldiers and they have since been deployed to different local governments of the state. That means essentially we have men who will assist in collaborating with the police in information gathering, and also deepening community policing.
According to Afegbua, ” Edo is sharing boundaries with quite a number of states, and they present themselves as exit routes to escape from being arrested, so they come in to commit the crime and escape to the other states.So we have put extra measures in place.”
He said 400 motorcycles have been given out to Police and DSS and other security agencies and we are hoping that we will be able to comb bush paths where all of these kidnappers get into.
Afegbua stated also that on the health aspect, the state has succeeded in reclaiming part of the land that was ceded to MOWAA, Museum of West African Arts. Because by the time the government looked at the mappings of that land, they literally took over a very huge expanse of land at the location of the previous General Hospital, which we called Central Hospital.
Adding that, “the governor has on his own held meetings with the drivers of the MOWAA. And he frowned at the fact that they preferred museums to healthcare delivery. And he said it was only natural for people to be well and healthy before they could go and watch anything in the museum. So why do you think that a museum should take preference to a healthcare center or a general hospital as the case may be? So we have limited their scope. In order for people not to think that we don’t want to encourage productivity and enterprise” he stated..
The commissioner further added that, the Stella Obasanjo Hospital was to wear the garment of a General Hospital. But what the previous administration did was to award a contract, 50-55% completion.
” As we speak, there is no electricity there. There is no water. The mortuary is not there. The Doctors’ restroom is not there. Doctors’ pavilion is not there. And to crown it all, the contractor is being owed almost N7.3 billion. The consultant recruited to oversee the completion of that place. He charged N965 million, almost a billion Naira. And by the time the administration was exiting power, the guy resigned his appointment when his fee had been paid 100%.” He said.
On education, the commissioner , said, the Governor has commenced reclaiming some of the dilapidated schools, one of which is the Army Day Secondary school which he built within eight weeks when they went on holiday. He bought chairs and tables and rebranded the entire school, fenced the entire compound to assume almost a brand new structure.
Afegbua stated further that the 4000 hectares of maize farm planted by the state government in Udomi, Esan Central Local Government of the state has already been harvested and some will be kept in the silo for users.As more foreign investors have been contacted fully around to carry out mechanised farming in the state.
Afegbua also stated that 3 flyovers are presently being constructed in Benin city the Edo State capital to easy traffic congestion in the state.
Edo Government Tackling Security With Full Force, Afegbua
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
The Edo State government yesterday said it has put in place a lot of things on the ground to ensure the current security situation in the state is reduced to the lowest minimum.
The commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua stated this while briefing journalists on the preparation for the one year anniversary of the present administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo in office.
The state has also opened up some commands, one in Edo North, Edo Central, around Uromi area and the other in Edo south, where we have pleaded with the military to assist with some soldiers. Only last week, 100 Policemen were deployed to Okpella as a way to combat any kidnapping in that area.
Also extra measures have been put in place, there’s a military post in Okpella, there’s also a Police post. And the Police authority has also granted Okpella the status of having an Area Command. The structure for that is currently going on which is part of our interventions.
Moreso 2,500 men and women were recruited into the Edo security corps. And they were trained by soldiers and they have since been deployed to different local governments of the state. That means essentially we have men who will assist in collaborating with the police in information gathering, and also deepening community policing.
According to Afegbua, ” Edo is sharing boundaries with quite a number of states, and they present themselves as exit routes to escape from being arrested, so they come in to commit the crime and escape to the other states.So we have put extra measures in place.”
He said 400 motorcycles have been given out to Police and DSS and other security agencies and we are hoping that we will be able to comb bush paths where all of these kidnappers get into.
Afegbua stated also that on the health aspect, the state has succeeded in reclaiming part of the land that was ceded to MOWAA, Museum of West African Arts. Because by the time the government looked at the mappings of that land, they literally took over a very huge expanse of land at the location of the previous General Hospital, which we called Central Hospital.
Adding that, “the governor has on his own held meetings with the drivers of the MOWAA. And he frowned at the fact that they preferred museums to healthcare delivery. And he said it was only natural for people to be well and healthy before they could go and watch anything in the museum. So why do you think that a museum should take preference to a healthcare center or a general hospital as the case may be? So we have limited their scope. In order for people not to think that we don’t want to encourage productivity and enterprise” he stated..
The commissioner further added that, the Stella Obasanjo Hospital was to wear the garment of a General Hospital. But what the previous administration did was to award a contract, 50-55% completion.
” As we speak, there is no electricity there. There is no water. The mortuary is not there. The Doctors’ restroom is not there. Doctors’ pavilion is not there. And to crown it all, the contractor is being owed almost N7.3 billion. The consultant recruited to oversee the completion of that place. He charged N965 million, almost a billion Naira. And by the time the administration was exiting power, the guy resigned his appointment when his fee had been paid 100%.” He said.
On education, the commissioner , said, the Governor has commenced reclaiming some of the dilapidated schools, one of which is the Army Day Secondary school which he built within eight weeks when they went on holiday. He bought chairs and tables and rebranded the entire school, fenced the entire compound to assume almost a brand new structure.
Afegbua stated further that the 4000 hectares of maize farm planted by the state government in Udomi, Esan Central Local Government of the state has already been harvested and some will be kept in the silo for users.As more foreign investors have been contacted fully around to carry out mechanised farming in the state.
Afegbua also stated that 3 flyovers are presently being constructed in Benin city the Edo State capital to easy traffic congestion in the state.