De Patriot

It was a sad day on Saturday morning, the 27th of March 2021 , when the news of the demise of the state correspondent of Champion Newspaper, Comrade Ezekiel Isessele filtered  into the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,( NUJ), in Benin City. The sad news threw the entire council into confusion, as it came in at the time the council was preparing to go honour their own who was getting married same day. The leadership of the council quickly rush to the hospital to know the true position as it was hard to believe that the vibrant and healthy looking journalist was no more. Comrade, Ezekiel Isessele, popularly called  Ezeco, was a  graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and hailed from Ewu  in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State. He was aged 48,  survived by a wife and three children.

The honourable member representing Esan North-East/Esan South-East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. ( Barr.) Deacon Sergius Oseasochie Ogun has congratulated the executive governor of Edo state, His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki on his well deserved victory at the Court of Appeal over the alleged certificate forgery case brought against him by the APC and her governorship candidate in the last gubernatorial election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.  While describing the verdict of the appeal court which dismissed the certificate forgery suit by describing it as unmeritorious,  he stated that: " Gov. Obaseki's victory is a victory for Edo people, the rule of law and academic excellence.  The verdict of the appeal court which upheld the earlier judgement  given by the lower court has driven a death nail into the political coffin of those who thought they could upturn the mandate of Edo people through the back door" Going further, the l...

. The Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun stated this recently in Benin City at a consultative workshop for government agencies and relevant stakeholders on effective implementation of Non-custodial measures(NCM) The Speaker who officially kicked off the workshop at Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre in Benin commended the federal government for taking steps towards the implementation of Non-custodial measures.  According to him, correctional centres are highly congested, overstressed and need discongestion noting that when crime rate reduces to the bearest minimum, the Police and other security agencies will have lesser work to do with more efficiency. He pledged the determination of the House to provide legislative frameworks and necessary logistics for the implementation of the said measures. Also present at the event were other government functionaries and stakeholders on correctional, judicial  and security matters including stat...

Some people leave a mark in the sand of time long after their departure from earth. Others are forgotten few months after their departure, depending on the quality of life one live during lifetime. Godwin Omozokpea Okpere was a great Esan son. His touch on Esan home video and films revolutionized the industry. In fact, it will not be too exaggerating to state that he was the father and creator of Esan home video and films. I know that a few Esan films existed before he came, but his coming created a new awareness revolution and promotion in the industry. He created stars among Esan actors and actresses. The movie name he gave to them is more their identity today than their real names. He was a walkaholic. And identifying stars was never a problem to him. His love for his profession was never in doubt as you see his touch and perfection in his areas of specializations. The Uromi born entertainment mogul was a camera man, film editor, script writer film director, dancer, sing...

By Rosemary Okoduwa The Hon. member representing Esan South East/ Esan North East Federal Constituency in Edo State, Hon (Barr) Sergius Oguns said his motive for sponsoring  the bill to empower the national assembly to summon the president was based on the fact that no such law  exist in the country's  constitution. The bill which is a constitutional amendment bill which recently passed the second reading seeks to compel the president to appear before the lawmakers and answer questions on issues of national security and related matters. It also empowers state houses of assembly to summon governors under the same circumstances. Although it did not explicitly state the penalty for disobeying such summon. In an interview with an online media, Hon Sergius said “The penalty is not explicitly stated but that could be the case. “When something like this is constitutional, if there is an infraction, it becomes impeachable.” The bill comes amid the usual controversies ...

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; his wife, Betsy; Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu and his wife, Maryann, on Monday received the first dose of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Others who received the vaccination during the flag-off ceremony of the exercise in Government House, GRA, Benin City, include the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. and Chief Judge of the state, Chief Justice Esther Edigin and among other political, religious and traditional rulers. With the rollout, frontline workers in the state are to take the vaccine to fortify workers in isolation centres and other healthcare centres across the state.

In a statement signed by the party chairman Dr Tony Aziegbemi,it was a day  for the EXCO to come together as a family to mark the first anniversary of their election to run the affairs of this great political party, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, here in Edo State. He said during their campaigns, they did promise party faithfuls  four things; 1. Get the party back to government house 2. Make the party secretariat functional 3. Within the first four years the party must have its own purposely built permanent secretariat in Benin city 4. Empowerment of party members  Upon his emergence as the chairman of the Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on 14th March, 2020, he  declared that his first and most important task will be to lead the party to victory in the then up-coming governorship election. Bearing in mind however that the party had spent 11 straight years in opposition but consistently did very well in federal legislative electio...

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has hailed mothers for their outstanding roles in the state’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a statement to commemoration the Mother’s Day which is celebrated every 14th of March, the Governor  urged mothers not to relent in supporting government’s campaign to halt the spread of COVID-19 as the state commences the vaccination of over 40,000 residents against the deadly disease in the state. He noted, “As we celebrate mothers for their sacrifices, love, care and unwavering commitment to family values, I urged them to continue to complement government’s efforts to contain the deadly virus by sensitizing members of their immediate family and colleagues at work on the need to adhere to preventive measures against the spread of the virus.” Obaseki added: “My administration will continue to initiate and implement policies and programmes that support mothers in fulfilling their roles in the family, at work and in...

Senator Yisa Braimoh is not loquacious but whenever he decides to talk, his words are sparse and laced with wisdom. The highly respected former senator who represented Edo North in the 6th  Assembly has added his voice to the deluge of congratulatory messages heaped on Dr Tony Aziegbemi . Dr Tony Aziegbemi  clocks one year in office today as the state chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State.  His singular feat of leading the PDP to capture power in Edo State, against the backdrop of fierce resistance from the APC and its acclaimed federal might, thrust him into the limelight as an astute politician and a man with the "winning aura". Talks of Dr Aziegbemi’s one year in office are dominating the Edo political airwaves.  PDP stalwarts across the state have hailed the one year tenure of the Russian trained Economist turned politician as "momentous and impactful", describing his politics of accommodation as the game changer in the E...

  There is every indication that the unguarded spirited moves in certain quarters, to present a common candidate for Edo Central, to succeed the incumbent Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, come 2024 Governorship Election, will spell doom for the entire Esan Agenda. This is so because the emerging political reality or permutations no longer favour featuring an Esan indigene to queue behind Governor Goodwin Obaseki, from outside his direct influence.  The point being made here is that it is no longer tenable for political godfathers to force their candidates on the people of Edo State, given the way and manner the current Edo State Governor was able to roll back the political clock that eventually resulted in his favour. In succeeding to demystify the once potent political influence of the godfathers in Edo State, Governor Goodwin Obaseki has historically set an interesting precedent. This is the fact of the matter: no known political godfathers in Edo State can...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State and their counterparts across the entire South-South geo-political zone will  probably converge in Benin, the capital city of Edo State on Sunday, March 14, 2021, to clink glasses, make merriments and celebrate the sweet aroma of their recent political conquests under the charismatic and able leadership of the State Party Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi.  On the 14th of March, 2021, it will be exactly one year when Dr. Tony Aziegbemi mounted the saddle as the State Party Chairman. At onset, he was the dark horse, luckily, his tenacity and zeal propelled him to go into the trenches to galvanise the required critical support base and when the party's congress eventually held, he emerged victorious.  There is, indeed, every reason to celebrate. Here was a party living in the shadows of its past glory and suddenly, it transformed into the ruling party, with all of its attachments.  Those gathering in Be...

.   The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists  (NAWOJ ), condemns in very strong terms, the recent abduction of over 200 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, Kaduna state, North-West Nigeria. In a statement signed by it's national president Comrade Ladi Bala, the latest abduction which is the fourth in the series of attacks on schools in last two months, calls for urgent and proactive actions by the Federal Government and security agencies to halt the activities of criminals in the country. From Kankara in Katsina State, to Kagara in Niger, Jangebe in Zamfara, Uromi in Edo State and now Kaduna state, with the same mode of operation is certainly one attack too many for comfort. The question on the lips of many Nigerians is when will this act of criminality which is exposing our innocent children to dangers in the forest end? It is quite disheartening to note that in recent times schools in  Nigeria have come under serious...

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has committed to accommodating more women in his government by ensuring that they are given equal opportunity to contribute to the state’s development. The governor, who said this in commemoration of the International Women’s Day marked every March 8, noted that he would continue to advance policies and programmes to promote gender mainstreaming. According to him, “As a government, we are committed to providing opportunities for women to contribute to the state’s development. We already have ample examples of how women have transformed different sectors of the state’s economy. We are proud of the achievement of these women and will be engaging them more as we work to make Edo great again.” The governor added that the state government has made commitments to ensuring that more women are brought into mainstream politics to ensure that their input is taken into consideration in policy-making. He said, “In my first term in...

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has committed to accommodating more women in his government by ensuring that they are given equal opportunity to contribute to the state’s development. The governor, who said this in commemoration of the International Women’s Day marked every March 8, noted that he would continue to advance policies and programmes to promote gender mainstreaming. According to him, “As a government, we are committed to providing opportunities for women to contribute to the state’s development. We already have ample examples of how women have transformed different sectors of the state’s economy. We are proud of the achievement of these women and will be engaging them more as we work to make Edo great again.” The governor added that the state government has made commitments to ensuring that more women are brought into mainstream politics to ensure that their input is taken into consideration in policy-making. He said, “In my first term in...

  The final transition programme of former Edo State Head of Service, HoS, and later Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr Simon Imuekemhe, has been released. The late erudite administrator and technocrat begins his final home journey on Thursday, March 11, with a vigil mass at St Paul Catholic Church, Benin City, Edo State capital.   Late Dr Simon Imuekemhe passed on a few weeks ago after a brief illness.  According to the release issued by the Imukhemhe family, the body of the late Dr Simon Imuekemhe will be interred on Friday, March 12, in his hometown in Ikhabigbo, Etsako West local government area, after a funeral mass. This will be followed by a Thanksgiving service at St Paul Catholic Church in Benin.  A close confidant of the deceased, Mr Paschal Ogie, who also claimed to have been mentored by him, described Dr Imuhuekmhe as a brilliant, principled,  compassionate and erudite technocrat who devoted himself to the service of the stat...