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Edo state government has announced the cancellation of the April edition of the newly reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise earlier scheduled to hold on the 26th of April between 7am and 10am. This was made known in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq. The statement said  "The cancellation is premised on the concerns of candidates sitting for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) which commenced on Thursday April 24, 2025 across the country. Despite the cancellation, all Edo residents are encouraged to keep their immediate environments clean." "Consequently, the reintroduced exercise will commence on the last Saturday of May, 2025 across the State between 7:00 am and 10:00 am." The statement further assured residents of government   committement to ensuring a safer, healthier and cleaner environment for Edo residents.

The Edo State Government  has condemned in strong terms a recent press statement issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),  accusing Governor Monday Okpebholo of compensating families  of fulani  hunters involved in the Uromi killings with the sum of #6 billion. The government described the allegations as "fictitious, malicious, and deliberately misleading." In a statement signed by Chief Press Secretary Fred Itua, the government clarified that no such compensation was approved or paid to any group. He said. " No compensation of N6 billion was approved or paid to any group as claimed. The figures and narrative being peddled are fictitious, malicious, and deliberately misleading," the statement read. The government further criticized IPOB's audacity to lecture Southern Governors on bravery, given the group's history of violence and murder. "A group that murders, maims, and imposes illegal sit-at-home orders in the South-East cannot pretend to car...

In a daring move, geared towards addressing security challenges in the State, Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has vowed to deal decisively with criminals in the state. The governor said this in a stakeholders security meeting he summoned  at Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area. The meeting which had in attendance prominent political, religious, and traditional leaders, heads of security agencies in the State, and other key stakeholders converged to brainstorm on how to address the peculiar security challenges in Edo North.  Governor Okpebholo, after the meeting held behind closed doors, said under his watch, criminal elements will not succeed in distabilizing Edo State. He vowed to deal with them decisively and make the State inhabitable for their activities. Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Rt. Hon Blessing Agbebaku; former governor of Edo State and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Minister for Region...

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate suspension of Dr. George Oshiapi Egabor, the Okumagbe of Uwano Kingdom, Agenebode, Estako East Local Government Area of Edo State, over recent cases of incessant kidnapping and killings in his domain.  The suspension was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Fred Itua. The statement which said  his secretary, Chief Peter Omiogbemhi, has since been arrested by the relevant authorities, following a recent incident that led to the death of a Palace Chief, Late John Ikhamate added that the suspension of the traditional ruler is indefinite.

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has promised to improve learning facilities, recruit more qualified teachers, provide good infrastructure, a conducive learning atmosphere, and secure school environments across the State. Governor Okpebholo made the pledges when he inspected ongoing renovation of some schools in Edo Central, which were hitherto in very bad shapes when he visited the facilities in January, 2025. Recall that the Governor, who since the assumption of office, has taken bold steps by embarking on people-oriented programs and policies had earlier declared a state of emergency in the education sector and  is working to change the narrative in the education sector.  The  infrastructural development of the Okpebholo-led administration has already transformed many public schools. Many of the schools abandoned by the Godwin Obaseki-led administration now have new structures, including good classrooms and perimeter fences, to ensure the safety of school c...

By Fred Itua In an age where global development is increasingly measured by a set of universally accepted indicators such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Human Development Index (HDI), and the Global Competitiveness Report, the role of subnational governments in aligning with these benchmarks cannot be overstated. For states and regions to be meaningfully integrated into the global economy and development discourse, they must reflect intentional governance strategies that advance these objectives. In Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo is doing just that. In his first five months in office, Governor Okpebholo has introduced the SHINE Agenda—a visionary roadmap that places Security, Health, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and Education at the heart of Edo’s transformation. Beyond being a domestic policy direction, SHINE is a strategic reflection of key pillars embedded in the SDGs. His approach demonstrates a clear understanding that l...

A former Bank staff of a Nigeria Bank Osarugue Flora Aiworo has narrated the frustration, disappointment and  injustice melted out to her while working as a contract staff. She revealed that contact staff who are seen as support staff but play a very crucial role in sourcing for accounts and also generate revenue for the bank are excluded from profit sharing. "Over the years, I witnessed firsthand disparity in the welfare system of banks, where core staff enjoy entitlements such as allowances, bonuses, loans, and profit-sharing especially while contract staff are limited to their monthly salaries." "In the banking sector, there are two categories of staff: core staff (or professional staff) and contract staff (or support staff). While core staff enjoy better welfare packages, contract staff, who make up almost 80% of the banking community, are the backbone of the industry. They carry out most of the day-to-day operations and functions of the bank, executing strategies an...

By Fred Itua  The reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise by the Edo State Government is not just a policy move — it is a clarion call for collective responsibility. Governor Monday Okpebholo’s approval of the sanitation exercise, scheduled for the last Saturday of every month from 7:00 am to 10:00 am, is a timely intervention aimed at rescuing our State from the grip of filth, disease, and environmental neglect. Anyone who walks the streets of Benin City and other urban centres in the State will agree that we are at a tipping point. Our markets, once known for their vibrancy, are now more famous for piles of refuse. Drainages meant to channel stormwater have become stagnant pools clogged with debris. Streets and communities reek of neglect, stained with the evidence of poor sanitation and years of indifference. It is, therefore, not just necessary — but urgent — that we all support this sanitation policy. Cleanliness, they say, is next to godliness. But bey...

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has warned enemies of the nation against importing mercenaries to destabilize the country. This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua and made available to newsmen in Benin City. The Governor who spoke while he receiving the President, Northern Youth Association of Nigeria (NYAN),  Comrade Godiya Adams Bogoro and 10 other Northern youth leaders, said it is important for all Nigerians to join hand to tackle insecurity. Governor Okpebholo therefore urged Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion to live peacefully as brothers and sisters.  He further urged Nigerian youths never to allow themselves to be used as instruments of destruction and destabilization, ahead of the 2027 general elections in the country.  He said: "Politics is around the corner, and crises have started showing up again. People cannot continue to use the youths as instruments of destruction for their own...

Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo has approved the reintroduction of Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in the State. The exercise which will be conducted on the last Saturday of every month between 7:00 am and 10:00 am was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq  According to the statement, "The reintroduction of the exercise is premised on His Excellency’s commitment to ensure a healthier and cleaner environment for the good people of Edo State." It added that  human and vehicular movements will be strictly prohibited during the exercise except for officers on essential duties. " This is to ensure that all residents of the State partake in the sanitation exercise to keep their immediate environment clean while the exercise is billed to begin on Saturday 26th April,2025."

Our attention has been drawn to yet another reckless, misleading, and malicious statement credited to the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare. In the said statement, the PDP once again peddled baseless claims and sought to mislead the public on matters it clearly does not understand or deliberately chooses to misrepresent. Let it be clearly stated that the statement is a shameful display of the PDP’s consistent obsession with fabricating lies against the person of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the progressive administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State. These repeated outbursts are the product of a party drowning in irrelevance and struggling desperately to remain in public discourse. It is hypocritical for the same PDP that has consistently desecrated the rule of law through executive impunity and abuse of office to now quote the Electoral Act in a dishonest attempt to score cheap politi...

By Fred Itua At every defining moment in a nation’s journey, the call to give account of stewardship becomes not just necessary but inevitable. This duty is more profound for those whom providence has favoured to sit at the helm, guiding the affairs of the state and shaping the future of the people. In 1989, the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, published *Because I Am Involved*, a 208-page introspective chronicle that offered a gripping account of his political convictions, nationalist ideals, reflections on Nigeria’s unrealised potentials, and the personal sacrifices he made for a country he so deeply loved. In that same spirit, this article borrows its title and energy from Ojukwu’s classic. *Because I Am Involved* is not merely a declaration; it is a commitment. Today, in Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo personifies that commitment. Since he assumed office, it is no longer business as usual. The tides have shifted, and the wheels of governance are now being turned...

 TWELVE YEARS AFTER, GOV OKPEBHOLO BEGINS PAYMENT OF GRATUITIES TO RETIRED CIVIL SERVANTS IN EDO STATE Edo State Governor,  Senator Monday Okpebholo has approved the payment of gratuities owed to pensioners since 2012, a move many say will address the long-standing plight of retired civil servants in the State.  The State Government has, therefore, commenced the disbursement of N1 billion as the first batch of payments, fulfilling a commitment to clear the backlog inherited from previous administrations. Governor Okpebholo emphasized his administration’s resolve to prioritize the welfare of retired civil servants who have dedicated their years of service to the State. “For over a decade, many of our retirees have suffered due to the non-payment of their gratuities. This administration is putting an end to that hardship. I have approved the release of N1 billion for the first phase of payments, and we will not rest until all outstanding entitlements are cleared,” Governor ...

  Uniben To Plant 10,000 Trees   By OSARIEMEN IDIAGHE  The Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, SAN has disclosed that the institution will  commence  the campaign to plant 10,000 trees to combat the impact of climate change. He said this when the leadership of the Edo State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the university in Benin City. Prof. Omoregie revealed that the tree planting exercise is part of his five points agenda he itemized  to achieve for the institution. “Since I came on board, I have been emphasizing that the University of Benin must move forward,  the reason for my appointment is to make that possible. "The university has existed for 55 years. It is about the only institution in Edo state apart from government that has survived in over the past 55 years. Other institutions even businesses, none of them can trace their history back to 55 years. “So,...

 JUDGMENT DAY IN EDO By Fred Itua This Wednesday, Edo State will witness a defining moment in its democratic journey as the Election Petition Tribunal delivers its much-anticipated judgment on the 2024 gubernatorial election. It is a day that carries the weight of history, the hopes of the people, and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system. For months, political actors and citizens alike have waited anxiously as legal fireworks unfolded in courtrooms, with petitions challenging the legitimacy of the election results. Allegations of irregularities and electoral malpractice have been examined meticulously, and now, the moment of truth has arrived. This judgment is more than just a legal pronouncement; it is a test of our democratic institutions. Will justice be served? Will the tribunal's decision alter the true will of the people? These are the questions on the minds of Edo people and Nigerians at large. This is an opportunity for Edo State—and indeed the entire nation—to demon...

 UROMI KILLINGS: GOV OKPEBHOLO VISITS FAMILIES OF SLAIN VICTIMS IN KANO Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has paid a condolence visit to the families of victims, who were brutally killed in Uromi, Edo State.  Some of the victims hailed from Bankure Local Government Area of Kano State. The Governor, deeply moved by the tragic incident, assured the bereaved families and the people of Kano State that justice will be served. Speaking during the visit, Governor Okpebholo described the attack as unfortunate and reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.  “I was deeply touched when I received the news of the incident at night. By 4 a.m., I left Abuja and rushed to Uromi to meet with the affected families. During my campaign, your people supported me, and I stand with you in this time of grief. I extend my condolences to the people of Kano State and pray for the eternal rest of the victims’ souls.  “We have made significant...