Politics: Governor Obaseki's victory at the Supreme Court is a tiding of good hope for the state-Elder Omonfuma.

Elder Pius Omonfuma

EKPOMA-Elder Pius Omonfuma, owner of GT Foods, has congratulated Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state on the affirmation of his electoral victory by the Supreme Court.

In his chat with journalists yesterday, Elder Omonfuma said that the verdict of the apex court on the case of the governor Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu was a victory for democracy and a vindication of the people's struggle for justice, adding that it is also a tiding of good hope for the state.

He commended the governor for being the custodian of a divine mandate given to him on 28th September, 2016, which represents the will and aspiration of the people of Edo state and thanked the apex court for ensuring that the mandate remains sacrosanct.

In his words; "one of the lessons we all should take from our governor's experience of emerging from election which were rancorously contested up to the highest court in the land, is to ensure that politicians repay our citizens with best governance and prove to them that their confidence in them were not misplaced."

He thanked the people of Edo State for standing behind the governor and heeding his call for calm and patience all through the duration of the litigation and appealed to all citizens to blur the lines of political differences in the interest of the development of the state.

Elder Omonfuna also commended Governor Obaseki for being transparent in all his political appointments so far saying that “with these,  the state has the right mind of developing every nook and cranny of Edo state as he congratulated Engr. Amiolemen Osahon from Esan west local government as the newly appointed commissioner for Infrastructure ( formally known as Ministry of Works and Transport).

He, however, charged commissioners from Edo central  senatorial district never to let down the trust reposed in them as history would not forgive them if they allow selfishness to becloud their call to serve, pointing out that ‘’opportunity missed may not be recovered’’. He warned.

In his conclusion, he expressed hopes that the governor would remember the plight of his people especially the residents of Ekpoma over the dilapidated roads and other infrastructure in the town.

Living in Ekpoma is Suffering and Smiling because the Government is far from the Town.

Ekpoma dilapidated  road

By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

"All the roads are totally dilapidated; there is no exemption."

Ekpoma, the commercial nerve centre and the university town of Edo state, is lying prostrate, in ut­ter ruins. It is in shackles, bruised and battered. And no one seems to care. Worse still, the government representatives from the area have been unarguably weak. So, they see no evil and speak no evil because they are afraid of the instincts that they serve. Ekpoma has fallen from grace to grass. It has lost its former glory that dressed it in the admirable robe of the Bendel state's university town. There is no side you can mention and say it is better than the other in Ekpoma.

Late Prof. Ambrose Alli weeps daily from Heaven as he sees his legacies buried in a hurry. The vibrancy that defined the town is gone and the once thriving town is a shadow of itself. Today, Ekpoma is a terrible and indescribable sight. Anyone who knew Ekpoma when it was blazing in glory would weep at the present state of things. Indeed, words are not enough to capture the present state of the once famous town.

“They (pictures) speak for themselves.” And, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
The popular Ekpoma market is an eye sore. One of the heart-rending scenes is in Ekpoma roads around market round about and union bank where traders display their wares amid the putrid seepage from rotten wastes overflowing the road. There, maggots and flies dance on vegetables and other edibles on sale. Take this: Epidemic is imminent in Ekpoma as sewage flowing down dirty streets is a common sight. It is a wonder how human beings do business under such atmosphere especially when it rains. But they have no other options.

Dilapidated roads: Coming into Ekpoma, you soon discover that something is wrong. To start with, it is not a tea party entering into the town from any point, as all the roads linking it are in terrible condition. The Benin/ Auchi/Okene road is deplorably bad. As soon as you enter Ekpoma axis of the road, you begin to navigate through the valley of the shadow of death. And the fear of evil will be your portion be­cause the area is criminals’ den. In fact, the road is impassable, so drivers drive with the belief that the government is far from Ekpoma.

In the rainy season, Ekpoma is floating, so to say. Most of the roads are flood-prone because there are no drainages and where they exist, they have been blocked.

So, with nowhere to go, the ensuing floods take over the streets and es­cape into homes and business premises. As a matter of fact, some streets have turned to river in Ekpoma. One of the ‘rivers’ is found on the Ihumudumu road by GTbank which leads to Ujemen and Iruekpen towns.

On a rainy day and several hours after the rains, a speedboat can conveniently ply the roads and while the flood lasts, traders at Ekpoma close shops, otherwise their wares will be submerged and destroyed. Many sources disclosed that many people have lost their lives in the potholes while several others had sustained debilitating injuries.

Today, going to Ekpoma through any road is an agonizing experience because a journey of few minutes can last for hours because of the terrible condition of the roads, resulting in traffic bottleneck. The popular Opoji junction along Benin /Auchi road is a scene from the pit of hell.

Like most parts of Ekpoma, you cannot wear shoes when leaving homes. The reason is that all the surroundings are flooded. The only way out is to remove your shoes and fold your trousers, wrappers or skirt to knee length and trek. In fact, when the heavens open up, bike riders disappear because, if they don’t, their motor bikes will be submerged.

At Big Joe motor park and J5 junction near former university guest house at Ikhiro road junction along Benin /Auchi road, it should pass as one of the worst pothole roads on the face of the earth. There, vehicles are trapped every day. In fact, only trucks and other big vehicles ply the road. A car can easily be buried in the gullies on the road and when it happens, the army of jobless young men in the area will jump into the muddy water and push out the trapped vehicle for a fee. They call it, ‘self empowerment or Devel’. Borehole road junction near Esan west local government secretariat also needs a special mention in ignominy.

We have Senator. We have House of Representatives and State House of Assembly members. Ekpoma has produced so many successful people in various spheres of life. Ekpoma is not supposed to be abandoned just like that.

So, I’m begging the State and Federal Government to come to our aid because Ekpoma is an important town that has the potential of turning around the fortunes of the country in terms of manpower and technical know-how in agriculture.

Esan West LG Poll: Elect Trustworthy Candidate – Aspirant.

Julius Udin reports.

BENIN CITY-A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu, on Tuesday, urged Esan west local government residents to elect only candidate that is ready to work with the people into office in the yet to be announced local government elections in the state. He expressed sober concern on the deplorable road and other infrastructural decay in the local government area especially the dilapidated roads around Ekpoma, the headquarter of the council.

Kelly Udebhulu, a chairmanship aspirant in the council area, told the newsmen in Benin city that politicians, especially at the grassroots, must be passionate about the plight and welfare of the people. He said that the welfare of the people and security remained the primary responsibility of any leader in government.

“Government at the grassroots must listen to the yearnings and demands of the people and find ways to actualize them “We need to be taking everything back to the drawing board with the people. We need to develop people from the grassroots.

“It is not good to sit in our offices not knowing what happens in various communities, not inviting the people concerned —  the immediate community, to ask what are their needs,” Udebhulu said.

The aspirant said that if the party leaders and the people gave him the opportunity to serve as the chairman of the council, he would be committed to their needs. The avoidable infrastructural decay around Esan west local government areas would be issues of the past.

According to him, no decision affecting communities should be taken without recourse to the people.
 “I am coming to make Esan west local government a home for all, where everybody will belong and benefits from whatever comes from the government.

“I have seen and studied the local government in and out, the external and internal generation of revenue, its problems and solutions, so I know what it is to be a chairman in Esan west Local Government,” he said

he aspirant urged party stakeholders to ensure that exposed and capable candidate is fielded in the election once the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) fixes date.

POLITICS: I am in politics to serve my people as planned by God — Udebhulu.

Kelly O. Udebhulu

 EKPOMA-Kelly O. Udebhulu is a trained  Investigative Journalist, an alumnus of CEDAG and a prolific writer, a blogger, a known socio/cultural crusader, a politician and a businessman. Born to the family of Chief A. A. Udebhulu of Ohon-Urohi, Esan West L.G of Edo State, Nigeria. Married with children and a christian. Chairman/President, Vicuma Nigeria Limited, a construction & Investment Services Firm.

Excerpt:

Why did you go into the murky waters of politics in Nigeria?

 My main motive of going into politics is to serve my people; to bring about the dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of the people. I have seen the plights of my people and my personal or private material wealth cannot do as that from the government directly if we have workable representative in government.


So you think the person representing the constituency now is not doing enough? 

The truth is that our past and present representatives have actually done their best but I am offering myself for service to consolidate on their past achievements though their achievements are not visibly enough for the people.

How do you hope to bring government closer to the people?

 I am a young person, traveled far and wide and I feel this is a clarion call for all the young persons to come together. If we can all come together, we can make a difference. We are young in our age and this is our time. Our past leaders have done their best, let us come and let’s see what we can actually do to bring about even distribution of economic goods and services. As a politician aiming to represent my people in the next election, there are certain things I cannot do and there are certain things I can do. I hope to provide for our people, the basic infrastructure that are lacking in our communities and make our people happy.

What exactly do you want to do for your people and how will you go about it?

 I want to empower our people, build schools etc. As lawmakers, although it is not in our power to build schools but what I will do is to be in a good working relationship with the authorities in charge so that the basic social amenities required by the communities will be provided. I will ensure that the artisans, vulcanizers, hairdressers etc., are empowered with the needed tools and enabling environment to work with.

 I believe that governance should be all about the people, those who put them there. If voted into power, I hope to work with colleagues harmoniously to ensure that the welfare of our people is taken care of. Like I said earlier, our past and present representatives have no doubt done their best but their best is obviously not enough. Much still needs to be done. If you go to my community, Urohi,  it is in a sorry state, there is no development at all in the area.

What are your messages to your people?

My message to my people is that there is hope. We can achieve the better part of the dividends of democracy if I am chosen to represent in the next election. They should not use the eyes of the old politicians look at me, am a new breed of politician who have seen life and widely exposed to advanced infrastructure and amenities. I shall deliver by God's grace.

Herdsmen Attack: Tears trail the Governor Obaseki visit to Ewu.

Gov. Obaseki

Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu reports.

Ewu-Tears trail the visit of Governor Godwin Obaseki to Ewu, Esan central ocal government area of Edo state, as he tried to consoled the bereaved people from the atrocious acts of the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen and the army that shot one of the protesters in the area.

Governor Obaseki reportedly could not hold back his emotion as he tried consoled the bereaved families and friends.

Along with the governor during the condolence visit yesterday were the Chief of staff to Edo state government Mr Akenrele Taiwo, APC State party Chairman Bar. Anselm Ojezua, and Honorable member representing Esan central local government, Chief (Hon) Victor Edoror.

It is on record also that Chief Francis Inegbeniki, the Uzoya of Esan land and an APC chieftain visited the people of Ewu shortly after the ugly incidence and assured the people of government determination to put an end to the herdsmen's atrocities in the state.

It will be recalled that on Monday, 22nd May, 2017, Ewu inhabitants and friends were thrown into sober mood following the rape and murder of two women by the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen and days later, another young boy, shot on his leg by the army who was drafted to the scene of the peaceful protest organized by the Ewu youths to express their angers and concerns.

During the Governor`s speech, he revealed that the issue of herdsmen is a national security matter which needs holistic approach and assured the community that such nefarious act won't happens again as the state government already put up mechanisms to deal with the menace of Fulani/herdsmen across the state.

The Governor is highly commended by the people of Edo central senatorial district ( Esan people) for his condolence visit to the zone and his fatherly act in writing off the medical bill of the young man who was shot at the leg by the army and promised to provide assistance accordingly.

In one of the comments:

"This government of Edo state has demonstrated capacity, capability and the will to tame any and all kinds of monsters in our state. …it is high time the government directs its energy and attention to the menace of herdsmen all over Edo state.

"Our people have become hostages in their ancestral homes. They can't go about their farming businesses anymore especially at a time like this when government is encouraging people to farm",

"For the young man who was shot on the leg. You are a hero because you did not hide in one beer parlor shouting nothing “dey” happens. You came out and stood with your people. You are a hero and a reference point, your spilled blood on Ewu soil bears testimony of your gallantry and bravery. You are the real man and deserved to be celebrated" he concluded

Edo Politics- Let’s stops the blame game and face reality- Arc. Austin Ilenre Emuan.

Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu reports.

EKPOMA- Arc Austin Ilenre Emuan, advises Edo central political leaders to stop what he described as “blame game and face reality” as regards the bad state of the Edo central senatorial development and political representation.

He asserted this moodily as he dashed out from the recently held Esan hall of fame awards and summit where he was expected to deliver a lecture as Special Guest Speaker but declined to present it for reason among other reasons that the Esan traditional rulers and major stakeholders in Esan land who were his main targeted audience were conspicuously absent.

He asserted that unless political leaders abandon their political affiliations and come together to confront the challenges and fix the complains of our people, Esan people will continue to groan, adding that though things are generally difficult due to imprudence of the past, Edo central senatorial district still has many comparative advantages second to known that they can leverage if only they can focus rather than duel in cynicism occasioned by unbridled misanthropy. This according to him,

is breeding leadership crisis in different spheres which must be eradicated to allow for developmental initiatives to take root and take People from 'Poverty to Purpose'

His words: “Edo central political leadership; though experiencing difficulties because of warped and maladjusted political ideologies, still has potentials equal to known to birth a new order that will put Esan people on the path of prosperity. It is only what you read in the papers that bothers you, but most other districts are worse than Esanland but you hardly hear them groan and complain. Yes! We have our own problems but let’s join hands irrespective of political affiliations, salvage our economy and be All that we can be!

“We have the potentials, our people; particularly the youths are vibrant, daring in pursuit and resilient in goal-setting and are ever ready to excel. They should not be used as thugs by political cowards during elections, our University graduates are in dire need of jobs, our only University here needs attention greatly. My visit to the school today reveals a pitiable giant in limbo. We need good political representation. We must all work for that to happen. We cannot fold our arms, complain, criticize and do nothing. The days of armchair criticisms are over.

“We know our problems as created by the widening and compromised cohesion amongst us. We must begin to dialogue and build bridges to resolve them. Nobody should blame anybody, let’s stop the blame game and face our realities with a view to re-aligning them in tandem with our aspirations.

Breaking News! Ewu Kingdom bans cattle rearing, ask all Hausa/Fulani people to leave the land with immediate effect.

victim

Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu reports.

EWU-On Monday, 22nd May, 2017, Ewu inhabitants and friends were thrown into sober corners following the rape and murder of two women by the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen. Following the raping and killing of these two women by Hausa/Fulani herdsmen, the good people of Ewu Kingdom have placed a ban on cattle rearing/grazing and ordered all Hausa/Fulani people to leave the land with immediate effect!

 Landlords/Landladies have been directed to evict Hausa/Fulani people living in their houses. No more cattle market, cattle rearing and cattle grazing in Ewu.

The decision was unanimously reached by the people of Ewu kingdom as series of meetings by all communities that make up Ewu kingdom after the herdsmen raped and slaughtered two women in the farm of Ewu, Esan central local government of Edo state some days ago and another lad shot on his leg by the army who was drafted to the scene of the peaceful protest organized by the Ewu youths to express their angers and concerns.

The unarguably reasons for this decision as spelt out by vast majority of the inhabitants of Edo central in Edo state are as follows:

1. They are raping our wives, Sisters and Mothers.
2. They are killing our people.
3. They are destroying our farmlands and farms.
4. They are robbing our people.
5. They are kidnapping our people for ransom.
6. Our security is threatened.
7. The peace we have been enjoying in Esan is gradually being taken away by these terrorist disguising as herdsmen.
9. We are tired of losing our people to Fulani herdsmen.

Esan people are ancient militaristic, highly homogeneous vibrant agro-fishery and Edoid-speaking people living in the Edo State, South-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Esan people are said to be positive in outlook, creative, industrious and highly educated and are one of the Nigeria`s major ethnic groups and live primarily in Edo Central Senatorial District in Nigeria. They love peace but never dare them for a fight back mechanism; they may seem calm in time of oppression but militaristic at the right timing.

So be it throughout Esan communities against Hausa/Fulani herdsmen that make life miserable for farmers mostly.