SOLIDNEWS

By Besiru Enakhimion. Shaibu Visits Okpella Accident Scene, declares the incident regrettable  Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu, has charged motorists to be safety conscious. He gave the advice when he visited the scene of the fatal accident involving multiple vehicles along Abuja -Okpella Road, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. Accompanied by the Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Council, Mrs. Benedicta Attoh, Rot. Hon. Shaibu sympathized with families of the victims and assured them of his personal support and the State Government's intervention in ensuring the restoration of light in the area. "This incident is regrettable . We must take safety measures to avoid future occurrences. I can assure you that my elder brother and Governor will act fast. "We are going to do the needful and prevent a repeat of the sad incident in the future". He added. The deputy governor also called on tr

By Besiru Enakhimion. The feud between  Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has ended.  Part of the letter to that effect dated, 28th of September, 2023 and signed by the governor, reads," to err is human, to forgive is divine". Below is the full letter from Governor Obaseki : "RE: PUBLIC APOLOGY BY THE EDO STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR, PHILIP SHAIBU. "I have noted the public apology made by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu. This apology followed an aberrant behaviour that contradicts what the people of Edo State stand for. "To name a few, the Deputy Governor needlessly filed unfounded petitions in the Nigerian courts restraining me, the State House of Assembly and Security agencies from a non-existent impeachment process, followed by repeated breaches of protocol; unwarranted and unprovoked attacks in the media on my person and the State Government. The media f

  By Besiru Enakhimion. In the evening of Thursday, September 21, 2023, some unpalatable and unbelievable headlines were churned out by a section of the media.  One of such headlines read, " Media Aide to Shaibu, Edo Deputy Governor Draws Battle Line With Journalists".   While not holding brief for anybody here, I wish  to write as a stakeholder and an elder in the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).  Those who know the level of rapport that has been existing between journalists in Edo state and the Deputy Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu will indeed get disturbed by the above headline that appears like the lyrics of a war song. I believe Rt. Hon. Shaibu has been the most amiable official of Edo state government to the journalists in the state, considering his disposition to them,  especially in the last seven years. I stand to be corrected on this please.   Right from his days as a member of Edo State House of Assembly, he had taken the 20th

By Besiru Enakhimion. Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt.Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has apologized to his boss, Governor  Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki. Rt. Hon. Comrade Shaibu tendered the unreserved apology while speaking with newsmen, shortly after hosting a delegation of the Catholic Men Organization, CMO, Archdiocese of Benin. The delegation led by the Chairman of CMO, Barrister Austin Odigie, presented an official letter from the Catholic Archbishop, Benin Metropolitan See to the deputy governor on his proposed investiture as grand patron of the body.  In his remark, Rt. Hon. Shaibu said:  "I have resumed in my new office, though it is still under renovation. "Like I have always told people, I am a loyal servant who will always support the Governor. It is a vow which  nothing can change. " I only wish that the relationship we had comes back. I am really missing my Governor;  I know God will touch my Governor's heart and those who are trying to cause division

Gawuna.                              Yusuf. By Besiru Enakhimion. The Kano State Election Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of the state governor, Mr. Abba Kabir Yusuf and declared Mr. Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Party the winner of the governorship election in the state on march 18, 2023. Governor Yusuf who was the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party ( NNPP) was in March declared as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC). In their judgement, the three-man panel led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return from Governor Yusuf and issue one to Mr. Gawuna of the APC. The tribunal deducted a total number of 165,663 votes out of the votes earlier declared for Governor Yusuf as invalid , submitting that the affected ballot papers were neither stamped nor signed.

For those who may have a reason or reasons to visit the office of the number 2 citizen of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, here is his new office. The sign post at the right side of the gate shows it. By Besiru Enakhimion.

By Besiru Enakhimion. Senator ( Pharm.)Matthew Urhoghide, today September 18, 2023 rejoined the All Progressives Congress, APC . At the Party's  Secretariat in Benin City, the Politician cum Pharmacist was officially given a membership card of the party he quit when it was called the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) some years ago. Sen. Urhoghide who represented Edo South Senatorial District at the 8th and 9th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party some months ago, citing the unresolved differences and wrangling within the party as reason for his action.  He recently declared his intention to contest in the 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State, at a press conference in Benin City.

By Besiru Enakhimion The feud between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu may be over soon. This is because in a circular dated September 5, 2023, Rt. Hon. Shaibu stated that he has directed his Solicitors to withdraw his suit against the Governor from the High court .  The deputy governor in the circular also stated the reasons for his action.   The Edo state number 2 citizen had some weeks ago filed a suit at the High court seeking to stop the alleged plot by his boss to impeach him from office. In the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1027/2023 before the Federal High Court, the Inspector General of Police, State Security Service, the Governor of Edo State, and the Chief Judge of Edo State were listed as defendants. Below is the circular from Rt. Hon. Shaibu.

By Besiru Enakhimion. Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, has expressed deep shock over the demise of Chief (Mrs.) Monica Alimikhena,  wife of Senator Francis Alimikhena. Senator Alimikhena, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is the immediate past representative of Edo North Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate.  In his condolence message, the Deputy Governor stated: "It is with rude shock that I received the sad news of the passing of our dear sister, mother and wife, Chief Mrs. Monica Alimikhena. "Her sudden exit to the great beyond is a collosal loss to the immediate family members, Afenmai nation and the good people of Edo State at large. "She was a symbol of womanhood, a quintessential mother and virtuous wife who stood as a strong pillar in support of her beloved husband and children. "Our dear mummy was indeed, a beacon of hope and source of inspiration to many who crossed her path, particularly the wome

By Besiru Enakhimion. Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu has described today's Local Government election as peaceful. He made the submission while speaking with journalists after casting his vote at Polling Unit 5, at Azama Primary School, Ward 12, Jattu. The Deputy Governor who was accompanied by his wife also declared that the Council election is the closest to the people. " I am also seeing excitement. Don't forget that the council election is the closest to the people, to the grassroot, so they take it very seriously. The state election, federal election, most times they are voting for people that are a little bit far from where they reside but in the council election, the Councillor lives with them at their ward, so they know each other, they relate with each other .  "It's a grassroot election that I always see excitement from the masses because they are for them, they are voting for themselves; people they can reach, w

By Edosa Okunbo. The Chairmanship candidate for Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in the Saturday Local Government election, Dr Tom Obaseki has said that he plans to create a new road map for the development of Oredo local government area if elected . Dr Tom Obaseki spoke to Midwest Heritage News on phone, saying that the city centre is too congested and needs to be decongested. According to the chairmanship hopeful, there is need to dicongest the city centre by creating new markets in the suburb so as to free the city centre of heavy human traffic as well as vehicular movement .To this end, markets will be cited in the interior to ensure that people do not have to come to Oba or New Benin markets before they can buy or sell their wares. He also promised to provide more locked up stores so that those trading on the walkways and sideways are relocated to those locked up stores in other to free mission road and it's environs of pesistent traffic gridlock that always occur o