News View Digest

 * NEWS EDITORIAL*   6,000 Teachers Employed: Governor Okpebholo Restores Hope To Edo Classrooms *By Festus Alenkhe* Education is the foundation upon which every thriving society is built. And at the heart of that foundation are teachers. In a landmark decision, the Edo State Governor, *Senator Monday Okpebholo*, has approved the employment of *6,000 teachers* into the state’s public school system. This is not just a recruitment exercise. It is a rescue mission for basic education in Edo State. For too long, many of our schools, especially in the rural areas, operated with skeletal staff. Some schools had more pupils than teachers. Others depended on PTA teachers and volunteers just to keep classes running. The result was predictable: poor learning outcomes, teacher burnout, and declining confidence in public schools. That narrative is changing. Reports from across the state confirm that *most schools in rural areas now have teachers working in their schools*. For communi...

HOW OKPEBHOLO'S SHINE AGENDA IS ADDRESSING EDO'S 35-YEAR RECKONING  By,Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele   When Governor Monday Okpebholo took office in November 2024, his inaugural messaging centered on five pillars: Security, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and Education. To those familiar with Edo's history, this framing carried particular significance. It was not a vague promise to "transform" the state through undefined initiatives. Rather, it represented a systematic acknowledgment of where Edo's governance had failed most consistently over the previous three decades. Security came first, not by accident. Okpebholo recognized that no coherent development agenda is possible in an environment where citizens experience genuine fear. The administration moved quickly on several fronts. It pursued legislation establishing special criminal courts and state police mechanisms — interventions that had been discussed but not implemented by p...

Okpebholo Restores Dignity to 89-Year-Old Woman with Wheelchair and Crutches, Reaffirms Commitment to Edo Elderly Habiba Sam  In a heartfelt gesture that has touched many hearts, the Edo State Government has once again shown its dedication to caring for senior citizens with the presentation of mobility aids to an 89-year-old woman, Mrs. Marina Darwang. Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo donated a brand-new wheelchair and a pair of crutches to Mrs. Darwang to help her move around more easily and regain her independence. The items were presented on the Governor’s behalf by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Eighemherio Paul Ikhumosa. The presentation took place in a warm and dignified setting, reflecting the administration’s respect for the elderly. An emotional Mrs. Darwang could not hide her joy as she received the support. She poured out prayers and gratitude to Governor Okpebholo, describing the...

 ❤️  💖💐💓❣️💙🎈💕😘🥰😍💚❤️🩷💋❤️‍🩹❣️♥️🎎 ❤️  🙏✨ Happy Birthday to My Glory 🎈 🎈  The Husband of My youth 💔❣️❣️ To the man of My heart,💋❣️♥️💌 In this new age attained 🙏I lift you up in prayers🙏 🙏May God  bless you, keep you,crown your new age with joy, good health, long life  divine favour and his light shine upon you always 🙏   May His hand guide you in every step, His peace guard your heart, and His blessings overflow in your life and all you do🙏 May God renew your strength like the eagle’s🙏  May He keep you in total wellness and make every path straight🙏 May God’s favor, wisdom and protection follow you all the days of this new year and beyond 🙏 May your heart desires be granted and may we celebrate many more birthdays together in love and health🙏  May He fill our home with peace and your life with purpose🙏 May he  continue to strengthen you, bless your works, and keep you under His protection always and continu...

Okpebholo Welcomes New Okumagbe of Uwanno, Urges Peace and Grassroots Growth By SSA on Public Affairs, Razak Zekeri Saturday was a historic day in Uwanno Kingdom as Senator Francis Asekhame Alimikhena was officially installed as the Okumagbe of Uwanno Kingdom. Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who attended the colourful ceremony, described the coronation as a turning point for the kingdom. He called on the new monarch to use his long years in public service to promote peace, unity and sustainable development. The Governor noted that Alimikhena’s rise to the throne comes with a strong pedigree. Having served two terms as a Senator of the Federal Republic, he brings experience, contacts and governance knowledge that can attract growth to Uwanno. “Your coming to this sacred throne is timely,” Okpebholo said. “The wealth of experience you gathered in the Senate will help in mobilising development and opening new opportunities for your people.” He urged the Okumagbe to make unit...

2 Years of Asphalt -: How Okpebholo’s Road Revolution Is Connecting Edo Central, North & South By Festus Alenkhe Two years ago, Edo people asked for action, not speeches. Today, the answer is written in tar, concrete, and kilometres of new roads. Under  Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, the hum of graders and the smell of fresh asphalt have become the soundtrack of governance. From Edo South to Edo Central and Edo North, the administration has turned infrastructure from a campaign promise into daily reality. The roads that once swallowed vehicles, cut off farms, and trapped communities in erosion are now being opened up. And with them, markets, schools, and livelihoods are opening up too. Edo South: Benin and Environs Getting a New Look   In the heart of Benin City, history is being made. The Ramat Park Flyover, Edo’s first, is 99% ready and slated for commissioning in November 2026. The 949-metre bridge, with 350m and 214m link roads, is designed to ease the gridloc...

Edo:​‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠⁠‌‌‍‍‍⁠‌​​‌​VGN commends Okpebholo’s choice of Ecological Commission Chairman  By Imelda Osayande  Mr. Nosa Imadiyi, Coordinator,  (VGN)-  Manchester Chapter in Edo.             Mr. Terry Igiebor-Chairman Ecological  Funding and Management Commission. The Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Manchester Chapter in Edo, has commended Gov. Monday Okpebholo for appointing Mr Terry Igiebor as Chairman of the state’s Ecological Funding and Management Commission. In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Mr Nosa Imadiyi, on Friday in Benin, the group pledged its support for the commission’s mandate to tackle flooding, erosion and environmental degradation across the state. Imadiyi said the appointment reflected the governor’s commitment to environmental sustainability and disaster prevention in the state. He said the choice of Igiebor demonstrated that Okpebholo was a leader who listened and acted, describing the appointment...

Closer to the People: How Governor Monday Okpebholo Is Quietly Rebuilding Primary Health Care in Edo’s Villages By Festus Alenkhe Development should not be judged only by the flyovers in Benin or the big hospitals in the city. True progress shows up where it matters most — in the village square, at the ward clinic, in the small PHC that a mother walks to at 2am with a sick child. That is where Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo’s story is unfolding in Edo State. From day one, his administration decided to put Primary Health Care, PHC, at the center of its agenda. Not as a side project. Not as a press statement. But as the first line of defense for every Edo family. Six months later, the changes are no longer on paper. They are on the ground. 1. The Buildings Are Coming Back to Life. Drive through the 18 Local Government Areas today and you will see it.  In Uromi, the PHC that once had broken windows and leaking roofs now has a fresh coat of paint. In Auchi, the abandoned cen...

Edo @ 35: SSA Pubic Affairs, Razak Zekeri Urges Okpebholo  To Immortalise Founding  Fathers As Part Of SHINE AGENDA As Edo State marks its 35th Creation Anniversary on August 27, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Comrade Razak Zekeri, has called on the working Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to use the occasion to honor and immortalize the founding fathers and past leaders of Edo and the old Bendel State. A Look Back: How Edo State Was Created Comrade Zekeri recalled that August 27, 1991 was the day the then military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida split the old Bendel State into two Edo and Delta States. Bendel State, with Benin City as capital, was itself created in 1976 from the defunct Mid-Western Region which was carved out of the Western Region in 1963 through a historic referendum. The Mid-West was Nigeria’s first and only region created by plebiscite, and it gave the country some of its earliest self-governing ins...

2026 IYD: WANEP Urges Increased Investment in Youth Leadership for Peace and Sustainable Development  Habiba Aniekan Sam  The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP-Nigeria, has called on government, development partners and other stakeholders to commit more resources to youth leadership, education, innovation and civic engagement as a pathway to lasting peace and national development. The appeal was contained in a statement released to mark the " 2026 International Youth Day" , with the global theme: Different Contexts, Common Aspirations. According to WANEP-Nigeria, although young people across Nigeria grow up in diverse social, economic and political realities, they share the same hopes: peace, dignity, access to quality education, decent jobs, meaningful inclusion in governance, and a sustainable future. The organization noted that young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35 make up more than half of the country’s population. Over the years, they have played ac...

CSJ Demands Stronger Institutional Reforms to Block Corruption in Health, Education Sectors By   Emmanuel Iyoho  Dignitaries and stakeholders in a group photograph during the books Presentation of the follow up corruption risk assessment on the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, follow up corruption risk assessment on the system review on the National Health Insurance Authority and follow up corruption risk assessment on the Universal Basic Education Commission reports held at the Reiz Continental Hotel Abuja recently. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has called for stronger institutional collaboration, continuous monitoring and sustained multi-stakeholder engagement to ensure that anti-corruption reforms translate into concrete improvements in Nigeria’s health and education sectors. The Lead Director of CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, made the call recently in Abuja at the public presentation of three follow-up Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) and System Review Repo...

RJN Trains Community Monitors, Demands Transparency, Accountability in Resource Governance By  Emmanuel Iyoho  Some participants including the North Central Coordinator of RJN Nigeria, Macdonald Ekemezie,  FCT State Coordinator of RJN Nigeria, Collins Nyong, others pose for the press at the One-Day Step-Down Training on Community Monitoring organised by the Resource Justice Network Nigeria, FCT Chapter, The training, held at the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Gwarinpa Estate in Abuja recently. The Resource Justice Network (RJN) Nigeria has called for greater transparency, accountability and equity in the management of Nigeria’s natural resources, urging communities and civil society organisations to take a more active role in monitoring extractive activities, government projects and the implementation of public policies. The call was made in Abuja at a One-Day Step-Down Training on Community Monitoring organised by the Resource Justice Network Nigeria, FCT Chapter, on ...

A'Ibom Community, Abuja Unveils Three-Member Liaison Team to Strengthen Ties with Home State By  Emmanuel Iyoho  From right. Mr Peter Saturday, His lordship Bishop Anthony Udeh, and Mr Emmanuel C. Udoh listening while the Obong of Akwa Ibom community in  Abuja,  Mkpisong  Jackson Ndueso admonishing the  three-member Liaison Team  during the inauguration in Uyo recently. The Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja (AKCOM), has ushered in a new era of institutional coordination with the inauguration of a three-member Liaison Team in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, replacing its long-standing one-person liaison structure in a move aimed at strengthening engagement between members in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and their home state. The newly inaugurated team comprises His Lordship Bishop Anthony Udeh as Chairman and Liaison Officer, Mr. Emmanuel C. Udoh as Deputy Liaison Officer, and Mr. Peter Saturday as Secretary. The appointments, approved by the President of the Akw...

NEWS EDITORIAL: OKPEBHOLO’S CRUSADE AGAINST CULTISM — EDO FINALLY BREATHES AGAIN  By Festus Alenkhe For too long, Edo State carried the burden of shame. Communities that were once known for peace and hospitality became theatres of violence. Cultism entrenched itself as a parallel authority, trading in bloodshed, extortion, and fear. Our youths were lost to it, our mothers were left to mourn, and the future of the state was held hostage. Today, however, there is cause for cautious optimism. There is cause to acknowledge that governance has returned to its primary duty: the protection of lives and property. Under *Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo*, the fight against cultism has moved beyond rhetoric to measurable action. And the results are becoming evident on our streets: *peace and harmony are gradually returning to Edo.* Political Will, Decisive Action What made the difference? Political will.   This administration drew a clear red line and told cultists in plain terms...

A BOUNTIFUL BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO THE ENGINE ROOM OF EDO STATE GOVERNMENT From: Razak Zekeri, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs  To: Barr. Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., Secretary to the Edo State Government On this 6th of August, we celebrate not just a birthday, but a man whose vision, diligence and quiet strength power the heart of governance in Edo State. Barr. Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., the Secretary to the State Government, is widely acknowledged as the “engine room” of the Monday Okpebholo-led administration. As the very first appointee into the executive council in November 2024, he set the tone for a government built on competence, discipline and service. Born at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, and proudly from Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area, the SSG’s journey reflects a life dedicated to learning and nation-building.   He earned his LL.B with Second Class Upper Honours from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 2008, proc...

  GOVERNOR MONDAY OKPEBHOLO LEADS APC CAMPAIGN IN OSUN, CALLS FOR UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT By Razak Zekeri S enior Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Edo State on Public Affairs Osun State stands at a defining moment in its history, a moment of redemption, renewal, and resurgence. Osun is the Land of Hope. Osun is the Macedonia State, and it must rise again and shine in development, progress, and dignity. Since the creation of Osun State on the 27th of August, 1991, carved out of the old Oyo State, history has followed a particular pattern. For over three decades, an indigene of Osogbo, the state capital, has never had the opportunity to lead the state as Governor.  Today, that narrative is about to change. Today, history is being made — not just for Osogbo, but for the entire state and for the future of progressive governance in Nigeria. As part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and in alignment with the SHINE Agenda being driven in Edo S...

SHINE AGENDA ACROSS BORDERS: BRING EDO’S DEVELOPMENT HOME THROUGH GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP  By Festus Alenkhe In an era where development is borderless, governance must also be borderless. It is in this context that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s “SHINE Agenda Across Borders” event in London deserves not just attention, but commendation and support. This was not a ceremonial gathering. It was a strategic economic diplomacy mission  one that recognizes a fundamental reality: Edo State cannot develop in isolation. We endorse this initiative because it is timely, practical, and rooted in data. THE CASE FOR GOING ABROAD: FACTS AND FIGURES Edo State has one of Nigeria’s largest diaspora populations. The UK alone hosts an estimated 250,000+ Edo people, with heavy concentrations in London, Manchester, and Birmingham. According to World Bank and CBN 2023 data, Nigeria received $20.1 billion in diaspora remittances. Edo consistently ranks among the top 5 states in remittance inflow. Yet f...