By Osagie Otabor,The Nation
Copyright thenationonlineng
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has approved payment of N914m to the state Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Tony Kabaka, as compensation for his demolished hotel.
Former Governor Godwin Obaseki had demolished Kabaka’s hotel for obstructing right of way but the court ordered the state government to pay Kabaka N914m.
The payment of the N914m compensation was part of the many approvals made by Governor Okpebholo at Friday’s Executive Council (EXCO) meeting presided over by Governor Okpebholo.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Paul Ohonbamu, said the council reached “a lot of decisions and approvals in virtually all sectors including education, infrastructure, transportation, and well-being of the people relating to justice delivery.
Ohonbamu said Council approved the purchase and supply of 50 brand new Toyota Hiace buses (2024 model) to complement the 100 units earlier procured for the New Edo Line transportation company.
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He said Council also approved purchase of 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, 2025 model, for the Edo City Transport Service (ECTS).
Other approvals, according to Ohonbamu, were purchase of 111 motorbikes for use by security agencies,
and procurement of five bulldozers and one lowbed truck for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
On road construction, Hon Ohonbamu said approved construction and rehabilitation of roads in oil and gas producing areas of Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East, and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas, under the purview of the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOPADEC).
The approved road projects included construction of Eromo Road, Ikpoba-Okha LGA; construction of Presidential Road, Ikpoba-Okha LGA; rehabilitation of Ugo Market Road, Orhionmwon LGA and construction of Odion Umoru Road, Ikpoba-Okha LGA
According to him, “Don’t forget that all these processes are sequential. Procurement processes were met in line with the Edo State Public Procurement Law of 2020, and the State Tender Board has also done their own.
“Today, additional 50 buses have been approved. All the necessary procurement processes met in line with the Edo State Public Procurement Law.”
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Musa Ikhilo, explained that the Governor’s recent trip to Scotland focused on attracting diaspora capital into the state’s economy.
Ikhilo explained, “The summit was meant for not just Edo people in diaspora but also the business community who came from various parts of the world… They were very interested in keying into the SHINE agenda of His Excellency.
“One of the chambers of commerce that attended, the European African Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed an MoU with the Edo State Government to invest a sum of $250 million over the next three to five years.”
