Edo Assembly tasks Obaseki on release of kidnapped pupils

• Residents protest over abandoned road project

Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday, urged the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to activate the state’s security architecture to secure the safe release of two pupils of a private school and other persons kidnapped in Igarra Akoko Edo local council area.

In his consequential motion, Member Representing Akoko Edo Constituency II, Mr. Emmanuel Agbaje, drew the attention of the Assembly to the worsening security situation in Akoko Edo council.

He said the area is under siege of criminal gangs, following the kidnap of two pupils of Gloryland International School, Igarra, and brutal attack on the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Igarra by suspected criminals.

Member Representing Akoko Edo Constituency I, Prince Yekini Idaiye, and Deputy Speaker, Roland Asoro, in support of the motion, called for an increased security presence in the area. He also lamented that residents can no longer pursue their socioeconomic and educational activities.

The House also considered the request by Obaseki for legislative approval of a loan facility for the state government in the sum of N18.7 billion to be sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

MEANWHILE, residents of Palace Road in Ikpoba-Okha local council of Edo State, yesterday, barricaded the ever-busy Upper Mission Extension Road over the alleged abandonment of a road project by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Addressing newsmen in Benin City, head of the community, Robert Owen, 74, said the road was contracted to NDDC in 2014 but the commission did a little part of the job and abandoned it halfway.

Owen said the road connects over 12 communities and links the Benin Bypass. “You can see the gully. There has been no attention from the NDDC since they stopped work. We are calling on the Edo State government to prevail on NDDC to return and complete the job. The road was done halfway and was substandard.”

Another resident, Gladys Kadiri, 63, said unprecedented flooding, as a result of the uncompleted road, forced relatives to stop visiting her. Also, one Mrs. Doris Osayande, a shop owner, said she lost goods worth millions due to the flooding.

At the NDDC office in Benin, a staff, who pleaded anonymity, said the official in charge of projects was on vacation, hence he could not comment on the issues. He, nevertheless, assured that the issue would be investigated.