State to commence production of essential drugs 
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has signed a law prescribing 10 years’ imprisonment for anyone who violently or forcefully enters state-owned property.

The governor also assented to a law prescribing five years’ imprisonment for anyone involved in an unauthorised sale or transfer of government property without the governor’s consent.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Fred Itua, and made available to newsmen yesterday in Benin.

Itua, in the statement, quoted the governor as emphasising that the “new legal framework is a clear demonstration of his administration’s zero tolerance for corruption, impunity, and misuse of government property.”

The governor’s CPS said the law also prescribed a stringent penalty for professionals who aid or abet illegal land transactions involving state property.

MEANWHILE, Okpebholo has expressed his administration’s readiness to embark on the production of essential drugs from 2026 in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The governor stated this during an inspection of the Central Medical Stores, currently under the supervision of the Edo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency (DMA).

Represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, the governor announced the state’s readiness to revive the moribund Edo Pharmaceutical Company.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Mr Friday Aghedo, the governor, who said the essence was to end medical tourism in the state, noted that facilities at the Edo Pharmaceutical Company and Central Medical Stores were vandalised during the EndSARS protest in 2020.

He said this would attract investment, increasing local production of medical products, and expand the private sector.