Edo strengthens ties with communities, stakeholders on Benin River port

Benin youths reject ceding Gelegele seaport to Ijaw
State govt moves to cut waste, digitises treasury receipts, others

Edo State Government, at the weekend, met with over 15 host communities and stakeholders to strengthen ties and build stronger relationships ahead of the completion of the Benin River Port.

Chairman of the project, Greg Ogbeifun, who spoke at an engagement session in Benin City, said the port is a legacy project of the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration, designed to key into the Federal Government’s economic diversification drive from oil into agriculture and agro-allied business.

Ogbeifun, who disclosed that the governor had approved the engagement of CPCS Transaction, a consortium of specialist firms from Canada, Belgium and Nigeria to provide transaction advisory services on the project, said the project would be developed through Public Private Partnership (PPP).

On his part, Project Director, Joe Aigboduwa said: “Several governments in Edo State have made attempts and failed, but the present administration, led by Governor Obaseki, intervened to ensure that the project was realised.”
BESIDES, a coalition of youth groups in Benin City, yesterday, condemned alleged plans by the Edo State Government to cede the Gelegele seaport to the Ijaw indigenes in the coastal community.

The Guardian learnt that the state government convened a meeting in Benin at the weekend, which was dominated by the Ijaw settlers in the community with almost no representation from the Benin landowners.

In a joint statement issued by President, Benin Solidarity Movement, Curtis Ugbo, President, One Love Foundation, Patrick Eholor and President, National Union of Edo South Youth, Osaghae Amadin, the coalition lamented that they could not allow those they described as tenants to take over their land.

MEANWHILE, to deepen institutional reforms and digital transformation, the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) has deployed digitised Treasury Receipts, Motor Vehicle Registration Documentation, Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC), Approval Certificates and Business Permits across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the state.

Executive Chairman of EIRS, Igbinidu Inneh, disclosed this when he hosted his counterpart from Niger State who visited Benin City for knowledge sharing and peer-learning.

Inneh said with the introduction of the e-Treasury Receipts, MDAs could now deliver receipts directly to people, who transact with government from anywhere in the world through e-mails.