Social Reporters News Service, published by IOE Publishers - CAC/BN/3400383

THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF "UKWEKI IZAGHEN" IN ESAN TRADITIONAL THOUGHT By Prof. Matthew A. Izibili Opening thoughts~ Knowledge is power to those who have it. Hence,  it is correct to say it differently,  that it is what you know that gives you an edge. This, of course, is the true nature & purpose of knowledge. Epistemology as a branch of philosophy, deals with knowledge,  its advanced theories, asking questions like: What knowledge is & how it can be acquired, what is it that is knowable?  By extension,  do we know what we claim to  know....? At any time the subject of what could be known & "how" of knowing such, comes to the fore,  it presents along with it that which is not yet known & it is seen to be  located within the ambience of IGNORANCE. This is the starting point of knowledge, to know that you don't know. When education becomes expensive, ignorance is not as an option. Prof. M. A. Izibili The thrust of this reflection is to attem

Iyoha practice in Esan: its gains and pains By Prof. M. A. Izibili* I have been thinking about the future through the past,  in recent times. This lock down period & the pronouncements from the Federal government of Nigeria to the citizens as well as other unfolding events in our dear country in the COVID 19 period,  has left me with no other option than to look back into history to attempt a reconcilatory exercise on whether some of our ways of life in Esanland which were thought to have been over taken by events,  perhaps,  due to modernization,  are not here with us just now. Then came to my mind the "Aregbe Iyoha" practice of yesteryears. This urge & push became stronger in me after listening to the plenary section of the National Assembly as reported last  night over an agendum by NTA: to give an accelerated passage of the presidential request for a loan running into billions of naira or dollars.   The Esan people are avid inventors of names. Unlike the Occ

Obaseki: A merchant of failure and violence By John Mayaki Sometime in the Civil Rights Movement in America, specifically between 1956 and 1965, Martin Luther King had to resolve the differences in peoples and organizations involved in the movement. The main conflict arose from the ideas and concept of the Black Power, and for this, King had to redefine leadership and who a leader is. A true leader, King finally wrote, is not a person who seeks consensus, but one who molded consensus; such a person is not a conformist, but someone who stood out, a person of conviction, a believer in God, one who refuses hate and is opposed to violence. In Governor Godwin Obaseki, none of this character is seen; in this failure of a person masquerading as a leader, no true virtue of leadership is found. At his best, Obaseki is an uninspiring debris who lacks the strength of character to forge new and improved experience of life for his people, a man incapable of forming a progressive ideology an

End diversion of relief items by middlemen, officials, Ize-Iyamu urges Edo State Govt YThe leading aspirant of Edo APC, Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu has called on the state government to investigate claims of diversion of relief items meant for distribution to the people to cushion the effect of COVID-19 restrictions by its officials and other distributors engaged in the exercise. Immediately after the state-wide distribution exercise embarked on by Pastor Ize-Iyamu Support Organization that saw thousands of families  get donations of food staples and other essentials in a rancor-free process across the 18 LGAs of Edo state, the state government followed suit with its own food distribution efforts. However, there have been several allegations of diversions and embezzlement of the items by government officials and other assigned political actors placed in charge of the distribution. In a live broadcast livestream via his Facebook page in Benin City today, Pastor Ize-Iyamu urged the

COVID-19: “Show transparency in your spending,” – Pastor Ize-Iyamu tells Edo state government The frontline aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has urged the Edo state government to display transparency in its management of the coronavirus disease in the state, particularly in the area of finance and expenses after the Governor claimed in a broadcast that his administration had spent over a billion naira. In a live broadcast livestream on his Facebook page in the capital city of Benin, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu harped on the importance of honesty, accuracy, and transparency in winning the fight against COVID-19 and charged the state government to offer example by disclosing, in specific detail, its expenditures on palliatives, among other costs which the governor said claimed over a billion naira. He said: “Accuracy, honesty, and transparency are important values that both government and citizens alike must display for our efforts to y

Low income families and communities speak out on the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown Strategy and Innovation for Development Initiative (SI4DEV) launched a N5Million SI4DEV COVID-19 Response Fund on April 2, 2020 in a bid to get ahead of the envisaged societal unrest and healthcare overload that could result from a pandemic response without adequate social protection. The NGO set up the Fund to support awareness of COVID-19 and its prevention, and to sponsor response and recovery activities for the most vulnerable populations and for grassroots health care workers.  According to the managing trustee of the NGO, Mrs. Nkem Akinsoto, “the results have proved that SI4DEV was right to start with a very rapid response to the pandemic, ahead of most government and private sector palliatives”.  50 volunteers are currently working in 25 communities including Alimosho and Mushin in Lagos state, Uyo and Ikot Epene in Akwa Ibom state, Osogbo, Abuja, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Jos and

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu reiterates submission to party supremacy  Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the frontline aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Edo state, has restated his readiness to respect the decision of the party at the end of the primary process and offer full support to whoever emerges, even if it’s not him. In a statement released by his Campaign Organization, Pastor Ize-Iyamu said he has full confidence in the wisdom and foresight of the party to elect the right candidate and will hence accept its decision when a choice is made on who will be its flagbearer. The governorship hopeful stated this while meeting with the members of Ize-Iyamu Support Organization urging them to amongst other issues, examine ways to help the state in the fight against COVID-19. “As I have told my followers across the state before, this is not the time to throw jibes or offer disrespect to the aspirants or members of the party. We must regard each other with

Edo group advises Oshiomhole to resist pressure to back Obaseki Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman A socio-political group in Edo state, Safe Edo Movement, has advised the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and former governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to resist what it deemed a blackmail attempt by some persons to pressure him into supporting the second term ambition of his successor, Godwin Obaseki. The advice was contained in a statement signed by the President of the group, Mr. Chris Oshokha Ethuakhor, detailing damning allegations against the governor and summarizing his tenure as one that “failed to meet the standard of governance delivery expected by the people of Edo state.” The statement read: “That the governor has taken the path of intimidation of the citizenry through undemocratic indulgences. Crude brutality etched in unbridled violence has been the cornerstone of his government; That several Edo sons and daughters have

EFCC and the N700M Hysteria: Resurrecting the Decomposed against the Diamond By John Mayaki Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Why must the name of one man rend the air of Edo State political discourse, some persons may ask, marveling at the rising and rising popularity and acceptance ratings of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the recent weeks. Attempts to answer this question will lead objective observers into finding the salt and substance of this man, into why he is rightly dominating, if not dictating the direction of political discourse in Edo. Yet, one man’s illustrious relevance is another’s gloomy obscurity, and for this, Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s increasing fame can never settle well with everyone. While the lovers of innovative thinking, transparent leadership, and sustainable development, judging by the Pastor’s antecedents, will ride on a supportive wave, the people who, for some reasons majorly selfish, irked by this growing popularity and large support base, will begin calculations t

Burial of Abba Kyari: Federal Govt violated its order ........We won't release the corpse of Coronavirus victims - says FG The images therein are from the burial of Abba Kyari, who died as a result of Covid 19 complications. The pictures in all ways violated the Federal Government orders on social distancing and public burial rites of the covid 19 victims. Well, we will come back to that violation by those who make the rules later. This is because today is not the best of day to flog the offenders as we are all saddened over the death of Chief of Staff to the President of the most populous black nation on earth, President Muhammadu Bahuri. Abba Kyari, like him or not has done his beat for this nation. He was never a push over throughout his period in Buhari"s government. He dictated the administrative game and cut the shorts among the policy makers and cabal as well. Recall that he contracted the covid 19 disease while on national duty in Germany to solve our

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu condoles with family of Abba Kyari, Presidency over death of Chief of Staff The frontline aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has offered condolences on the passing of Mallam Abba Kyari who until his death served as the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. Mallam Abba Kyari The news of Abba Kyari’s death was announced by the Presidency in the early hours of today, weeks after he tested positive to COVID-19.  Pastor Ize-Iyamu, in a message released by his Campaign Organization, expressed sadness at his death and extolled his ‘selfless and patriotic’ service to the country. He said: “Abba Kyari was a patriot with a rare dedication to country and duty. He spent most of his life in service to Nigeria and applied himself relentlessly, in both private and public office, to the important task of translating his vision of a great Nigeria that works for all into reality.” “My deepest condolences to his b

Kidnappersp kill Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Ministry Workers in Edo By Festus Alenkhe Source: edeko-wilson.com Two staff of Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Ministry, Lagos have been kidnapped and killed by some suspected violent kidnappers in Edo state. The deceased, Basil Odoji and Innocent Udeh were driving through the Benin Bypass near Ahor in Edo state when they were abducted and forced into the forest. The suspected hoodlums later demanded for N20 million ransom to effect their release. At a point during the ransom negotiation, the lines of the victims were no longer reachable and the family members were unable to speak with them. A situation which forced the police to move into the area for tracing and combing. During investigation, one 23 year old man, Abdullahi Lawal was arrested with the mobile phone of one of those killed, Innocent Udeh. The said Lawal named one Abdullahi Usman as the man who gave him the mobile phone. Usman was also arrested

Coronavirus: Five patients discharged in Edo, as govt urges strict compliance to directives Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia The Edo State Government has announced the discharge of five of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in the state, after they tested negative twice for the virus, following their treatment at the state’s isolation centres. Governor Godwin Obaseki, in a statement, said: “I am pleased to announce that 5 of the confirmed cases in Edo State have now tested negative twice for COVID-19. They have thus been discharged. This bolsters our resolve to defeat this common enemy, as we roll out more measures to check the spread of COVID-19.” During a press briefing in Benin City, to confirm the discharge of the patients, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, urged all residents to strictly comply with the state government’s directive to prevent further spread of the virus. Okundia said, “It is with great delight we announce to Edo p

Covid-19: Ize-Iyamu advocates support for Rural Farmers Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu A frontline gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Edo 2020 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has called on Edo government to support farming and agriculture in the state as part of policy measures to prevent shortage of food and wreck of the local economy by the implemented restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. In a statement released by his Campaign Organization, Pastor Ize-Iyamu emphasized the need to look inwards for pragmatic solutions that reflect the realities of the state, and the importance of protecting the agriculture sector by ensuring the security of rural farmers and committing funds and other investments into helping them improve farm yields, storage and sale of produce. He said: “Farming is not a short term venture; so how do our people combat hunger during these period of lockdown. Most of our farmers are in the rural areas and are not dire

Oredo Local Government strategy  against Coronavirus ( Part 1) ---PROTOTYPE OF DEMOCRATIC GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE) By Dele Ailemen It is incontrovertible that local governments represent the ultimate laboratory of peoples’ governance in Nigeria’s tripod-structure federalism. Despite the turbulence and crisis of definition  that local governments structures have faced since the introduction of the Native Authority Ordinance in 1916, the tier of administration cannot honestly be described as a mere decorative contraption in our extant 1999 constitution . Indeed, as labor leaders and press freedom advocate in the campaign against military rule in the 1980s, we adopted the position that ‘khaki’ dictatorship was peculiarly ruinous and poisonous to the future of local government administration in Nigeria. Although the third tier of the tripod paradigm cannot be described as having come close to the zenith of its potentials even under the current democratic dispensation, it is however

Ize-Iyamu condemns alleged herdsmen killing in Edo …..regrets insecurity in the state The frontline aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has condemned the streak of attacks on farmers in rural communities across the state by herders, with the recent being the reported murder of two farmers in Ovia North East Local Government earlier today, Wednesday 15th, on their way to their farms. Besides, Ize-Iyamu expressed concern over the rising insecurity in the state characterized by coordinated attacks on persons of interests without adequate investigation or prosecution, proliferation of arms and attacks on rural dwellers in farms - factors that aid the outbreak of violence and threatens the peace, security, and development of the state. Referencing the situation in other parts of the country, notably Lagos and Ogun states where gang members are taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to simultaneously raid several communities i

COVID-19: Controversy, Allegations of Fraud Trail Edo state Government Production of Face Masks The Edo state government has lurched from one crisis to another in its disorganized attempt to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state following the disappearance of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the displayed ineptitude of his Deputy, Philip Shaibu. The latest controversy stems from its planned local mass-production of one million face masks for the people of the state. The governor, according to information from government sources, has earmarked 220 naira as the single production cost of the masks, a figure that has been disputed by economic experts and other residents of the state who suspect that it may have been inflated by Obaseki who has faced repeated allegations from CSOs in the state of politicizing the state’s response to COVID19 and using the public health crisis as a front to further divert state funds. The 220 naira unit cost is only a few naira shy of the 300 naira

Ize-Iyamu’s rating, acceptance soar By Monday Oviawe A Publication in The Navigator Newspaper As the strange Coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid-19, continues to register its unholy presence in Edo State with the state government raising up its combative tempo to minimize its spread and stamp it out of the state, there is no doubt that the people’s socio-economic lives have been badly unsettled leading to the strategic interventions of philanthropists, key amongst whom has been Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who has been at the frontlines of making adequate protective kits, hand sanitizers and food items available to the less-privileged and the vulnerable that have, no doubts, been strained by the economic exigencies of the time. Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s quality and large-scale humanitarian intervention, across the eighteen local government areas of Edo State, has received rave reviews amid government’s slow response to alleviating especially the emotional and financial stress of familie