Benin DisCo Resolves 50,572 Customers’ Issues

The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has, through its new payment channels, metering programme and Customer Complaint Unit, resolved over 50,572 customer matters, The Nationreports.

Corporate customers on its network have also begun to enjoy better and quality power supply, the firm said in a statement. It added;

A’Court to Rule on APC’s Appeal Against Okowa’s Victory

The Benin Division of the Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the appeal by the All Progressive Congress seeking to upturn the verdict of the tribunal which upheld the declaration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as the winner of the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Delta State.


The Justice Uwani Abba-Aji led five-man appellate court panel reserved judgment on Thursday following adoption of final written addresses by the parties.

The APC and its candidate in the election, Olorogun Emerhor, are urging the appellate court to sack Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party and order the rerun of the governorship election in Delta State.

An election petition tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, had on October 26, 2015 upheld the declaration of Okowa as the Delta State Governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

But the APC and Emerhor have rejected the tribunal’s verdict.

In the 11-ground notice of appeal, their lawyer, Chief Thomson Okpoko (SAN), argued that the tribunal judges erred in law when they failed to nullify the result of the April 11 election despite evidence of “substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, INEC guidelines and over voting in 61 per cent of the polling units in the state.”

The appellants claimed that INEC officials shunned the use of card readers as stipulated by the commission and resorted to manual accreditation of voters.

Okpoko argued that the tribunal erred in law when it chose to ignore the copious evidence of irregularities before it and went ahead to uphold Okowa’s victory.

The senior counsel also urged the court to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the respondents for lacking in merit.

However, Okowa, through his counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), urged the appellate court to dismiss Emerhor’s appeal for lacking in merit.

Counsel for the PDP, Timothy Kehinde (SAN), and counsel for INEC, Damian Dodo (SAN), also prayed the Court of Appeal to refuse the prayers sought by the appellants.

After entertaining all the parties, the appellate court reserved ruling till a date to be communicated to the parties. 





Source: Punch News

Benin Palace Chiefs Rain Curses On Alleged Oba’s Enemies

THE travails of a top chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo state, Arisco Osemwengie and others declared as “Oghion Oba”, meaning enemies of the Oba of Benin, continued last Friday in Benin City, Edo State, as top palace chiefs went round strategic shrines in the ancient kingdom to proclaim curses on Osemwengie and his cohorts.

Osemwengie and gang supposedly created a parallel kingdom in Edo land last September, when they allegedly carved another monarchy called Utantan from the Benin Kingdom and pronounced himself as the Ogiamen of Utantan.

Besides making himself the imperial leader of Utantan Kingdom, Prince Osemwengie reportedly declared that as Ogiamien of Benin Kingdom, he does not bow to the authority of the Oba of Benin, a declaration that pitched him against Benin monarchy and all that it represents.

Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the state, Barrister Henry Idahagbon, dragged the trio of Messrs Rich Arisco-Osemwingie, Patrick Osabuohien and another, who is at large to the Magistrate Court in Benin, which remanded in prison. Government accused them of carrying out an alleged traditional coup, which it said was capable of causing unrest in Benin Kingdom and the palace of the Oba of Benin in particular.

The court granted Osemwengie bail, but as it seems, Benin chiefs led by the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, (Prime Minister) Chief Sam Igbe, are still enraged. Last Friday, they unleashed curses on Osemwengie and others. They made sacrifices at different shrines, slaughtering a puppy and exposing the hearts and intestines in the sun.

Other groups that joined in cursing the group were the Ewaise, Ihogbe and powerful palace native doctors. They wore red attires known as ‘Ododo’ and visited several shrines within Benin City to invoke the wrath of the gods. Chief Igbe who addressed journalists, said they gathered to send a message to all perceived enemies of the Oba, that nobody dares the Oba of Benin no matter his status in the society.

He described the action of Osemnwengie and others as a taboo, saying, “No one argues with the Oba. It has not happened in this land before and it will not happen in our time. We do not have two Obas here. We are caretakers of the land. We hold forth for the Oba, we have always had one ruler and not two.”

“We will not allow anybody divide Benin Kingdom. We are here to tell God that no one drags the land with the Oba. We do not fight to become an Oba in Benin and anyone who tries to fight the gods of our land will meet its consequences. This Kingdom is unique and no miscreant will be allowed to desecrate it, irrespective of where the person comes from,” he said.

Source: Vanguard Online News