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The Edo State Government on Friday announced plans to extend the innovative telecommunication bandwidth service of Fibre Optic to all the 18 local government areas of the state in a bid to support the Benin Digital drive of the government.
The Commissioner of Communication and Orientation, Mr Chris Nehikhare, who disclosed this at a press brief, however, clarified that the state government would not be laying an independent Fibre Optic cable, but would ensure that all telecommunications companies operating in the state “are encouraged to extend their Fibre Optic services to all the nooks and crannies of the state, especially, the 18 local government headquarters and not within the Benin metropolis a we have now”.
The gesture, Nehikhare added, became necessary in view of the envisaged growth the state would experience as the state government continued with its plans of making the state industrial hubs, one that would compete with the digital innovation across the globe.
According to him, to ensure that the dream of building a new mega new city that would accommodate the industrial development that the various efforts of the government would bring about, the state government would not relent in its war against land grabbers and other undesirable elements working to frustrate the efforts of the government.
He condemned Thursday’s invasion of the State Secretariat by protesters from Irhirhi Community, whom he said threatened civil servants and “performed rituals by slaughtering animals at the secretariat.
“Six people were arrested and by Monday, they will be charged in court. Government is resolute and nobody is shaking. We know the land grabbers are fighting back. Government directives must be obeyed and the government is going to carry on as long as it is beneficial to the people.
Nehikhare also hinted that the Edo State House of Assembly has passed the Edo State Physical Planning Urban and Regional Development Bill into Law, adding that the law “repeals the Town and Country Planning Law, (Cap 165) Laws of Bendel State 1976. This is remarkable in that the repealed law has been in existence for over 46years and long overdue for a review.
“Also passed into Law is the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency 2022. This law is subject to the Physical Planning, Urban and Regional Development Law of 2022; and is enacted to execute policies on development control, planning permit and building control in the State, this is in addition to other functions enshrined in the Law.
“As an offshoot of this enactments, the Ministry in conjunction with the GIZ; organized a one day Policy Mapping Training on the 17th of November, 2022; at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) this is to prepare the Ministry for the Policy formulation that will follow the passing of the 2 laws”, Nehikhare stated.
On the New Town proposal, the commissioner said that the Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development (MPPHU&RD) “organised one day Stakeholders engagement on the New Town acquisition with the members of the affected communities on the 8th of November, 2022. As an offshoot of that engagement the Hon Commissioner (MPPHU&RD) Promised members who were not captured during the 1st phase of the enumeration that another will hold in the preceding week. The enumeration is currently ongoing, it started on the 14th of November, 2022 and will conclude on the 18th of November, 2022.
“The impact of this enumeration is that members of those affected communities who weren’t captured previously now have an opportunity to be captured which also gives the State a broader view of those persons affected, which will inform the preparation for restitution.
“On the New Town Development Agency, sufficed to mention that on the 16th of November, 2022, the State signed the agreement with Siraj Nigeria Limited for the preparation of a detailed master plan of the “New Town” layout and the design of roads and infrastructure in ward 9 of the Ikpoba Okha local government area of the State.
It goes without saying that the MPPHU&RD is committed to her mandate, we commend the Hon. Commissioner –Hon. Isoken Omo for her commitment to making visible changes in the Ministry, we applaud the Acting Permanent Secretary and indeed the entire staff of the MPPHU&RD”, Nehikhare eulogised.
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