Igbinedion donates N8m in honour of FHC CJ, Auta

The Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel igbinedion, led all donors at the presentation of a book written in honour of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta‎, last Thursday.

Esama of Benin Kingdom, Gabriel Igbinedion

The father of a former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, donated ‎N8m.

He was only followed by a group of 21 Senior Advocates of Nigeria who donated N7m for the book.

Igbinedion announced his donation at the public presentation of a book titled, ‘Encyclopedia of civil procedures and practices of superior courts in Nigeria’ which was compiled by a group of lawyers.

The event took place on the same day when a son of Igbinedion was given a N3m option of fine ‎for N25bn money laundering offences by the Benin Division of the Federal High Court.

A National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District of Ekiti State in the National Assembly, Babafemi Ojudu, also donated N2m for the book.

The 21 SANs, led by Dr. Alex Izinyon and Mr. D.D Dodo, initially raised N5,250,000 but later felt that it was below expectation and subsequently increased it to N7m.

The event took place on the same day one of Igbinedion’s sons, Michael, was being sentenced by Justice J. Liman of the Benin Division of the Federal High Court.

Justice Liman had, on April 29, 2015 convicted Michael, who is a younger brother to Lucky, and adjourned till last Thursday for sentencing.

The judge sentenced Michael to a six-year jail term for N25bn money laundering offences.

An aide of Lucky, a former governor son of Igbinedion, Patrick Eboigbodin, was also jailed for 20 years for the same offences.

However, the governor’s brother has an option of paying N3m or N1m for each of the three counts on which he was found guilty to avoid going to jail.

Igbinedion donates N8m in honour of FHC CJ, Auta

2015: I’m not scared of elections, says Igbinedion

The daughter of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, and sister to the former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, has said she is not scared of contesting the 2015 general election to the Federal House of Representatives.

She is the second child of Chief Igbinedion to be contesting for high elective office since the days of her brother, Lucky, who served as governor of Edo State between 1999 and 2007.

She spoke at Iguobazuwa in Ovia South West Local Government Area, in company of her mother, Lady Cherry Igbinedion, where she announced her intention to represent Ovia Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.

Igbinedion, who is the second child of the renowned octogenarian and business mogul to contest a top political position, pledged to upgrade educational and economic welfare of children, youths and women in the locality.

She said, “I am telling you what I will do. Every child in Ovia must go to school with books. Women and youth will be empowered. Where there is no electricity, I will ensure the villages get electricity.”

“I am aware of farmers in the villages. I will attract investors. If you support me, you will see changes.”

“I have no fears in the elections. Ovia constituency is the least developed in Edo South. I don’t know what others before have done but you will see lots of changes.”

However, a social-political group in Etsako Central has said that it would reject the 2015 political ambitions of some political leaders, whom it said have had no positive impact in the area.

The group, Save Afemai Group, which lamented that Afemai had been subjected to under-development, flayed the political leaders from the area for neglecting their place of origin.

A statement signed by the leader, Blessing Agbomhere, said, “The growing unemployment rate among the youths of Afemai, both artisans and graduates, home and abroad, is alarming and it poses a threat to the development of Afemai.

“If you guide and motivate the youths, they will work towards the development of the society but if you neglect them, they will use their hands to work against it.”

While disclosing that an orphanage in Jattu, with “about 52 children,” needed urgent attention, the group called on the state government to come to the aid of the children’s home.

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2015: I’m not scared of elections, says Igbinedion