Obaseki Launches Music Talent Contest to Discover, Groom Local Artistes

*Talent hunt named after outgoing CAN chair, Bishop Kure

*Guinness Nigeria invests N3bn in Edo, hails gov’s investment in infrastructure, security, others

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, at the weekend, unveiled a music talent hunt named after the outgoing Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo State, Bishop Oyenude Kure, to discover and groom musical talents in the state.

Obaseki made the announcement at the thanksgiving service for the outgoing CAN chairman held at Evidence of the Gospel Church in Benin City.
The governor was accompanied by his wife, Betsy, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, among other top government functionaries.
He said, “The church is so connected to young people and young people in Nigeria have become the real creative engine for our continent. You turn on musical channels today, Nigerian artists are all over, particularly Christian artists. For this reason, today, we will sow the seed in Edo and begin to groom our own Christian stars because of the young stars I saw minister here today.

“I have decided to establish the Bishop Kure Prize for musical talent in the church. The government and CAN as a body will set up the structure at zonal levels. The three Senatorial zones will be represented and we will have competition from Christian groups and bands of churches at the different senatorial levels.
“By October, the contest at the senatorial level will begin. We will give prizes, and by December, we will have the state final of this contest. It will be at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Sound Stage, which is the biggest soundstage in this country, and the winner or winners of that festival and the competition will be rewarded heavily.”

According to him, “The whole idea is to strengthen the connection between the young people, the church, and their creative ability. The creative industry has become so large and prosperous and the church has to be part of it and Edo must lead in this direction. I expect the youths to be part of the contest as I want to see the churches in Edo South with the best singers, choristers, bands, and the best musical directors, same in Edo North and Central, leading to the selection of those that will represent Edo nationally and internationally.

“The prize they will get will be the Bishop Kure Prize for Christian Music. This is a token to help us remind you that during your tenure as the Chairman of CAN, you went beyond the call of duty to bring everybody together, bring the church and the state together, and also brought all arms of the Christian faith together to ensure we enjoy peace and prosperity in Edo State.”

Betsy Obaseki, in her sermon, titled ‘Unity of the Church’  said, “We should preach and live out the full gospel as we should be involved in virtually all, in government, politics and all aspects of the economy. We should have ourselves to blame for any failure.”
Meanwhile, Guinness Nigeria Plc has made an investment worth over N3 billion in Edo State.
The Managing Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, John Mmsunga disclosed this when he led members of the Board of Directors and other leadership of Guinness Nigeria Plc on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City.

Commending the governor for the business-friendly environment provided by the government, including adequate security and quality infrastructure, among others, Mmsunga said the reforms have boosted investors’ confidence, placing Edo as a safe haven for investments.
He said, “I am pleased to tell you that we have put in 4 million pounds and will be commissioning our new water treatment plant which will be ready in the next three or four weeks and we will like to invite you to the commissioning.
“The plant takes used factory water and recycles it to the point where you can drink it.”
The Managing Director noted, “I thank you for creating the environment that allowed us to continue investing in our facilities. In the last six years, we have seen infrastructure development around the State.

In his response, Obaseki pledged that his government would sustain ongoing reforms and programmes across all sectors of the State in line with the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) Agenda, ensuring the State is the best and safest place to live and do business.
The governor said, “We are encouraging more people to come here and do business, while we focus and organize our key areas of attractiveness.
“Edo is a transport hub. We are putting our transport master plan together to organize transportation better.
“For agriculture, we are focusing on estate plans. In terms of capacity, we have EdoJobs training our young people on skills, particularly in areas of technology to support emerging businesses.”