The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Bayelsa govt moves against rape, assault

    The Bayelsa State government is worried by the spate of defilement of minors, rape and assault on women.

    Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Wodu Kemasuode, yesterday, in Yenagoa, inaugurated a special committee to work with the Nigerian Police to ensure prompt prosecution of all suspects involved in such cases.

    The commissioner told the Committee headed by Mrs. Pere Egbuson, said the ministry was inundated with complaints of such offences.

    He asked the committee to track all the case files and give the victims justice.

    Kemasuode also  gave the committee the responsibility monitoring the conduct of the state’s law officers attached to the ministry discharging their duties.

    He said: “We have over the last few years been receiving frequent complaints about sexual offences committed against women, girl child, rape and defilement. We have received a lot of complaints about that.

    “The police have been forwarding case files to us for prosecution which we have been doing. But I am aware that there are problems the Police is also encountering in the investigation of those cases that are reported to them before they get to us.

    “So we do not even receive up to a third of the complaints received from people that have been assaulted. So we need to engage the police and ensure that when this report is made to the Police, the police promptly investigates the complaints and forward to us for prosecution.”

    Kemasuode also inaugurated a committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Preye Agedah, to document the native laws and customs of the people in relation to chieftaincy issues, land law, inheritance and marriage.

     

  • Killers at Heroes Square

    Killers at Heroes Square

    Scorpion. Explosives. Rocket launchers. AK47. All these conjure imageries of sorrow, tears and blood. And they seem incompatible with the words ‘forgiveness’, ‘heroes’ and ‘amnesty’. But a way was found around them in Imo State on Monday. Perhaps acting in line with the saying that it is human to err and divine to forgive.

    But some sins are just too much to be forgiven, especially when the sinners’ motives for seeking forgiveness are suspect. Killers should have no place at Heroes Square.

    I came to this conclusion on Monday after Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha promised to recommend some of the men behind New Year eve’s massacre in Rivers State to the Federal Government for amnesty. He said he forgave them. They submitted weapons. Yes, weapons of mass destruction. They said they had turned a new leaf.  They were dancing. To them, it was a dance of penitence. To me, it was like they were celebrating the fact that they could enjoy VIP treatment after shedding innocent blood.

    Emenike Agamu, aka General Red Scorpion, was fourth in command to late dreaded militant, Johnson Igwedibia, aka Don Waney. He led the men who surrendered arms to security operatives in the Imo State capital. This was after their boss and his younger brother were felled by the military. Fear of falling to the superior firepower of the military obviously made fake repentance.

    As at the time Red Scorpion and his gang of evil men held their show of shame in Owerri, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike was still looking for them. He had released a list containing their names.

    Speaking at the Owerri circus, Scorpion confessed that the militant group led by the late Waney killed plenty people and blew up many oil pipelines. He said they were driven into crime by unemployment and poverty. Murder, robbery, rape, kidnapping and cultism were the evils these men wrought on their compatriots.

    Okorocha believed them. I do not. He thinks they deserve forgiveness and even amnesty. I disagree. He perhaps feels they should continue to enjoy the blood money in their kitty. No. No sir.

    The governor called them activists. I say they are criminals. He said “their surrendering arms will end the security challenges we have in the Ohaji/Egbema, Awara and the rest of the areas where people have been on self-exile for many years”. I do not share his optimism. These boys will go back to the creeks and use their hidden weapons once they cannot get free cash again.

    Okorocha called them “our brothers and sisters”. He was kind enough to admit that they stayed in the creeks and forest “perpetuating all kinds of evil, killing and maiming human beings”.

    He added that “our children have decided on their own to come back to the society and be part of the society. They are doing so on their own, surrendering arms which they have used in committing criminal activities for what they called expression of grievances of different sorts”.

    Okorocha was glad that “the lives of these boys have not been left in the hands of the military and police who would have wasted them but today they are been reintegrated into our society to become good citizens”.

    The governor did not end without declaring the clincher: “The state has forgiven them and will subsequently give their names to the Federal Government for amnesty.”

    For some reasons, I do not trust these men. I strongly feel that the weapons they submitted are just a fraction of what they have in their arsenal.

    Amnesty should not be for every Tom, Dick and Harry. The beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, launched under the late Umaru Musa Ya’Adua, were not known to have opened fire on innocent citizens like Waney and his men did on New Year’s eve. These guys deserve to face the law and serve their time.

    These guys do not deserve to be called human-beings. How can anyone who killed people who did not offend him be regarded as human-being? How can someone who killed just to score a point be regarded as human-being? I think we should cut them with knife and see if blood will come out. I have this feeling blood does not flow in their veins.

    We were all in joyous mood that the New Year was here. Then Waney in his evil enclave told Scorpion and others to go to Rivers, his home state where he was even a titled chief, and kill fathers, mothers and children. And they obeyed. By the time they were through, not less than 20 people were dead. Before then, these evil men were known to have killed people and cut off their heads, which they obviously took away as evidence for their masters.

    While I do not agree with Wike that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State was out to procure amnesty for these self-confessed criminals, I concur with him that these men shed innocent blood in Rivers and if for anything they are to be considered for amnesty, it is Rivers’ business. Not Imo’s. Yes, they have camps in Imo from where they wreaked havoc on the two states, but the last offence for which they are wanted was committed in Rivers. What Imo is trying to do in this respect is nothing but playing the meddlesome interloper.

    As pointed out by the Rivers State government, Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), does not give the Imo governor the power to grant amnesty to any person for an offence committed in Rivers State. May be Okorocha can grant them amnesty for the offences they committed in Imo State and pass them to Rivers to decide what to do with them.

    My final take: Killers have nothing in common with heroes. So the sort of heroes’ treatment they received at the Heroes Square in Owerri on Monday is disgusting. Their victims must be turning in their graves at the show of shame superintended by the Imo strongman.

  • Why Bayelsa shut down mechanic village

    Why Bayelsa shut down mechanic village

    The Mechanic Village on Elebele Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was shut down in December last year by the state government.

    The government explained recently that it took the action because auto dealers and auto repairers making money from the facility refused to meet up with their financial obligations to the state. They could neither pay all their taxes nor their rents.

    The Mechanic Village was built to be a one-stop hub for automobile solutions. It was supposed to accommodate all automobile technicians in the state. But with time, auto spare parts dealers took over the facility.

    Investigations revealed that members of the National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), were the original tenants of the village. They were expected to run the village and generate revenue for the state government by paying their taxes and rents.

    But NATA with time gave out all the available spaces to auto spare parts dealers, who constructed makeshift shops and paid agreed rents to NATA. While it was gathered that the spare parts dealers regularly paid their rents to NATA, the association dribbled the government and refused to remit its full financial obligations to the state.

    The last count showed that the village accommodated two restaurants, 64 workspaces, 33 lock-up stores and 80 makeshift shops. NATA was said to have collected at least N60,000 annually for each of the makeshift shop.

    The state government was said to be angry that despite flooding the village with auto spare parts dealers and collecting huge amount of money from them, the association still refused to live up to its financial obligations. For about six years, the association refused to pay all its rents.

    In 2012, the association owed the government N3.5m; N5.2m each in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. It only paid N5.3m out of the entire bill amounting to N29m for the six years.

    After several failed meeting with the association to amicably resolve the problems, officials of the government represented by the Ministry of Trade and Commerce decided to shut down the facility on December 18, 2017. The former Commissioner in the ministry, who is now the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Kamela Okara, said the decision was taken in the interest of the state.

    Okara confirmed that users of the facility NATA) owed the government over N24million. He said despite closing the village, the government was also considering a legal action against the defaulters, who took its patience for granted.

    He said: “The closure of the facility becomes necessary following government’s renewed efforts to ensure a conducive business environment  where business-minded individuals and organisations should live up to their responsibilities to enable government reciprocate same gesture.

    “The aim of a facility built by the government to generate long term revenue to the state must be religiously pursued with good intentions and vigor to improve its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    While this is considered paramount, government is also out to assuage a business atmosphere and environment that would be conducive for all occupants of the facility.

    This spurred government to embark on a renovation exercise on the facility in 2017 without reciprocal commitment from members of NATA.

    The government’s focus is to rejuvenate all sections and sectors of business enterprises holistically, and the mechanic village which could generate much revenue within a short period can’t be left out”

    He said the government frowned on pockets of payments made so far in the past six years by users of the facility. He said the payment was not encouraging especially since the present administration came on board in 2012.

    “The government is not father Christmas. So, the need to raise revenue for the state is also very paramount. This informed the temporary closure of the Mechanic Village.

    “For the government to reopen the facility for use there should be some reasonable financial commitment from its occupiers.

    “Failure to do so within 15 days or so could attract legal action to evacuate those not ready to continue with the terms. The facility could be re-allocated to other business-minded individuals and organisations.”

     

  • Delta donates N10m to community

    The Delta State government donated N10 million to Ugborhen community in Sapele Local Government Area to refurbish the community town hall.

    Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Festus Agas, who presented the cheque on behalf of the state government in Asaba, urged the leadership of the community to spend the money judiciously.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the President-General of Ugborhen community, Deacon Festus Akume, received the cheque on behalf of the community.

    The SSG urged the community to ensure judicious use of the money in order to justify the state government’s effort towards the development of the community.

    He emphasised the importance of peace in the community and urged them to live in peace with one another, stressing that the present administration placed high premium on peace and security.

    Agas assured the people of the community of state government’s readiness to partner with them towards ensuring that the existing atmosphere of peace and security in the community is sustained.

     

  • Dickson turns to agriculture for revenue, job creation, diversification

    Dickson turns to agriculture for revenue, job creation, diversification

    Any time the name of Bayelsa State is mentioned, it evokes the image of oil and gas. Most people believe that nothing grows in Bayelsa because of high deposits of petroleum resources and massive exploration and exploitation of crude oil and gas.

    But the colonial masters saw something different from oil and gas. They saw vast arable land. Their report about the economic potential of the state expressly stated that Bayelsa alone was capable of feeding the entire West African countries.

    What then happened to Bayelsa? There is no gainsaying that the state saw oil and gas and abandoned its agricultural potential. Successive administrations depended solely on oil and gas as their cash cow. They were blind to the report of the colonial masters. They only wanted petrol dollars.

    Indeed, the state suffered huge setback in food production. It could not produce its food and depended largely on food brought from neighbouring states especially from the northern part of the country. Little wonder food items cost fortunes in Bayelsa.

    However, things are changing for good. There has been significant quantum leap away from the docility of the past. Many people attributed the radical shift to the policies, projects and programmes of the present administration of Governor Seriake Dickson. In fact, Bayelsa now has more farmers than oil and gas contractors.

    The recently-concluded inter-ministerial briefing which heralded the 6th anniversary of Dickson’s government was an eye-opener. Persons, who came with doubts to the venue of the programme, left with conviction that the administration was making progressive inroad in the world of agriculture.

    In fact,  Commissioner for Information and Orientation Daniel Iworiso-Markson took his time to point out the pluses and Dickson’s enduring footprints in the sector. It became obvious that with the attention currently paid in the sector, Bayelsa is set to begin export of rice, fish, starch, cassava flour and other items to other states and countries.

    He said one of the reasons Dickson faced agriculture was to increase its Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) and reduce the state’s over-dependence on federal allocations.

    Iworiso-Markson said: “Agriculture is one of the sectors that commanded priority in the Dickson administration. In the past six years, the administration has made sustained efforts to make strategic investments in the agricultural sector with the aim of putting Bayelsa on the path of solid economic productivity.

    “A visionary leader who would always opt to explore fresh opportunities for the development of Bayelsa and the welfare of her citizens, Dickson did not hide his concern over the massive implications of the state’s sole dependence on allocations from the Federation Account.

    “The governor found it disturbing at inception that the internally-generated revenue of Bayelsa State, the hub of the nation’s oil economy, was a paltry N50 million per month on the average.

    “Although, the administration has adopted measures to jerk up the State’s IGR to between N500 million and N800million per month, Dickson’s solution to the sole dependence on federal allocations from the oil economy was a well planned revolution in agriculture.

    “Armed with the belief that agriculture was the only solution to the harsh economic realities confronting most states across the country, Dickson devoted valued attention to agriculture.

    “The mission is to create a strong, diversified economy through investments in agriculture, tourism, and power in Bayelsa. The Administration exploited the vast opportunities offered by this sector that holds the key to economic prosperity in the state outside of oil.”

    He said the governor discovered the state’s comparative advantage for large-scale production rice, palm produce, aquaculture banana, plantain, cassava and vegetables. The information commissioner explained that the government invested in mega aquaculture projects in partnership with two Israeli companies. He said the partnership was expected to produce 3000tons of fish annually.

    On rice production, he said: “The government also took steps to effectively exploit the opportunities offered by the Bayelsa vegetation which is suitable for three cycles of rice production. Expectedly, the state under Dickson, ventured into Rice production and the outcome is the high quality Restoration brand of rice owned by the government.

    “It is to the credit of the visionary leadership provided by governor Dickson and his unflinching commitment to agriculture that Bayelsa has 4,000 hectares of rice farm at Peremabiri; 5,000 hectares at Isampor and 2,000 hectares at Kolo.

    “With the well planned investments in rice production and the quality attention given to the Agriculture sector, it is incontrovertible that Bayelsa has the capacity to grow and produce the rice that will feed Nigeria, West Africa and for export oversea. The solution to the capital flight that goes into the importations of millions of tones of rice in Nigeria every years lies in the rice farms of Bayelsa!”

    Speaking on other collaborative measures of the governor, Iworiso-Markson said: “The Dickson Administration also ventured into collaborative investments with credible partners in the bid to promote investments in the Agriculture sector.

    “The government partnered with Ostertrade Engineering and ManufacturingKFT/DPP International APS, a Hungarian/Danish consortium, to establish a cassava starch processing plant with a capacity to produce 600 tons of industrial starch per annum and an out growers scheme of 600 hectares cassava farm.

    “In readiness for the massive agricultural activities expected from this multi billion Naira investment, the state has concluded a seed multiplication farm on a 40 hectares land at Ebedbiri for the cassava farm.”

    The commissioner said the Ebedebiri Cassava farm was another big ticket project that would deliver 30 million tonnes of starch annually. He described the cassava project as the biggest in the country adding that Bayesla contributed to save hundreds of millions of dollars expended annually to import starch for industrial purposes. He also mentioned the Integrated Poultry at Ebedebiri, as another star project being undertaken by the state government.

     

  • Mother urges IG to probe son’s disappearance from cell

    Mother urges IG to probe son’s disappearance from cell

    A mother, Mrs. Uche Ajuru, has urged the Inspector-General, Ibrahim Idris, to fish out the people responsible for the missing of her son Happiness.

    The 23-year-old secondary school leaver, who was an Okada rider in his Ndele area of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, was reportedly arrested at Ogbakiri junction about 5pm on September 28, 2016 by officers of Rumuji police  Division for allegedly finding the sum of N49, 000 on him.

    He was subsequently detained but suddenly disappeared from the police cell five days after.

    Mrs. Ajuru spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt yesterday.

    Speaking through her lawyer, Mr. Handsome Wogu, she said:   ”My son was arrested at Ogbakiri junction and the only thing they saw on him was N49,000 and a cell phone, which they took from him. He was detained at Rumuji police station. When I got the information I went there and I saw him.

    “When I got there, the Investigative Police Officer in charge, one Mr. Akpante asked me to give them some time to investigate the arrest, which I did.

    “The following day I went back to the station with one of my brothers-in-law who is also a police officer, Mr. Ohaka, who after talking with my son in the cell, went to see the officer in charge of the case(Akpante), who assured him that he was investigating the charge.

    “But Okechukwu Eleonu met me and told me that I should bring N5000 for transportation that he is close to the DPO.

    “He later came back that the DPO said I should pay N60,000 to get my son out of the cell and borrowed money and sold some of my belongings to raise the money. When I gave him the money, I told him that I want to go with him to see the DPO, but he said if I go with him that the DPO will not accept that amount again.

    “But after some days when my son was not released, somebody told me that my son was no more in the cell again. When I got there, it was true. I started asking questions; they said they didn’t know his whereabouts. I searched in all the police stations in the state.

    “I have written the Commissioner of Police in the state on the issue and the matter was taken to the state CID, but because I don’t have money to pursue the matter, it was taken to zone 6 and it was swept under the carpet.

    “A boy, who was in the same cell with him, simply identified as  Wisdom later told me that he saw policemen that came in the night and took my son from the prison, used a white cloth to cover his face and took  him away.

    “The painful thing is that all the policemen and other persons arrested in connection with this case have been granted bail and are walking  freely,  when no one is ready to tell me where my son is.

    “If he is dead, they should tell me and give me his corpse.

    “I am calling on the IGP to give ears to my cry and give me justice in this matter. They want to use the advantage that I am poor against me.”

     

  • Freeing Rivers from the Don Wannys of this world

    Freeing Rivers from the Don Wannys of this world

    A few days ago, a man identified as the younger brother of the late Don Wanny, the man behind the New Year eve massacre in Rivers State, was killed. Wanny, his brother and their foot soldiers turned Rivers Orashi region into a dreaded zone.

    No thanks to these man, four local government areas in Rivers, Abua-Obual, Ahoada East, Aboada West, and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, were turned to war front, where lives meant nothing. These areas are peopled by ethnic nationalities, such as  Ekpeye, Ogba, Engeni, Egbema, Ndoni, Odual, and Abua. For decades, they peacefully co-existed. Its abundant arable land mass  aquatic resources, the Orashi and Sombrero rivers, made life sweet for the people. The resources also brought multi-national oil companies, such as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR); Total E&P Nigeria Limited; Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) and several other subsidiaries.

    Three major gas plants are in their confine. They are at Obite, Ebocha and Ogbele. The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) major reservoir at Ubeta, which serves as a feeder to the Bonny NLNG terminal, is also within its bosom.

    These hardworking people are into farming and fishing businesses. Above all, their hospitality was legendary. But no thanks to bad leadership, Orashi people are only remembered for violence.  In recent years, starting from the build-up to the 2015 general elections, the area witnessed massive violence. An individual’s ambition changed the peaceful ambience of the region to one of daily and gruesome bloodletting.

    In these areas, many innocent people perceived to be sympathetic to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were murdered. Many were brutally beheaded and their properties destroyed. A few examples will buttress this point. They are: the beheading of ward 4 Chairman of Omoku, the late Mr. Obi Franklin, his pregnant wife and son. Another is the murder of the APC youth leader in ONELGA, Hon. Clever Orukwowu. Others killed are: Chief Okwu Osia, the paramount ruler of Egbada Community in ONELGA, Chief Godpower Ahiaidu; Hon. Monday Elenya, former member of Rivers State House of Assembly; APC Ward 11 Chairman in Ahoada-East, Mr. Roggers Jared; Mr. Chikwem Itigwe of Ahoada East.

    In Ekpeye Kingdom of Ahoada West, the claws of the evil men brought down  Hon Alali Morris, the former Councilor representing Ward 1 and a chieftain of APC killed of the Abua -Ahoada road.

    Many will easily remember the case of the late Chief Christopher Adube and his family members. Adube was murdered with six members of his family in one day. One of his children has been confined to a wheel chair. They were killed April 3, 2015. Omoku lost 16 people that day, including the Adubes.  The day the Adubes were killed, other persons were murdered in Oboh community.

    2,060 people, according to estimates, have been killed over time in ONELGA; 1,100 in Ahoada East, 70 in Ahoada West and 200 in Abua/Odual.

    Commercial banks were forced to close shop. Major banks are all gone. Hotels and hospitality centers and schools were forced to shut down in the region.

    This worrisome trend led stakeholders to meet and at a news conference this January, they set out conditions for peace.

    They said: “The enormity of the loss suffered by the region cannot be quantified in monetary terms in that practically every aspect of commercial endeavours were brought to stand still as women were deprived access to their farms as they were regularly raped in the farms, some dying in the process, shops and business houses were vandalised and shutdown,

    “There was massive migration from the region and forced displacement of persons who are yet to recover from the shocks of the violence that engulfed the region. The effect of the activities of the rampaging politically sponsored criminals can only be compared to the situation in the North-East part of Nigeria that is the  Boko Haram insurgence. Even the Benue State killings that have generated so much justifiable outrage would be viewed as child’s play compared to what happened in the Orashi region of Rivers State of Nigeria.

    “The situation degenerated so badly that on the 1st of January 2018, 23 worshipers returning from cross-over services were gruesomely murdered while so many injured people are presently receiving medical attention in various hospitals and health centers.

    “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the security agencies intervened which led to the killing of Don Wanny on 6th January 2018.The efforts of the Federal Government is highly commendable and should be sustained.”

    Their demands are simple and doable. These are: “ That the Genocide and Terrorism in Orashi region is highly condemnable, hence the perpetrators and sponsors be brought to book. There is growing suspicion that security agencies and operatives in Orashi region may have been compromised, hence their roles should be investigated.

    “That Security of the region should be improved to cleanse the area from criminal elements that still roam and terrorise the area. That the multinational oil companies within Orashi region should desist from patronising criminals in their exploration activities.

    “We call on the Federal Government, International community, donor agencies and other humanitarian agencies to urgently attend to the needs of the victims and displaced People of Orashi region.

    “We are also calling on the youths of Orashi region to tow the path of peace and shun social vices that are inimical to the development of our region.

    “In view of the strategic economic contribution of Orashi region, The Federal Government should embark on people oriented programmes that would ameliorate the suffering of the people and create massive employment for our teaming youth.”

     

    • Jack, a freelance journalist, wrote from Port Harcourt

     

  • How Dickson spent N50b on health sector

    How Dickson spent N50b on health sector

    How did the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration justify about N50bn it had so far spent in Bayelsa State’s health sector? The question hung in the lips of stakeholders, who recently trooped to the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    Youth groups, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), students, women, traditional rulers, labour unions and journalists were among the stakeholders, who came to hear explanations on how Governor Seriake Dickson spent N50 billion on the health sector. They came out prepared for a visual tour of health projects and facilities executed and built so far by Dickson and his Restoration Cabinet.

    The tour guide was Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu. He is a professor of medicine and Commissioner for Health. Most people believe that Etebu’s appointment underscored Dickson’s seriousness in repositioning the health sector. With numerous requisite credentials, Etebu, who was a former Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, is seen as a round peg in a round hole.

    Armed with files and electronic devices, Etebu wasted no time to arrive the venue. Like a pilot, he hit the runway and took off with his curious tourists. His first port of call was the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre (BDC) at the heart of Yenagoa. The tourists were greeted by impressive sight. Some of them did not know that such state-of-the-art health facility exist in Bayelsa.

    Indeed, they confirmed BDC as a complete suite of multi-billion naira diagnostic solution. It has dazzling and eye-catching modern medical installations and equipment. Housed in a three-storey building with aesthetic beauty, the medical facilities in each department, are the latest in the country manufactured between 2013 and 2017.

    In fact, the BDC is built to undertake all kinds of diagnosis. It is described as the best centre for X-Ray, mammography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), CT Scan, ultra scan, endoscope and cardiovascular investigations. The equipment speaks for themselves. The centre is designed with the capacity for telemedicine.

    The stakeholders were dazzled. But what they saw was a tip of the iceberg. Etebu took them to the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital. Little did some of them know that what they used to know as the Government Clinic had been upgraded, expanded and transformed into a full-fledged specialist hospital. It is now open to members of the public.

    The proximity of the specialist hospital to the Bayelsa State Diagnostic Centre gives the state the confidence of having a complete medical solution. Combined with the diagnostics centre, the hospital has been saving lives.

    Addressing his audience on the significance of the diagnostic centre and specialist hospital, Etebu said: “The Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre in Yenagoa, is a major facility of world-class standard. People are beginning to use it, saving lives, hundreds and thousands of lives, with early diagnosis.

    “That is a modern diagnostic centre, one of the best in the country. People now come from Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and many other states to Bayelsa for diagnosis. It was built, equipped and handed over to American specialists to run it for efficiency.

    “It is the same thing government did to the Specialist Hospital at the Government House. It used to be Government House clinic, but Governor Dickson felt what is good for the governor, deputy governor, and their families must be good enough for all Bayelsans. That was how it was expanded with a public wing, fully equipped.

    “You cannot find the equipment they have there, with the personnel anywhere else. They have installed telemedicine facilities, which means you can communicate with doctors from abroad right there, they can even direct an operation from where they are in America or London. That is the investment the Restoration government has made in Bayelsa State.”

    On that visual tour, Etebu took the stakeholders round modern hospitals springing up in all the local government areas of the state. He said healthcare had improved significantly under Dickson. Hitherto, Bayelsa could not boast of modern hospitals. Residents travelled to nearby states to access their health facilities.

    “But all that have now changed. In Brass we have a modern one there. We have completed the one for Ekeremor, ready for furnishing and take off; we have completed the one for Sagbama, ready for furnishing and take off.

    “Same for Kolokuma/Opokuma, Oporoma and now completing the one for Ogbia  in spite of some initial delay. Governor Dickson has also directed that another one be built in Nembe, making it two for use there”, he said.

    Etebu boasted of another ambitious health project of the governor.

    “The government is doing more,”he said, “before the end of December 2018, every ward will have a functional health centre, equipped with quarters where nurses and doctors will stay”.

    To ensure quality healthcare for people in the state, he told the stakeholders that the government established a Health Insurance Scheme (HIS) with Dicksoncare project factored into it. He said the scheme had made healthcare affordable in the state.

    “The health insurance scheme recorded over 300,000 people with the one man, wife and four children approach. The governor has also approved 5 per cent of our the Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) for ‘Dicksoncare’”, he said.

    The professor later redirected the tour. He took his audience to a project Dickson initiated in his first term and later completed. It is the Drug Mart, a quality control centre for all drugs brought into the centre. It was designed as a clearing house to eliminate fake drugs in the state. In fact, its foundation was laid by the late fake drug czar, Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    “To ensure that that fake drugs do not compound the health situations of our people, government built the drug mart and Bayelsa pharmaceutical centre, ready for commissioning.

    “It has already started working and there are not many states that have that. Everything we have put together, everything we have been working on, is targeted to cover an area of lack in our state,” he said.

    Etebu shocked pregnant women in the state with good news.

    He said: “This year, government is coming up with a policy for our pregnant women. From the month a woman becomes pregnant, she becomes government property. She will be registered and taken care of. Women who are pregnant can confirm their pregnancy and put on a special allowance; we then register them to have their data so that we can monitor.

    “If anyone has any challenge, we know and we can deal with it.”

    Indeed, persons, who embarked on the visual tour were happy. They said with what they had seen on ground, the government has justified its expenditure in the health sector.

    Commissioner for Information and Orientation Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who initiated the tour, gave further insight on the motive behind the investments in the health sector. He said the investment had curtailed capital flight in the state.

    He said: “The facilities we have in our state are comparable to anyone outside the country. Professionals from the USA have also been brought into the state to man these facilities. The whole idea is to create medical tourism in Bayelsa.

    “By the time this administration completes its programme on health, this state will be the hub of medical tourism. We are replicating quality health delivery across the state. The government is building general hospitals in each of the eight local government in the state.”

    The stakeholders, who participated in the visual tour had their questions answered by Etebu. They insisted that Dickson had justified the massive investment in the sector. But like Oliver Twist, they want more.

     

  • Youths rally as Dickson rolls out N1b to develop Jonathan’s area

    Youths rally as Dickson rolls out N1b to develop Jonathan’s area

    Youths from Ogbia, former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, trooped to the streets recently in celebration.  They came out en masse in a mega solidarity rally in support of the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    Ogbia has been a shadow of itself. The council has nothing to show that it produced the immediate past President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In fact, nobody will believe that Jonathan, who was a deputy governor, governor, vice-president before leaving Aso Rock after six years as President, hails from the local government area.

    Dilapidated colonial bridges still dot the landscape of the council. Narrow location roads constructed many years ago by oil companies to access their oil facilities have remained the only paths to Ogbia communities.

    The roads are riddled with potholes with many failed portions. The only legacy of Jonathan’s Presidency in Ogbia is the federal university  in Otuoke. But there is no road to get to Otuoke. The two roads to Otuoke are death traps. So, Ogbia lacks all basic amenities and bears in its countenance poverty and frustration.

    Hitherto, some persons accused Dickson of abandoning Ogbia and concentrating development in other local government areas. They tried to create an impression that Dickson was an Ogbia enemy and hater of the council.

    But many others think otherwise. They believe that Ogbia people, including Jonathan and others who served in his government at the centre, are the real haters and enemies of their council. While holding sway at the presidency, Jonathan was accused of marginalising other local government areas in Bayelsa to empower only his Ogbia people.

    Investigators from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were said to have once visited the council with a long list of projects, which some contractors from the area claimed they had completed after collecting the money. They were, however, stunned to discover that such projects never existed.

    Little wonder, hundreds of Ogbia youths marched recently to celebrate Dickson. The governor announced that his administration has rolled out N1bn intervention fund to commence Ogbia development. The money would be used to repair the dilapidated roads and bridges and undertake other projects.

    Besides the money, Ogbia has the highest number of commissioners in Dickson’s government. The state’s ministries of Information and Orientation, Special Duties and Chieftaincy and Community Development are manned by Ogbia indigene. Many others are serving as advisers and heads of agencies and parastatals.

    So, the youths marched the streets with their banners to commend Dickson. They were brought together by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Youths, Mr. Osaanya B. Osaanya. Curiously, the Ogbia Caretaker Committee Chairperson, Naomi Igoli, who was recently appointed by Dickson almost sabotaged the rally.

    She earlier warned that the rally should be postponed citing insecurity. But pundits read her disposition beyond insecurity. They accused her of working with anti-Dickson’ forces in the council to sabotage the governor’s programmes. They observed that some people are buying time and pretending to be loyal to the governor while waiting for an opportunity to stab him in his vulnerable state.

    Despite the initial hiccups, the rally was a success and the youths passed their message. The commissioners for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson; Special Duties, Fred Obua and Chieftaincy and Community Development, Chief Saviour Ibegi, attended the rally to receive the youths.

    Also in attendance were the Chairman of the Ogbia Restoration Caucus, Chief George Okirinya; the Vice-Chairman, Ogbia, Mr. Ebinyo Turner and the member representing Ogbia Constituency II in the State Assembly, Munalayefa Gibson. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Kameala Okara represented the governor.

    As expected, the local government chairperson, Naomi Igoli was absent. Also absent was a member representing Ogbia Constituency I in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Mietama Obodor.

    Osaanya in his opening remarks said the rally was organised to drum support for Dickson’s administration. He said: “We thank the governor  for his trust in the ogbia people and for the numerous political appointments. Our governor is a very good man and needs our support along with other members of his cabinet and we urge the ogbia youths to support him in order to do more.

    “In areas of development, capacity building is very important and I want to assure you that the ogbia youths will be developed and they will get employment. The governor needs our support and our leaders need our support too.

    “Let us thank the governor for the one billion naira he earmarked for the development of ogbia local government and we assured ogbia that the one billion will be fully utilised for the development of the land and the youths”.

    Osaanya said efforts were being made to discourage the youths from engaging in social vices and drug abuse. He said his office would work with the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to tackle the problems of drug abuse.

    Iworiso-Markson emphasized on the unity of his people saying it was the only way Ogbia would attain greatness. He said the governor in his benevolence had decided to focus on

    Also, speaking Okara thanked the youths for identifying with Dickson. “If we don’t stand together to talk about the good things that this government is doing, nobody else will do it,” he said.

    The President, National Union of Bayelsa Students (NUBS) Worldwide, Mr. Important Ozu, described Dickson as a champion of education in the council. “The governor has so much giant strides in terms of education. Bayelsa state is today talking about 72 model schools among others.”

  • Memories from Esohe

    Memories from Esohe

    Ifagbai was a child of shame. His mother died giving birth to him. And he was cast away into the river, which transported him to the back of the forest home of a rejected Owo woman residing in Ekemwan. He grew in the forest and was named ‘demon of the forest’. All the evil that was done was ascribed to him. He soon met Esohe, the beautiful daughter of a catechist, being eyed by the Prince and another member of the royal family.

    Esohe almost fainted on seeing Ifagbai at the stream. Though he could not talk because of his cleft tongue, he managed to convince Esohe that he was not the demon he was made out to be. With time they became close and in no time they fell in love. Yes, the beauty fell for the beast.

    A love triangle involving the Prince, the other member of the royal family and Ifagbai soon brought out the twist, which eventually led to Ifagbai being killed.

    Fast forward to the present. Gary wakes up from a nightmare in Atlanta, Georgia. He sees flashes from a past he knows nothing about. His white wife is worried about his recurring nightmare. Both agree Gary must return home to Benin to find a solution to his problem. His wife insists on coming with him. As they make arrangements to come to Nigeria, another lady in Atlanta gets picked as part of a research team for University of Benin.

    The three of them find themselves in the same flight. Gary and the lady seem to fancy each other. They exchange glances. Gary’s wife notices. She gets her chance to hit on the lady in Benin when she assumes the bag in her hand is hers. It turns out they have the same bag with the same colour.

    Let me skip and link the two stories. It turns out reincarnation is at work. Gary turns out to be Ifagbai, his wife turns out to be the Prince’s mother. The lady Gary’s wife hits on turns out to be Esohe.

    The movie Esohe brings Bini kingdom to the fore once more. The actors – Jimmy Jean-Louis (Gary), Chris Attoh (Ifagbai), Jemimah Osunde (Esohe), Bimbo Manuel (catechist), and Toyin Abraham (Ifagbai’s adopted mother) – lived up to billing. Toyin did not speak English. She spoke Owo dialect and as typical of her, she delivered. And well too.

    The movie portrays Benin as the greatest kingdom this side of the Sahara. As a child, a picture of the kingdom had a space in my head. It was that of a kingdom so great that mystery could pass as its other name. We heard all kinds of dos and don’ts about this vast land where Oba Ovomramwen Nogbaisi made history. We heard of facts that wore attires of myths. Or were they myths that wore the robes of facts? Esohe the movie has a number of these myths and songs peculiar to Benin.

    This great kingdom of sculptors and painters, of intellectuals and administrators is one that we all will never fully comprehend. Its mysteries seem to be its power. When it is Benin, there are things you dare not say or write. You just content yourself with hush-hush gists about this kingdom and its people, whose history has given birth to cinematic thrillers, such as Esohe directed by Charles Uwagbai, Invasion 1897 and Iyore by Frank Rajah Arase.

    The late Ola Rotimi could not resist the delight that Benin history was and still is that he penned the irresistible drama known as Ovomramwen Nogbaisi.

    If you are in doubt about the greatness of Benin kingdom, take a trip to the British Museum. There you will discover that its most-prized artworks were stolen from Benin and displayed with braggadocio. I like the scene in Lancelot Oduwa-Imasuen’s Invasion 1897 where the lead character who had invaded the museum and took an artwork defended himself in court by saying he could not have stolen the item because it belonged to his forefathers and by extension him.

    Until Oba Eweka I, the headship of Benin Empire was not known as Oba. All that changed with the great Oba Eweka, who is believed to have reigned between 1180 and 1300. This great kingdom was raped by the British in 1897 when it launched an imperialist expedition. It deposed and exiled Oba Ovonramwen to Calabar, now the capital of Cross River State. It took control of the area to establish the British colony of Nigeria. He died in 1914. He never returned to his throne.

    What got the British angry and led to the expedition was the defeat of a British invasion force which violated Benin territory in 1896. It consisted of both indigenous soldiers and British officers, and is still remembered by the Edo people with trepidation today. Under the pretext of covering for the cost of the expedition, the Benin royal art was stolen and auctioned off by the British. Many of them are still in the British Museum.

    The Benin peculiarity makes it unclear what its relationship with Ile- Ife and the Yoruba was. There is no agreement about the place or otherwise of Oduduwa, Oranmiyan and Igodomigodo in the history of this amazing empire in whose domain sits a chapel where the Oba is the General Overseer (GO).

    Back to Esohe. I will not be surprised if the movie does not make plenty money in Nigerian cinemas. Most films that appeal to an average cinema goer are romantic comedies or outright comedies. An analyst says the problems in the country are too much and people need something to laugh about and are likely not to be found at the cinemas seeing a horror film or an historical piece.

    My final take: All in all, Esohe is good. Like Iyore and Invasion 1897, it did well for Benin kingdom and leaves me with memories of a kingdom that has managed to remain mythical despite civilisation.