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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • APC will produce next Bayelsa governor, chieftain boasts

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will produce the next governor in Bayelsa State, a former Commissioner for Youths in Bayelsa State Mr. Ibarakumo Otobo has boasted.

    Otobo declared: “The APC will claim Bayelsa. We are working to produce the next governor.

    “We believe in the leadership of former Governor Timipre Sylva. He is the brains behind our impressive performance in the last elections and his leadership will take us to greater heights,” he said.

    He said the party had shifted its focus to the December governorship election in the state following conclusion of the general elections.

    Otobo said the APC performed well in the just-concluded elections in the state and was already building on the feat ahead of the governorship poll.

    Otobo, who spoke in Yenagoa, alleged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used the military to intimidate APC leaders adding that despite the excesses, he was able to win his Tombia community for his party’s House of Assembly candidate.

    “In my Tombia community, we faced a lot of intimidation from the military.

    “The military did not play the neutral role they were supposed to play. They were quite partisan and they supported the PDP”, he said.

    Read Also: Buhari, seven APC Governors meet in Aso Rock

    Otobo commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) describing its performance in the elections as impressive.

    He said the commission upped its game in all aspects of the election including logistics, timing and card reader performance.

    Otobo said the APC members in his area comported themselves very well in the face of persecution and shunned violence throughout the exercise.

    He said: “We have done very well in Bayelsa and I am happy that we worked together to win my community for the APC House of Assembly candidate.

    “The PDP candidate came from my area but we won her. In Tombia community, we comported ourselves very well. We are a peace-loving community so we refused to be violent despite provocation.

    “We have shown them that PDP is not an Ijaw party. Rather Ijaw people have the right to choose a political party of their choice.

    “We have shown them that in Tombia community and in other communities in Brass, Southern Ijaw and Nembe Bassambiri, we chose the APC”.

  • PDP accuses monarch of hijacking electoral materials in Bayelsa

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused a paramount ruler in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, of hijacking electoral materials.

    The State Secretary of the PDP, Chief Godspower Keku, said in a statement that the traditional ruler abducted officials of INEC with electoral materials to his residence for thumb printing and production of concocted results.

    He said that the materials were hijacked by the paramount ruler and taken to his residence for brazen manipulation in favour òf a Candidate òf the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Keku said that the electoral fraud affected units 12, 13, 14 and 15 of Ologoghe , ward 04 , Ogbia constituency 2.

    Keku said, that it was most condemnable that a paramount ruler would subject the traditional institution to ridicule to pursue selfish individual interest to the detriment of the common good.

    He urged INEC to redeem its image by cancelling the fake results being produced by the traditional ruler for the units.

    He said; “The PDP wishes to draw the attention of INEC and the public to the snatching of the electoral materials meant for units 12, 13, 14 and 15 of Ologoghe , ward 04 , Ogbia constituency 2 by a Paramount ruler.

    “The INEC officials were abducted, ballot papers hijacked by the monarch to his house for thumb printing and production of illegal results.

    “We call for total cancellation of results of unit 12, 13, 14 and 15 from Ologoghe , ward 04 , Ogbia constituency 2, Bayelsa State as election did not take place in these units.

    “INEC as the electoral umpire would do well to reject the fake results and cancel the election to redeem its image.”

  • Poll: Seriake Dickson , APC clash in Bayelsa

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have clashed over the conduct of the House of Assembly elections in the state.

    Dickson accused the Military and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials of colluding with  former Governor Timipre Sylva to churn out fake results in the state House of Assembly election.

    Dickson made the accusation while speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote in his home town, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area.

    A statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as saying that federal agencies deployed to the state were planning to foist an unpopular political, party, the APC, on the state.

    According to the governor, reports at his disposal indicated that several PDP members were prevented from voting in various communities including, Peremabiri, Okpoama and  Bassambiri.

    The governor stressed that the APC was resorting to brigandage because it lacked the support base to win election in Bayelsa.

    The governor, who described the development as barbaric , criminal and undemocratic, flayed the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state for his failure to enforce the electoral guidelines.

    He said that it was a sad commentary on the nation’s security apparatus that it had failed to carry out its constitutional responsibility to provide the conducive environment for the citizens to cast their votes to elect their representatives and leaders.

    The governor said that reports at his disposal indicated that soldiers carted away electoral materials in Epebu, Olodi and Ayakoro in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

    Read Also: Dickson accuses military of terrorism

    He called on the people to remain calm in the alleged  face of unwarranted intimidation and harassment by soldiers, he assured that his administration would take appropriate measures to seek redress.

    Dickson further expressed regret over the militarization of the Niger Delta states and urged all well meaning  Nigerians to stand up in defence of democracy.

    He said: :”We have major challenges in this state arising from militarization and clear failure on the part of the agencies to do their jobs as it should be.

    ‘In Peremabiri in Southern Ijaw, several peopple, almost a thousand people couldn’t vote as they are now IDPs hiding in Yenagoa and other places.

    “Criminals supported by the Nigerian military services have held the community hostage. Some security personnel who managed to get to Peremabiri were turned back and you ask me whether we have a nation within a nation”.

    But the APC accused the governor of using thugs and other criminal elements to undermine  the elections.

    APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, said in a statement that armed thugs loyal to the governor and his party were on the loose in a number of communities throughout the polls, rigging for the PDP and intimidating APC members.

    The statement said: “Just on Thursday, we alerted the Bayelsa public to an evil plot by Governor Seriake Dickson to unleash mayhem during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections on purpose to intimidate the opposition and impose his candidates in various constituencies of the state.

    “We also warned about his signature tactic of trying to cover up his nefarious acts with smear campaign and fake news against our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “Dickson, as usual, did not disappoint.

    “On Saturday, thugs sponsored by Dickson and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state went on the rampage in several constituencies of the state, carting away electoral materials, thumb-printing for the PDP, and deploying sundry acts of intimidation against APC members and others opposed the governor and his party.

    “A few of the instances would suffice.

    PDP leaders, accompanied by armed thugs hijacked all the electoral materials for Saturday’s election in Wards 16 and 17 of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. It took the intervention of the armed and security forces for the materials to be recovered, and some arrests were made.

    “In Odioma, Brass Local Government Area, the PDP candidate, led thugs to cart away all the electoral materials. Our members were chased out of the community and PDP had a field day with the thumb printing of ballot papers.

    “In Ogbolomabiri-Nembe, the hometown of the deputy governor, PDP ,lused thugs to threaten and chase APC agents out of the community.

    “In Sagbama, where Dickson comes from, our members were in hiding for the most part of Saturday for fear of being harmed by the governor and his armed thugs.

    “Quite in his usual style, Dickson went to town on Saturday on a campaign of falsehood, alleging malpractices by our party and pretending to be the victim. While voting was still going on is several areas, he was out and about with his usual fake news to try to divert attention from his immoral ways.

    “APC wishes to restate that elections are not fought on the basis of smear campaign or intimidation, but on the strength of support freely given by the people.

    ‘This is our strength, it is what APC boasts. Dickson is, certainly, in terrible deficit of such support, and he is doing everything to make up for his lack of quality followership. But he will surely be disappointed”.

  • APC accuses Dickson of sponsoring insecurity, fake news

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has accused the state governor,  Seriake Dickson, of wasting the state’s scare resources to procure violence and compromise elections.

    APC State Publicity Secretary, Dofie Buokoribo, made the allegation while addressing journalists in Yenagoa.

    Buokoribo said Dickson was in the habit of playing victim and sponsoring fake news as a cover for his nefarious acts.

    He advised residents of the state to be watchful and alert to guard against the governor’s antics ahead of the House of Assembly elections in the state.

    APC alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used state resources to buy votes in past elections and was determined to do same on Saturday, at a time when the state was having difficulty with payment of workers’ salaries.

    He said: “He is also using state funds to arm political thugs and other lawless elements across the state, especially in areas where he is unpopular and has no social base.

    “These thugs and lawless elements are working with his terror squad, Operation Doo Akpo. The irony of it is that as he is busy engaging in this ungodly act, he will be the one shouting that our party has perfected plans to cause mayhem in the state”.

    He said the governor suffered from a persecution complex and played the victim card when he was actually the aggressor.

    “As our people go out to vote this Saturday, we urge them to know that voting out the PDP and Governor Dickson’s anointed candidates is a task that must be done. The only way Dickson and his party can win this election is by playing outside the rules”, he said.

    The APC spokesman lashed out at the governor for setting up a “strange Judicial Commission” on electoral violence with APC members as clearly marked out targets.

    He advised members of the party not to have anything to do with the panel.

    Buokoribo urged the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olushola David, who was posted as Command CP to supervise the polls, to be neutral in the discharge of his duties.

    He said: ‘Until the emergence of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), there were no serious electoral contests along party lines in Bayelsa State.

    “At that time, once you had the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), you were almost certain of victory in the main elections. It was in that sense that our state used to be referred to as a one-party state. That is now history.

    “In 2015, we had only one member in the state House of Assembly. This was not because our suffering people did not vote APC. They desired change, and voted massively for us but we were robbed of our victory.

    “Even in the last governorship election, the people of Bayelsa State were with us. What happened was that the PDP used our money, Bayelsa State’s money, to buy its way to victory. Today, nobody can accuse the APC of not actually existing in Bayelsa State.

    “In the last Presidential Elections, we gave President Muhammadu Buhari 37.5 percent of the vote. We also secured one seat in the Senate and two in the Federal House of Representatives. We are convinced that without the rough and tumble that characterised that election, we could have done better.

    ‘The people of Bayelsa State have a duty not to allow Governor Dickson succeed with his evil plans to subvert their will.

    “In this election, as in previous ones, we have seen the governor and the PDP engage the media for smear campaigns, fake news and psychological warfare.

    “Only a few days ago, they claimed thugs loyal to the leadership of our party sacked mobile policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Bassambiri-Nembe.

    “They added that the community had become a ghost town as residents had fled to Yenagoa and Ogbolomabiri-Nembe as refugees. Sadly, they did not tell us the location of any Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp.

    “Here, we must thank a section of the media who visited the community and did independent reports that challenged the picture painted by Governor Dickson and his party”.

    He added: “Let us make it very clear here that this election will not be decided on the basis of a campaign of calumny, fake news and schizoid propaganda.

    “We commend the people of Bassambiri-Nembe for standing up to Governor Dickson. Come Saturday, he will be decisively defeated.

    “Finally, we welcome the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to increase the presence of the armed and security forces in a number of states, including Bayelsa.

    “In particular, we welcome the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olushola David, posted as Command CP to supervise the elections. We urge him to be neutral.

    “On no account should Dickson’s terror outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, be allowed to operate on Election Day. The outfit has no electoral function. Dickson had used the outfit in the past to compromise our elections”.

     

  • CUPP demands removal of Bayelsa REC

    The Coalition of United Political Parties, (CUPP) and Inter Party Advisory Council, (IPAC) in Bayelsa State on Wednesday demanded the redeployment of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Monday Udoh

    The parties alleged an “unholy alliance” between the REC and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the groups said they had lost confidence in the ability of the REC to conduct free and fair elections on Saturday following the outcome of the last presidential and National Assembly polls.

    Chairman of CUPP,  Mr. Tari Edwin said the parties would no longer tolerate manipulation of future elections in the state.

    He said: ‘We will not tolerate any manipulation this time around .There is an unholy alliance between the REC and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in the state to undermine the forthcoming state assembly elections.

    “We are calling  on the National INEC to immediately redeploy the state REC due to his poor handling of the last presidential and National Assembly elections where elections materials were stolen under his supervision.

    “We don’t see a reason why he should be conducting this Saturday elections. In the last elections you are all aware that materials were hijacked and carted away by thugs.

    “A total of 63 card readers were stolen during the exercise in different parts of the state namely Brass 1, Nembe 23, Sagbama 8, Southern Ijaw 24, and Yenagoa 6 council.

    Read Also: 63 card readers missing in Bayelsa, says INEC

    “The law stipulates that card readers must be used during the elections but here where card readers were carted away and elections did not take place results were announced.

    Also speaking, the state IPAC chairman, Mr.  Eneye Zidougha insisted that they had lost confidence in the state umpire.

    “Another election is about to be conducted, we don’t have confidence in the REC anymore. There is connivance between security personnel and INEC officials’, he said.

     

  • Breaking: APC, PDP sign peace pact in Bayelsa

    Stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progress Congress (APC) in Bassambiri, Nembe Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, have signed peace pact to ensure violence-free election in the area on Saturday.

    It was gathered that the signing of the peace accord took place in the presence of heads of security agencies.

    Elder statesman, Dr. George Fente, Adire Ayebainaemi and Pastor Patience Amaeri signed the resolution on behalf of the PDP while Ayenumomoipre Otokol, Samuel O. Samuel and Favour Emmanuel endorsed the peace deal for the APC.

    The stakeholders resolved that security operatives deployed to Bassambiri should not be obstructed from entering the community to carry out their lawful duties.

    Read Also: INEC: 63 card readers missing in Bayelsa

    They also resolved that security personnel deployed to the area should be neutral and professional in the discharge of their duties while every dug road found in the community is covered up.

    According to the resolution, the stakeholders also agreed that any bridge destroyed should be reconstructed while all those who left the area be allowed to return to their various communities without molestation.

    The stakeholders urged those returning to the community to conduct themselves lawfully and insisted on the arrest and prosecution of those behind the killing of Kenneth Adeboh in Bassambiri before the Presidential and National Assembly election.

     

     

  • NNPC to build fertilizer plants in Brass

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has expressed its preparedness to build additional Independent Power Plants (IPP) in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano which is expected to add 4, 0000 megawatts of power to stabilize the national grid.

    The National Oil Company also disclosed that it would construct a Fertilizer Project in Brass, Bayelsa State.

    Chief Financial Officer of NNPC and Chairman of the Board of NNPC Power subsidiary, Gas and Power Investment Company (GPIC), Mr. Isiaka Abdulrazaq, said this at the inaugural board meeting of GPIC at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

    A release by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja Tuesday, said the GPIC was established as a subsidiary under the Gas and Power Directorate to enable the corporation monetize the abundant gas resources in the Country for the benefit of the nation’s economy.

    Abdulrazaq said the GPIC was a very strategic company through which the NNPC would create more value for the country, stressing that by the time the IPPs come on stream in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano, the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the areas would be better for it.

    “The Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (GPIC) is a company which the NNPC has set up basically to focus on how it can create value and monetize the nation’s abundant gas resources. The company will also be focused on developing power stations, fertilizer plants as well as petrochemical plants across the states,” Abdulrazaq enthused.

    Read Also: NNPC’s $1.7b debt to FAAC

    He noted that NNPC has set up the board to enable the company achieve its set targets within a very short period of time, saying the board meeting had mapped out strategies to properly guide the company to enable its Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

    He said the setting up of the company would add value in terms of payment of taxes and generating more revenue for the Country, stressing that the company and all the IPPs that would emanate from it would also generate more job opportunities for Nigerians.

    Abdulrazaq stated that Fertilizer Project in Brass, Bayelsa State would produce fertilizer to boost agriculture in the South-South and other regions of the Country.

    Speaking in similar vein, the Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, stated that the coming on stream of GPIC would help the NNPC transform into an integrated energy company with the production of 4,000 megawatts of power at strategic locations.

    Engr. Mohammed disclosed that all relevant stakeholders in the power sector are in alignment with the NNPC with the establishment of the GPIC.

     

  • Dokubo: I know nothing about theft at Amnesty centre

    Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Charles Dokubo has said he knows nothing about the theft of equipment from the Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, Bayelsa State.

    Dokubo spoke yesterday in Abuja when he inaugurated a Special Investigative Panel to probe the theft.

    Panel members include Brig.-Gen. Sotunde Sangonuga (Chairman); Mr. Dodoye Arikpo (DSS), Paddy Ogon; Mrs. Cynthia Ogbe; Mr. Reuben Wilson and Mr. Unyime Eyo.

    Dokubo said he travelled home to Rivers State to participate in the Presidential elections and was not present during the incident.

    He said: “On the evening of Wednesday, February 13, I got news that certain persons had invaded the Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, and overwhelmed the security men.

    “The soldiers and other security forces deployed to quell the situation were under strict instruction not to do anything to escalate the tensed pre-election situation.

    “It is not entirely true that the soldiers and other security agencies deployed did nothing to stop the looting.”

    Dokubo urged the investigative panel to ‘truly appraise the roles played by the military and other security agencies in Kaiama.

    “We shall provide whatever this panel needs to do its job thoroughly without any form of hindrance. All summon by this panel must be obeyed by all, and any subpoenaed document must be supplied. The Special Investigative Panel has seven working days to complete its investigations and submit its report.”

  • I know nothing about the stealing of Amnesty equipment- Dokubo

    …sets up investigative panel

     

    The Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Charles Dokubo has stated that he knows nothing about the stealing of the equipment from the just-commissioned Vocational Training Center in Kaiama, Bayelsa State and has also set up an investigative panel to look into the pilferage.

    The Coordinator shut down rumours of his involvement in the looting during the launch of the Special Investigative Panel to probe the invasion and looting of the training center which took place in Abuja on Monday.

    The members of the panel include Brig-Gen. Sotunde Sangonuga, who is the Chairman of the panel, Mr. Dodoye Arikpo (DSS), Barr. Paddy Ogon, Mrs. Cynthia Ogbe, Mr. Reuben Wilson, and Mr. Unyime Eyo.

    According to Dokubo, he had traveled to his home state of Rivers to participate in the Presidential elections and was not present during the incident.

    “On the evening of Wednesday, 13th February 2019, news filtered into me that certain persons had invaded this same Vocational Training Center in Kaiama and had, in fact, overwhelmed the security men guarding it.

    “The soldiers and other security forces deployed to quell the situation were under strict instruction not to do anything to escalate the tensed pre-election situation in the region.

    “It is not entirely true that the soldiers and other security agencies sent to the place during the incident did nothing to stop the orgy of looting.”

    Dokubo charged the Special Investigative Panel to ‘truly appraise the roles played by the military and other security agencies in Kaiama on that day’ and ensured his office’s full support and cooperation.

    “We shall provide whatever this panel needs to do its job thoroughly without any form of hindrance,” he stated.

    “All summons by this panel must be obeyed by all persons in this office and any subpoenaed document must be supplied.”

    “The Special Investigative Panel has seven working days to complete its investigations and submit its report.”

    Responding to the Coordinator, the Chairman of the Panel, Brig-Gen. Sangonuga disclosed that the panel has started working before the inauguration of the President.

    “We promise a very detailed report that will give insight to what actually happened,” he assured.

    “We are not new to the Amnesty Programme and we are also touched by what happened.”

  • Our members barred from returning to their community, says Bayelsa PDP

    The Bayelsa State Chairman òf the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Moses Cleopas, has raised the alarm that over 2000 members of the party from Nembe-Bassambiri, were not allowed to return to the community.
    Cleopas explained that the party members fled the community following violence that rocked the area on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
    But he lamented that persons, who orchestrated the violence perfected measures to stop the residents from returning to the community ahead of the forthcoming elections.
    Cleopas called on the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to intervene in the worsening  security situation in Nembe Bassambiri, where he said  thugs backed by soldiers attacked PDP members to cart away election materials to a hotel for thumb-printing.
    He called called on the Nigerian Army to deploy a fresh set of soldiers to Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas ahead of the elections.
    He alleged that the current set of soldiers had  been compromised to tarnish the image of the establishment by aiding criminality and electoral violence in Bayelsa.
    Cleopas expressed shock that the Army had not been able to arrest any of the thugs shooting and harassing innocent people in Nembe Bassambiri.
    He further alleged that the Nigerian Army commenced a process of harassing innocent members of the PDP with a view to perpetrating low voters turn out to the detriment of the party in the area.
    He called on the security agencies to ensure that the PDP members who fled Bassambiri during the attack by thugs aided by soldiers in Nembe Bassambiri were allowed to their residences without harassment.
    The PDP Chairman, however,  commended the leadership of the Nigerian Police for the bold decision to arrest the masterminds of the harassment of the Deputy Commissioner òf Police in charge of Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad, Mr. Kola Okunola during the last election.
    He called for immediate prosecution of the people that harassed Okunola  before he was rescued by the whiskers for refusing to manipulate results.
    Cleopas stressed that only such a step would restore the people’s confidence in the security agencies.