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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • Bayelsa warns media against distraction

    The Bayelsa State Government on Saturday warned the social media team of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against issues that could distract them from issue-based campaign ahead of 2019 general elections.

    Issuing the warning when the team visited him in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said focus remained the key to victory in 2019.

    He described social media as the fastest means of disseminating information and the most compelling source of information all over the world.

    He, however, decried some of the negative effects of social media which he noted was due to wrong application and charged the team to be very objective and factual in their work.

    Iworiso-Markson, who lauded the leadership of the party for the appointment said those in the team were carefully selected because of their pedigree, diligence and dexterity in the social media industry. 

    He reminded the PDP Social media team that the coming election would be another litmus test and cautioned them against abusive tendencies.

    He asked them to engage members of the opposition on issues that had to do with the achievements of the restoration government and the party.

    The commissioner said he would be working closely with them to repeat the same feat achieved in the last general and governorship election.

    While congratulating them on their appointment, Iworiso-Markson asked the team to start profiling the candidates of the PDP in the coming elections so that Bayelsans would know their prospective representatives. 

    He stated that those, contesting under the party had a track record of performance and would not fail if given the opportunity to represent the people in the national and state House of Assembly.

    Read Also: Police begin trial of killer cop in Bayelsa

    Iworiso-Markson stressed that what Bayelsa needed were people, who could sustain the legacies of the restoration government of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    He said in seven years, the government made huge success in turning the state from a once rural enclave to a place that is now an investor’s paradise because of the revolution in education, health, infrastructure, security and so on. 

    He said: “Let me thank you for this visit. I was glad when I heard of your appointment and i want to sincerely thank the leadership of the PDP in the State for given all of you this unique opportunity.

    “Clearly your job is cut out. You need to hit the ground running. The social media is like the main thing now. It is fast gaining more popularity and acceptability than the traditional media because of the speed at which information through it goes viral to  reach billions of people across the globe. 

    “We are now in an election season and a lot of things are required of you. You need to use your position to advance the course of the restoration government. What you should be doing is to engage the opposition on issues like performance. They cannot performance our performance, not in a million years. So put out the truth, the facts about our performance so that the world can see. 

    “You don’t need to abuse anybody. Our achievements should speak for us. We did this in 2015 and we will replicate it in 2019. We have said this election will be a referendum on the performance of the Restoration Government especially for all our candidates running on the ticket of the PDP-led government in the State. 

    “I will be working closely with you to ensure that together we move in the same direction. So very soon, I will organize a situation room right here in my office. I will also invite social media experts to meet with you to talk to us on social media trends that will help to further guide you”.

    Earlier, Director of the PDP Social media team, Mr. Perekebena Okoyen said the visit was to enable them familiarize with the Commissioner as the Head of the state media team and official spokesman of the government. 

    Okoyen, who praised the commissioner for his high level of professionalism and uncommon approach to issues said they would be pleased to be under his counselling throughout the period leading to the main election. 

    He described the Bayelsa PDP Social Media team as a grassroot movement targeted to work with all youth groups, organizations and volunteers in the eight Local Government Area in order to mobilize massive support for the party and her candidates. 

    Okoyen maintained that the team will as part of its campaign show the incontestable achievements of the restoration government in all the sectors which has made Bayelsa a leading state.

    He appealed for support and encouragement from critical stakeholders in the state for effective delivery of their mandate.

  • ‘Security worsening in Bayelsa’

    The Bayelsa State Executive Council at the weekend condemned in strong terms the worsening security situation in the state following frequent change of police commissioners.

    The council accused opposition leaders in the state of controlling security agencies to undermine the authority of the authority of the state government.

    Rising from its 99th meeting at Government House, Yenagoa, where it deliberated on rising cases of insecurity, the council said opposition leaders were determined to destabilize the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The council in the meeting chaired by the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, said it was an act of subversion bordering on treason to politicize security in such a manner ahead of the elections.

    Briefing journalists after the council’s meeting, the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the executive council blamed the worsening security situation on frequent change of police commissioners for political reasons.

    He said the council considered deployment of eight police commissioners in Bayelsa within three months as highly subversive and capable of threatening the existing peaceful, harmonious and conducive environment the government worked very hard to put in place.

    Iworiso-Markson said: “Indeed, it is an act of subversion bordering on treason for security heads to give control of security agencies to former Governor Timipre Sylva, the junior Minister of Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri and their cohorts, who are using the ruling party at the center to undermine the security of the state”.

    Read Also: We will restore peace in Brass, says Bayelsa CP

    He said the council resolved that the stage government would not allow anybody no matter how highly placed to get away with acts of subversion.

    He said: “We, therefore, call on citizens of our state to be wary of the subversive tendencies of some persons, who have all in the name of politics, set out to create and carry actions that are intended to undermine the security and stability of our state.

    “All Bayelsans must be at alert and be ready to reject the return of the deadly, Operation Famou-Tangbe in whatever guise, shape or form.

    “We will also not allow Operation Doo-Akpo, which was created by the Restoration Government and which has in the last seven years earned the respect, trust and confidence of our people as a reliable, professional quick response and credible crime-fighting outfit devoid of politics to be rubbished by anyone.

    “We wish to sound a clear note of warning to all that in the interest of peace, even as the elections draw near, that this state is bigger than everyone of us and nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be spared from facing the wrath of the law if found wanting.

    “Those who are interested in controlling the state by seeking to undermine the security should be ready to face the consequence of their actions should there be any breakdown of law and order”.

    Iworiso-Markson further said the council considered the exploitation of security apparatus to harass and intimidate perceived political opponents as unhealthy as it portrayed display of excessive use of political power.

    He added: “We, hereby, call on the Federal Government and the heads of all security agencies in the country to respect the authority of the state government and refrain from doing anything that will jeopardize the peace, order and stability of the state.

    “We also call on Bayelsans to be law abiding and peaceful even in the face of provocative actions by those said to be enemies of peace and stability of the state.

    “The governor will formally convey the position of the government for the umpteenth time to the President for appropriate action. We would also commence appropriate legal actions to defend the authority of the government of the state”.

  • UNICEF, Bayelsa train workers to tackle maternal mortality

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the Bayelsa State Government have commenced training of health workers to tackle maternal and perinatal death.

    Specifically, the workers will be trained on maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response reporting.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu said the trained workers would provide evidence-based information in the why, what, where and number of maternal and perinatal deaths in the state.

    He said the training would help the state provide accurate data on birth-related deaths; make available tools and means of reducing maternal and perinatal deaths and introduce best practice in handling such matters.

    Etebu commended UNICEF for its assistance and called on stakeholders in the state to take advantage of the process to institute accurate data in the state.

    The commissioner described the high rate of maternal and perinatal death in the state as a nightmare saying the healthcare system in the country was weak.

    Read Also: NNPC/Chevron JV donates to IDPs in Delta, Bayelsa

    He said the country accounted for 10 percent of global maternal death following the death of 33,000 women each year.

    He said: “The expected social and medical outcome of every intended pregnancy is to have a healthy mother with a baby that is endowed with full potential for its own existence and survival”.

    He lamented the disparity in birth-relates deaths between developed countries and developing countries in Africa.

    He said: “Whereas evidence-based interventions are employed into preventing maternal and perinatal deaths in developed countries, this is less applicable to their developing counterparts.

    “Secondly, for every maternal and perinatal deaths the occur in the developed countries, a review is carried out to understand and identify gaps in services that may have led to the deaths with a view to preventing future occurrence”.

    Etebu noted that the National Council on Health (NCH) approved the council memo establishing Maternal Death Review (MDR) in all the states in 2011.

  • We will restore peace in Brass, says Bayelsa CP

    Stakeholders, LGA boss warn troublemakers 

    The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, on Tuesday vowed to end the crisis rocking Twon-Brass, an oil-rich Island in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

    Brass has been torn apart by violent clashes between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Both parties have traded blames on the crisis as they struggled for political control of the council.

    But Mukan said his command had put modalities in place to restore the peace in the council adding that some suspects had been arrested in connection to the impasse.

    He said: “The Brass crisis is under control. We are on top of the situation. We are assuring them that peace will return to Brass. We have arrested some suspects already”.

    Worried by the development, stakeholders condemned the incessant violence in Twon-Brass and called on security agencies to restore the peace in the oil-rich island.

    The stakeholders under the auspices of the Brass Progressive Youths (BPY) also warned that safe heavens should not be provided for the perpetrators of the violence.

    The group in a statement signed by its coordinator, Tarinyo Micah lamented that the once peaceful Island had become a theatre of war because of cult-related activities.

    Read Also: Police begin trial of killer cop in Bayelsa

    The group decried the killings and wanton destruction of properties in the community, saying it was clearly the handwork of desperate politicans”

    It said that most of the youths who terrorized the community were backed by the desperate politicans, who gave them assorted arms and assured them of police protection.

    The group recalled that one of the cultists arrested recently with a rifle was later released after persistent pressure from some powerful forces in Abuja.

    BPY in the statement noted that such political intervention emboldened the cultists, who were more determined to unleash mayhem on the people. 

    The group maintained that the violence in Twon-Brass would continue except urgent steps were taken to check the activities of the miscreants and their sponsors.

    It also attributed the crisis in the area to the current manipulation of the security apparatus in the state, insisting that the frequent change of police commissioners worsened the situation in Brass and other areas. 

    The group cautioned youths in the area against further violence and called on the Federal Government and the Inspector-General of Police to take urgent steps to address the situation.

    It expressed worry that if nothing was done, the situation would be worse during the 2019 general elections adding that those who wanted to win at all cost would provide more arms for youths to carry out more deadly attacks.

    Also, the Caretaker Chairman of Brass, Victor Isaiah, condemned a recent attack on a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) identified as Desmond Robert.

    He said: “Though preliminary investigation revealed the unfortunate incident was cult related as the assailants were said to be after an unidentified person, I condemn the act of violence in its totality and will not tolerate attacks by any group or persons under any guise. 

    “I am, therefore, warning troublemakers to give Brass LGA a wide berth because the relevant security agencies in collaboration with the Brass Volunteer have been equipped and capable of dealing decisively with any situation that threatens the hard earned peace and serenity currently experienced in the council area”.

    “However, let me seize this opportunity to advise and remind indigenes and residents of Brass to report any suspicious conduct or movements around their areas to law enforcement agencies for immediate action”.

  • APC, PDP boycott CP’s meeting with party heads in Bayelsa 

    …Police boss warns against thuggery, arms

     

     

    The Bayelsa State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were conspicuously absent Monday in a meeting between political parties in the state and the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan.

    The stakeholders’ meeting, which was held at the police officers’ mess, Yenagoa following the commencement of campaigns for 2019 general elections, had in attendance chairmen of other smaller parties.

    Mukan invited heads of all political parties in Bayelsa under the auspices of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to brainstorm on modalities and challenges to peaceful campaigns and free and fair elections in the state.

    But the state chairmen of PDP and the APC, Moses Cleopas and Jothan Amos, were missing in the attendance without persons to represent them.

    In their various contributions, some of the chairmen including the state Leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Edwin Tare, lamented the absence of the two major parties.

    Tare said it was unfortunate that leaders of the two parties were habitually absent in stakeholders’ meeting involving political parties during an election period.

    He said the deliberation would not achieve its purpose without the participation of the two major parties since according to him issues of violence and bearing arms primarily involved them.

    But Mukan said the absence of the two major political parties had nothing to do with the progress of the meeting adding that the outcome of the deliberation applied to all the parties in the state.

    He said all the parties were invited to the meeting but wondered why the PDP and the APC leaders neither attended the gathering nor sent representatives.

    He noted that any party that acted contrary to the electoral guidelines or breached security would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

    He said: “We cannot hold a separate discussion with them. Everybody was invited but they didn’t send any representation that is why they are not here. Anybody who falls prey or err will be totally dealt with”.

    Reading the Riot Act, Mukan warned parties against bringing arms to their campaign grounds under any guise.

    Describing the police as an unbiased umpire, he said the force would ensure a level-playing field and security to all the parties.

    The police boss appealed to party leaders to mount pressure on parents to rein in their children, who would want to act as thugs to politicians during campaigns.

    Addressing them, he said: “You are the major players and we have to talk to ourselves and see how far we can go. You are all aware that the campaign has started. We have rules guiding every competition most especially our elections. The electoral laws are very clear. The INEC guidelines are there to guide us. Security agents are here to ensure a level-playing ground.

    “So, there is a need for us to come together and see how we will have a successful election in 2019.  We are assuring you of security for every participant. Our own is to ensure that there is security for you. Feel free and exercise your franchise. A lot of activities are involved in campaigns.

    “What you have to do is to inform us within 72 hours when you are going for your campaigns or avail us with the timetable if your itinerary to make it easier for us. This is to stop thugs from hijacking your rallies. We are unbiased umpire.

    “Help us appeal to the parents and guidance of the boys who usually hijack the campaigns. They should counsel their children because the law will not spare anybody. The law will be harsh on anybody who breaches electoral process. We will enforce it.

    “During your campaign, we don’t want to see anybody carrying any arms to any rallies. On no account should you bring arms because if that is done you know the repercussion. So, warn your members and take this message back to them”.

     

  • ‘1602 people died in ember month accidents in 2017’

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday said 1,602 people perished in road accidents that occurred in September, October, November and December 2017.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the corps’ 2018 ember month campaign tagged, Safe Driving Saves Lives, the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, said 2,805 crashes wee recorded in last year’s ember months.

    The campaign, which was inaugurated at the Igbogene axis of the East-West Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was attended by Governor Seriake Dickson and all security commanders in the state.

    While Dickson was represented by his Special Adviser on Transport, Ebiwari Wariowei, others at the flag off were Commander 16th Brigade, Brig-.Gen. Kelvin Aligbe; state Commander, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and heads of immigration Department of State Security (DSS).

    Others were the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and commercial tricycle union among others.

    Oyeyemi, who was represented by the Zonal Commanding Officer, Kingsley Agomoh, said a total of 20,196 people and 4,503 vehicles were involved in the 2017 ember month accidents.

    Read Also: Two die in Ogun accidents

    He said the corps had resolved to bring down last year’s casualty figures by a huge margin through the 2018 campaign and the cooperation of all the road users.

    He said: “The ember months is a period of festivities and many people erroneously believe that evil forces on the roads are responsible for road crashes and fatalities. 

    “But the struggle on the part of most people to travel to meet their loved ones that causes it and more trips on the part of commercial drivers to make more profit in preparation for the Yuletide without adequate rest are mainly responsible for the road mishap”.

    Oyeyemi said the corps had resolved to use the media and all public enlightenment platforms to dispel the erroneous belief and prefer a way forward for reduction and possible elimination of road traffic crashes.

    Insisting that the corps in its campaign would force safe driving to save life, the FRSC boss said corps officials would be strict in their conduct of vision acuity tests to check defective eyesight of drivers on the road.

    “There is a need for drivers to have their drivers’ license, highway codes, change from old plate numbers to new ones to ensure uniformity in the corps’ licensing scheme, which will be captured in the central database of the corps”, he said.

    In his remarks, the Bayelsa Sector Commander, Ikechukwu Igwe, said the campaign had taken a different dimension from a day’s activities to a three-day programme.

    He sand children were also integrated into the programme to carry the message of safety to the adults adding that the children would be involved in distribution of fliers to road users.

    He added that the children, numbering 150, would also visit the mosques, markets, motor parks and churches to sensitise road users on the need to be careful this period.

    Also speaking, Dickson said the road safety had done very well in the reduction of road accidents but noted that with the campaign, the corps would double its efforts in discharging their roles in the ember months.

    He also appealed to the corps to collaborate with other security agencies especially the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) to check intake of illicit drugs by road users.

    “These are the periods they carry these drugs and other arms and ammunition about. They pass through the roads and road safety should collaborate with other security agencies to tackle crimes and drug abuse”, he said.

  • 2019: PDP accuses APC of unholy alliance with police

    ….PDP inciting public against police – APC

     

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of unholy alliance with the police ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The state Chairman of PDP, Cleopas Moses, in a statement alleged that the leaders of the APC in the state turned the office of the Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan, to their operational political base.

    But the APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, said the PDP was irresponsibly inciting the public against the police.

    Cleopas, described the office of the police chief as critical to security maintenance and the preservation of state stability, but lamented it had been tainted with political bias in Bayelsa.

    The PDP Chairman claimed that the conversion of the office of the Commissioner of Police to the security wing of the APC was the first manifestation of the political mission of the Joseph Mukan in Bayelsa.

    He said the opposition APC in its desperation for political control in the state started colluding with the police chief to weaken the security apparatus in the state for selfish political purposes.

    Cleopas asserted that the unholy alliance between the commissioner and the APC culminated in an upsurge of cultism in the state.

    He said that the action of the police boss was not unexpected as he was sent to the state to prosecute a dirty political assignment which he stressed would be resisted by the Bayelsa people.

    While acknowledging that the Inspector-General of Police has the right to deploy his men, Cleopas queried why Mukan was posted to head Bayelsa State Police Command for a record three times, if there was no ulterior motive.

    The PDP Chairman said that a police commissioner, whose posting was allegedly influenced by the APC and who identifies with the publicity apparatus of the party’ could not be trusted with the security of Bayelsa.

    He said: “We made it clear to Nigerians a few days ago that this particular police commissioner was posted to Bayelsa to intimidate PDP supporters to join APC, destabilize the security and stability of the state for political purposes ahead of the 2019 elections.

    “This unholy alliance, he stressed is fueling the upsurge of activities of cultists who are mainly APC members.

    “Since he was posted to Bayelsa State, his office has become an annex of the APC headquarters as members of the party have relocated to the command to plan how to destabilize the state by weakening its security.

    “Nigerians should Note that this particular CP has been transferred to Bayelsa State for the third time, and we as a party wonder why this particular CP out of the many in this country is the preferred commissioner for Bayelsa?

    “The last time he came he was accommodated by APC leaders in Abuja and Yenagoa, Former Governor Timipre Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Hen. Lokpobiri.”

    But the APC, however, condemned the PDP for a serial show of irrationality and fear since the recent posting of a new commissioner of Police to the state.

    Buokoribo said that PDP took its phobia to an alarming extent of now creating frightening scenarios and plotting “low level fiction” all in an attempt to incite the populace against the police.

    He described as indecent and reprehensible that a party in control of government and power in the state could be so frightened by a lawful routine security posting, with no evidence of infraction that it would begin to provoke unlawful behaviour among the population.

    He recalled that not long ago, under the Governor Seriake Dickson government, his personal friend and member of his party, PDP, was posted to the state as Commissioner of Police.

    The APC spokesman said despite apparent injustices, APC never resorted to PDP’s current attempt to provoke public anger against the police and cause anarchy.

    He accused the PDP of having something untoward up its sleeves and fearing that the new police commissioner would not condone such.

    He said: “As usual, the PDP has not provided any evidence to support this low level fiction. We consider it indecent, reprehensible and ungodly for a political party that is in control of government and power at the state to serially incite the populace against the police.

    “We are in a democracy, and the PDP must know that it has to respect all the institutions of law and order. The PDP cannot decide for the Inspector General of Police whom he should appoint as Police Commissioner in the state.

    “Except there is something they are not telling us, the PDP is not in a position to say it is only someone they can do business with that must be Police Commissioner in the state.

    “The PDP is taking its objection to the posting of the new Bayelsa State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan, beyond the red lines. It has become a joke taken too far.

    “The Bayelsa APC is a party of peace-loving people committed to democracy and the progress of Bayelsa State. Like President Muhammadu Buhari, we would like to take the state to the next level. We have nothing to gain in the event of a breakdown of law and order in the state.

    “We cannot help but wonder with alarm what unlawful acts the PDP plans to engage in this time, which they fear the new Police Commissioner, unlike their friend and party man, would not condone. To us, the new police commissioner is doing very well in the state.

    “Indeed, we commend him for reaching out to all the critical segments of society, especially the youth, in his attempt to rid the state of crime and criminality.

    “Similarly, we salute Police Commissioner Mukan for apprehending the suspected killers of Miss Seifa Fred. Fred, a first year student of Niger Delta University, was killed recently in Yenagoa. We call on the people of Bayelsa State to support and cooperate with Police Commissioner Mukan”.

  • Bayelsa security outfit withdrawn without my knowledge – CP

    The frosty relationship between the Bayelsa State Government and the police deepened on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the state security outfit, Operation Doo-Akpor by the government.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mukan, while parading over 20 cultists in Yenagoa, said he was not consulted before the withdrawal.

    Mukan said he was not briefed on the suspension of Doo-Akpor’s operations despite making inquiries from responsible government officials.

    He said the Special Adviser on Security, Boma Sparo-Jack and the Chief of Staff, Government House, Talford Ongolo, said they were not aware about the reason for suspending the outfit’s operations.

    Describing the withdrawal as unfortunate, he said the situation he met on ground on his resumption as the police chief in the state was that Doo-Akpor was not controlled by the police command.

    He, however, said despite reporting directly to the governor, the government would have informed the police before suspending its operations especially amidst complaints of rising crimes in the state.

    He said: “We are surprised the way you are. Let me inform you that Doo-Akpor is not operating under the state command. They are independent and they report directly to the governor.

    “Though it is commanded by a senior police officer, they don’t take the command into considerations in their activities. So, when we notice the withdrawal we tried to ask questions. But nobody is coming up with any clear reason for withdrawing the vehicles.

    “But it is unfortunate. If we are shouting that crime has increased in Bayelsa and action like that is to be taken at least we collaborators in fighting crimes in Bayelsa should be informed. But nobody informed us.

    “I tried to get across to the special adviser on security, he said he was not aware. I got across to the chief of staff, he said he was not aware. So, l believe that the commander is in a better position to tell us why it was withdrawn”.

    Read Also: ‘We won’t surrender Bayelsa to failed politicians’

    Mukan said he would not recommend the suspension of Doo-Akpor’s services since it was established to assist the police in fighting crime.

    He, however, said the police were fully ready to guarantee security of lives and properties despite the suspension of Doo-Akpor.

    He said: “Doo-Akpor should not be removed now. They are assisting in fighting crime in Yenagoa and I don’t see any reason in withdrawing it. The same people complaining of high wave of crime are the same people compounding it.

    “But we are up to the task. We are moving and doing our own bit. The security situation has not changed because of the withdrawal of Doo-Akpor”,

    Residents in Yenagoa expressed fears following sudden disappearance of patrol vans belonging to the state security outfit from the streets.

    Investigations revealed that the services rendered by the security outfit were no longer available to members of the public.

    The outfit’s patrol vans were no longer located at strategic places they were usually stationed for quick response to criminal activities.

    It was also observed that the stop and search operations, which the security outfit recently commenced in Yenagoa the state capital, had been suspended.

    There has been tension in the state following the alarm raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other government stakeholders on a plot by the Inspector-General of police to disband the security outfit.

    Doo-Akpor, whose operatives comprised the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was established and funded by the Governor Seriake Dickson’s administration to maintain the peace in the state.

    The House of Assembly and elders from the state recently warned against the plot saying it would heighten insecurity in the state.

    A top officer of the outfit, who spoke in confidence, confirmed that the security outfit was temporarily suspended.

    But he said the withdrawal was not in connection with the alleged move to disband the outfit adding that the action was taken to rebrand the outfit and repair its vehicles for optimum service delivery.

  • ‘We won’t surrender Bayelsa to failed politicians’

    The Bayelsa State Government on Saturday said it would not hand over the state to failed politicians angling  desperately to return to power through the backdoor  in 2019.

    The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson implored voters to reject them and permanently retire them from politics.

    Iworiso-Markson said it was highly regrettable that persons, who failed to develop the state when they had the opportunity, are trying to teach Governor Seriake Dickson meaning of governance. 

    He said such persons launched series of coordinated attacks including playing politics with security to discredit the Dickson-led administration.

    But he said the individuals, who lacked scorecard, had failed in their new devilish mission failed and had been rejected by the people of the state.

    He said the people of the state would not forget in a hurry the level of insecurity, underdevelopment and large scale human rights abuses during the last government.

    The commission further challenged them to list the projects they successfully executed during their time in government or forever remain silent. 

    He explained that if the billions they recieved in the over five years they spent in office was not frittered away, the people would have been celebrating them.

    He noted that their ugly past made them strangers and enemies of the people. 

    Iworiso-Markson added that they were daily frustrated and shamed by the way Dickson  made governance simple through prudent utilization of public funds.

    Read Also: Bayelsa solicits public support for war against cultism

    He maintained that the restoration government was not surprised about their new campaign against the world class airport built to open the state for economic prosperity.  

    He said if not for their constant amnesia, they wouldn’t have forgotten in a hurry how they spent billions of naira on survey and sand-filling work, on an airport project that till date remained the biggest scam by any government. 

    He said: “If not for the political party they belong to, they would have been cooling their heels in jail. It is saddening that some expired politicans who have fallen out of favour with Bayelsans will be questioning the economic viability of the Bayelsa International Airport. This is the same thing they did in the past about the Ogbia/Nembe road. 

    “This diaspora politicians had the opportunity of building an airport but did not and rather used the money earmarked for it to siphon billions of naira. Today, they stay wherever they are outside the state to criticize this government that has done so well.

    ” I feel pained that Bayelsans are not asking them questions. Most of them don’t even have houses here, they can’t boast of any investment but take delight to run down the government. Another election is coming and they are beating the drums of war”.

    “I appealed to youths in the state to resist the temptation of being used by the self-seeking politicans to perpetrate violence during the election, insisting that no blood must be shed on account of the ambition of any politician.  

    “The government is fully aware of their plans to recruit agents of destabilization to cause confusion in the state ahead of the election but we assure them that they will fail. We call on Bayelsans to keep rejecting them. The next year’s general elections is an opportunity to finally retire them from politics”.

  • Dickson wins award on good governance

    The Bayelsa State Government on Friday hailed Governor Seriake Dickson for bagging an award of Best Governor of the Year on Good Governance from the Daily Telegraph Publishing Company, publishers of New Telegraph Newspapers. 

    The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson in a statement said the award was most auspicious following the evaluation of the merit behind it and the implication for a better society.

    He said awards when undiluted showcased and celebrated extraordinariness in leadership and performance, reflecting the critical factor of vision and courage in leadership. 

    Iworiso-Markson stated that Dickson deserved to be recipient of such award because of the difference he brought to governance and his style of leadership that had made Bayelsa a leading state in Nigeria. 

    The Information Commissioner noted that everyone, who followed the remarkable turnaround in education, healthcare delivery, infrastructural development and empowerment in the state would agree that Dickson truly deserved to be honoured.

    He stressed that the award and many others the governor earlier received would continue to encourage Dickson to do more for Bayelsans till he completes his term in office.

    He said: “To all Bayelsans, I want to humbly felicitate with you as well as the governor and entire bureaucracy of government on this occasion of the New Telegraph award. 

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    “It is though a personal award but really embedded in the true value of democratic government, counting on the pivotal role of the people, whose cooperation and dedication ensured the success of government in the new Bayelsa State.

    “The impact of the Restoration Government is real. Without doubt, Governor Dickson has made us all proud. And we cannot but notice the way and manner through which he achieved his quiet revolution in the state. 

    “It is a lesson in effective leadership: liberal, focused, very determined and responsible. His leadership style and understanding of governance have helped in no small way to facilitate this trend of success after success and I think he deserves more accolades.

    “We have seen a common trend of innovative leadership, breaking from the past as we know it and establishing fresh template of modern ideals both in policy and programmes to integrate development in the state. We have seen a culture of civilised engagement with the people and even with opposition without recourse to brutality or abuse of office”.