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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • EU, UNICEF hail Bayelsa on Child Rights Law 

    The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF), Thursday, commended Bayelsa State for domesticating the Child Rights Act.

    Bayelsa became the 23rd state in Nigeria to ensure the legal protection of children from all forms of violence, through the domestication of the Act.

    It was gathered that UNICEF, the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the State Ministry of Justice and civil society groups, especially the Child Protection Network (CPN), advocated for the passage of the law.

    The law was reportedly passed under the Support to Justice Sector Reform Programme, a €26m initiative funded by the EU.

    The law passed by the Kombowei Benson-led state House of Assembly, was assented to on May 6, by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    The law for the first time in state criminalises violence against children and sets out the role of every stakeholder in preventing and responding to violence against children, which is said to be widespread in Nigeria.

    According to UNICEF, a national survey it conducted in conjunction with the National Population Commission (NPC), the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF, in September last year found that six in 10 children suffer one or more types of violence before they reach the age of 18 years.

    Quoting the report, UNICEF said: “One in two suffers physical violence, one in four girls and one in 10 boys suffer sexual violence and one in five boys and one in six girls suffer emotional violence. Most children never tell anyone what happened to them. Less than four per cent ever receive the support they need to recover.”

    The Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Jean Gough, who spoke in Yenagoa added: “In response to these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the Year of Action to End Violence against Children, calling on states to take action to strengthen their laws, policies and services to protect children.

    “Bayelsa State has heeded the Federal Government’s call and is warmly congratulated. This groundbreaking law is a significant step in protecting and supporting the millions of children suffering physical, sexual and emotional violence every year in Nigeria”.

    In his remarks, Dickson said the law would offer protection for children in the state.

    He said: “I am delighted that the new Child Rights Law will offer protection for children in Bayelsa state. I stress that anyone caught violating the rights of children will be prosecuted according to the provisions of this new law”.

    Also, the Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Michel Arrion, welcomed the domestication of the Act by Bayelsa State.

    Arrion urged other states which yet to do so to follow the example of the state saying: “Bayelsa has taken an important step to further the protection of children in Nigeria”.

  • Tension in Bayelsa as squad kills senior police officer  

    Tension in Bayelsa as squad kills senior police officer  

    There was tension in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, Wednesday, following the brutal murder of a senior police officer identified as Mathew Akpos by gunmen described as “special police squad”.

    Akpos said to be an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was reportedly gunned down by gunmen close to the OMPADEC school field in Amarata suburb of the state capital.

    The victim, who was said to have once worked at Ologbobiri, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, was killed at about 5pm on Monday by his assailants.

    But a source who spoke in confidence from the police said Akpos until his death was working at the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in the state command in Yenagoa.

    He said the command was expecting the arrival of his remains but failed to disclose where the gunmen dumped the corpse.

    It was also gathered that stray bullets from the gunshots fired at the scene of the incident hit an elderly woman, who is a trader in the area, on the leg and stomach.

    The woman was reportedly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) where doctors were said to be battling to save her life.

    Residents in the area identified the gunmen as a “special police squad” from unknown division.

    “The gunmen dressed like a special police squad. They wore the outfits of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and police bulletproof vests”, a resident who spoke in confidence said.

    He said the gunmen drove into the community on a black Hilux vehicle and accosted their target.

    “There were gunshots all over the place. I was at a supermarket directly opposite the scene of the incident. The way they drive into the community was suspicious and sent panic waves all over the place.

    “But the gunshots caused commotion in the area as people even youths who were playing football abandoned the game and scampered for safety,” he said.

    Another source from the community said the gunmen trailed the victim to the area and wanted to force him into their vehicle.

    He said while Akpos was being dragged into the car, he resisted his assailants and in the process pulled out his pistol from its casing.

    He said the deceased police officer shot at the gunmen left him temporarily and staggered to safety.

    “One of the gunmen who was standing close to the Hilux van immediately pulled out his gun and shot the victim who fell to the ground.

    “They later packed his body into their vehicle and zoomed off. Bullets also hit an elderly woman in her 60s. She was taken to the hospital where doctors operated on her.

    “We are still living in shock because we don’t know the motive behind the operation that led to the killing of a police officer by persons who looked like his colleagues”, he said.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Butswat Asinim, said information at the disposal of the police was still sketchy.

    He, however, said investigations were ongoing to solve the mysteries surrounding the incident especially following claims that the gunmen went away with the victim’s body.

  • Include free zone in anti-graft campaign: Experts urge Buhari

    Include free zone in anti-graft campaign: Experts urge Buhari

    Experts in the Maritime industries on Tuesday urge the President Buhari-led administration to include the free zones in the anti-graft campaign as part of efforts to unravel the acute illegalities and choking impunity in this critical section of Nigerian economy.

    This is as result of a revelation that multi-billion dollar maritime behemoth, INTELS appears to be deeply involved in an illegality and impunity. Three Oil and Gas Free Zones, -the Oil and Gas Free Zones in Warri Port Complex, Eko Support Services (ESS) Lagos and Brass Oil and Gas City, Brass Island, Bayelsa State, all multi billion Naira projects have now been discovered to have been established without the backing of the law. And INTELS is alleged to be the big, unseen hand behind these free zones.

    The Oil and Gas Free Zones, Warri Port Complex, ESS and Brass were established by the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) but experts have stated clearly that OGFZA does not have the statutory power to set up a free zone beyond Onne and Ikpokiri area of Rivers State.

    This is so because in the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Act in Section 1 (1) titled Designation and Establishment of the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone, it was stated clearly that “The President hereby designates the Onne/Ikpokiri area of Rivers State as an Export Free Zone (in this Act referred to as the Free Zone”)

    By this act, there is only one legally established Oil and Gas Free Zone and that is the one in Onne. And this makes any other purported Free Zone null and void because there is no law to back it up, according to maritime experts.

    A maritime insider, stated unequivocally that what is happening today, that is the establishment of Free Zones is a gross abuse and misinterpretation of Decree No. 8 of March, 1996. This Act established the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority. This Oil and Gas Free Authority unfortunately has over the years approved and licenced the operations of illegal oil and gas Free Zones in Warri, Brass and Lagos. Sadly, he says, the immediate past government appeared almost totally ignorant, passive or perhaps in cold complicity with a foreign organization that seems determined to trample our laws for its selfish and monopolistic goals in the maritime industry.

    On its website, under Our History, the Authority wrote: “The Authority is (also) responsible for registering, licencing and regulating Oil and Gas Free Zone in Nigeria”.

    However, findings have it that the Authority does not possess the power it is laying claims to.  Under Functions of the Authority, section 5 (1) (b) of the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Act, it was stated clearly that the Authority has powers to “grant all requisite permits and licences to conduct approved enterprises within the Export Free Zone.” Yes, within the zone. Not beyond,” a maritime expert intoned.

    In the three sub-sections of section 5 where the Functions of the Authority are clearly stated, none gave it the power to licence oil and gas free zones in Nigeria, as it claimed on its website.

    According to Dede Amos, a maritime lawyer, “From the wordings of that section 5, there is no expression, nothing whatsoever to imply that the Authority has the power to register or licence oil and gas free zones.  If it did that in the past, it is a crass violation of the law,” he stated.

    The legal practitioner explained further that the power given to the Authority under section 5 (1)(b) is that of granting permits and licences to enterprises that may want to carry out commercial activities at the Onne/Ikpokiri Free Zone.  “It was specific and unambiguous,” he stated. The maritime authority added that the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) knows that it is breaching the law but has been goaded by powerful organisations like INTELS which gave them (OGFZA) even the office they use in Onne. OGFZA also knows too well that there is no difference between INTELS and Eko Support Services or between INTELS and those in Warri Port or Brass.

    Maritime and legal experts that the government Agency that statutorily has a role to play in the registration/licencing of Export Free Zones, oil and gas or not, in Nigeria is the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).

    Indeed, under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Decree no 63 of 1992, Section 1 (1) stated clearly that: “The President, may from time to time by order, upon the recommendation of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority established under this Act, designate such area as he thinks fit to be an export processing zone, (in this Act referred to as “a Zone”).”

    In the discharge of this function, NEPZA has, over the years, seen to the registration of 32 Free Zones in Nigeria.  Nine of these are oil and gas.  All the 32 Free Zones are listed on NEPZA’s website.  Five others currently awaiting approval were also listed on the site.  None of the Free Zones registered by the oil and gas Free Zone Authority is on the website of NEPZA.

    Responding to the question of whether there are overlapping responsibilities between OGFZA and NEPZA, another legal practitioner, Barrister Christopher Okoh was emphatic that there are no ambiguities or overlapping responsibilities in the functions of the two Authorities.  “Obviously Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority has usurped the powers of NEPZA and by that Act promoted illegality.  By the NEPZA Act, all free Zones, whether oil and gas or not, are to be recommended for registration to the President by NEPZA.  Any so-called registration or licensing that does not follow the procedure is unlawful”, he added.

    Maritime experts and players are now calling on President Mohammadu Buhari to beam his blazing anti-corruption light on the free zones to unravel the acute illegalities and choking impunity in this critical section of Nigerian economy.

  • Confusion as LG workers reject Dickson’s proposed salary payment

    Confusion as LG workers reject Dickson’s proposed salary payment

    There was confusion in Bayelsa State Friday following the decision of the local government workers to reject a proposal by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to pay them one out of about 13-month salary arrears.

    The council workers have been thrown into untold hardship because of failures of the government to pay them arrears of salaries ranging from seven to about 13 months.

    But after the State Executive Council meeting on Thursday evening, Dickson said the government would commence the payment of the salary arrears on Monday.

    Though the governor did not disclose how many of the arrears he was willing to pay, it was gathered that the government intended to pay the workers one month of the backlogs in cash.

    Dickson said the council also resolved that payment of salaries would commence at the various designated centres including Peace Park, Samson Siasia Sports Complex, DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Izon Wari, Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre and Micro Finance Bank in Yenagoa.

    He sympathised with the plight of workers in the state adding that payment of the council workers’ salaries would be based on the recently concluded verification exercise.

    Dickson said the council decided to set up two committees to monitor salary payment at the state and local government levels, with representatives drawn from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).

    He said the Head of Service, Dr. Peter Singabele, would be in charge of the committee for the state mainstream civil service, while that of the LG is to be headed by Mrs. Agatha Goma.

    According to him, the supervised payment was expected to further strengthen the verification exercise and confirm the payment vouchers emanating from the 8 local government councils.

    Shortly after the decision of the government, the workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) said they would not accept the proposal.

    They said it was insensitive for the government to ask all the workers to converge at different centres in Yenagoa to receive one month salary in cash as a pilot scheme before other backlogs would be paid subsequently.

    The joint unions made the rejection in a press statement signed by NULGE Bayelsa Secretary, Mr. Tonye Jaja and the secretary, MHWUN, Mr. Letam Nwibani.

    The unions called on their members to disregard the state government’s proposal and turn up en mass on Tuesday next week to protest the non-payment of their salaries as earlier agreed.

    One of the workers who spoke in confidence wondered why the governor was only wiling to pay a month salary after receiving N1.2bn bailout funds and about four month allocations from the Federal Government.

    He said all the revenue for the local government areas so far received by the governor could offset about six to seven months of the arrears.

    He said it was inhuman for Dickson to ask workers, most of whom are resident in the hinterlands and creeks, to assemble at designated places like beggars in Yenagoa just to receive a month’s salary.

    “We can’t even afford a meal much less money for transport. We have not been paid for many months. We are asking the governor to release all the allocations for local government areas and the bailout funds. These funds will go a long way to alleviate our plight,” he said.

     

  • Our goal is to regain Presidency in 2019 – Dickson

    Our goal is to regain Presidency in 2019 – Dickson

    The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has said that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was restrategising to regain control of the Federal Government in 2019.

    In his remarks at the party’s state congress in Yenagoa, the governor called on members of the PDP nationwide to work hard at getting back power at the national level.

    Dickson in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on Wednesday, asked the state chapter of the party to sustain the existing unity in the state.

    He congratulated the electoral panel for the successful conduct of the congresses from the ward to the state level.

    Dickson said that, in the last four years, his government has worked hard to reposition the state and its political culture.

    The governor spoke amidst crumbling economy of the state arising from backlog of unpaid salaries of all categories of workers in the state.

    He acknowledged that the task ahead of the party leadership was enormous and urged them to collaborate with other stakeholders in the South-South and across the country towards winning the general elections in 2019.

    Dickson also expressed his optimism over victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

    In his remarks, the Chairman of the Election Committee from the national secretariat of the party, Abuja, Mr. Edwin Anayo described the congresses in Bayelsa as the most peaceful and transparent in the country.

    The new State PDP officials elected are, Mr. Cleopas Mose (Chairman), Ebi Sunny-Goli (Deputy Chairman), Keku Godspower (Secretary), Gbalipre Turner (Treasurer) and Ebi Fafi (Financial Secretary).

    Others are Osom Makbere (Publicity Secretary), Luke Demeoru (Organising Secretary), Amalala Atua (Youth Leader), Perekeme Richard (Legal Adviser), Numuomikari Walte (State Auditor) and Eunice Akene (Women Leader).

  • ASUU shuts Bayelsa varsity over unpaid salary arrears

    ASUU shuts Bayelsa varsity over unpaid salary arrears

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University (NDU) has commenced a sit-at-home protest following the inability of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration to pay lecturers of the university five-month salary arrears.

    Investigations revealed that ASUU at the weekend directed its members to vacate the campus and to suspend all academic activities till further notice.

    When our correspondent visited the school on Friday, no lecturer reported to work and classrooms were found empty.

    Ongoing examinations were suspended and students were seen leaving the campus and the university community for their various homes.

    The ASUU Chairman in NDU, Stanley Ogoun, confirmed the development and said lecturers could no longer be discharging their duties without money to run their daily expenses.

    He said: “We have started the sit-at-home action and this means suspension of all academic activities relating to teaching and examination of students”.

    But the Bayelsa State Government appealed to ASUU and other workers in the state not to despair over the economic crisis facing the state insisting that clearing their backlog of salaries remained the first-line charge of Dickson.

    The government in a statement co-signed by the two political advisers to the governor, Mr. Fyneman Wilson and Mr. Steven Diver, said the governor and his team were going through sleepless nights to pay the workers.

    The statement said the governor had already set up a Financial Management Committee chaired by the deputy Governor, Mr. John Jonah, to review monthly financial obligations and satisfy the basic ones.

    “To this effect, paying workers’ salaries always come first before other financial obligations. Steps are already being taken to ensure the payment of salaries within the shortest possible time.

    “We are appealing to workers to exercise some patience because they will soon receive their pay. We also appreciate Bayelsans for displaying sense of maturity and understanding despite the difficult time they are going through,” the statement said.

    The statement also highlighted the economic difficulties faced by the state adding that it was painful for a state which used to collect an average of N16bn monthly to settle for N2.9bn in January and N1.6bn in March.

    According to the statement allocations of three months were not enough to pay over N4bn monthly salaries of the workers.

    It said the verification committee set up by the government to clean the payrolls of public servants would ensure that genuine, honest and hard-working workers received their entitlements.

    The statement said: “The Dickson’s administration is the one that values all workers in the state and committed to improving the welfare of workers including paying gratuities and pensions of retired workers.

    “The governor has also taken steps to strengthen the Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR). He should be commended for looking inwards”.

    It also clarified that the government received N1.285bn bailout fund for the eight local government areas instead of N12.85bn wrongly reported in the media.

    “The Dickson-led administration in Bayelsa is focused. When this economic crisis started in the country, Bayelsa managed to stay afloat because of the governor’s prudence in the management of scarce resources.

    “Following the submission of verification reports from the local government areas, the government will soon direct the various councils to start paying salaries of their workers,” the statement said.

  • Navy vows to crush vandals, oil thieves

    Navy vows to crush vandals, oil thieves

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) of the Nigerian Navy at the weekend, re-echoed the warning of the Federal Government against economic sabotage saying it was determined to crush pipeline vandals and oil thieves within its Areas of Responsibility (AoR).

    President Muhammadu Buhari while in China vowed to deal with vandals like members of the Boko Haram sect.

    The CNC, whose headquarters is located in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, covers strategic areas of the country’s maritime assets including many oil platforms, oil fields, installations and pipelines.

    The CNC, Saturday, got a new Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Tarioworio Dick, who took over from Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman.

    Both naval bosses said concrete foundation had been laid by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas, to actualise the mandate of the Federal Government against oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

    Speaking shortly after a brief handover ceremony, Suleiman said the naval headquarters recently fortified the assets of the CNC with additional 10 patrol boats.

    He said within seven months, the command destroyed 100 illegal refineries, arrested many suspected oil thieves and impounded ships and other vessels used by vandals.

    He said: “we advise thieves to desist. The command will sanction offenders severely in accordance with the extant rules and regulations. We will continue to curb maritime crimes”.

    He said within his seven months stint, the command maintained adequate presence at sea and fully deployed operatives in strategic maritime assets.

    Suleiman said oil theft was highly reduced as the Shell a Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) reported almost zero crude theft adding that CNC was adjudged the best command in the Nigerian Navy during his period.

    The outgone commander who was redeployed to Defence Headquarters for higher assignments, inaugurated five projects he initiated and executed within seven months.

    He commissioned the command senior rates mess, 17-self content apartment ratings transit accommodation, galley, main gate complex and CNC remodeled provost and regulating office and swimming pool.

    While unveiling the maiden edition of the Central Searchlight, a publication of the CNC, Suleiman asked the officers and the ratings to cooperate with the new FOC.

    Also Dick vowed to deal with crude oil thieves,pipeline vandals, kidnappers and pirates.

    He, however, appealed to the communities to cooperate with the navy by volunteering information.

    He said: “We solicit the community to provide information for us to act. Those who perpetrate this criminality do not represent any community but the live in communities and the communities are not happy with what they are doing.

    “I am disturbed by the actions of crude oil thrives because they dig the ground and use it as a storage facility. It damages the environment to the extent that our own children may not recover from what they have done.

    “They are not friends and so there should be the whole community approach towards tackling crude oil theft, sea robbery and piracy”.

  • Bayelsa APC disown elders forum

    Bayelsa APC disown elders forum

    The Bayelsa state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned a group of party members claiming to be elders of the party in the state, saying such a group was foreign to the party constitution and the national secretariat of the party.

    In a statement made available to The Nation in Abuja and signed by the State Secretary of the party, Daniel Marlin, the party said genuine elders of the party in the state were busy doing they can to help resolve the crisis within the party in the state.

    The statement said those claiming to be elders of the party were nowhere during the formation of the party and asked party faithfuls to disregard such group as they were not working for the interest of the party in the state.

    The statement reads: “It has come to our notice that a certain group which calls itself the ‘Bayelsa APC Elders Forum’ have been going to press lately to complicate the ongoing crises in our state.  We wish to disown such a group as they are merely a make-shift lot drafted to do the bidding of their paymasters.

    “This group was absent in all the many battles of the Bayelsa APC including our difficult embryoic phase when we would have needed such a group going by the sheer elegance of the name they chose to call themselves.  The group is also not known to the national leadership of the APC. It is also not backed up by the constitution of our great party the APC.

    “It is very curious; a shabby group in levels below obscurity would spring up just to discredit the Bayelsa state APC and its hard-bitten leadership.

    We are in touch with the genuine elders of our party and they have generously offered the advise and wisdom expected of Elders, not this rowdy gang tagging themselves as Elders of Bayelsa APC.

    “Party faithfuls and the general public should therefore disregard publications and actions from this food-is-ready group as they are nothing but recruits made up of friends and former aides of Chief Timipre Sylva.”

  • Bayelsa corps members protest unpaid allowance

    Bayelsa corps members protest unpaid allowance

    • Asks Dickson to pay state’s obligations
     Batch ‘A’ members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who passed out, yesterday, trooped to the streets of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to protest the state’s government inability to pay their transport allowances.
    It was gathered that the corps members took their grievances to the Government House after receiving their discharge certificates.
    But the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, reportedly addressed the protesters.
    Obuebite said the government was zealous at promoting the interests of corps members in the state.
    He said their allowances would be paid in full adding that the money had been approved by the government.
    Also addressing the protesters, the Zonal Inspector, Ajike O. E assured them that their money would be given to them in cash by today at the zonal office Yenagoa.
    But of the corp members, Alfred Ivanson who served in Brass Local Government Area said he could not travel to reunite with his family because of the government’s inability to pay his N5000 transport allowance.
    He pleaded with Governor Seriake Dickson to pay all the allowances due for corps members to enable them go home

  • Bayelsa NLC, government reacts to plight of civil servants

    In his reaction, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bayelsa State, Mr. Ndiomu George-Diepre, said the congress was not happy with the development.

    Regretting the econonic situation in Nigeria, he begged the governor to pay the workers to enable them meet their personal and family obligations.

    He disclosed that the workers’ strength was about 45,000.

    George-Diepre said: “The Congress as usual is still on the struggle. Right now,  we are on the air, calling on the government to pay the unpaid salaries.

    “While we understand the economic situation in the country and how it also affects the states, we are still asking that the government should pay all the outstanding salaries of workers, particularly the pensioners and of course, the local government workers.

    There are also a lot of scams and ghost workers suspected in those areas, and the governor is saying he wants to do verification  and after that they will pay. But the Labour is saying that they should be paid because they have suffered for a long time.”

    But an official in the Governor’s office said Bayelsa State was not the only state that was owing salaries, saying that there are states owing between seven and eight months.

    The official,  who spoke in confidence said: “So, why is Bayelsa State so peculiar that journalists want to do a report on it.

    “The Federal Government is owing. You heard the Secretary to the Government of the Federation saying the FG is owing N6bn every month. Is that not scandalous for a nation like Nigeria? Is it no more newsworthy than workers resorting to begging? Check the fact, we are owing just three months.”