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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • Police go after killers of DPO, three officers

    It was a sad day for the police on Monday as they lost six officers to gunmen in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

    In Bayelsa State, some unidentified gunmen, operating on a speed boat, attacked a station in Agudiama-Ekpetiama, Yenagoa Local Government Area, killing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and three others, including an expectant officer.

    Two policemen, who were escorting a bullion van around Ojoto-Timber, Mile Two, Diobu, Port Harcourt, were shot at close range by suspected robbers.

    The unidentified gunmen invaded the Divisional Police Station in Yenagoa at about 2am and forced the DPO to lead them to the armoury, which they raided before they killed the DPO and three other policemen on duty.

    It was learnt that the expectant officer, Mrs. Joy Wellignton, was shot dead by the bandits, whose actions sparked tension in the community.

    The gunmen had easy access to the station, which has no perimeter fence, through the waterways.

    Commissioner for Youths Udengs Eradiri, who hails from the area, said the bandits came by speedboats through the waterways crisscrossing the community.

    Thick blood stains were seen on the floor in the ransacked station.

    Eradiri, who inspected the the station, said the gunmen anchored their boats at the river bank, trekked about two kilometers to the station where they opened fire on the policemen on duty.

    The police commissioner, who condemned the unprovoked attacked, said the hoodlums destroyed the armoury and carted away arms and ammunition.

    He said: “This is highly condemnable. Our community youths, who heard the gunshots, tried to confront the bandits but there was little they could do against people, who were carrying sophisticated weapons.

    “I am pained because it is my community and we are going to do everything possible to unmask the identities of persons behind the attack. While I sympathise with the police for the attack, I call on them and other security agencies to fish out those behind the dastardly act.”

    A source said the criminals took the DPO, Ola Rossana, to the armoury and took all the guns and bullets before shooting him.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The gunmen after killing the DPO moved from one room to the other, searching for policemen believed to be hiding. It was in one of the rooms they killed the expectant policewoman identified as Joy Wellington.

    “Two other policemen on patrol in the community heard the gunshots and rushed down to the station where they had a gun duel with the gunmen, inflicting bullet wounds on them. They also suffered fatal wounds and are now in critical condition at the hospital.”

    The late Mrs. Wellington has been described as a gentle, popular policewoman, who was known for controlling traffic at Ekeki within the Yenagoa metropolis.

    The Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Mr Kemela Okara, who also hails from the community, said the government received the report of the attack with shock.

    Okara said: “The reaction is that of shock and disbelief. It is difficult to understand why people carry out such wicked and dastardly act in the dead of the night to kill police officers at their duty post. It is something that is completely unbelievable and wicked.

    Read Also: Two policemen killed as robbers make away with cash, rifles

    “I came personally to ascertain if what I was hearing was actually true, because it is beyond belief.  People who have committed such act and you cannot even begin to think of words to describe such human beings.

    “It is very important to first of all share our condolences to the families of those affected. I can assure you that as a government that places high premium on security of the people and those of law enforcement officers securing our citizens, we would not take this lightly at all.

    “We will leave no stone unturned; we will make every effort possible to bring those who committed this dastardly act to book. We would ensure they are apprehended and face the full wrath of the law.

    “We cannot afford to have a state where people feel they can move into a community and kill people at will; that we cannot allow to happen.”

    The two mobile policemen attached to the Rivers State Command were yesterday killed by armed robbery suspects in Port Harcourt.

    The gunmen, who escaped with an unspecified amount of cash, shot dead the security personnel who were escorting a bullion van.

    They also made away with the rifles of the policemen.

    The two policemen were in a Toyota Camry saloon car, when the criminals rained bullets on them yesterday afternoon.

    Many passersby were also injured in the incident that took place at Ojoto-Timber in Mile Two, Diobu, Port Harcourt, a close distance from a police station.

    The robbery suspects operated without any challenge and they quickly escaped amid sporadic gunshots into the air to scare residents and passersby.

    Long after the criminals had escaped, some policemen arrived at the scene and moved away the bodies of their colleagues that were still lying in the Toyota Camry car.

    Police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident and added that Police Commissioner Usman Belel had ordered detailed investigation into the robbery.

     

  • We‘ll use Kogi, Bayelsa governorship polls to correct wrongs in 2019 polls — Institute

    The Electoral Institute, Abuja, said on Friday that it would use the Kogi and Bayelsa states’ governorship elections to correct all the wrongs from the lessons learnt during the 2019 general elections.

    Dr. Saád Idris, Director-General of the institute, said at a Policy Dialogue series tagged, “Dynamics of Delegation: Reforms in the Recruitment, Training and Deployment of Ad-hoc Election Personnel” in Abuja that Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been engaging with stakeholders since the last  elections, to know what went wrong to improve on subsequent elections.

    The INEC chairman, according to him, “has been making effort to address the challenges faced, so this is a part of that effort to look into the recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc staff during elections.

    “The effort of the commission is clear; it has owned up to some things that it did not do right, so beginning from the Kogi and Bayelsa elections, you will see improvement.’’

    Idris said that the plans to correct the electoral process had started, adding that “we are not going to wait for general elections before correcting all the wrongs.’’

    Idris explained that the meeting was part of the mandate to organise a policy dialogue, to engage in dialogue for reforms, recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc staff.

    Read Also: INEC to review MoU with NYSC 

    He also said that the dialogue was with particular reference to what happened in 2019 elections.

    Earlier, Prof. Shola Omotola, Lead Speaker and lecturer, Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, called for expansion of the recruitment data base of adhoc staff to include ex-NYSC members, to guarantee continuity.

    Omotola, therefore, called for training and re-training of ad-hoc staff and the need to put mechanisms in place to enable such staff to also vote on Election Day, in order not to disenfranchise them.

    He advised INEC to imbibe the culture of timely recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff to enable them work effectively.

    Omotola said that there was need to guarantee their security as well as increase their remunerations for greater performance.

    Mr Adedeji Soyebi, Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, said that a lot had been learnt from the lessons shared by various stakeholders on the occasion.

    Soyebi said that ad-ahoc staff played critical role in the electoral process, adding that INEC could not afford to overlook such role.

    “So the reforms in the delegation of responsibilities would constantly be reviewed,”he said.

    He said that the institute would continue to improve on the electoral process in consonance with the commitment of INEC to ensure free, fair and credible elections and acceptable by all.

  • ‘We‘ll use Kogi, Bayelsa governorship polls to correct wrongs of 2019 polls’

    The Electoral Institute, Abuja on Friday said  that it would use the Kogi and Bayelsa State governorship elections to correct all the wrongs from the lessons learnt during the 2019 general elections.

    Dr. Saád Idris, Director-General of the institute said at a Policy Dialogue series tagged, “Dynamics of Delegation: Reforms in the Recruitment, Training and Deployment of Ad-hoc Election Personnel“ in Abuja that Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been engaging with stakeholders since the last  elections, to know what went wrong to improve on subsequent elections.

    The INEC chairman, according to him, “has been making effort to address the challenges faced, so this is a part of that effort to look into the recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc staff during elections.

    “The effort of the commission is clear, it has owned up to some things that it did not do right, so beginning from the Kogi and Bayelsa elections, you will see improvement.’’

    Idris said that the plans to correct the electoral process had started, adding that “we are not going to wait for general elections before correcting all the wrongs.’’

    Idris explained that the meeting was part of the mandate to organize a policy dialogue, to engage in dialogue for reforms, recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc staff.

    He also said that the dialogue was with particular reference to what happened in 2019 elections.

    Earlier, Prof. Shola Omotola, lead speaker and lecturer, Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State called for expansion of the recruitment data base of adhoc staff to include ex-NYSC members, to guarantee continuity.

    Read Also: 2019 polls: we’ve withdrawn 64 Certificates of Return, says INEC

    Omotola, therefore, called for training and re-training of ad-hoc staff and the need to put mechanisms in place to enable such staff to also vote on Election Day, in order not to disenfranchise them.

    He advised INEC to imbibe the culture of timely recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff to enable them work effectively.

    Omotola also said that there was need to guarantee their security as well as increase their remunerations for greater performance.

    Mr. Adedeji Soyebi, Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, said that a lot had been learnt from the lessons shared by various stakeholders at the occasion.

    Soyebi said that ad-ahoc staff played critical role in the electoral process, adding that INEC could not afford to overlook such role.

    “So the reforms in the delegation of responsibilities would constantly be reviewed” he said.

    He said that the institute would continue to improve on the electoral process in consonance with the commitment of INEC to ensure free, fair and credible elections and acceptable by all.

     

     

  • Dickson supports ex-Police Affairs minister for INC president

    BAYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson has mobilised support for a former Police Affairs Minister, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, to become President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC).

    The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Fidelis Soriwei, advocated for a rancour-free, INC convention on June 29.

    The governor spoke during a meeting with leaders of the Western Zone, including INC Presidential hopeful, Bozimo, in Warri, Delta State. He said it was important to have a president with name, reputation, capacity and understanding of the issues and challenges facing the Ijaw of the Niger Delta, especially with current realities in the country.

    Dickson called on the members to support Bozimo.

    He said: “We are in unusual times in Nigerian; most of you have seen my views on issues affecting our people. The Ijaw nation is also at a turning point. There are many unusual things going on.

    “We are observing what is happening in the country, people have been holding meetings. I have been briefed on so many meetings going on. All those who are contesting are qualified, but after consultations, we need to talk to people. We need to talk to people to join the team.

    Prevailing on somebody to run for a particular position should not be seen as disrespect to others.

    Read Also: Dickson blasts office-seeking, inconsistent politicians

    “The Ijaw nation needs an arrow head. The job requires concerted action. We need an arrowhead, with name, reputation, capacity and understanding of the issues. We compelled Alaowei to contest just as we compelled Sekibo. “INC service is not a political party. I support the need to have somebody of Bozimo’s pedigree at the INC at this point in our country’s history.”

    Bozimo said despite his age, he was knowledgeable and well-experienced, having served in various capacities including, Minister of Police Affairs during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and others.

    He boasted that he has been fastidious about the development of the Ijaw Nation, and would continue to champion the rights of the people.

    He thanked Dickson, who he noted has demonstrated humility, for his effort in speaking for his people, and prayed God to uplift him to the highest position of leadership of the country in the future.

  • NDDC hailed for completing N24b coastal road in Bayelsa

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been hailed for completing the N24 billion Ogbia-Nembe Coastal Road in Bayelsa State, which has opened up land access to many communities for the first time in history.

    The road, constructed in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), covering 29 kilometres through swampy terrain with spurs to 14 other communities, is to be inaugurated shortly, according to the Acting Managing Director of the Federal Government’s interventionist agency, Prof. Nelson Braimbaifa.

    Speaking in an interview in Nembe over the weekend, according to NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, the Opu Nembe Bassambiri Council of Chiefs, through its Secretary, Chief Afrebo Okpoma, stated that with the completion of the Ogbia-Nembe road, the communities in the area had been spared the dangers of travelling through the waterways.

    Okpoma said: “Before the road, we were travelling through our waterways, but since the road was completed, we now drive in with our vehicles.

    “When we were travelling through the waterways, there were always bad boys who were attacking the passengers and robbing them. There was this fear each time we were travelling that the bad boys might be there, but since the road was constructed, we no longer witness such ugly incidents.

    “Commercial activities have increased. Our Igbo brothers, who are not good swimmers, were not coming here to trade. When we were coming through the waterways, you would not see the Igbo traders coming to Nembe to trade, but since the road was completed, the Igbo traders are now coming in with their goods, during our market days.

    “Our people now commute between Nembe and Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital freely, up to late in the evening. If you leave Nembe by 6pm, before 7.30pm you are in Yenagoa and likewise one can travel from Yenagoa to Nembe at any time. Our secondary schools have been upgraded from grade C to B, because of the road link.”

    The secretary also stated that before this time, building materials were brought through the sea, which made the items very expensive.

    He said: “Today, we pay far less than what we were paying before the road. So, it has reduced the cost of building and increased the number of buildings in our communities. New buildings are springing up daily, because of the road.

    “What we can say to NDDC is that if you have a child that is doing well, you have to praise the child and encourage him to do more. The NDDC can help us to open our village roads, to help reduce the problem of unemployment for our youths.”

    Read Also: Youths, ex-militants clash over threats to NDDC

    A regular user of the road, Dr. Iti Orugbani, who is an indigene of Nembe-Bassambri, described the strategic road as fantastic.

    Orugbani said: “You cannot compare any project to this road. The days of frequent boat mishaps are over for us. We are truly enjoying the road.

    “We are very grateful to the NDDC for constructing the road. We applaud the commission, because for us, there is nothing you can compare with this road. In the past, Nembe people and others were involved in boat mishap, but these days, we hardly lose lives on the waterways, because most people now use the road. We no longer have to deal with the problem of encountering sea pirates.”

    Okpoma also commended NDDC and the executive management, while urging them to continue with the good work they are doing, advising that they should distance themselves from politics to avoid being distracted.

    He noted that with the completion of the Ogbia-Nembe road, it would be the expectation of the people that work would commence on the Nembe–Brass section of the project, stressing that the success story would be complete when the road gets to Brass, which hosts the the Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s oil export terminal.”

     

  • Dickson blasts office-seeking, inconsistent politicians

    Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Seriake Dickson over the weekend flayed the political class for their inability to identify with the people they seek to govern in times of need.

    A statement by his Special Adviser on Media on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei quoted the   Governor as having made the remark at the commendation service and burial of literary icon and international Poet, Dr. Gabriel Imomotimi Okara in Yenagoa over the weekend.

    The Governor expressed displeasure that such group of Bayelsans are only interested in imposing themselves on the people rather than identify with them, particularly on the passage of such a great literary icon who God used in blessing  the Ijaw nation.

    Governor Dickson noted that honouring both the living and the dead has been an essential component of his restoration government since 2012, expressing regret that they have failed to learn the lessons inherent in the virtues behind this philosophy.

    According to the Governor, “Today we are burying and honouring this great man that God gave to us and you will not see them. The only time you see them is when they want to impose themselves on you and I. They never learn the lesson that in the last seven years we have been teaching; which is that a society that does not recognise and honour its best, a society that is in perpetual strife and looking for who to blame, pull down and destroy and not upholding and respecting what is good is a doomed society.”

    The Governor also announced a donation of N25 million on behalf of the state government to the Dr. Gabriel Okara Foundation towards upholding the legacies of the distinguished literary icon.

    Read Also: Jonathan, Dickson in battle of wits over gov’s successor

    In his words; “The Bayelsa State government will work and partner with you to see how we can be talking about his timeless works and the lessons he taught the world. We will support the foundation so that our stories that Dr. Okara told the world will continue from now till the end of time.”

    While expressing gratitude to people from all walks of life who attended the burial, the Governor particularly appreciated Prof. Brenda Marie-Osbey who came from the United States to be part of the final burial rites.

    Eulogising the late Dr. Okara, a renowned historian, Prof. Ebiegberi Alagoa described him as an elder brother from whom he learnt a great deal.

    Also paying tribute on behalf the bereaved family, the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Kemela Okara thanked the governor for organising a state burial, in honour of the literary giant, describing the gesture as an exceptional farewell to the literary legend.

    In his remarks, President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Mr. Denja Abudullahi, said rather than mourn the passage of Dr Okara people should celebrate his eventful life of prodigious contributions to humanity through literature and public service.

    Other prominent personalities that graced the event were the Deputy Governor, Rear Adm. Gboribiogha John Jonah, Prof. John Pepper Clark, a Poet of note, Prof. Ebiegberi Alagoa, a renowned historian, Prof. Kimse Okoko, former President, Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Lawrence Ekpebu and Prof. Godini Darah of the University of Africa, Toru Orua.

    Former Minister of Police Affairs, Broderick Bozimo and his spouse, Mrs Elechi Amadi, former and serving national as well as state legislators, traditional rulers and well-wishers paid their last respect to the departed literary hero.

     

     

  • Deciding Bayelsa’s next governor

    Since the commencement of civil governance in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has maintained its position firmly as the ruling political party in Bayelsa State. Although, the All Progressives Congress (APC) fought a strong battle to challenge the political hegemony of the PDP in the December 5, 2012 elections in the state, the PDP has always asserted its political dominance nay superiority.

    Like the entire states of Southsouth geo-political zone, not even the opposition APC which controls the Federal Government has been able to change the narrative that the Southsouth and, indeed, Bayelsa is an incontrovertible stronghold of the PDP.

    This narrative of the PDP dominance has been consistent from the period of former President Olusegun Obasanjo through the regimes of the President Umaru Yar’Adua, Jonathan and even Muhammadu Buhari to date in the region. From 1999 to date, all the governors of the PDP, namely Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Timipre Sylva all governed the state under the PDP.

    Interestingly, the political indicators in Bayelsa seem to suggest that the stronger battles for the control of the Bayelsa Government House popularly known as the Creek Haven are most likely to be fought within the party.

    While addressing a forum of Bayelsa PDP stakeholders in Yenagoa in May, this year, the state Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson asserted that only the PDP has the capacity and popularity to win election in the state. The Governor told the large turnout of party leaders and supporters in the meeting which focused on the issue of the next governor of the state that the government under his leadership would embark on state-wide prayers and consultations to tackle the issue of his successor in the interest of the Bayelsa people. The Governor left nobody in doubt that he and other stakeholders and political leaders would not allow cultists and violent men who lure young Bayelsans to the destructive web of cultism to take over governance in Bayelsa.

    Expectedly, the prevalent belief that the PDP is the party of political dominance and control has made it the destination of most of the big politicians with enduring ambitions to govern the state which Governor Dickson has Christened the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation.

    Among those who have indicated interest to contest the governorship under the PDP are a former Federal Permanent Secretary in charge of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, a businessman and son of former President of the Ijaw National Congress, Mr. Keniebi Okoko, an associate of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is believed to have strong ties to former First Lady, Mrs. Jonathan, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Timi Alaibe,  the Publisher of Nigerian Pilot, Dr. Denis Sammy, former Niger Delta ex-agitator, Mr. Joshua Maciver.

    This list of those jostling to be one of the chief tenants of the Bayelsa Government House also includes those currently occupying various political positions under the Dickson Administration. These set of aspirants belong to the PDP household of Restoration which is most likely to have one of its men succeed Dickson. These aspirants now involved in furtive campaigns include the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kemela Okara, the Chairman of the PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas, a former Director of Protocol, Joseph Akedesuo, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Revenue Board, Mr. Nimibofa Ayawei, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Doodei Week, and the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Talford Ongolo, among others.

    Aware of the massive responsibility fate has placed on his shoulders, the Governor declared during a meeting of top PDP stakeholders in Yenagoa on May, 29, this year, that his successor would emerge through interplay of factors which include state wide consultations and prayers. Governor Dickson, who assured the PDP supporters that he would hand over to another PDP Governor come February 14, 2020, called for more support and stability on PDP family to be able to maintain the party’s status as the ruling political party in Bayelsa.

    He said: “Another PDP Governor will be elected in the next election. I urge all the people to step into the communities and mobilise the people. It will be my pleasure to lead the PDP with your support so that another PDP governor will be elected.  How we survived during the 2015 governorship election is by the grace of God and our mobilisation skills.

    “You now have people who know how to play opposition politics. As we begin the transition programme, we expect you to put on the toga of an opposition person. You have a lot of work to do. It is their work to sow seeds of discord but it’s your job to keep your party united, strong and stable.”

    Read Also: Hoodlums burgle Bayelsa judiciary complex

    Already speculations are rife in the state that the big issue of who plays what role in the emergence of PDP gubernatorial candidate has become factor of subdued dispute, especially between the two highest PDP personae in the state, the Governor and former President Goodluck Jonathan. A source in a strategic position within the PDP said both politicians are locked in a politics of who should come forth with a name for the party to endorse.

    However, Government House sources were authoritative in their claim that the Governor, who controls the political structure in the state, would naturally assume the greater role in the selection or election of a flagbearer for the party.

    The source predicated his claim on the fact that while Jonathan leans on the parapet provided by his former position as Nigeria’s President in the emerging face-off, Governor Dickson controls the impregnable Restoration Team which controls over 80 per cent of the PDP whose members are saddled with the responsibility of electing a gubernatorial candidate for the party.

    But neither the Governor  nor the former President would admit the existence of a dispute between them on the issue of who becomes the next candidate of the PDP.

    “I don’t have any problem with former President Goodluck Jonathan. The former President remains my elder brother and leader. Let me put you on notice that he is one person I will sit down with on the transition programme to compare notes and decide who should be our next governor,” Dickson had said during the launch of the Education Development Trust Fund where Jonathan was the Special Guest of Honour.

    While the game of denial rages, the tempo of political activities is unusually subdued a few months to the election. The large number of aspirants most of who throng the Bayelsa State Government House ostensibly to attend government functions has embraced a deliberate strategy to refrain from loud, authoritative public campaigns designed to woo the Bayelsa delegates.

    A party chieftain observed that the aspirants have embraced a curious campaign strategy of silence because of their awareness of the pertinence of the Governor’s role in the forthcoming process of selecting a candidate for the party.

    Some of the aspirants such as Chief Timi Alaibe, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, a close associate of Mrs. Patience Jonathan, Mr. Reuben Okoya, a former Federal Permanent Secretary Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, are said to be looking in the direction of Jonathan and the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, for political survival.

    Some of the aspirants have claimed that the Governor has not been forthcoming with his support for their ambitions because they are perceived to be mature and independent-minded. But the PDP source dismissed such claims as a product of unnecessary desperation. The source insisted that the Restoration Team of the PDP under the leadership of the Governor has men of  equal if not higher pedigree that should be trusted with the leadership of the state.

    Without doubt, the many aspirants jostling for the ticket of the PDP are guided by a consciousness of the critical role of the Governor whose endorsement is taken as a near certainty in the quest for the gubernatorial ticket of the PDP in the next election.

     

    • Elijah, civil servant, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.

     

  • Community threatens to shut oil firm’s operations

    Residents of Agge community in Bayelsa State have given Sterling Oil Exploration and Production Company (SEEPCO) Nigeria two weeks to stop operations in the area.

    The community leaders and youths threatened to shut SEEPCO’s operation after months of bickering with the management of the indigenous oil firm over Global Memorandum of Understanding, development projects, employment slots, levies and royalties.

    A letter by the Chairman and Secretary of Agge Federated Communities, Messrs. Germain Irou and Erastus Orukemezuogha, reads: “We are constrained to give you the ultimatum which shall terminate on the June 20. We may be constrained to shut down your operations unless all the issues contained in our four separate letters are resolved.

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    “For the avoidance of doubt, the issues for which we want urgent resolution are – your refusal to renew the expired GMoUs six months into a new year of their expiration; your two months dredging of the Agge River Ramos without any statutory approval and agreement with the Agge community; the operations of Yade Barge in the Agge Area and your refusal to pay land rents.”

    Other issues raised were the construction of land reclamation, shore protection wall/sand-filling, three full time employment slots and month royalties amounting to N360,000.

    SEEPCO’s Community Liaison Officer Konyefa Erebi could not be reached for comments.

    Irou, however, said the firm could avoid the planned confrontation if SEEPCO “creates a proper forum where the issues and many others in the River Ramos Area are resolved. But if they remain obstinate as they have done since the beginning of the year, we have no choice than to close their operations.”

  • Bayelsa community threatens to shutdown SEEPCO operation

    There is tension in Agge community of Bayelsa state over the threat to enforce a two-week vacation ultimatum to Sterling Oil Exploration and Production Company (SEEPCO) Nigeria Limited, to stop operations in the area by residents.

    The community leaders and youths had issued a two-week deadline to shut down SEEPCO’s operation after months of bickering with the management of the indigenous oil firm over Global Memorandum of Understanding, development projects, employment slots, levies and royalties.

    The Chairman and Secretary of the Agge Federated Communities, Messrs. Germain Irou and Erastus Orukemezuogha, in a terse letter to the firm, said: “We are constrained to give you the ultimatum which shall terminate on the 20th day of June, 2019.

    “We may be constrained to shut down your operations unless all the issues contained in our four (4) separate letters are resolved.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the issues for which we want urgent resolution are:

    “Your refusal to renew the expired GMoUs six (6) months into a new year of their expiration.”

    Read Also: Bayelsa needs visionary leader, says aspirant

    “Your two (2) months dredging of the Agge River Ramos without any statutory approval and agreement with the Agge Community; The operations of Yade Barge in the Agge Area and Your refusal to pay land rents.”

    “Other issues raised at the construction of land reclamation, shore protection wall/sand-filling, three full time employment slots and month royalties amounting to N360, 000.

    SEEPCO’s Community Liaison Officer, Konyefa Erebi, was not available for comment, as calls to his mobile phone were unanswered or returned at press time on Sunday.

    However, Irou, in a telephone chat on Sunday, said the company could avoid the planned confrontation if SEEPCO “create a proper forum where the above issues and many others in the River Ramos Area are resolved.

    “But if they remain obstinate as they have done since the beginning of the year, we have no choice than to close their operations,” he added.

  • NDDC to inaugurate N24b coastal road in Bayelsa

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is set to inaugurate the strategic N24 billion Ogbia-Nembe Road in the coastal part of Bayelsa State.

    The Acting Managing Director, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, spoke at a special Niger Delta stakeholders’ interactive dinner in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    The Ogbia-Nembe road was carved out of the deep mangrove forest and built in partnership with the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC).

    The interactive dinner was attended by prominent traditional rulers and stakeholders, as well as the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA) of NDDC, Dr. Chris Amadi, and others.

    Brambaifa said the Ogbia-Nembe road, covering about 29 kilometres, and with spurs to 14 other communities, would open up the area for renewed economic and agricultural growth. He assured the people that NDDC would continue to lay the foundation for a stronger partnership among stakeholders, to facilitate sustainable regional development that would impact positively on the people’s lives.

    The NDDC chief added that the commission was committed to developing the region, built on the foundation of due process, job creation, skill acquisition and social welfare, empowerment of the people and equitable distribution of projects and programmes.

    Read Also: NDDC: Group calls on Ijaws to support Brambaifa

    He said: “What we are working on is the immediate completion of the Polaku Bridge on East-West-Opokuma-Sabagriea Road, linking Yenagoa to Kaiama in Bayelsa State, as well as the Abbi-Emu-Unor Road and Ibusa internal roads in Delta State.

    “We must hope that all the years in which the Niger Delta has been victimised and neglected are being recognised and reversed. It means that slowly, but surely, the poverty, underdevelopment, inequity and regional disregard that held sway will give way to development, prosperity, stability and peace.

    “NDDC belongs to the people of the Niger Delta. We fail our people when we work alone, without collaborating with you all, at all levels.

    “We cannot afford to fail. What we hold in trust is the collective aspirations of our people, and we will continue to work with you, with our youths, women, traditional institutions and our democratic institutions to make our region one that fulfils our expectations and honours our dreams.”

    Chairman of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON) Obong Effiong Achianga assured NDDC of their support, noting that the commission needed counselling from its founding fathers.

    Achianga underlined the role played by the monarchs in the birth of the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) forum, which he said encouraged stakeholders’ participation in developing the Niger Delta.

    The Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, who is the pioneer military governor of the old Rivers State, said NDDC had taken the bull by the horns by inviting stakeholders in the region to an interactive forum.

    He admonished the youths to be availed of relevant training to became assets and stay away from violence and criminal activities.