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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • ‘Shell can’t pay compensation without damage assessment’

    Leaders of Amazor Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have advised the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) against moves to pay compensation without carrying out a post-spill Impact Assessment of communities affected in May 2018 Trans Ramos Pipeline Oil Spill which devastated Amazor and its communities in the River Ramos Area.

    The Chairman, Chiefs and Elders’ Council of Amazor Community, Chief (Dr.) Gari Suwa, in a statement yesterday, said the council was aware of plans by the company to discuss compensation with some handpicked members of the community.

    He, however, warned that such move would be in violation of extant laws, and against the spirit of resolution reached in a meeting with the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) last September. Suwa alleged that the oil giant has already handpicked some of its hirelings in the communities to discuss compensation to truncate and/or pre-empt the PSIA and Damage Assessment already concluded by NOSDRA with the full participation of SPDC in December 2018.

    Read Also: Shell pays N366b revenue to Fed Govt

    The statement reads: “I was surprised that my community chairman and his attorney were among those SPDC invited in January and May 2019 to discuss compensation, while we were awaiting the release of the report of the PSIA and damage assessment carried out and concluded by NOSDRA with the full participation of SPDC in December 2018.

    “The resolution was to the effect that the payment of compensation in respect of the SPDC spillage shall be based on the PSIA and Damage Assessment already conducted and concluded by NOSDRA, and not by SPDC’s dictated compensation that was based on SPDC’s JIV Report.”

    The community leader urged NOSDRA to sanction SPDC for her impunity and for trying to manipulate and short-change the communities in an oil spill.

     

  • Bayelsa guber: Group tackles Ogoriba over denial of zoning

    A Group, Bayelsa Development Vanguard, has condemned Hon. Warman Ogoriba and Hon. Heneiken Lokpobiri alleged plan to scuttle zoning in the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State. In a press statement, the group condemned a statement credited to Ogoriba, a former member of House of Representatives and currently the Director – General of Heneiken Lokpobiri Governorship Campaign Organisation in Bayelsa State, suggesting that Bayelsa State stakeholders had never adopted any form of rotational method for the office of Governor of Bayelsa State.

    In a statement, signed by Ebitimi Igoniboyefi, the Chairman of Bayelsa Development Vanguard, the group said: “As a responsible vanguard, committed towards promoting the spirit of unity, justice and sustainable development in the Bayelsa project, we cannot afford to fold our arms and sit on the fence and watch at the activities of some individuals which tend to destroy the fabric that unites us as a people inextricably wedded together in the spirit of fairness, equity and unity.

    Read Also: ‘I will lead Bayelsa by example’

    “The statement credited to Hon. Ogoriba is not only misleading but also a self-serving political agenda that is capable of undermining the ideals of fair deal which the Izon nation had fought for over the years in the Nigerian project.

    It is absolute nonsense for anyone to say that Bayelsa stakeholders have not sat anywhere to agree on any zoning formula over the governorship issue in Bayelsa State,” the group said, adding, “apart from the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which recognizes the essence of federal character principle, the issue of fair distribution of political offices have become part and parcel of our political process in the overall interest of promoting cohesion, confidence in one another, peace and unity and above all, to give every component a sense of belonging.

    In the case of Bayelsa governorship election, no right thinking man, with right conscience, and mean well for the unity, peace and progress of the state should engage in the warped logic, wild imagination and the dangerous political adventurism which the likes of Hon. Warman Ogoriba are pushing for.”

  • I sold pepper, tomatoes, onions to pay school fees, says ex-Bayelsa Speaker

    Not all successful men were born with silver spoon in their mouths. Some struggled to become prominent in their lives. One of them is former Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker Kombowei Benson, who rose to prominence after selling pepper, onions and tomatoes to pay his school fees. MIKE ODIEGWU met him.

    Most people believe that the immediate past Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But Benson came from a humble background. He walked the creeks, paddled canoes, working and sweating profusely to rise to prominence.

    Born in far-flung Korokorosie in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Benson weathered the storms, overcame challenges and obstacles thrown at him by life. First, his survival instinct made him realise the importance of healthy competition to progressive living.

    “I did not just come into the office of the Speaker without paying many prices. From my youth and after my secondary school education in Government Secondary School Okubie, I knew the importance of competitive lifestyle. I was a football player in my secondary school days and after my secondary education, I was involved in communal and inter-communal football matches.

    “So, I was a frontline player, one of the 11 players of my community called the Olode Lions. The spirit of sportsmanship in football is always exhibited in whatever I am doing.

    In fact, after his secondary school, Benson, who shared his experience with the Niger Delta Report said life became tougher.

    He recalled: “Even after my secondary school, there was nobody that was willing to train me. I remained in the village. I was only employed in 1983 where I worked for only one month because of the fraud in the Ministry of Education for which I was dropped.

    “I stayed in the village doing all kinds of menial jobs. I engaged in many menial jobs such as cutting of woods and oil palm milling (because we had agric. palm plantation). So, I did that to feed my wife and the family. Again, there was a kind of contribution five of my brothers did. Each contributed N200 to raise the sum of N1, 000 for me. I had to use that N1, 000 to travel to Warri in Delta State on a big wooden boat, sleeping two nights on the river; going one night and coming back another night.

    “Between 1989 and 1991, I went there to buy garri, pepper, onions and other things that the table could accommodate. I will then sell to the villagers. I was and is still a trader”.

    Indeed, Benson’s engagements in football competition, his trading finesse and social interactions made him a household name in Southern Ijaw. He owned a shop at Oporoma, the headquarters of the local government area, which was also the meeting point of political and community leaders. Little wonder he rose to occupy his first political office.

    “I became a councillor in 1992”, he said. He tried two times before he was able to emerge victorious in the councillorship polls. His victory was a product of doggedness and never-say-die spirit. After his councillorship experience, Benson reverted to his buying and selling business.

    Recalling one of his business trips, he said: “There were many businesses I did after my councillorship experience. They included selling of ogbono which I took to Kano without knowing anybody in Kano.

    “I had to come back the same day after the business trip. We had to stand from Kano to Onitsha as there was no seat except what they called attachment. That was how I managed until I came to Agbor. It was in Agbor I had a seat, but we were already close to Yenagoa.

    But Benson’s performance as a councillor catapulted him to a higher political office. He was elected the Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    On how he achieved that feat, he said: “I became a full time trader after being in office as a councillor until another election period. I contested from the GDM and won the election as the Executive Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. I stayed in office until General Sani Abacha died. We were thrown out of office and I decided to relocate to Yenagoa. So, since 1998, I have been in Yenagoa.

    “When I came to Yenagoa, I went into trading again. I was one of the earliest petroleum dealers because as at then there was no petrol station in the area until one Sobaz established a filling station at Ekeki and so the petroleum market was no longer favourable. I tried as much as possible to raise a filling station. The filling station got to a particular level and I became insolvent. Therefore, the trading business became something else. I was off and on”.

    But Benson’s dream to own a filling station became a reality later. With determination, he was able to build his first filling station along the Isaac Boro Expressway. Despite the challenges and having won all his two elective positions with his school certificate, the former Speaker’s still longed for education. This compelled him to return to school. In fact, going back to school was a tough decision.

    Benson said: “My academic life was very rough and taxing. Even after my local government chairmanship, I still did not have the wherewithal. I was already training my younger ones in school. But I said, ‘now that my younger brothers are going to school, if I don’t do anything now that I am ageing, anything can happen and I may not have the opportunity to go to school again’.

    “There were schools that offer distance learning courses. I had to enroll in one of them. It was my uncle that also persuaded me to go back to school. He even bought the forms for me. I started going to the distance learning classes in the University of Calabar. So, we were made to write some of the examinations here and then we were also made to go to the main campus to write other examinations.

    “Thereafter, I enrolled at the Akwa Ibom Polytechnics that had come to open a branch at Biogbolo in Yenagoa. So, I earned my Higher National Diploma (HND) in Public Administration. I did not stop there. There was another institution that was here, the Institute of Public Administration and Management from the Obafemi Awolowo University. I had to write that examination for my Post-graduate Diploma PGD and that was the year I was already elected into the office as a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

    “After my PGD in 2007, I began planning for my doctorate degree programme. I wanted to be addressed as ‘Doctor Benson’. So, I enrolled for my Master’s degree in Public Administration at the Delta State University. Thereafter, I had to pursue the PhD programme at the Imo State University (IMSU).  I studied hard and attended lectures for all my certificates because I know I will do a disservice to myself if I can’t defend my certificates.

    “By God’s grace, I was awarded the PhD degree. But it was not easy going back to school. I recall that in my HND before I was elected into the House of Assembly, I had a very serious challenge in terms of payment of school fees. This is the reason why I try to support school children. I feel their pains because I passed through that process.

    “I had the problem of paying my school fees during my secondary education. During my HND programme, two of my younger brothers and one of my sisters were in the university and all of them were under my care. So, I could not meet up with payment of my school fees at a time we were writing examinations and I was sent out of the examination hall.

    “Maka Yoros, who was also a member of the civil service commission and I stayed outside. They asked us to leave the examination hall; we waited until those who had paid their school fees finished writing their examinations. When they were about closing, the examiner called us and said we could go in to write for thirty minutes. So, we had 10 minutes to answer each question. It was very challenging. But by God’s grace, I didn’t have any carry over. It was my greatest challenge while in school.”

    Indeed, while pursuing his academic interests, Benson also followed up his political ambition. Following his grassroots political experience; having served as a councillor and as an executive chairman, he was elected to represent the Southern Ijaw Constituency 4 in the state Assembly.

    He remained in that position till the last general elections when he contested the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency and lost to his rival at the All Progressives Congress (APC) in an alleged controversial circumstance. Believing that his mandate was stolen, Benson had since filed a suit at the tribunal to retrieve his mandate.

  • A day in Dickson’s village farm

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has a unique personality. He does not smoke and he does not consume alcohol. The governor, beyond politics, is, however, a great farmer. He has passion and unusual energy for agriculture. A visit to Dickson’s farm at Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area, reveals the governor’s love for growing food.

    His farm has become a tourist haven. High-profile individuals, government appointees, persons occupying elective positions, musical icons, comedians and social media experts have been trooping into Seriake Dickson’s farm in Toru-Orua.

    For those who don’t know Toru Orua before Dickson’s emergence as a governor, it used to be a rural settlement. It had no road, no electricity and in fact no modernity. It was a village of thatched and mud houses. It was only accessible by boats through the River Forcados, which surrounds the community. It was so isolated that nobody reckoned with it.

    But things have changed rapidly. Charity begins at home. So Dickson single-handedly transformed a raw village into a notable city. Toru-Orua is rocking shoulders with Yenagoa in terms of development. Thatched and mud houses have given way to high-rise buildings, beautiful duplexes and shinning bungalows. Toru-Orua has electricity, banks, a university, police station and bases of military formations. A road now leads to the city. Many tarred roads also divide the town into streets.

    Dickson’s farm has added to the beauty of Toru-Orua. The governor is a great host. He devotes time to conduct his visitors round the farm. It is a ritual with social protocol; what the governor chooses to call induction. A visitor goes round the farm with the governor, beholds sections of the farm such as the plantain plantation, crop section, pineapple plantation and areas mapped out for aquaculture and poultry.

    The real induction begins at the massive sugarcane plantation. Here, a visitor is given a cutlass to harvest sugarcane stem of his choice. “The longer the stem, the higher your blessings”, Dickson says jokingly. So, a visitor tries to harvest the highest sugarcane stem he can lay his hands on. The tourist prepares the stem, cuts off a plantable part and plants the leafy part of the stem in a designated area. He poses for a picture with the governor. Then the real enjoyment begins when he chews the sugary juice as he discusses with the governor. The reception makes a visit to Dickson’s farm a huge fun. How did the governor develop love for farming?

    “It It started right in this community”, the governor says. “I farmed with my parents. As a matter of fact, part of this area is owned by my father. My father brought me here and set up my first farm around where my house now stands. This was my first farm in 1984, 1985.

    “My father had a large banana plantation around this same area and when I decided to build a house, a proper compound, I rejected my father’s offer to take his land which we have given to the university. I told him I wanted to build near the river, I started acquiring this place when  I was in the House of Representatives and it kept expanding until the way it is.”

    Dickson has been investing in farm years before he became a governor. Speaking about some of his farmland, he says: “The farm here is about 25 to 30 hectares. It is not too big but I intend to make full use of it. You can see the large fish pond under construction. There  will be a poultry here. There will be a piggery here and a ranch for cattle. The one in Yenagoa, Yenegwe,  I have about 30 hectares too. I have always had that from the early twenties, 2001, 2002. My farm in Abuja is about a 100 hectares.”

    Speaking specifically on fish farming, Dickson said: “My fish farms are very large. I have the largest fish farm in the state, hundreds of thousands of fingerlings and matured fish. We are constructing the preservation systems. We want to be able to preserve them for long to sell and package because there are thousands of big fish of all kinds in my pond. The ponds are like lakes”.

    Like most Ijaw farmers, Dickson likes growing plantain. When asked his favorite crops and plants, he says: “As an ijaw man, our first is plantain. We have planted a lot of plantain and we have produced many dozens of plantain needed for sale, even in my farm in Yenagoa, we sell every market day.

    “So, we have been producing and selling, we have banana, mango, pineapples, oranges and so on. But my main focus is going to be aquaculture, poultry, piggery, cattle; I am a herdsman; an  ijaw herdsman who does cattle rearing in a confined environment, ranching and that’s what we recommend to everybody.”

    In fact, the governor desires to return to farming after the expiration of his tenure on February 14, 2020. Speaking further about his Toru-Orua farm and his future plans, he says: “I started this farm a long time ago. I haven’t really had time to prepare it and am getting ready to do so. When I finish I will be into full time farming.

    “Let me underscore the importance of investing in agriculture. First to be able to provide what we eat and secondly to be able to create jobs and create wealth and each of us no matter how highly placed should be in a position to add to the investment in agriculture and sometimes it doesn’t take too much. You can all go to your communities acquire one hectare, two hectares and plant something.

    “Luckily our country is so well endowed that in every part, we can at least plant one crop or the other. So, for me agriculture is very paramount if we are serious about creating sustainable economy and if we are serious about creating jobs. By so doing we provide food sufficiency for ourselves.

    “In this farm I plant almost everything, for the past two ,three years we have actually been harvesting a lot of banana, a lot of plantain, a lot of cucumber, a lot of pineapples everything here and you have all joined me to harvest sugarcane and I have just formally inducted you all into my farm for which am grateful.So this is to encourage you all to tell the story of agriculture.”

    The governor advises the youths to change their mindsets of viewing agriculture as old people’s occupation. “That’s the mindset we have to change. Part of what I intend to do is to apply for , have already started talking with some  banks to help me raise a facility base on the security of my titles to enable me make all these investments as I get ready to leave office.

    ”I intend to stay here in my community and my farm  in Yenagoa so that I can make most of these investments to create jobs and also make profit. Farming is very profitable. We cannot meet our needs for pigs and eggs in this state and even other poultry products. We import everything. Everything is brought into Bayelsa. So, farming is a good thing to go into and those, who have gone into it have no regrets.”

    But the governor does not intend to concentrate only on farming after leaving office. “Age is still on my side and I have a lot of passion. Writing is one and teaching is another. I will likely go back back to school. I will like to involved in teaching; carrying out research on studies about my deep experiences in governors,” he says.

    The countryman governor appeals to youths to embrace agriculture and stop the habit of relying solely on government for survival. He implores youngsters to take responsibility for their lives and future.

    Dickson added: “That is the tragedy of an under-developed deprived environment like Bayelsa where everybody thinks that survival must come from government. They don’t know that first of all, they have to take responsibility for their lives and their future. We have made a lot of investment in agriculture  to make the involvement easier.

    “Look at the aquaculture  village in Yenagoa and the several others that we are doing outside Yenagoa. Right now we have capacity of 1500 to 2000 young fishermen that should be under training and they are  also making some money in the process.

    “If you go to Ebedebiri where the government poultry with about 35,000 bird capacity is located. There is currently a programme to see how young people can go there and learn. Although I have said that the University of Africa should take it over, there is another fish farm, two big fish farms, one coming up in Angalabiri constructed by the izonist another close to Yenagoa I think famgbe area.

    “Our biggest  investment is the cassava starch processing factory, which is the largest not just in Nigeria but the largest cassava processing factory in Africa. It is built by the Dutch and they are rounding off and they will be here to run it up for two years. There is a lot of money in it.

    “We need all the starch that is produced in Bayelsa and in the entire South-South to service that factory. It will be commissioned in the next two, three months. They have already finished installation and they are just putting finishing touches to it.

    “In the end, agriculture is in the hands of everybody, like am demonstrating, we have  directed all appointees, commissioners and others to set up farm and they are doing very well.”

    On his disciplined lifestyle, Dickson said: “l have never smoked. I don’t like taking alcohol and I don’t recommend that. At the end, our strength comes from God. I live a simple life dedicated to the service of our people. I am a man of faith, who also believes that God has a hand in what we do and what we accomplish and how we live our life. So, I relax a lot.”

  • Bayelsa APC primary: X-raying Lokpobiri’s candidacy

    Since the blowing of political whistle by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, when it announced November 2nd and further rescheduled for November 16th, 2019 for the governorship election in Bayelsa State, many people have nocturnally and openly indicated their intent to have a shot at the race to Creek Haven, the Government House and seat of the Bayelsa State Government.

    It is an interesting race with lots of intrigues cutting across virtually in all the major political parties particularly that of opposition political party of the All Progressive Congress and its counterpart of the ruling People’s Democratic Party. It is a game of both pretenders and real contenders.

    One candidate that is not pretending but has clearly indicated his intent to have a shot at the race is current Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Making known his intent to contest the APC governorship race in Bayelsa State is not only interesting game to watch like that of the epic film of Eddy Murphy- Coming to America but is also surprising to the party faithful within the APC fold, given his camaraderie relationship with the leader of the party and the first term governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva. No doubt Heineken October Lokpobiri, a two term senator, has the constitutional right to contest for the office of governor of his state.

    However, his political project has been widely received with mixed reactions among the political divide.

    Those in support of his ambition said there was nothing wrong to contest, citing the example of Governor Wike Nyesom of Rivers State from the Ikwere geo-political bloc who took over from RotimiAmeachi of same Ikwere political bloc, contrary to the local political zoning arrangement of Upland and Riverine politics that had existed in the old Rivers State from time immemorial.

    The pro-Lokpobiri group strongly believes it is time that zoning arrangement should be broken in the interest of merit and competence. This is coming in the midst of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson serving out his second tenure from the Bayelsa West Senatorial District where the Minister of State for Agriculture comes from.

    As erotic as the argument from the pro Lokpobiri group may sound, a critical x-ray of Lokpobiri’s candidacy under the platform of APC and if he is eventually given the standard bearer of the party, it has huge implications with bandwagon effects on the political fortunes of the party in what many described as an epic battle ahead.

    Arguments from the other side of the divide described Heineken Lokpobiri’s ambition as ”an ambition taken too far” in the face of the bare facts and the odds which stand against the party if he is given the APC ticket.

    One of the major planks of the argument advanced against Mr. Lokpobiri is that, his ambition runs foul of the widely accepted local zoning formula where key positions of the office of the governor, deputy governor and others are based on zoning according to the geo-political configuration in the state.

    According to one Ebiowei Amaitare, a kinsman of Heineken Lokpobiri, ”Senator Lokpobiri should stop painting Bayelsa-West in bad light as a greedy people. He should place the people’s interest, which binds them together, above his personal interest.”

    Those urging Lokpobiri not to contest may have their valid reasons. A critical view at Lokpobiri’s political rise shows that he has not on his own contested any fierce election. It has always been either by imposition as in the case of Alamieyeseigha days to the spoils of the harmonisation saga under Alaibe to another imposition through the instrumentality of state power under the Timipre Sylva government in 2011.

    It is a sheer product of political opportunism all through his political career, characterised by the averice of greed and ingratitude to his benefactors whom he had bitten in one way or the other.

    These are factors that may not only work against Lokpobiri as a candidate but will also spell a death knell on the political fortunes of APC in Bayelsa State. Another reason that analysts see as a minus for Lokpobiri is his alleged brand of politics of violence and sectarianism.

    It is an open secret that Lokpobiri’s associates with youths who are mostly disposed towards violence during and after election and alienates himself from the counsels of the wise, elders and elites.

    These are traits that have become a huge liability for Lokpobiri in the politics of Bayelsa State.

    The governorship election in Bayelsa State is not going to be an easy ride to the seat of power. The party must therefore go back to the drawing board and present a credible candidate for the choice of the electorates and not candidates that will give the party bandwagon effects.

    Aspiration is one thing and translating the collective aspiration to a reality is a different ball game.

    Senator Heineken Lokpobiri is no doubt an amiable personality on the face value, but wining an election of this magnitude is an onerous task. For now, in the light of the above, Heineken Lokpobiri need to forget about his ambition in the broader interest of the APC to win and liberate Bayelsans from the current shackles of oppression and grotesque mis-governance in Bayelsa State.

  • Jonathan, Dickson in strange romance ahead of guber poll

    The sight of former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson walking, sitting and laughing together in a state function at the weekend surprised many onlookers.

    Most people described the romance between the two political leaders ahead of the November governorship election as strange following reports hitherto suggesting that the duo were not in good terms.

    Jonathan hardly attended state functions. He was conspicuously absent in important state functions including ceremonies for inauguration of critical projects, which had  former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon and former President Olusegun Obasanjo in attendance.

    Besides, Dickson’s and Jonathan’s paths hardly crossed in public as each of them would either send representative or find cogent reason to be absent in events that could bring them together.

    Speculations of frosty political relationship between the duo became rife at the buildup to the last general elections especially after the primary elections that produced the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The duo were said to have worked in cross purposes with Jonathan and his foot soldiers reportedly working against the candidates of the PDP in Ogbia, his local government area, following misgivings that Dickson frustrated Jonathan’s preferred aspirants at the primaries.

    But the atmosphere at the launching of the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund at the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, on Friday betrayed all the speculations as the two leaders worked harmoniously throughout the programme.

    Jonathan and Dickson including the governor’s wife sat together, constantly engaged in whispering and cooperated with each other.

    In fact, Jonathan stunned the guests when he praised Dickson’s achievements in the educational sector. A day before the event, Jonathan in another function organised by Ijaw elders in search of peaceful election, also poured encomiums on Dickson.

    Read Also: Dickson is chair PDP govs forum

    In his goodwill message at the launch of the fund, Jonathan said: “Let me just say that I appreciate what the governor and government of Bayelsa state is doing regarding education and we all know, and I tell people that the only way you can liberate people, you can uplift people is through education.

    “Only on Wednesday when our elders, from Lagos came up with a programme, though our governor was not there himself, the deputy governor was there. I did mention that we must all commend what the state Governor was doing regarding education.

    “The governor has gone much higher than we projected in 2006 in terms of the expansion of educational web. I have to thank you sincerely and for today, for this initiative because most problems we have in governance, is to come up with a good idea but how will that endure in most cases, immediately you leave the system collapses.

    “By setting up a board, established by law for the educational development trust fund , he has made this to endure beyond his eight  and that really makes me very happy, I have two meetings with the board and  I promised that even my foundation as little as we are will continue to partner with this trust fund board”.

    Dickson after speaking had earlier invited Jonathan to the podium to make his remarks and stood beside the former President throughout his speech.

    Jonathan also accepted an appointment from the governor to serve as an Honorary Special Adviser to the board on fund donations and promised to use his contacts to attract funds to the board.

    Many people, however, believe that unfolding events in the buildup to the November governorship election especially in the PDP will determine whether the cordial relationship between Jonathan and Dickson will last beyond the launch of the trust fund.

  • Student commits suicide for failing exams 

    A 300 Level medical student of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Bayelsa State, Uzakah Timi Ebiweni, has committed suicide for failing his exams.

    It was gathered that Ebiweni dived into the Amassoma River and drowned.

    The Nation learnt that a few hours after the incident, another student attempted to kill himself by running into a fast-moving commercial motorcycle, but was rescued.

    Ebiweni, a student of Surgery and Medicine at the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, decided to kill himself following his failure to realise his dreams.

    It was gathered that he was among the 40 students disqualified in the results released last Friday.

    Ebiweni, who found the development a bitter pill to swallow, was said to have started giving a hint of his suicide decision through his WhatsApp status.

    He was said to have initially posted a candle light and later changed it to the picture of a candle with its light blown out.

    The first female President of the Federated African Medical Students’ Association (FAMSA), Esite Winifred, lamented the incident.

    She said: “Today, a medical student took his life after failing his professional exams.

    “This brought back a lot of memories, especially how I can’t count the number of times lecturers used to spread negativity and discouragement at the initial phase of medical school.

    “Please, this should at least be a wake-up call to all students and lecturers in the faculty. It is not your destiny to demoralise young people who want a certificate.

    “Mentor and uplift them or be quiet. Nothing at the end of the day is worth dying for… especially not Medicine and Surgery”. #suicidewatch# depression# medicine#

     

     

     

  • Judge withdraws from trial of ex-Bayelsa security adviser

    Justice Ineikade Eradiri of the Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has withdrawn from the ongoing trial of a former Bayelsa Security Adviser, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh.

    Eradiri recused himself following allegations of bias and judicial misconduct levelled against him before the National Judicial Council (NJC).

    He was the presiding Judge in the two count of alleged rape, filed against Chief Kpodoh by the state government.

    At the resumed hearing Monday, Eradiri, who was scheduled to deliver ruling on an application to disqualify himself from the case announced his withdrawal from the case.

    He also said the case file would be returned to the Chief Judge of the State for necessary actions.

    Eradiri was quoted as saying that he responded to the allegations of alleged judicial rascality leveled against him before the NJC.

    He, however, said he could no longer continue with the case because the issue was already in the public domain and under investigation.

    Kpodoh, in his petition before the NJC accused Eradiri of judicial misconduct and failing to comply with the rules of the court.

    Read Also: INEC shifts Bayelsa, Kogi guber polls to Nov 16

    In a letter confirming receipt of the petition, the NJC assured Kpodoh of speedy investigation. 

    The petitioner alleged that the conduct of the judge in a case of alleged rape brought against him was a clear case of conspiracy with the state government to indict him by all mean for political gains. 

    In the two-page petition Kpodoh, prayed the NJC to leveled appropriate action against the judge, insisting that Eradiri was part of conspiracy to convict him.

  • Meet Bayelsa-born talent who produces chandeliers, lamp holders with sawdust

    Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation Daniel Iworiso-Markson is encouraging talents in the oil-rich state as a strategy to curb crime among the youth, MIKE ODIEGWU reports

    Amabebe Richard, a talented Bayelsa State-born youth, never anticipated an official visit by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

    The struggling Richard, whose craft is said to be unique, was only a caller in a live programme anchored by a radio station in Yenagoa.

    Iworiso-Markson was a guest on the programme. Richard called and appealed to the state government to support the talents of those indigenous to the state.

    Richard uses sawdust to fabricate fanciful lamp holders. He also uses it to screed walls. During the phone-in programme, the young entrepreneur pleaded with government to assist in developing budding talents.

    The young man was surprised when the commissioner paid him a visit at his workplace in Yenagoa. The commissioner was accompanied by another aide of the state governor, Osaanya B. Osaanya. He never expected that the commissioner would locate his workshop to see things for himself. The 31-year-old entrepreneur was elated to receive his stately visitor.

    But it was not the first time the commissioner was paying such unscheduled visit to progressive people in the state. Some weeks ago, Iworiso-Markson followed a seven-year-old girl, Miss Ebiladei Mike home to see her mother and discuss the future of the young talent.

    The commissioner had visited a venue of a skill acquisition programme organised by Girl Preneur 9ja (GP9ja) and saw the child among adults learning skills. He engaged the young girl and later stunned her mother with a visit accompanied by the girl. It was a morale booster for the humble family.

    Therefore, encouraging the youth to grow and develop their potential has become part of the commissioner viewed by many people as a passionate apostle of the Restoration Government and the most outstanding aide of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    Iworiso-Markson told Richard that the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration would continue to support young people who are interested in entrepreneurship by creating the right environment for them and also providing seed capital to grow their businesses.

    Assessing the work of Richard, the commissioner was stunned that the young man could use sawdust to fabricate lamp holders and screed walls. He promised the entrepreneur that the government, through the relevant agencies, would give him the opportunity to be more established; a situation that will enable him to export his products.

    Iworiso-Markson, who was filled with excitement, said Bayelsa has abundant talents ready to rule their world if given the opportunity. He called on some individuals who have the penchants for criminality to emulate serious-minded people such as Amabebe so that they will be useful to themselves and the society.

    He said: “Skill acquisition and entrepreneurship are often acquired through mentorship or training but I am surprised that this is not the case for this young man. He didn’t have any formal or informal training on this. That shows the raw talent deposited in him.

    “I am overwhelmed, especially with the fact that he is a Bayelsan who hails from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. Personally, I will patronise him and the Restoration Government of His Excellency will do everything to make sure he succeeds in his chosen field. We will not relent in providing the needed environment and funding for him and others.

    “Let me use this opportunity to call on our young people who are engaged in petty and violent crimes to desist from them. Everyone has a talent and if you discover yours, you will be the next big thing. Crime does not pay in anyway but with your talent, be rest assured that you will never go hungry,” he said.

    Responding, Amabebe said he invented the products after many years of practice.

    “I have been practising to fine-tune my invention. I discovered many ways of making many products using sawdust. I reasoned that apart from the use of piles and wood, sawdust could also be useful”, he said.

    He said his handiwork had demonstrated to the world that sawdust could be used to produce fittings, wall brackets, chandelier, lamp holders, plastering, flower vase, ceiling boards, doors and other items.

  • APC lawmaker behind my proposed CCT’s arraignment – Bayelsa Speaker

    Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Dr. Kombowei Benson, on Wednesday identified a lawmaker representing Brass Constituency 1, Isreal Sunny-Goli as the brains behind the recent decision by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to schedule him and others for arraignment.

    Speaking in Yenagoa on his proposed arraignment for abuse of office, Benson said the move originated from the lawmaker’s claims that the leadership of the House was yet to pay his allowances.

    He said though the matter had become a subject of litigation, all salaries owed to Sunny-Goli had been paid despite the lawmaker’s alleged absence from his official duties for nearly a session.

    He said Sunny-Goli was expected like other lawmakers to sign and collect other allowances but that he failed to do so because of his long absence.

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    “Hence consistent with a state policy, all unpaid salaries and allowances are paid back to state coffers at the end of every financial year”, he said.

    Benson added: “If there’s any display of misconduct and abuse of office, it is Israel Sunny-Goli that is culpable not me. For a whole legislative session, he has only attended about two sittings. Such action has denied his constituents inputs in legislative processes and bills passed in the House.

    “It is common knowledge that salaries and wages including allowances are paid only to those, who have performed their duties. I wondered why he is desperately going this far to drag innocent people to issues created by his failure to do his work.

    “Besides, it is the practice of the House that individual members sign their financial entitlements. Hence, the Speaker is constraint to accessing money meant for others. If Sunny-Goli his not able to access his benefits, it is his own fault”.