The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bayelsa

  • Bayelsa urges police to fish out killers of cattle dealers

    Bayelsa urges police to fish out killers of cattle dealers

     The Bayelsa Government has called on the Police and other security agencies to apprehend the killers of a prominent cattle dealer, Alhaji Jibril Abdulkarim, and three of his aides.

    The cattle dealer and three of his aides were shot dead at his private abattoir in Yenagoa on Dec. 2.

    Abdulkarim was a member of the Bayelsa Committee for the Management and Control of Ranches, and Chairman Cattle Breeders Association ( CBA ) in the state.

    Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa in a visit to commiserate with the families of the deceased, condemned the reprehensible act.

    Dickson, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Mr Talford Ongolo, assured the families of the state government’s efforts to fish out the perpetrators.

    He said that the State Government would collaborate with the security agencies to ensure that those behind the heinous act were arrested and brought to justice.

    The governor, who was accompanied by other top government officials and security chiefs in the state, described Abdulkarim as a peace loving, law abiding and easy going businessman who was a friend to all, including the government.

    “As a government, we condemn it and we shall work closely with the security agencies to apprehend the criminals who committed these unacceptable acts in order to bring them to book.

    “Alhaji Jibril was a good man; he was very easy going. He worked closely with our government to promote peace and unity among all in the state.

    “He was never caught violating any law and we are indeed shocked to hear of his gruesome murder alongside some of his boys,” Dickson said.

    He warned that the state government would not tolerate crime and criminality, stressing that those behind the killings shall not go free.

    He urged the security agencies to intensify efforts until the perpetrators behind the killing of innocent people were apprehended and prosecuted.

    NAN

  • Gunmen kill popular cow dealer, three others in Bayelsa

    Gunmen kill popular cow dealer, three others in Bayelsa

    * Police hunt for killers 

    Unidentified gunmen yesterday shot and killed a popular cow dealer and Chairman Cattle Breeders Association (CBA), Bayelsa State, Alhaji Jibril Abdulkarim and three others.It was gathered that Abdulkarim was killed in the afternoon along Azikoro road at Winners U-turn by the gunmen, who came in an unmarked vehicle.

    A source, who accompanied the victims’ corpses to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, said the famous Alhaji was killed within the premises of his private abattoir.

    “The gunmen invaded the place this afternoon and shot him. He is a household name because he is the highest supplier of cows in Bayelsa.

    “The gunmen also turned to his boys and killed three of them. It is a sad development.

    “But we are calling for calm because the incident is fresh and required thorough investigation”, the source, who spoke in confidence said.

    He said the motive behind the dastardly act would be uncovered by security agencies during investigations.

    He insisted that only investigation would reveal the identities of persons behind the incident, adding there was no need to panic.

    The Bayelsa Police command in a statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Butswat Asinim, confirmed the incident.

    The statement said: “On 2 December, 2017, at about 1230hrs, three unknown gunmen in a Black Mazda 323 car Reg No yet unknown, went to Azikoro Road by winners U turn, Yenagoa, where one Alhaji Jibril Abdulkarim, the Chairman Cattle Breeders Association, Bayelsa State Branch, was discussing with three others, shot at them on their heads and drove off to unknown destination.

    “Policemen were immediately deployed for possible arrest. The scene was visited by the Police.

    “Three of the victims one Abiso Abba ‘m’, Yunusa surname unknown and the third name unknown died at the spot, while Alhaji Jibril Abdulkarim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention where he later died.

    “There’s suspicion of internal wrangling and strife within the association, Police and other security agencies are working on a promising lead for possible arrest of the suspects.

    “Corpses of the victims have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa for autopsy.

    “All units have been alerted and efforts are on going to arrest the fleeing suspects”.

  • Dickson condoles with Patience Jonathan, family

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has said he received with shock the news of the demise of Engr. Lazarus Iwari Kalama Sokobe, the elder brother of the former First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan.
    Governor Dickson in a brief condolence message said he was deeply saddened by the loss of the former First Lady’s brother.
    “My deepest sympathies go out to you and your family on this great loss. I offer you and your family my thoughts and prayers at this time. May God comfort, strengthen and give you peace to bear the loss.” 
     
    Engr. Sokobe was interred on Saturday in Okrika, Rivers State.
  • Police avert another jail break in Bayelsa

    Police avert another jail break in Bayelsa

    About three weeks after 10 suspects escaped from police cell in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, another attempt by suspects to escape from detention was averted on Friday.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, who confirmed the incident, said the incident occurred in a broad daylight when the suspects were having their bath.

    He said the suspects over-powered the policeman, who opened the iron bar, and attempted to flee only to discover that the outer gate in the facility was locked.

    He said: “It was a tense situation but the prompt alertness of other policemen around the area saved the situation, none of the suspects escaped but the fact of the matter is that we do not have proper detention facilities.

    “It is a makeshift arrangement, an office with buglary proof.  We were lucky to avert this one but that does not mean that it will not happen again. The suspects can still plan another one. We desperately need to build proper detention facilities to hold suspects.

    “The makeshift facilities we have are over-stretched and we have written to the state government as well as engaged the judiciary to quicken the dispensation of justice because it is the slow pace of prosecution that makes our facilities over crowded.

    “The dearth of facilities here is hampering our efforts at policing the state.”

    About 10 suspects detained at the Special Anti- Robbery Squad facility in Yenagoa escaped on November 7.

    The police said three of the fleeing suspects have been rearrested.

    Read Also: Four policemen kill in Adamawa

  • Police avert another cell break in Bayelsa

    Police avert another cell break in Bayelsa

    About three weeks after 10 suspects escaped from police cell in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State capital, another attempt by suspects was averted on Thursday.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, who confirmed the incident said it occurred in broad daylight when the suspects were having their bath.

    He said the suspects over-powered the policeman, who opened the iron bar, and attempted to flee only to discover that the outer gate in the facility was locked.

    He said: “It was a tense situation but the prompt alertness of other policemen around the area saved the situation, none of the suspects escaped but the fact of the matter is that we do not have proper detention facilities.

    “It is a makeshift arrangement , an office with buglary proof, we were lucky to avert this one but that does not mean that it will not happen again. The suspects can still plan another one, we desperately need to build proper detention facilities to hold suspects.

    “The makeshift facilities we have are overstreched and we have witten to the state government as well as engaged the judiciary to quicken the dispensation of justice because it is the slow pace of prosecution that makes our facilities over crowded.

    “The dearth of facilities here is hampering our efforts at policing the state,” Amba said.

    On November 7, about 10 suspects detained at the Special Anti Robbery Squad facility in Yenagoa escaped.

    The police said out of the 10 suspects, three were rearrested.

  • Bayelsa wins Gov. Wike National Wrestling Championship

    Bayelsa wins Gov. Wike National Wrestling Championship

    Bayelsa has emerged the overall winner of the just concluded Gov. Wike National Wrestling Championships which was held in Port Harcourt.

    The state contingent clinched 51 medals  comprising  17 gold, 18 silver and 16 bronze.

    Ondo came second with 13 gold, four silver and five bronze medals while Delta came third  with seven gold, nine silver and nine bronze.

    Lagos came fourth with six gold, one silver and three bronze.

    Ondo State coach, Purity Akuh said that he was impressed with his wrestlers’ performance.

    Akuh told our reporter that there was room for improvement by his wards.

    “I’m happy with how they fared.  We will go back to improve on their lapses and I believe next time we would perform better

    “They are all open to corrections and always willing to learn,” he said.

    Twenty-two states and  13 clubs took part in the five-day competition which held at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Center with no fewer than 400 wrestlers taking part.

    NAN

  • Bayelsa owes only five months salary – Commissioner

    Bayelsa owes only five months salary – Commissioner

    The Bayelsa government on Thursday described the impression that it was owing workers between 10 and 16 months salary backlog as inaccurate and insisted that outstanding obligation to its workfore was four-and-a-half months.

    The state government clarified the status of indebtedness to labour in a statement issued by Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information.

    According to Iworiso-Markson, the arrears of four and half months accumulated in 2016 due to a sharp drop in the revenue profile of the state adding that following improvements in receipts from the federation account the state has no outstanding salary in 2017 fiscal year.

    Bayelsa Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah had on November 7 announced that the state government withheld the October 2017 salary of some 4, 200 workers in the local government system accused of involvement in payroll fraud.

    Messrs John Ndiomu and Tari Dounana, Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress respectively had challenged the state government to provide evidence for its action and prosecute those indicted as the unions would not support illegality.

    The Bayelsa government further said that it had nothing to do with the salary backlog in the councils as the local governments in Bayelsa enjoyed financial autonomy.

    Read also: How much does Dickson owe civil servants in Bayelsa?

    “As a matter of state policy, the Seriake Dickson’s administration does not tamper with local government allocations. This fact must be stressed because of the falsehood being peddled in some quarters that the state is owing local government workers.

    “It is public knowledge that government is waging a war against an endemic payroll fraud in the civil service in Bayelsa.

    “Last week, the state government in a bid to ensure a holistic implementation of the reforms introduced by the governor, withheld the salaries of 4,200 personnel suspected to be involved in the systemic fraud in the state.

    “Also, intensified efforts are being made to sanitize the system that has left the eight local government areas of the state with an unimaginable size of wage bill. The motive of the reforms is to have a wage bill with only genuine workers.

    “However, state owes salary arrears of four and a half months from last year when the economic recession was at its peak.

    “The government was compelled to pay half salaries at the time for six months because of the issue of paucity of funds caused by the recession. Even some of the outstanding arrears have been paid thereby reducing the figure to four and half months,” the statement read in part.

    NAN

  • CBN, Dickson, others laud Mosilo Bayelsa Rice Outgrowers Scheme

    CBN, Dickson, others laud Mosilo Bayelsa Rice Outgrowers Scheme

    The Governor of Bayelsa state, Seriake Dickson has praised Moses Siloko Siasia for initiating the Mosilo Bayelsa Rice Outgrowers Scheme, stressing that it will improve the economy of the state, create jobs and make the state a major player in the rice farming and processing industry in the country.

    The scheme, expected to create jobs for over 20, 000 people, is the initiative of Mosilo Group, a multi-billion naira business empire, with huge investments in engineering, real estate, oil and gas, agro processing and project management.

    Speaking at the flag off of the scheme in Yenagoa, Governor Dickson stated that the initiative is in line with the agricultural policies of the state and pledged government’s support to enable the scheme succeed.

    Represented by the state Commissioner for agriculture, Prince Doodei Week, the state governor lauded Moses Siasia for the project, saying he has made the state proud and called on other Bayelsans to emulate him.

    Dickson expressed optimism that the project when fully operational will engage the people of the state positively and urged Bayelsa farmers and intended farmers to embrace the scheme while reassuring the investor of Bayelsa State commitment in providing an enabling environment for the scheme and the 40,000mt per year Rice Milling Plant.

    Moses Siasia

    The Chairman/CEO Mosilo Group, Mr. Moses Siasia stated that the scheme was born out of his desire to harness the agricultural potentials of the state in the area of rice value chain, adding that the scheme will generate at least 3,417 direct and 20,000 indirect job opportunities, including ancillary jobs among others.

    He explained that the model is 7,000ha for cultivation directly by Mosilo group as a nucleus estate and 3,000ha to be planted by the Outgrowers in different local government areas.

    He noted that interested Bayelsans with at least two hectares of land can be part of the scheme as Mosilo global Services will support them with training, provide them with seedlings and will buy off the rice paddy from them after harvest.

    Mr. Tonye Isenah, Chief Whip of the state House of assembly, Mr. Kemela Okara, Commissioner of Trade & Investment and SSG designate; Brigadier General Paul Boroh (Rtd), the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme; Engr. David West Managing Director of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, representatives from Bank of Industry, Central Bank of Nigeria and The Nigerian Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending NIRSAL and other dignitaries lauded the company for the project and called on Bayelsans to be part of the scheme as it will improve not just the financial status of individuals but the economy of the state.

  • Convention will determine PDP ‘s fate, says Dickson

    Convention will determine PDP ‘s fate, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, yesterday, said the survival of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) would depend largely on the outcome of its forthcoming December 9 convention in Abuja.

    Dickson, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Francis Agbo, spoke when a PDP National Chairmanship aspirant, Chief Bode George, visited him in Government House, Yenagoa.

    The governor, however, expressed fears that the window of opportunity to reorganize the PDP to enable it confront the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 was fast closing.

    He prayed that, the convention would be used to relaunch the party and regain the trust of Nigerians.

    He said: “I have taken certain positions in terms of what is right for the party, in terms of how best to conduct ourselves, and how fast we need to move away from the mindset of the old to new ways of conducting party business and affairs”.

    Dickson seized the opportunity to congratulate Chief George on his 72nd birthday and thanked him for offering to serve the party.

    He described George as a man with the capacity, experience and other requisite qualities to contest for the PDP National Chairmanship position.

    He noted that, the crisis that engulfed the PDP was needless and urged party leaders to be tolerant, patriotic and put aside their personal differences in the overall interest of the party and the country’s democracy.

    Dickson further called for understanding among the aspirants and prayed for the conduct of a peaceful, free, and credible convention.

    He said if well-conducted the outcome of the convention should be acceptable to all, stressing the need for all to work together to get the processes right.

    Earlier, George explained that, he was in the state to solicit the support of Governor Dickson, as well as the state’s delegates to the December 9 convention in Abuja.

    He said: “I am here because the PDP is heading very soon to elect new managers to pilot the affairs of our great party and we need an experienced, tested captain to take the ship of our party safely back to harbour”

    According to George, there was a need for the party to revisit the experiences of the past and study them with a view to avoiding the mistakes that led to the defeat of the PDP in the last general election.

    He also called on those who dumped the PDP to return to the party.

    “Those of our friends who have moved to other parties, now know they are tenants, let them come home and become landlords,” he said.

    The aspirant prayed God to continually bless the governor with strength and wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state and complete his numerous development programmes to better the lots of the people.

  • FRSC arraigns 187 traffic offenders in Bayelsa

    FRSC arraigns 187 traffic offenders in Bayelsa

    The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ), Bayelsa Command says it   arraigned no fewer than 187 traffic offenders in the last four months for violating various traffic regulations in the state.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe, who made this known on Wednesday in an interview in Yenagoa, said that the courts convicted 135 of the offenders.

    Igwe, however, said the courts gave the convicts an option to pay fines ranging from between N2,000, to N20, 000, depending on their offences.

    “Between June and September, we have been able to arraign 187 persons through our mobile court, and out of the number arraigned, 135 were convicted.

    “The most prevalence offences were worn-out tyres, speed violation, failure to install speed limiting device, failure to use seat belt, drunk-driving, and use of unlicenced vehicles among others.

    “We have a special campaign on drunk-driving because apart from speeding, intake of drugs while driving has been a major concern, especially in this corridor,” he said.

    Igwe, however, noted that more than 65 per cent of road traffic crashes were as a result of the speed limit violation and drunk-driving.

    According to him, the speed limiting device is a strategic intervention on road traffic accidents.

    “The use of mobile court is part of our enforcement strategy to reduce road traffic crashes not only in Bayelsa but across states of the nation.

    “The mobile court is yielding result and we will continue to prosecute traffic law breakers in the state,” he said.

    He also appealed to motorists in the state to adhere strictly to traffic rules and regulations while driving.

    NAN