The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) said on Thursday it had so far registered 104, 805 voters in the on-going Continuous Voters Registration ( CVR ) in Bayelsa.
Oha called on eligible voters who were yet to register to take advantage of the third phase of the exercise beginning on Nov. 9 across the eight local government areas of the state to obtain their voter card.
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The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), has expressed confidence in the capacity of Nigerian engineers to build refineries in the country.
Jonah said this when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers ( NSChE ), who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Yenagoa.
He said that building refineries and producing equipment and components in the country would go a long way to boost the local content and manpower base.
He emphasised the need to discourage reliance on foreign equipment and materials for the country’s industrial needs and services.
According to him, allowing Nigerian engineers to handle refineries and other industrial requirements will increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) and stimulate the economy.
He said he was delighted by the association’s determination to ensure the commencement of manufacturing in-country.
Jonah also challenged the association to champion the advocacy for safe environment, stressing that Nigerian waters especially, were not safe due to massive pollution.
“We can get things right when we start thinking inwards, and start producing things for ourselves.
“I agree with you that Nigeria, today, has the capacity to provide local refineries. If you produce equipment locally, the amount that you spend increases your GDP.
“If you procure outside the country, you are adding to the GDP of other countries.
“There are several advantages in producing things locally. That’s the only way we can develop ourselves; that is the only way we can create opportunities for the young ones,’’ Jonah said.
Earlier in his remarks, Prof. Sunday Adefila, the National President of the society, had said that the courtesy visit was part of the activities of the Annual General Meeting/Conference scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Port Harcourt.
He said that The meeting would be hosted by the Rivers/Bayelsa branches of the body.
He explained that chemical engineers were essentially process engineers at the centre of the construction of refineries and related facilities, using indices of environment, economic, energy and improved quality as major planks of consideration for such ventures.
Adefila, who described Bayelsa as the seat of Nigeria’s local content, given the large oil and gas deposits in the state’s environment, said “NSChE can, and is able to do Nigerian refineries.
He added that members of the society were ready to be worthy stakeholders and were also available to be used for worthwhile partnerships with the state government.
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The Bayelsa State government has set 2020 for activities to begin at the Agge Deep Seaport in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Yenagoa.
Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday assured investors the port will begin operations before end of his administration.
He spoke at the Government House, while inaugurating a 14-member Project Implementation Committee for development of the seaport.
A statement by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, reiterated his administration’s commitment to the project’s take-off.
The governor, who noted that the government has acquired and surveyed 15,000 hectares to build the seaport, was satisfied with the survey by the Army Engineering Corps.
Dickson described the committee as a team of experts; he mandated them to advise and monitor technical developments arising from the project, and come up with a realistic timeframe of achievable milestones.
He said: “All I want to see before end of my tenure on February 14, 2020, is for some commercial port-related activities to start. That is why it has become necessary to put this team together.
“Already, a lot of work has been done; but it is the government’s intention to create a formal platform beyond this team, either by way of a state corporation, which will be established by a bill, or we get the Agge Seaport Development Company registered as a corporate entity, which will manage the company’s assets.”
Chairman of the committee Capt. Warredi Enisuoh noted that, among others, the port will stimulate socio-economic activities in the state.
Enisuoh, who described the project as one of the best investments of the Dickson-led administration, promised that the committee will do everything to actualise its mandate.
The Nigerian Army said it had destroyed 46 illegal bunker sites in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers at the just-concluded Exercise Crocodile Smile II.
Col. Aminu Iliyasu, Spokesman of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said in a statement that several wooden boats and barges loaded with huge quantity of crude oil were seized.
Iliyasu said that several suspects were arrested and handed over to relevant security agencies for possible prosecution.
“Troops also destroyed illegal oil dump sites; seized vehicles transporting illegal products and arrested perpetrators of the illegal activities.
“A total of 13 cases were recorded across 6 Division’s Area of Responsibility, while firearms and other dangerous weapons were recovered in our anti-cultism operations.
“Also, our reinvigorated Anti-Kidnapping Squad busted nine kidnap syndicates who provided useful information about criminals’ hideouts, their mode of operation and sources of weapons,” he said.
The spokesman attributed the success of exercise to cooperation and support of residents in the three states.
He said troops had also carried out free medical and education outreaches in communities in Rivers and Bayelsa.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved N5.567 billion for third quarter payment of soil erosion control accelerated intervention to different geopolitical zones of the country.
The Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this to State House reporters at the end of FEC meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The states, he said, included Kano, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Enugu, and Bayelsa
Details Later…
The Bayelsa Government on Wednesday said it withheld the October salaries of 4,204 workers with questionable records, as part of steps to reform the state civil service.
The Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), who announced this at a press conference in Yenagoa, said that those affected were from the eight local government areas in the state.
According to him, 1, 329 are local council workers, 2,184 in the primary school system and 707 on pension payroll.
Jonah listed those affected to include workers recruited without authorisation from relevant agencies, those with forged certificates, those receiving salaries from multiple agencies of government and some with questionable promotions.
Also, those involved in pension fraud, age falsification among others would not be left out, he added.
The deputy governor disclosed that the panel which investigated the payroll fraud, also uncovered 34 people with questionable promotions, adding that some workers on Grade Level 04 in 2011 were promoted to Grade Level 14 in 2012 with forged certificates.
He however said the state government had established a judicial commission of inquiry headed by retired Justice Doris Adokeme, to hear complaints from the affected workers on Nov. 13.
The deputy governor warned that the government would ensure strict implementation of the findings of the panel and would not be deterred by any kind of blackmail from any quarters.
He expressed regrets that it was only in Bayelsa that a person would work for a day and expects to be paid a month salary.
“We have been carrying out comprehensive reforms not only at the councils but also at the secondary schools, parastatals, pension payroll, civil service, grade levels verification and others.
“There is massive payroll fraud in the state and the situation is such that there are some earning double salaries.
“There are retired people in the payroll, those who promote themselves, and several retired personnel. In fact over 700 retired personnel are still in the payroll.
“With effect from today, salaries of such suspected persons are suspended.
“For those receiving salaries from multiple agencies, we will not pay you, but if you prove that you are a genuine worker your salary will be paid.” Jonah said.
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Sets up judicial commission inquiry
The war against payroll fraud was taken to another level in Bayelsa State on Monday following the decision of the government to withhold salaries of 4204 indicted local government workers.
The government said the move was the first major step to implement the comprehensive reforms in the state’s civil service.
The Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) said in Yenagoa that the government seized the salaries of the suspects from the eight local government areas for the month of October, 2017.
He said that 1, 329 òf the affected workers were from the local government areas; 2184 from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the primary school education system while 707 from the pension payroll.
Jonah, who spoke in the presence of the Commissioner of Police Amba Asuquo, the Director of the State Security Service, also hinted that persons employed without authorisation would be removed from the payroll.
He listed the affected persons as those working with computer-generated certificates; those working and receiving salaries from multiple agencies of government; persons enjoying indefensible promotions in contradiction to civil service rules; pension fraudsters, age falsifiers among others.
He said the panel investigating the payroll fraud also uncovered 34 persons who unilaterally awarded promotions to themselves against the civil service rules.
He explained that some workers in level four in 2011 were found to have promoted themselves to Grade level level 14 in 2012 with computer generated certificates.
But he said that the state government established a judicial commission of inquiry headed by a retired Judge, Justice Doris Adokeme, to hear complaints from the affected workers from Monday.
He warned that legal consequences awaited anybody found to have gone to the commission to make false claims.
Jonah insisted that the state was determined to ensure strict implementation of the findings of the panel and would not be deterred by blackmail.
He lamented that it was only in Bayelsa that somebody would work for a day and expect to get salary for a month.
He said: “We have been carrying out comprehensive reforms not only at the councils but also at the Secondary schools, parastatals, pension payroll, civil service, grade levels verification and others.
“There is massive payroll fraud in the state and the situation is such that are some earning double salaries; there are retired people in the payroll; those who promote themselves, and several retired personnel. In fact over 700 retired personnel are still in the payroll.
“With effect from today, salaries of such suspected persons are suspended.
For those receiving salaries from multiple agencies, we will not pay you but If you can prove it that you are a genuine worker your salary would be paid.”
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, stressed that the government would not allow a sustenance of the payroll fraud, which had held down the state over the years.
Iworiso-Markson was reacting to a recent three-day ultimatum issued by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE)/over a purported attempt by the state to sack 6000 workers in the local government system.
The Commissioner wondered how NULGE came about the number in the ongoing efforts to purge the civil service of corrupt elements.
He said that innocent persons would not be affected by the measures put in place to check the endemic fraud and diversion of state resources.
He appealed to genuine workers of the local government areas not to entertain any fear as the exercise was not a witch-hunt.
According to him, the reforms are designed to fish out and sanction a particular category of unscrupulous persons who acts are harmful to the State’s economic development and wellbeing.
The commissioner stressed that the painstaking exercise conducted in a most transparent manner, involved leaders of the organized Labour including NULGE and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
He stressed that NULGE’s attack on the person of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Talford Ongolo, was nothing different from a surreptitious attempt to armtwist the government to abandon the comprehensive implementation of the reform process in the state.
Iworiso-Markson lamented that the efforts of a few criminally-minded individuals were depriving the state of over N12bn annually.
The commissioner listed the benefits of the reforms to include employment generations, increased development of infrastructure, a strengthened civil service among others.
He said: “Let it be clear that the government has the political will to pursue the process of the reforms to a logical conclusion. The Governor of this state decided embark of the reforms to free the state from the grip of a few greedy elements.
“The process of the reforms has been transparent from the beginning to this movement of implementation.
“The government is deeply concerned that NULGE and MHWUN are threatening strike over an exercise designed to prevent fraud and to secure the future of generations of Bayelsans.
“For us, only those who are benefitting from the heinous acts against the state and the Ijaw Nation would come out to attack the reforms.
“The governor deserves commendation and the support of everybody and not condemnation.
“NULGE and MHWUN should be wary of being used by those who have lived a life by stealing from the Bayelsa people and to note that the regime of fraud has come to its end.”
The Bayelsa Government on Monday denied media reports that it was taking a fresh loan.
Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the state Commissioner for Information, denied the reports in a statement on Monday in Yenegoa.
Iworiso-Markson said that the state government only approached the State House of Assembly for the restructuring of repayment of the N40 billion earlier borrowed.
He said that the request made to the state House of Assembly was for approval to restructure existing N40 billion loan so as to complete ongoing projects was not a fresh loan.
“The request was contained in a letter dated Oct. 30 and addressed to the Speaker of Bayelsa House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson.
“The letter sought among others, permission to restructure existing bank loans to enable the state channel more funds to projects.”
Iworiso-Markson stressed that there was no truth in the reports
According to Iworiso-Markson, the restructuring of the loan would enhance speedy completion of ongoing projects across the three Senatorial zones in the state like the Sagbama-Ekeremor road, Isaac Boro road and Bayelsa International Airport, amongst others.
“The N40 billon is not a fresh loan as being speculated, rather it is aimed at restructuring already existing loan from two to four years period.
“You know we took a loan for the airport sometime ago. So, what we are doing is that instead of paying the required over N2 billion every month, we have restructured it and the time to pay the loan has been elongated.
“Rather than two years, we will now pay it in four years and it will be about N1 billion naira every month.
“The other one will be given to our contractors. We don’t want to handle it ourselves because if we do, we will still spend it on other things.
“So, we have given it to a particular bank to distribute to our contractors. So, clearly it is not a fresh loan” he said.
The denial is coming on the heels of public outcry from labour leaders who have interpreted the restructuring of the loan to mean that government was taking new loans in addition to existing ones.
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The Bayelsa State government has faulted the claim by President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, that it is one of the biggest defaulting states in salary payment.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation Daniel Iworiso-Markson said yesterday that Wabba’s assertion is misleading and mischievous.
According to him, the report was done in bad faith because it lacked substance, as it did not reflect the true position of things in the state.
Iworiso-Markson added that the government had been most concerned, and had over time, taken salary payment seriously, and did not owe workers till date.
“Those who authored the story failed to cross check their facts before going to press,” he said.
The Commissioner explained that the Dickson-led Restoration government had always fulfilled its salary obligations until recently, occasioned by the free fall in the state’s monthly allocation from the Federal Government.
He said government borrowed to make up for the shortfall to ensure that salaries were paid, adding that while borrowing to pay salaries was not sustainable, the government decided to look inwards by taking steps to strengthen the internal revenue board to improve on the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile.
“As at now, the government does not owe salaries, as we have kept faith with payment since the beginning of the year till date,” he added.
“All council workers should resume a full strike if the government fails to reverse the directive within the three days, since the last strike was only suspended.
“Accordingly, all branch executives of NULGE and MHWUN, in the eight councils and 32 Rural Development Authorities, are directed to fully shut down all health facilities, markets and secretariats of the councils beginning from November 9.
“NULGE and MHWUN will no longer allow any external and fake report to infringe on the autonomy of the councils as a third tier of government in the country.”
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai has described the annual National Festival for Arts and Culture (Nafest) as a necessary cultural event for the survival of Nigeria.
He said the festival remains one of major unifying platforms for exchange of the diverse rich heritages, friendly interactions, sharing of ideas and fellowship among different ethnic groups.
The Governor, who spoke at the closing ceremony of the festival in Kaduna yesterday, was represented by Commissioner for Youths, Sport and Culture Daniel Danauta.
He stated that the message to take home from the festival is that Nigeria has come to be and come to stay.
He assured that the state will be fully represented in Rivers State host of next year’s edition of the festival.
For the second time, Bayelsa State won the overall best participating state back- to- back out of the 17 states and FCT that attended the festival.
Kaduna and Lagos came second and third respectively while Delta and Ogun were joint fourth.
But the host state Kaduna won the golden giant gong.