Tag: Bayelsa

The people of Asamabiri community of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have protested alleged decades of neglect by the oil firm operating in their community.
Asamabiri, a co-host community to Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) facility in Sagbama LGA is appealing to the federal and state governments to intervene in their plight which has lingered on for over 22 years.
The placards-carrying protesters claimed that over the years, they were denied their statutory benefits and social amenities by the oil firm.
Speaking on behalf of the community, its Paramount Ruler, Chief Joseph Odoni, said the community folks protested over the neglect at the firm’s facility yesterday.
The monarch said all necessary steps taken by the oil bearing community to resolve the impasse had been futile, alleging that the oil major had been favourable to another community, its co-hosts.
Comrade S.B Dorgu and other stakeholders who led the protest to the Asamabiri/Biseni Oil Head facility described the condition of the community as pathetic resulting from total neglect of a co-host whose natural resources had been exploited by the company over the years.

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The community leaders also called on Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organisation, Ijaw National Congress and its youth body, Ijaw Youth Council to address the injustice the company had subjected Asamabiri to in the last two decades.
Other residents and natives of the agrarian community who participated in the long hours of protest against the insensitivity of the company endorsed the community leadership demand for Agip to employ skilled and unskilled workers from the community.

Other demands include the provision of basic social amenities such as hospitals, pipe-borne water, townhall and electricity.
The protesters were received by a Supervisor of the company, Felix Egbezor.
Egbezor, on behalf of the oil company, urged the protesting community members to be calm, saying that their complaints would be looked into.

The Bayelsa State Government has pledged commitment towards providing a conducive operating environment for magistrates in its efforts to promote effective and efficient justice delivery in the state.

Governor Douye Diri made the pledge at the weekend, during the ceremonial court session at the High Court Complex in Yenagoa to mark the official commencement of the 2024/2025 Legal Year in the state.

Diri, represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, promised to work with the leadership of the state judiciary to tackle the infrastructural needs such as court halls and offices of magistrates in the state judiciary within limits of available resources.

He said the government was also looking at the feasibility of introducing a mobile court justice delivery model in the local areas, especially in the far-flung riverine communities to decentralise the dispensation of justice.

Responding to some issues raised at the special court session, the Bayelsa State Chief Executive appealed to the judiciary to support his administration’s effort towards enforcing environmental laws in the state.

Diri decried the situation whereby property developers deliberately erect structures across natural canals and drainages, which end up creating environmental problems such as waterlogging and flash floods.

Earlier in an address, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, said the state judiciary was working towards actualising its aspiration of becoming a world-class justice delivery institution, especially with the introduction of the electronic court recording system and e-filing of cases.

Justice Ayemieye disclosed that at the beginning of the outgone legal year, a total of 2,031 pending cases were brought forward, 2,805 fresh cases filed, adding that out of these, 3,023 cases were disposed of.

She further informed that in the year under review, the Magistrate and High Courts in Kaiama were renovated, while the Sagbama and Ogbia High Courts, as well as the Magistrates’ Courts at Ekeremor, Oloibiri, Kolo, Nembe, Brass, and Okordia/Zarama were awaiting renovation, and appealed to the state government for intervention.

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The state Chief Judge equally appealed to Governor Douye Diri to give approval for the employment of new staff to meet the manpower needs of the state judiciary.

Also speaking, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Daniel Ayah, called on the government to increase its funding of the customary courts in the state in view of the inflationary trend in the country.

He also appealed for the appointment of more justices to the bench of the customary court of appeal to reduce their workload.

On his part, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo (SAN), called for more collaboration between the executive and judicial arms of government to sustain the gains made in the justice administration system.

He applauded the Bayelsa State Government for being among the first in Nigeria to grant financial and administrative autonomy to the judiciary, and underscored the need for training of judicial staff in administrative know-how like their counterparts in other government MDAs.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of the Yenagoa branch, Mr Somina Johnbull, and a senior legal practitioner, Chief Fedude Zimughan, made a case for the upward review of the salaries and allowances of magistrates and the chairmen of customary courts.

While praying God to direct the state judiciary right, they vehemently condemned the recent killing of Mr Jeremiah Chukwu, a legal practitioner in the state, and called on both the bench and bar to see the fate of the Chukwu family as an attack on the judiciary in general.

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted that Kogi, Edo, Borno, Bayelsa and eight other States are prone to flooding in the coming days.

The agency, in its latest weather alert for moderate to heavy rainfall, stated that there are high prospects of flooding as a result of the expected moderate to heavy rainfall from 20th September, 2024.

The States prone to flooding in the coming days are; Borno, most of Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states.

The agency advised that the States to ensure access to clean drinking water and stock up on essential supplies.

The prediction reads: “There is high possibility, in the next 7 days, to release water from Lagdo Dams as the document released from Ministry of Water Resources stated. 

“Consequently, runoff-water over the catchment areas will increase, coupled with moderate to heavy rainfall expected.

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“There are high prospects of flooding as a result of the expected moderate to heavy rainfall from 20th September, 2024.

“The streams along the path of the runoff-water release could also overflow it boundaries causing flooding, as we already have saturated soil moisture. 

“The places flagged for expected flooding are Borno, most of Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states”.

NiMet advised residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for possible evacuation, identify higher ground or designated shelters in advance, refrain from crossing or driving through flooded areas, as water levels is expected to rise quickly and relocate valuable belongings and livestock to safer locations, and fortify structures 

where possible.

One person has been confirmed dead as a speedboat carrying 15 passengers capsized in Bayelsa State.

The accident occurred yesterday at Okubie community river in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Sources said the ill-fated boat was carrying the passengers from Yenagoa to Oporoma, the Southern Ijaw LGA headquarters when the incident occured.

A source, who craved anonymity, said while other passengers onboard the speedboat were rescued by some citizens, one person drowned due to the rising water.

The mishap is happening barely two weeks after a commercial boat exploded at the fling of the Atlantic Ocean in Ezetu 1 community in the same SILGA where 20 persons lost their lives.

The cause of Saturday’s mishap has yet to be ascertained.

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State Chairman, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Mr Ipgansi Ogoniba, confirmed the incident.

He said it occurred on Saturday afternoon.

He said 14 passengers were rescued while one died but did not give further information on the cause of the mishap.

Spokesman for the state Police Command, ASP Musa Muhammed, said he had no information about the incident yet.

He, however, promised to make inquiries and revert.