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Tag: Bayelsa

  • INEC begins CVR in Kogi, Bayelsa today

    head of the governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the two states.

    The registration, according to the commission, would begin today and end on September 7.

    The governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states will hold on November 21 and December 5.

    The CVR will take place at the local government area level. It will also begin daily (during the scheduled six days of the registration) from 8a.m. to 4p.m.

    INEC, in its in house bulletin, said: “The six-day exercise will afford three groups of eligible registrants to register to vote.”

    The commission explained that the registration is for those who were eligible but did not register before the 2015 general elections.

    INEC added that it is also for “those who are eligible but whose names are not in the Voters’ Register” and “those who have attained the age of 18 years since the last Voter Registration exercise”.

     

  • Bayelsa PDP members seek removal of acting chair

    Ahead of the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State, the crisis rocking the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has worsened.

    Most of the party’s aggrieved chieftains yesterday called for the removal of Acting Chairman, Chief Serena Spiff-Dokubo, before the primary.

    The party’s stalwarts, who formed a splinter group, the PDP Unity Group (PUG), were said to have insisted that Spiff-Dokubo was not qualified to hold the position.

    Many stalwarts, former political office holders and the party’s former Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd), have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The PUG is against the re-election of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    Its supporters comprise mainly of the governor’s former aides, who were sacked in controversial circumstances and other party leaders who are not disposed to Dickson’s second term bid.

    It was gathered that a meeting organised recently at the Government House in Yenagoa, the state capital, to resolve the impasse between the PUG and Dickson ended in a deadlock.

    PUG members, led by their Coordinator, Mrs, Marie Ebikake, were said to have rebuffed Dickson’s appeals to sheathe their sword.

    Mrs Ebikake and her group reportedly argued that Spiff-Dokubo hails from a different zone (Bayelsa East) from Inokoba’s Bayelsa Central, contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.

    Besides, they were said to have stressed that Spiff-Dokubo, despite parading himself as the acting chairman, is also an employee in the state’s Judicial Service Commission, against the party’s law.

    Signs that the meeting ended in fiasco emerged yesterday, following the decision of the group to send a petition to PDP’s acting national chairman, demanding Spiff-Dokubo’s immediate removal.

    Copies of the letter by Mrs Ebikake and PUG’s Secretary, Bokolo Bonsome, were sent to the acting chairman of PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and the party’s Southsouth vice-chairman.

    The letter said the appointment of Spiff-Dokubo was illegal and null from the beginning.

    Quoting from Article 14.5 of PDP’s constitution, PUG posited that Spiff-Dokubo should not have been appointed the acting chairman.

    The Article says: “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the committee shall appoint a substitute from the zone where the officer originated from, pending the conduct of an election to fill the vacancy.”

    PUG letter reads: “By the current subsisting zoning arrangement of party offices in Bayelsa State, the state chairmanship’s position is zoned to Bayelsa Central Senatorial District while the State Deputy Chairmanship position is zoned to Bayelsa East Senatorial District.

    “The occupants of these positions, until recently, are: Col. Sam Inokoba (retd.) (Bayelsa Central) Chairman and the Deputy Chairman was Chief Nyanayo Tubo (Bayelsa East).

    “Before the unilateral and arbitrary appointment of Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, we have it on good authority that Governor Dickson forced Chief Nyanayo Tubo to resign from his position as Deputy Chairman to contest election into the House of Assembly, an election he lost scandalously to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate.

    “The subsequent replacement of Dokubo-Spiff is considered an illegal and unilateral imposition on the Bayelsa East Senatorial District as it clearly ultra vires the provision of Article 14.5 of the constitution of the PDP.

    “Consequent upon the above and being guided by the provisions of our party’s constitution, we state that the nomination of a candidate to replace …Inokoba (retd.) can only be validly conducted by the party’s stakeholders from the Bayelsa Central.

    “This submission is premised on the fact that the chairmanship position is zoned to the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District. Furthermore, the office of the Deputy Chairman, which is originally zoned to and occupied by somebody from the Bayelsa East, can only be validly replaced by a nominee among the stakeholders of that senatorial district.”

    ‘Our structures are intact’

    Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied a report that more of its members are planning to defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A socio-political movement, Bayelsa Great House, was reported at the weekend to have said the party’s former chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd), who recently defected to the APC, was wooing other key stalwarts to join him.

    But in a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, PDP Secretary Keku Godspower said the claim was false since PDP’s leadership and members were behind Governor Seriake Dickson and were committed to his re-election.

    Godspower said Inokoba did not have the political strength to swing the support of PDP members for the APC.

    The PDP secretary described the former chairman and other defectors as selfish, who engaged in anti-party activities for some time.

    He said: “We wish to state categorically that contrary to a newspaper report, no member of the Bayelsa State Working Committee (SWC) or the purported non-working committee and our members across the state were considering leaving the party. “We want to make it clear that contrary to the propaganda, all the organs of the party at all levels are intact and are fully behind the re-election of Governor Dickson. Inokoba and his phantom Bayelsa Great House are political charlatans who will be disgraced in due time.”

  • Bayelsa: Police repels pirates attack on passenger boat

    Bayelsa: Police repels pirates attack on passenger boat

    The Bayelsa Police Command on Sunday said its Marine Division in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state had repelled an attack by sea pirates on a passenger boat in the area.

    Mr Asinim Butswat, an ASP and Spokesman of the Command, said in a statement that the attack occurred on Aug. 28 at Gina-Gbene area of Southern Ijaw.

    According to the Spokesman, an AK-47 Assault riffle and live ammunition were recovered from the pirates who abandoned their 75 Horse Power speedboat and fled into the creeks.

    Butswat assured that efforts were being intensified to arrest the fleeing pirates.

    “On Aug. 28, at about 0820 hrs, the Bayelsa State Marine Police, stationed at Koluama, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, repelled some suspected sea pirates attacking a passenger boat around Gina-Gbene, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    “The Pirates ran into a nearby Creek, abandoned their speed boat, mounted with 75HP Yamaha Engine, with the Inscription ‘DEEP SEA MARINE’.

    “One AK 47 riffle, three magazines loaded with four live ammunition, one bag, one Voter card and four life Jackets were recovered from the suspects.

    “The Marine Police are combing the creeks to arrest the culprits. Investigation is ongoing,” Butswat said.

  • Tension in Bayelsa as policemen, sanitation officials clash

    • PDP scared of me, says Alaibe

    THERE was panic in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital yesterday following a clash between policemen attached to All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, and officials of the Environmental Sanitation Authority (BSESA).

    Officials of the BSESA led by its chairman, Oboku Offorji, were said to have tried to stop the APC chairman through a barricade mounted to restrict movement on the sanitation day.

    Offorji, in a statement, alleged that APC chieftains and their loyalists deliberately flouted the restriction order contained in the sanitation law.

    He claimed that the party stalwarts tried to disrupt the exercise, using security operatives attached to their chairman.

    He accused the police of shooting sporadically into the air.

    But the APC leadership debunked the allegation, saying the officials of the state government were on a mission to discredit its leaders.

    Offorji insisted that Orunimighe and other APC chieftains ordered security operatives to shoot into the air and remove the barricade to create a passage for their convoy.

    He said the action created fear at the Tombia roundabout.

    The agency, he said, had concluded plans to petition the police authorities demanding the arrest of policemen and the APC leaders.

    He said: “It was a sad situation. Nobody could go close. I want to make it clear that our experience today as a government agency was a bitter one.

    “A political party that claims the PDP government has not done well and wants to take over is subverting the law of the land.

    “It is quite unfortunate. It is very important that our people should be wary of these people. If this situation continues they are likely to turn Bayelsa into a theatre of war.

    “I don’t know why they want to create a state of anarchy towards the election. Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has done so much to achieve the peaceful atmosphere in Bayelsa and they want to destroy it.”

    The media adviser to Orunmighe, Alawoei Opokume, dismissed Offorji’s claims, saying the PDP was scared of the APC.

    He said since the PDP sees the APC as its greatest threat, it is trying to create an issue to discredit the major opposition party.

    APC’s publicity secretary, Fortune Panebi, asked Bayelsans to disregard Offorji claims.

    Former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe, denied claims by the PDP that he knew about the clash.

    Alaibe said he was not even in the state when Offorji claimed that he and other leaders of the APC flouted the sanitation law.

    He said it was obvious that the PDP and its remnants were scared of losing Bayelsa.

    He said the PDP was aware of the massive defeat awaiting it in December, pointing out that its members have resorted to rabble rousing to seek relevance.

    “I have not been in the state for some days now. But they dropped my name.

    “The report that I violated traffic law is a figment of their imagination. They are scared of me. They are feverish and jittery.

    “I have become their headache and that is why they have been leading a smear campaign against me.

    “But I have a message for PDP. We have come to take Bayelsa from them. There is no going back for APC.

    “The PDP will surely go in December 5 because we are totally committed to ensuring the victory of APC.”

  • Corruption tops discussion as Bayelsa health commissioner, ministry bag award

    Corruption tops discussion as Bayelsa health commissioner, ministry bag award

    The awards presented recently  to the Commissioner for Health, Bayelsa State, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei and his ministry were not ordinary. They came from an anti-corruption crusader and a whistleblowing non-governmental agency, the Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation (CESVO).

    In fact, for an agency based in Lokoja, Kogi State, to identify excellence in service delivery and high ethical conduct  of a commissioner and a ministry operating in the Niger Delta region further distinguished the awards. Little wonder, the employees of the ministry spent few hours after work to receive a team of CESVO led by the centre’s Executive Director, Prince Salih Musa Yakubu.

    Yakubu, the founder of the Nigerian Parliament, explained why and how Owei and his ministry were selected for the awards. He said: “The Ministry of Health of Bayelsa today, has been found by this group among only 50 most ethically responsible state-owned ministry within the investigations that we have done. That is why we have come to thank you, because we don’t have money to give you.

    “The highest we could give you is to encourage you and to stimulate you more. The health policy of Bayelsa state today, being anchored by the Ministry of Health benefits the Ibos, Yorubas, your tribal men, and even an Igala man like me.

    “A lot of them are here and they are also benefiting from the policy, courtesy of this ministry. Therefore, when we come here to say thank you, you will do more. And Nigerians will be affected positively. That is the news we brought to you today.

    “In the entire country, out of these 50 MDAs that meet our standards, only four state ministry of health succeeded to be enlisted. The rest is story. Lagos is one, Bayelsa is two, Gombe is three, and Delta is four”.

    He said before the ministry was selected, the centre sent out whistleblowers to monitor and observe the activities of the ministry and its relationship with members of the public.

    “We are not anyhow group and so we don’t visit anyhow people. Just the same way we have come to this ministry; we have sent our whistleblowers to you. They meet you in your office like normal Nigerians looking for service. But what are they looking for?

    “They want to establish if there is a symbiotic relationship between you and the public you are called to serve. Who are those that are ruled? An African man can be carried away by the paraphernalia of office, that when they give them little office to handle, they barricade themselves from the people they are meant to serve. We don’t want such people in government.

    “They are those that will continue to barricade themselves and keep on cornering public funds to their own advantage. But no matter how far you go, 6ft measurement is enough for you and you will give account of your stewardship”, he said.

    Turning to the commissioner, he added: “Sir, we have found you worthy in character and conduct. You are such a very upright, straightforward man, full of energy and action, even though your actions at times affect some persons. You are a very rugged commissioner that wants results. We love you for that, sir. Today, we are to formally induct you as Ambassador of Ethics and a man of conscience”.

    To the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Biribina Samayin, he said: “Of this ministry, because of your insistence always that due process be followed, you have subjected beaurocratic  procedures to the level that is so appreciated by us. Your non-compromise to beaurocratic procedures and servicom compliance is part of the reason why we are here today, though the attitude may be hated by some.

    “At times, you and your Commissioner may be at loggerheads in the quest to achieve results, because you are human beings. If you don’t quarrel, there can never be results and progress. The commissioner is the political head of this ministry. But you have been able to manage your differences. We have enlisted you among only 200 ethically responsible civil servants in the whole of the federation”.

    He said the centre would return to train 100 employees of the ministry free of charge for two days. He said the trained employees would help to transform others and make them ethically responsible. He said the centre has so far trained over 7000 persons on ethics.

    The commissioner said he never solicited for awards, adding that he never accepted such awards since he was just performing his job. He said it was regrettable that some persons solicited for and paid to get awards.

    He said the award from the centre was no an individual honour but an award meant for the ministry.

    He dedicated the awards to the restoration government of Governor Seriake Dickson saying the governor provided the directive for the ministry to operate.

    “I am very delighted that this award is not a Greek gift. Nobody was paid money for it. Nobody influenced it. We decided to act it not for ourselves but on behalf of the Restoration Government of Governor Dickson who has made it possible for health benefits to reach Bayelsans”, he said.

    He thanked the employees in the ministry for working round the clock to distinguish themselves. He asked the employees to make adjustments and work within the limited resources in the ministry. He said the award would motivate the ministry to deliver service to the people.

     

  • DPR battles petroleum marketers in Bayelsa

    DPR battles petroleum marketers in Bayelsa

    It is a new regime for petroleum marketers in Bayelsa State. They must play by the rules and observe all the regulations governing the industry. The new culture of doing things properly without profiteering is being initiated by the Bayelsa State Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    The department will no longer tolerate selling petroleum products especially Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS) above the Federal Government regulated prices. It will no longer allow marketers to engage in underhand practices such as under-dispensing, hoarding and other sharp practices aimed at shortchanging unsuspecting members of the public.

    Recently, the department led by its Operations Controller in the state, Mr. Bassey Nkanga, met with the marketers and read the Riot Act to them. Prior to the meeting, the marketers were having a field day selling PMS between N110 to N115 per litre with the exception of the NNPC mega station which was selling at the regulated pump price of N87 per litre.

    But Nkanga at the meeting with the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN) ordered the marketers to revert to the regulated price regime. The controller, also warned against under-dispensing of the product to consumers. He said under-dispensing is a form of surcharging the public and selling above the pump price through the back door.

    He told the marketers that defaulters would be thoroughly sanctioned adding that the punitive  measures would include fines, shutting down filling stations for between six and nine months  and outright sealing off.

    Nkanga also warned dealers who engage in adulteration and diversion of petroleum products to desist from such acts. He said the department would punish any marketer engaged in adulteration and diversion of products.

    He said: “We are ensuring that fuel is sold at the approved pump price of N87 and this is with immediate effect. Any defaulter in any form will be adequately sanctioned. Compliance is with immediate effect because penalties would range from fines, shutting down of stations for up to six and nine months.

    “If you divert, we will charge you N200 per litre of the fuel you diverted. If you under-dispense you will be sanctioned appropriately.”

    At the meeting, Spokesman for IPMAN in the state, Ere Peters, said members of the association would comply with the order to revert to the controlled price.

    But the Nkanga-led DPR did not stop at the meeting. The controller immediately constituted a team to go round the filling stations and ensure that marketers complied with the directive. The team stormed filling stations and discovered that some filling stations were still engaged in sharp practices. The team immediately sealed off stations engaged in under-dispensing and selling above the pump price. Some of the stations tried to prevent the DPR team from doing their job. They were punished.

    Among the filling stations sealed for dispensing fuel above the pump price through the “back door” and refusal to allow DPR officials access, were RSK Oil, GA Oil and Gas, Mobil and South-South Oil and Gas.

    For instance, at RSK Oil in Swali area of Yenagoa, the team discovered that the meters were fixed at N87 per litre, but when officials asked the attendants to dispense the product into 10-litre  equipment, they found that the meter had been badly readjusted to cheat consumers.

    The team noticed that product worth N674.25 was sold for N870.00, which meant that consumers were paying extra N195. 75 for every 10 litres of petrol bought at the station. The station was also indicted for not having adequate sand buckets and fire extinguishers.

    Similar discovery was made by the team at GA Oil and Gas on Ox Bow Lake Road. The station was collecting over N140 extra for every 10 liters sold to buyers through under-dispensing. When officials of the DPR returned to South-South Oil and Gas sealed off earlier, they discovered that the station had reverted to the regulated pump price of N87.

    Nkanga said: “We are trying to ensure that nobody sells petroleum above the stipulated price of ?87. The renewed effort is tend towards ensuring that the public also enjoy the price regime of petroleum. That’s why you are seeing us going out en mass and daily, stepping up as surveillance. The essence of it is to ensure that marketers don’t sub-charge the public any longer.

    “When we discover that somebody is grossly under-dispensing, we conclude that the person is selling above the pump price and we close the station and make the penalty to be likethe one selling above pump price. But if it is just normal under-dispensing, we will take it as an error and suspend you and ask you to adjust your pump.

    “Timicon was sealed for selling above N87 per litre. The other one that was suspended for under-dispensing was made to sign an undertaking that they will adjust the pump and not sell above the pump price. That was South-South Oil and Gas.

    “There was one that said he had no product and later claimed that he was trying to fix his generator that went bad. We will do monitoring for that one. We will start with them and ensure they sell what they have so that they don’t sell above pump price. The one that has been shut will remain sealed until he pays the penalty and sign an undertaking never to wilfully under-dispense again.

    “Now the government is putting its feet down that the depots must sell at the government regulated price no matter the condition. That is why everywhere in this country, this change is experienced.

    “Prior to this problem, I had a lot of issues and petitions with Bayelsans when I just got here. But because we knew what we were doing, we maintained our focus.”

    On the punishment for defaulters, he said: “Anybody that is found selling above pump price will pay a penalty of ?100,000. If we catch you three times, you’ll pay three times too. We may decide to punish you immediately or let you exhaust what you have under the ground first. We may decide to shut you down.

    “We are sustaining this monitoring. I have given my telephone number out. The staff we have re the people coming from other places. We tell the public that if they are not satisfied with the volume dispensed to you or the fuel was sold above the pump price, they should call the number and we will respond timely.”

  • Bayelsa, Bauchi, Oyo, others yet to remit pension

    Bayelsa, Bauchi, Oyo, others yet to remit pension

    •Lagos, Osun, Rivers, Niger lead CPS

    •Oyo State Gov. Abiola Ajimobi
    •Oyo State Gov. Abiola Ajimobi

    Twenty-three  state governments out of the 36 states in the country including Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, and Edo states are yet to begin the remittance of pension contributions into the Retirement Savings Account (RSAs) of their employees as at the end of the first quarter of this year, The Nation has learnt.

    They are also yet to start funding of their Retirement Benefit Bond Redemption Fund Accounts (RBBRF) and yet to provide Group Life Insurance for their employees as required under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the Pension Reform Law, 2014.

    This means that employees of these states may not get their pension benefits as and when due after retirement and are not insured.

    Other states that have not remitted contributions, funded RBBRF nor provide Group Life for their employees are Cross River, Ebonyi, Gombe, Kebbi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.

    This was contained in the National Pension Commission (PenCom) First Quarter Report on ‘Level of Compliance with the CPS by State Governments’.

    According to the report, only Lagos, Osun, Niger and Rivers are fully compliant with the law as they have remitted pension contribution, funded their RBBRF and insured their employees.

    Balance in RBBRF account of state governments as at January this year shows that Lagos State had remitted N10 billion, while Ogun, Niger and Rivers had remitted N1.43billion N9.10billion and N3.10 billion respectively into their RBBRF as at the end of the quarter under review.

    The report further showed that while six state governments have begun the funding of their RBBRF into RSAs account, only eight out of the 36 states had commenced remittance of contributions into the RSAs of their employees as at the period under review.

    The report noted that 26 state governments have enacted laws on the CPS, while the remaining 10 were yet to pass their bills into law.

    Imo State is yet to begin remittance of pension contributions too however, Imo State University is currently implementing the CPS under the auspices of the PRA 2014. The state is yet to fund the RBBRF and yet to provide Group Life Insurance for its employees.

    Jigawa State has however transferred pension assets to six PFAs for management while Kano State is yet to transfer its pension assets.

    The report however clarified that Jigawa and Kano states did not implement Group Life Insurance Scheme because they are currently implementing the Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme, which does not require the institution of Group Life policies for employees.

    Section 4 of the PRA 2014 states that every employee to whom the act applies shall maintain an RSA in his name with any PFA of his choice.

    The employer shall deduct at source the monthly contribution of the employee and not later than seven working days from the day the employee is paid his salary, remit an amount comprising the employee’s and employer’s contributions to the Pension Fund Custodian (PFC) specified by the PFA of the employee.

    The PRA states further that any employer that fails to deduct or remit the contributions within the time stipulated shall in addition to making the remittance already due, be liable to a penalty to be stipulated by the Commission.

    The penalty shall not be less than two per cent of the total contribution that remains unpaid for each month or part of each month the default continues and the amount of the penalty shall be recoverable as a debt owed to the employee’s retirement savings account as the case may be.

  • Bayelsa to probe ex-Transport commissioner

    The Bayelsa State Government is set to probe a former Transport Commissioner, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, it has been learnt.

    Mrs Ebikake is among frontline Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members opposed to the re-election of Governor SSeriake Dickson.

    The former commissioner, who is coordinating an anti-Dickson group, the PDP Unity Group (PUG), was quoted to have said “Dickson cannot be governor again”.

    The PDP stalwart was removed from office, following his alleged closeness to the ex-Presidents’ wife, First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

    She has been saying the PDP would lose the December 5 governorship election, if Dickson is fielded as its candidate.

    Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.) hinted yesterday at a rally organised by a non-governmental organ-isation (NGO), Dickson Support Movement (DSM), in Yenagoa, the state capital, that Mrs Ebikake might be probed.

    The rally was organised to receive non-indigenes into the group.

    But responding to comments by Mrs Ebikake on Dickson’s alleged non-performance, Jonah said the former commissioner almost crippled a transportation scheme the government introduced to ease the movements of goods and services across the state.

    He said: “This government tried to build a good transport system. We bought buses and taxis and gave to our people.

    “The person who almost messed up the state’s transportation scheme is the one talking on television, criticising the governor. The time is not ripe yet. We shall open the books and reveal her activities.”

    The deputy governor hailed non-indigenes for their peaceful conduct and disposition.

    He noted that Dickson appointed more non-indigenes into his government than previous governments and expected them to reciprocate the gesture by supporting his second term bid.

    DSM’s Director-General and House of Assembly Speaker Kombowei Benson said the non-indigenes had been drafted into the governor’s second term movement.

    He said: “Today, we have over 3,000 non-indigenes joining our support movement. They are part of us and are members of our state, since they live and do business here. They have found the reason to support the second term bid of the governor, who is doing very well.”

    Also, the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor in the House of Representative, Chief Fred Agbedi, said the Dickson administration would continue to encourage non-indigenes to live peacefully in the state.

    Agbedi said: “You can see that Dickson has fulfilled his election promises to non-indigenes. This government sees non-indigenes as part of the state and we must see them as our people too.

    “Our people must learn a lot of trade from them so that we too can become enterprising.”

    Spokesmen for Bayelsa Non-Indigenes Forum, Mr. Tony Madueke, hailed the governor for providing security for the residents.

    He said Dickson had done well in infrastructural development.

     

     

  • Why Bayelsa suspended payment of gratuities, by Dickson

    Why Bayelsa suspended payment of gratuities, by Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has said the dwindling revenue accruing to the state from the Federation Account forced him to suspend the payment of gratuity arrears he inherited from the former government.

    The governor spoke yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, when he swore in 22 newly appointed permanent secretaries.

    Dickson urged the affected retirees to be patient with his administration, adding that the pension arrears would have been cleared but for the state’s dwindling revenue.

    He said: “But by next year, we will unfold a process by which we will begin to pay off the long accumulated gratuity payment, because that is a very serious problem that this government inherited.

    “We are very concerned about that. I like to …call on those pensioners and members of the public service to bear with us.

    “You are all aware that it was this government that started the N250 million monthly instalment payment. But it was when the economy took a dive for the worse that we stopped. So, that is a problem we acknowledge really exists. But we will work together to solve it.”

    Dickson also sworn in a Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr Austin Adigio, to replace Chief Rufus Abadi, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The governor reconstituted the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board, Hospitals Management Board, the Scholarships Board and the Post-Primary Schools’ Board.

    He said the new permanent secretaries were appointed on merit and in recognition of their hard work and contributions to the state public service.

    Dickson described the selection that led to the appointment of the permanent secretaries as fair and competitive.

    Then governor said the appointments were devoid of political considerations, adding that they were in line with his administration’s policy of depoliticising the civil service.

    He hailed the civil servants and some of their past leaders, including two former Heads of Service, Sir Fraser Okuoru and Dr Josephine Igodo, for their innovative contributions.

    Dickson restated his administration’s commitment to prioritising workers’ welfare, especially in the payment of salaries and pension entitlements, despite the financial crisis rocking the state and the country.

    The governor urged the new permanent secretaries to work with their commissioners to promote professionalism and improved service delivery.

    He said: “It is my expectation and prayer that our civil service will also be reckoned with, the way people respect the public service in some older states.

    “With what we have started in the ‘professionalisation’ and ‘depoliticisation’ of the public service since we came in and building on what others have done, I believe that with time, the Bayelsa State public service will be one of the best in Nigeria. That is my wish for you all.”

    The new permanent secretaries, who passed the promotion examination conducted by the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in June, 2014, are: Ebikipa Ebikake, John Egbe, Felix Odubo, Dr. Alice Atuwo-Andekebi, Dr Wisdom Sawyer, Lady Grace Fiepere and Mrs Atonye Pekene.

    Others are: Igunu Hosea Ebifanyo, Dr. Akpoku Inodu Nathaniel, Moses Dika, Amakiri Boumonyo Fredrick, Luka Obiri, Jackson Bidei, Japhet Bank, D. C. Ebiwari, Godspower Atoko, S. S. Burufegha and Simon Adomokeme.

    Also sworn in as permanent secretaries are: Ere Efeke, Bolouikie Kingdom Yeri, Ovie-Izibe Victor and Mrs. Ebiere Igodo-Adeh.

    The Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board has Charles Dorgu as Chairman.

    Others are: Chief Iboro Ige-Idaba (Executive Secretary), Ezekiel Gunn, Ms Stella Raine, Ebi Wodu, Mrs Kenisuomein Walson, Ijebuode Agbaragu, Chief David Okolai Otietie and Gede Moses Doubeni.

    Other members are: Smart Ayama, Comrade Tengi Ebiegberi, John Famokuma, Ere Efeke, Clive Ezekiel, Benson Diriyai, Ikierigha Lucky Jeremiah, Tamadu Abasi, Awudu Adike and Auditor Clinton Ikobho.

     

  • Kogi, Bayelsa voter registration to hold Sept. 2

    Kogi, Bayelsa voter registration to hold Sept. 2

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will begin the Continuous Voter Registration in Kogi and Bayelsa states on September 2 till September 7, ahead of the governorship elections in both states.

    The commission’s daily bulletin yesterday said the registration would hold in the local government areas from 8a.m. to 4p.m. daily.

    It noted that the five-day registration was for those yet unregistered and those who just turned 18.

    “Those who were eligible but did not register before the March and April general election and those who registered but their names were not in the voters’ register”, INEC said.

    “There are also those who have attained the age of 18 years since the last registration”, it said.

    The commission urged prospective voters in both states to register so that they can vote in the elections.

    It said the commission held a stakeholders’ meeting in Kogi and would hold a similar meeting in Bayelsa on Thursday.

    Also, INEC has urged election monitors to make meaningful observations and recommendations that would further strengthen the electoral process.

    Its bulletin quoted the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, as speaking at a stakeholders’ post-election review of gender responsiveness during elections.

    It said Osaze-Uzzi, who was represented by the commission’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Mr Nick Dazang, said INEC had benefited from the recommendation of election monitors.

    He noted that such recommendations had been factored into the commission’s plans to strengthen the country’s electoral process.

    Osaze-Uzzi said: “It is what observers say about an election that gives it credibility.

    “That is why it is always important, especially for a growing democracy like that of Nigeria, to always factor and invite observers and report the process before, during and after the election.”