Bayelsa locals slaughter another whale at Brass Island
Read Also: Aiteo shuts production in Bayelsa field over oil spill
Tag: Bayelsa
-
Bayelsa mulls economic stimulus for SMEs
The Bayelsa State Government has expressed desire to strengthen small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through effective and well coordinated cooperative societies to enhance economic development.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, stated this when he granted audience to the Director General and members of the Bayelsa State Bureau for Cooperative Development (BSBCD) at his office in Government House.
The Deputy Governor, who emphasised that effective cooperative societies were the backbone of thriving SMEs, noted that government was considering distributing soft loans as economic stimulus packages to some enterprising youths and women through strong cooperative societies in the state.
He stated: “The success of SMEs and the development of any economy depends largely on the effectiveness of cooperatives. Without strong and effective cooperatives, SMEs will not survive.
“There is a nexus between survival of SMEs and effective cooperative societies because cooperatives are the seeds with which the germination of the economy protrudes into the SMEs and generally jumpstart the economy.
“Unfortunately, we are not paying adequate attention to the development of cooperatives in Nigeria. And so, I think your major challenge is that of enlightenment because quite a lot of people are still very naive and ignorant about cooperatives.
“We really need to expand the horizon of our enlightenment. The difference between us and those enlightened societies is that they grow with cooperatives. Most of the viable football clubs in Europe and other parts of the world are through cooperatives.
“This government is determined to work with cooperatives that are effective. Over the years, we have been doing empowerment programmes. For instance, the N200,000 we have been giving to four persons in each ward every month.
Highlighting the important role of cooperatives play in building both personal and corporate economies, he noted that some of the big football clubs making waves in Europe were established through cooperative societies.
Ewhrudjakpo said the knowledge of the importance and workings of a cooperative society was still very low in Bayelsa, and therefore, charged the Bureau for Cooperative Development to intensify its enlightenment programme especially at the grassroots level.
He, however, applauded the Niger Delta University (NDU) cooperative society which, according to him, had made significant milestones.
He called on other cooperatives in the state to emulate the NDU model to change the narrative for good.
-
Victim’s family kicks over students allegedly killed by generator fumes in Bayelsa
On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, a tragic incident occurred on Ebis Mechanic Road, Amarata, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State where seven individuals including four siblings lost their lives due to exposure to toxic generator fumes.
The victims were using a generator for power supply during a power outage which has become synonymous with Yenagoa, the state capital, and other parts of the state, and the improper ventilation led to the accumulation of carbon monoxide, resulting in fatalities.
The deceased, most of whom were said to be students of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, were said to have worked late into Monday night in a music studio owned by one of them, and fell asleep in the locked studio with the generator still running.
The young men, who were in the music recording business to support their education, were suspected to have suffocated from the carbon monoxide emissions of the generator.
The police spokesman in the state, Musa Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said police had begun investigation.
Read Also: Fintiri hails Tinubu, says rebuilding Nigeria requires bold policies
“Investigations are being carried out, but based on what we have seen, carbon monoxide poisoning due to generator fumes is a possible cause,” Mohammed had stated.
Residents, eyewitnesses speak
Some residents of Ebis Mechanic Road who spoke on the incident said they had raised the alarm when they peeped through the window of the studio and saw the lifeless bodies of the young men sprawling on the floor.
Yet some eyewitnesses in the area disagreed that it was only generator fumes that choked them to death, claiming that the young men might have taken some hard drugs and other narcotic substances that contributed to their demise.
A bread distributor, who described one of the (unnamed) victims as his husband’s nephew, said the deceased was the only child of his mother.
The woman, who craved anonymity, but chose to be called ‘Mama Bread’, said the husband’s nephew was a student at NDU but was doing music on part-time basis to support his education since his mother, who is the breadwinner of the family, is struggling to survive.
She described the deceased as a hard working boy in his mid-20s whom the family had always looked up to bring succour to them when he rounded of his education and began to excel in his music career.
Mama Bread stated: “The boy’s death is devastating. He was just hard working an easygoing young man full of promises and now death has snatched him away from us.
“I just wonder how his immediate family, particularly his mother, will be able to cope with his passing. His death has dealt a devastating blow to the family.
“My husband has not been himself since the incident occurred. We pray for the repose of his soul.”
One of the victims’ sisters, who preferred to be anonymous, said that her brother’s death was curious and doubted the narrative that he was killed by generator fumes.
“My brother went to the studio early hours of the morning and I do not believe that the generator fumes could have killed him. I do not accept that story that he died as a result of generator fumes,” she stated.
Also, Mr. Damion Asamonye, a resident, heaped blame on the state and federal governments as well as Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) for the death of the seven persons, lamenting that if there was adequate power supply, there would not have been any need for them to use generator throughout the night that resulted in their inhaling carbon monoxides from it, leading to their untimely death.
He decried the epileptic power situation in the state whereby the distribution company only brings light whenever they want to collect electricity bills and disconnect light shortly after customers have paid their bills for the month.
Asamonye said: “Both the federal and state governments have failed us. If there was public power supply, may be these people would not have lost their lives in that callous manner.
“It is sad and painful. Seven promising men just died like that because they were trying to eke out a living for themselves. Seven able-bodied young men just died in such a manner because of the failure of government.
“The most annoying thing is that next, the PHED personnel will come with their ladders to disconnect light that they are not supplying.
“How can people be spending their humongous money on paying for darkness and fueling generators despite the current hardship in Nigeria, even after paying for light bills?
Another resident, Mrs Joy Reuben, who neighbours woke up in the wee hours of Tuesday to witness the tragic incident, called on the government to ensure that there is adequate power supply in the state, so that citizens would not be allowed to die in such unthinkable circumstances.
Also, a resident who gave his name only as David blamed the incident on the poor power supply situation in Bayelsa State, arguing that if power supply was regular, those young vibrant youths would not have died untimely.
He equally called on the police to conduct thorough investigation into the incident to unravel any other possible cause of the fatalities.
Negligence by medics
One of the young men, Mr. Akpos Barakubo a.k.a. Slim Kelz, was rushed to the hospital unconscious but was neglected by medical personnel, citing the need for parents or relatives to be present before treatment.
The young man eventually succumbed to his injuries and died.
Kelz was a music producer and mixer while other boys were undergraduates from Niger Delta University (NDU), who went to the studio for music recording.
Hard drugs dimension of incident
The initial investigation revealed that the cause of the tragic incident that occurred at DMP Music Recording Studio on Ebis Mechanic Street, Amarata, Yenagoa, where seven young men lost their lives was primarily due to generator fumes.
However, further information from autopsy results indicated that the young men had also consumed hard drugs, which might have complicated their medical condition.
The autopsy results indicate a combination of generator fumes and drug consumption as contributing factors to the fatalities.
Experts advisory
Generator fumes, which contain carbon monoxide, can be extremely dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that can cause illness and even death when inhaled in high concentrations.
According to experts, the tragic incident at Ebis Mechanic Street resulting in the deaths of seven young men highlights the importance of prompt and effective emergency response, as well as the risks associated with generator fumes and drug abuse.
They contend that the negligence by medical personnel is deeply concerning and requires further investigation to prevent such occurrences in the future.
They recommend that the relevant authorities should raise awareness about the dangers of generator fumes and drug abuse among the youth as well as review and reinforce protocols for emergency medical treatment to prevent similar incidents in the future.
They contend that the loss of lives due to generator fumes is a tragic reminder of the importance of safety measures when using generators, noting that it is crucial to raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and to take necessary precautions to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
-
JUST IN: Generator fumes kill seven varsity students in Bayelsa
No fewer than seven individuals, reportedly university undergraduates, have lost their lives after inhaling fumes from a generator inside a music studio on Transformer Road, Ebis, in the Amarata area of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state.
The victims, whose identities are yet to be confirmed, were working in the recording studio, which is owned by one of them identified as Akpos Barakubo, when the incident occurred on Tuesday morning.
It is reported that most of the victims were youths, with some of them already married.
Residents of Ebis indicated that the studio crew worked late into the night using their generators due to inadequate power supply in the state.
It was gathered that the victims fell asleep with the generator running inside the studio and forgot to switch it off before dozing off.
The report stated that six bodies were discovered on Tuesday morning, while one individual, found unconscious and rushed to the hospital, later passed away.
It was also revealed that most of the deceased were undergraduates from the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU) in Amassoma, who were involved in the recording business to support their education.
At the time of the report, security operatives had cordoned off the area.
The victims’ bodies were said to have been evacuated and taken to a morgue in Yenagoa by police officials.
A resident of the area, Damion Asamonye, blamed the state and federal governments as well as the Port Harcourt Distribution Company (PHED) for the deaths of the seven individuals.
He lamented that if there had been an adequate power supply, they would not have needed to use a generator throughout the night, which led to their fatal inhalation of carbon monoxide.
Asamonye criticized the unreliable power situation in the state, noting that the distribution company only provides electricity when it is time to collect bills and then disconnects the power shortly after customers have paid for the month.
Asamonye said: “Both the federal and state governments have failed us; if there was a public power supply, maybe these people wouldn’t have lost their lives in this callous manner. It is sad and painful. Seven promising men just died like that because they were trying to eke out a living for themselves.
Read Also: Father of two electrocuted in Bayelsa
“Seven able-bodied young men just died in such a manner because of the failure of government. The most annoying thing is that tomorrow, the PHED personnel will come with their ladders to disconnect lights that they are not supplying. How can people be spending their humongous money on paying for darkness and fueling generators despite the current hardship in Nigeria, even after paying for light bills?
Another resident, Mrs Joy Reuben, whose neighbours woke up in the wee hours of Tuesday to witness the tragic incident, called on the government to ensure that there is the adequate power supply in the state so that citizens would not be allowed to die in such unthinkable circumstances again.
When contacted, the spokesman for the state police command, ASP Musa Mohammed, said he heard about the incident but was yet to get briefs from the Divisional Police Officer (PRO) in charge of the area.
He, however, promised to keep the press updated as soon as he got the details of the incident.
-
Father of two electrocuted in Bayelsa
A father of two simply identified as Amas died while working on a high tension pole in Ekeki community in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State near the Police Divisional Headquarters on Azikoro road.
It was gathered the deceased, who was a non-staffer of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) resident in the neighbourhood, was on the pole to connect some clients’ to the national grid before he was electrocuted.
Residents of the area said due to the poor power supply in the State, most people preferred a federal line which has assurance of between 12 and 13 hours power supply daily.
The deceased, who hailed from Nembe Local Government Area of the state, was said to have been stuck on the pole for hours before officials of the PHCN came to his rescue.
But before they reached the place, he was already dead.
A resident of Azikoro road, Micheal Orubo, who claimed to have witnessed the incident described the deceased as an easy going person who did electrical work to care for his family.
He said: “Amas lived on our street, and he did most of the connection work in this area. It is unfortunate that death came to him in such a manner. He just left us where we were playing chess game, and said he was coming back but never returned.
“He was an easy going man. Who will take care of the two kids he has left behind. The money he got from this electric connections was what he usually managed to feed his family. What manner of death is this?”
Another resident, who gave his name only as Ebi said: “He just passed me not more than five minutes; immediately after the rain stopped.
“The next thing I heard was people screaming. We rushed to the scene of the incident but we couldn’t help it, because he was wearing a belt. So, it held him tight to the pole.
“There was nothing onlookers could do because they were all scared as it was still raining.”
An official of the PHCN later came and removed the lifeless body after being hung on the pole for hours.
Bayelsa Police spokesman ASP Musa Muhammed, could not be reached for confirmation as his phone rang out several times.
-
Minister to commission multi-billion Naira projects in Ondo, Bayelsa
Two major projects worth over N32 billion are to be commissioned in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, The Nation learnt.
The commissioning which will be carried out by the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh are located in Bayelsa and Ondo states.
According to a statement by the special assistant on media and communications to the minister, John Mayaki, the projects include the 25.753 kilometres Ogbia-Nembe Road and Bridges, worth N24,421,857,276.16 billion represents a lifeline for the long-isolated oil-producing communities, traversing swampy terrains.
The project, according to the minister was constructed in collaboration with Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Ltd (SPDC).
The statement quoted the minister as saying that the “infrastructure not only establishes a vital connection between Nembe and the nation. It also promises to ignite economic prosperity across the region.
He stated: “This project cost the sum of N24,421,857,276.16 (Twenty – Four Billion, Four Hundred and Twenty – One Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty – Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira, Sixteen kobo), and the scope is 25.753 km asphalt pavement single carriageway; 9.15 km of pre-fabricated vertical drains on the swamp, and Seven bridges.
“There’s no denying that the completion of this road will revolutionize transportation, significantly reducing travel time and stimulating development across 14 communities.”
The second project, the Okitipupa Electricity Project in Ondo State, the minister said holds immense promise in brightening the lives of thousands across five local government areas.
Read Also: Ondo poll: Court orders Aiyedatiwa, others to file defence
He said: “We are elated by this significant achievement, as reliable electricity access will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, elevate living standards, and pave the way for a more promising future.”
The cost of the project is N8, 152,952,040.57 (eight billion, one hundred and fifty-two million, nine hundred and fifty-two thousand, forty naira, fifty-seven kobo) while the scope of the project includes the construction of 45km 132 KV feeder line from Omotosho to Okitipupa; the construction of 2 nos 30/40 MVA 132/33KV Injection substations with breakers gantry and substation automation; the construction of 3 Bedroom semi-detached bungalow as service quarters; the provision of 2 x 60 MVA, 132/33KV transformer at Okitipupa Injection Substation; the rehabilitation of 33 km 33/11 KV transmission from Okitipupa – Igbokoda – Ubgbonla and environs; and the construction of 1km rigid pavement with drains.
-
Ebi Egbe urges Bayelsa gov’t to complete Asuama Sports Complex
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Diri Douye has been urged to complete the abandoned Asuama Sports Academy in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state rather than channel the resources he planned to use in building a new stadium in the state
This much was said by Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited, Chief Ebi Egbe , adding the academy when completed will turn the state into a sports hub in the country.
Read Also: Unveiled ‘tough skin’ Finidi vows to rejig Super Eagles
” It’s unfortunate that the Asuama Sports Academy Complex has not been completed after spending more than N 3 billion on the project and instead of planning how to complete it, they’re talking about starting another stadium project,” he said. ” There’s need for Bayelsa State Government to complete this project because if we’re talking about grassroots sports development, Asuama is the place to be.
“It is a good concept and project that can help Bayelsa and that’s why I will not support the constitution of a new stadium when that one has not been completed.
“Let’s go and revisit Asuama and complete it. The Academy has two standard football pitches, two athletics tracks, basketball Court, Power gym, handball and volleyball courts , a standard swimming pool for competition and good internal road network and so many other facilities and as such we cannot abandon that project and start thinking of starting a new one,” he stressed.
-
Labour rejects tariff hike, epileptic power supply in Bayelsa
The organised labour in Bayelsa state has rejected the federal government’s increase in electricity tariff amid the current suffering by Nigerians.
It said such a hike was unacceptable in the state.
Speaking on Monday during a joint protest and picketing of the office of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) by the state chapters of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), NLC chairman Simon Barnabas urged the relevant authorities to immediately reverse the tariff hike in electricity.
He also decried a situation whereby despite the hike in tariff, epileptic power supply had become the order of the day in the state.
Barnabas said: “Our action today is a way to inform the government that the hike in tariff is unacceptable by us; of course, our national centres of NLC and TUC gave the directive that we should have a joint action here in Bayelsa State to express unacceptability of this policy.
“We are calling on the authority to have immediate reverse and of course pass information to our people that labour leadership is concerned about their well-being and welfare.
Read Also: Electricity tariff hike: Nigerians paying for darkness – NLC, TUC tackle NERC
“We are hoping that there will be a change of mind on the part of the government after this action, but where there is none, we have no option but to apply confrontation. The issue of epileptic power supply must be addressed; Nigerians should have constant power supply.”
Also speaking, TUC chairman in Bayelsa State, Comrade Julius Laye, said that introducing another taxation was not a way to go for Nigerians who are already suffering.
He wondered why the government was trying to bring two taxes, the electricity tariff hike and cyber security tax, despite the sufferings in the country.
He urged the government to feel the pulse of Nigerians at the moment and allow the masses to breathe.
He said: “We are very hopeful that we have a government that is sensitive and will yield to our demands, and knows the feelings of Nigerians that another tax is not the best way to go for Nigerians who are already suffering.
“Mr President must feel the feelings of Nigerians, allow Nigerians to breathe by making sure that these taxes do not come into existence. If you take the workers who are earning N30,000 as minimum wage to increase the electricity tariff, what about transport to work, what about people who are not working for the government?
“Nigerians should have constant electricity, but the reverse is the case. We are buying fuel, we are buying diesel, where will the people have money to pay for all these bills and also take care of the hiked tariffs, please let Nigerians breathe.”
-
Mass housing priority in Bayelsa, says Diri
•Approves land for Fed Govt project
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has said affordable housing for people of the state will be accorded top priority in his second term.
Diri stated this on Friday when the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, and the management team paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
The governor, who expressed his administration’s commitment to collaborate with the federal government to attract more development in the housing sector, approved the provision of land for the FHA to actualise President Bola Tinubu’s housing vision for people of the state.
Read Also: Diri says mass housing a priority in Bayelsa
He said: “In our first term, we focused more on infrastructure development to open up the state. We saw road construction as our number one priority. But, this time around, we are prioritising housing for our people. Our focal person in the sector will liaise with you to ensure that President Bola Tinubu’s dream of providing housing for Nigerians is realised.
“We will acquire land and make it available to the FHA free of charge. We will collaborate with you so that we can build a new Bayelsa.”
While commending Ojo and his team for consulting with state governments on the federal government housing project, Diri urged other federal appointees to also take into consideration the peculiarities of states and regions in the country in fashioning national policies. “I commend you for coming to consult with us. Most officers of government stay back in Abuja and make decisions, some of which are inimical to the states. This should be the standard of every official.”
In his remarks, the FHA Managing Director, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, said the visit was to solicit partnership with the state government in delivering the president’s mandate for the housing sector.
-
Diri says mass housing a priority in Bayelsa
Gov. Douye Diri, of Bayelsa says provision of affordable housing for people of Bayelsa remains his administration’s top priority.
Diri said this when Mr Oyetunde Ojo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), led the authority’s management team on a courtesy visit to him in , Yenagoa on Friday.
The governor expressed his administration’s commitment to collaborating with the federal government to attract more development in the housing sector.
He also approved the provision of land for the FHA to actualise President Bola Tinubu’s housing vision for the people of the state.
He said: “In our first term, we focused more on infrastructure development to open up the state. We saw road construction as our number one priority.
“This time around, we are prioritising housing for our people. Our focal person in the sector will liaise with you to ensure that President Bola Tinubu’s dream of providing housing for Nigerians is realised.
“We will acquire land and make it available to the FHA free of charge. We will collaborate with you so that we can build a new Bayelsa’’.
He commended Ojo and his team for consulting with state governments on the federal government’s housing project.
Read Also: Bayelsa APC leaders advise Tinubu over Diri
Diri urged other federal appointees to also take into consideration the peculiarities of states and regions in the country in fashioning national policies.
“I commend you for coming to consult with us. Most officers of government stay back in Abuja and take decisions.
“Some of which are inimical to the states. This should be the standard of every official,” he said.
Diri said there was need to map out high and low density areas in the construction of federal housing estates and thanked President Tinubu for the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He advised the federal government to fast-track the project by also undertaking it from the Calabar end.
Ojo said the visit was to solicit the state government’s partnership in delivering the president’s mandate for the housing sector.
Ojo, who noted that it was imperative that the people had access to affordable housing, expressed Tinubu’s desire to provide housing for all Nigerians, regardless of political party affiliation.
While soliciting 100 hectares of land for the project, the FHA CEO applauded Diri’s developmental strides, particularly in the construction of road projects across the state.
He said as one who is familiar with the state, its terrain and developmental challenges he appreciates what Diri has done since assumption of office. (NAN)