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Tag: Bayelsa

  • BAYELSA: What’s going on in Jonathan’s backyard?

    BAYELSA: What’s going on in Jonathan’s backyard?

    Mike Odiegwu in Yenagoa reports on the current political twists in Bayelsa State and reports that even in his home state, Mr. President’s political fate seems to hang in the balance ahead of the February presidential election

    FROM 1999 to 2011, Bayelsa State was strapped to the armpit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Though other parties existed in mushroom-fashion, the PDP dominated the political landscape and single-handedly decided who got what and when.

    In fact, the mushroom opposition parties were pawns in the hands of the ruling party. They only became relevant whenever aggrieved and irreconcilable PDP members used them as platforms to seek elections only to return to the ruling party after winning or losing the elections. Such fate befell the Labour Party (LP), Progressive Party Alliance (PPA) and the KOWA party.

    All the political affairs in the state were arrogantly referred to as a family business of PDP. In fact, the party paraded itself as a close-nit family where harmonization was an acceptable modus operandi of reconciling political scores and differences. Elections were hardly held in the state as the government reserved the whims and caprices to decide winners of party nominations and elected officials. Indeed, it was then said that election results were written at the Bayelsa State Government House.

    Why President Goodluck Jonathan got bloc votes in 2011

    Apart from the sympathy invoked by his shoeless campaign mantra, President Goodluck Jonathan got the bloc votes of his state in 2011 because of the perceived unity in the state chapter of the PDP.

    The, then governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, ensured that all the votes went to his kinsman. The Jonathan’s candidacy was the project of the entire state as Sylva deployed the machinery of the government to deliver the state to his brother.

    Little wonder the state was made too hot for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) when they came to campaign in the state. Violence broke out at the campaign ground after some hired youths reportedly hurled stones at Buhari. Expectedly after the election, Jonathan cleared the votes of his state.

    Reversal of Jonathan’s fortunes

    Pundits believe that Jonathan is the architect of his alleged collapsed image and dying goodwill in the state. They quickly recalled his internecine war against Sylva and how he booted the former governor out of office. The President’s revenge mission against Sylva tore the state apart and commenced the era of permanent division in the PDP. Eventually, Sylva pulled his political structure out of PDP to the main opposition All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Apart from Jonathan’s vendetta, there are also general misgivings among the people of the state against the President. Many people are disconnected from his government which is generally viewed as divisive and ethnic-driven. Observers believe that his administration is only beneficial to his kinsmen from his local government area in Ogbia.

    They argued that other areas have nothing to show that the President is from the state. They feel abandoned, neglected and deliberately excluded from presidential windfall. Even the people of Ogbia are complaining against the President style of leadership. They conclude that most of the benefits are skewed to favour people from his community in Otuoke.

    For instance, all the graduates in Otuoke are said to have been offered jobs by federal ministries, parastatals and departments based on directives from the Presidency while unemployment is ravaging other graduates from other parts of the state.

    Apart from that, Ogbia has remained highly underdeveloped with narrow old location roads of oil companies and colonial bridges dotting the entire area. The people are also angered that for about six years that Jonathan has occupied the Presidency, there are no tangible projects in the local council.

    In fact, other core Ijaw local government areas are angry that they have nothing to show for Jonathan’s Presidency in terms of physical infrastructure and manpower development.

    For instance, the people of Koluama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area are livid with anger against the President over his handling of the Chevron’s gas rig explosion that polluted their waterways and denied them their main source of livelihood, fishing. They recalled the alleged ignominy in which President treated them over the matter and how he has turned deaf ears to their outcries for adequate compensation.

    They have also accused the President of deception, saying that Jonathan through his Special Adviser on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, once visited them and promised a special training and empowerment programme for women and youths; a promise that has never materialised.

    Indeed, apart from the Federal University, which critics said, was selfishly tucked into Otuoke community, his critics said that the state has little to show for Jonathan’s presidency

    Patience Jonathan’s ambition

    It has become an open secret that Dame Patience, the wife of the President, has an ambition to oust Dickson and replace him with her loyalist, Dr.

     Weripamowei Dudafagh, who is the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Matters. Since the anti-Dickson’s plot leaked to the public, the First Lady has been making moves that allegedly confirm it.

    First, came a report that she was instrumental to the posting of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Valentine Ntomchukwu, to the state with a Joseph-Mbu-like agenda. Another was her resignation as a super Permanent Secretary from the state civil service; an appointment she so much desired and accepted despite public opprobrium. She was said to have tendered her resignation letter to enable her stand on a moral rostrum to fight the governor.

    Recently, Mrs. Jonathan’s relationship with the Transformation Agenda of Nigeria (TAN) has been in focus. It was reported that the state chapter of TAN, the main campaign group of Jonathan, has been hired by the First Lady to kick-start the Dickson-must-go project.

    It was observed that TAN immediately went through radical leadership overhaul. All the loyalists of Dickson in TAN were weeded off to allow the associates of Dame Patience have full control of the group.

    The group, which was hitherto under the control of the Chairman, Bayelsa State Local Government Commission, Chief Talford Ongolo, was handed over to a former Deputy Governor and Patience’s ally, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu. Key members of TAN in the state are past political office holders, especially persons who served under the former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva.

    Without mincing words, since the ambition of the First Lady became public knowledge, there has been sharp division in the state chapter of the PDP. The party is now polarized into two camps – pro Dickson’s camp and First Lady’s bloc. Members of the two factions view one another as mutual enemies.

    The two camps are separate and distinct as they try not to be found together in social and political gatherings. Persons found associating with loyalists of Patience are viewed as haters of Dickson and vice versa. Pundits believe that the discordant tunes in the party, allegedly orchestrated by Patience, may cost Jonathan the bloc votes of the state.

    Analysts put the blames squarely on the doorsteps of the President and his wife. While they argue that Dickson is busy preaching peace and working for the reelection of Mr. President, the First Lady is preoccupied with an ambition to remove Dickson, a distracting aspiration that is clearly stalling the Jonathan’s project. Moreover, pundits are confounded that the President has not called his wife to order.

    Youths at war over Patience

    Already, the internal crisis is threatening the Presidential campaign of the PDP scheduled to hold in the state in February 5th. Youths under the aegis of the Bayelsa Youth Vanguard (BYV) issued a statement recently barring the First Lady from accompanying her husband to the state on the proposed campaign date. They further threatened to disrupt the rally if Mrs. Patience ignored the warning.

    The youths accused her of causing crisis in the state, warning her to desist from her divisive conduct or face the consequences. They accused Mrs. Jonathan of planning to destabilise the state and fuel needless crisis and political tension in the state the same way she did in Rivers State.

    The youngsters in a statement signed by their spokesperson said Patience would only be allowed to come to the state “if she retraced her steps”, adding, “or otherwise, we will mobilise against the President’s rally.”

    “We are constrained to issue this statement to bar the President’s wife from accompanying President Goodluck Jonathan to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, for the presidential rally on February 5.

    But Dickson immediately rose to condemn the threat. He said the state would remain home to President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, and every citizen of the country.

    He said the government and the good people of the state will at all times, accord Jonathan, his wife, and other members of the first family their due honour, respect and reception in the state, “as we have always done”.

    In fact, the threat has continued to generate reactions in the state. Commenting on the development, TAN in a statement signed by Egba, called on security agencies to probe the group’s outburst.

    Egba said: “We have noticed that since alleged cold war between the State Government and the First Lady became a topic for public discourse, more individuals and groups in the state have become emboldened to make statements that are clearly disrespectful to the office and person of the First Lady.

    “Inspite of the foregoing, TAN would like to appeal to the First Lady to accept this indiscretion as part of the price for leadership and forgive all those who may be found culpable, as the Mother of Nigerians.”

    Furthermore, No fewer than seven youth groups have rallied round Dame Patience and warned troublemakers to steer clear of the PDP Presidential rally. The youths vowed to use “all means possible” to deal with anti-Patience elements.

    The warning was issued in Yenagoa at a joint press briefing by the George Turner-led Jonathan Youth Vanguard (JOY 2015), Coalition of Bayelsa Youth Groups and Coalition of Bayelsa State Students.

    JOY 2015 and the coalition of other youths said they had concluded plans to mobilise 10,000 youths to attend the rally and provide maximum security for the Dame Patience.

    Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the state Coordinator, JOY 2015, Mr. Daniel Etai, said it would be suicidal for anybody to think of preventing the First Lady from coming to the state.

    He said the “authentic youths” and students’ leaders from the state were eagerly waiting to welcome the First Lady to the state.

    Another group rises against Patience

    Hardly had some youth groups assured the First Lady of her safety than creek warriors under the aegis of the the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa (MBB) repeated the threat of the Bayelsa Youth Vanguard. The creek warriors insisted that the presence of Patience at the proposed rally would cause tension and security breaches in the state.

    The group, in a statement signed by its President, Mr. Opuyo Engobara, and Secretary, Mr. Warrman Aderi, said the First Lady’s actions and pronouncement in recent times were fueling crisis in the state.

    The youths enumerated eight sins of Dame Patience and accused her of opening a new secretariat for TAN in the state with an intention to mobilise against the governor. They noted that Mrs. Jonathan tinkered with the leadership of TAN and aided her loyalists to hijack the campaign group.

    The youths further lamented that Dame Patience used the occasion of sharing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) items at the Samson Siasia Stadium to make inflammatory statements against the governor.

    APC’s incursion

    Strategists believe that the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) may eventually become the main beneficiary of the internal crisis rocking the PDP.

    However, signs that things are no longer as they were in 2011, became more visible recently during the Presidential campaign of the APC. Gen.  Muhammadu Buhari, who was booed and stoned in 2011 when he came to campaign in the state as the Presidential candidate of the defunct CPC, received a heroic welcome at the Samson Siasia Stadium recently.

    Youths chanting “sai Buhari”, trooped to the stadium to catch a glimpse of the APC presidential candidate. The campaign also received a boost following the presence of Sylva and the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi. It was, indeed, Sylva’s first homecoming since the PDP denied him reelection. The crowd paid rapt attention as Buhari articulated his plans for the state and the Niger Delta region.

    In fact, before the cheering crowd, Sylva disowned Jonathan as his brother. He said: “Bayelsa, you are known to lead the way against oppression, against ineptitude. Today, we must take that leadership. Let us as Bayelsa people lead the rest of Nigeria to vote out the PDP.

    “Today, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is here in person and I want to assure you that I have gone to the east of this country, I have gone to the west. I have gone to the south and north of this country and I bring you goodnews.  One assurance is that Gen. Buhari has won already”.

    The former governor whose speech was interrupted by applauses from the crowd, asked the people to join the winning train.

    “Go and tell your sisters at home. Go to the creeks of the state. In less than six weeks we will have the opportunity of exercising our fundamental human rights of voting. That opportunity we must use wisely.

    “This time, you will use your hands to vote APC and Gen. Buhari into office and welcome prosperity into your home. You will welcome good governance into Nigeria once again”, he said.

    Also addressing the crowd, Amaechi said the next election will be based on merit and challenged President Jonathan to show his scorecard in the region and the state. He said the Niger Delta, after years of clamouring for resource control, got an opportunity to control the entire country through the election of President Jonathan.

    He, however, regretted that Jonathan who was also a product of the struggle has only succeeded in rewarding the region with poverty, hunger and lack of development.

    He said: “They said President Jonathan refused to develop Rivers State because he is quarreling with me. Why has he refused to develop Bayelsa or is he also quarreling with Governor Dickson? What has Bayelsa people benefitted from this government? Nothing.”

    Sylva further lampooned Jonathan and gave reasons why he publicly denounced the President as his brother. He said the President failed to develop the Niger Delta region.

    Besides, Sylva said Jonathan denied him all the love, care and protection expected from a brother. Insisting that the President betrayed the aspirations of the people of the region, he said that Jonathan by so doing rejected the brotherhood of his people.

    Sylva said he was convinced that the candidature of Buhari would change the polity and the nation for good. He said the bond he shared with President Jonathan ended when he removed him from office and hatched series of plots to put him in jail without success.

    The former governor, who is flying the flag of APC for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District, said he feels more comfortable working with his new political friends than Jonathan. He said Jonathan plotted his political downfall and serially failed to attract the expected development to the region.

    He said: ”Please, go and ask my so-called brother. If he is really my brother. I don’t think he is my brother. Who is your brother? Your brother is who looks after you. He who looks after your back. This is a so-called brother who pushed you to the fox. As far as am concerned, my brother is the one I met on the street and took me into his home.

    “And am sure you will agree with me that a brother who pushed me into the street for the fox to eat me up is not my brother. As far as am concerned, I don’t see him as a brother anymore. Please, I don’t think Bayelsa should make the mistake. His problem is that he only thinks about himself.

  • Dickson: we don’t need ‘agents of division’ TAN in Bayelsa

    Dickson: we don’t need ‘agents of division’ TAN in Bayelsa

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has said the state does not need the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).

    Dickson accused its members, led by a former Deputy Governor, Mr. Werinipre Seibarugu, of being agents of division and subversion.

    Speaking at the weekend at the inauguration of the 120-member Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Presidential Campaign Team, Dickson insisted that TAN was not needed in the state.

    But TAN, in a statement by its Director, Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, said the governor had no powers to send any group out of the state.

    The governor asked TAN to take its campaigns to states enjoying greater control of the opposition.

    He said TAN and similar groups should not dissipate their energy campaigning for President in his home state.

    He assured that the state would give the PDP bulk votes in the forthcoming elections.

    The governor explained that the 120 membership of the committee was constituted to effectively coordinate the activities of the election of President Jonathan.

    Ironically, the governor named Seibarugu a member of the committee, though he was absent at the inauguration ceremony.

  • Sorrow as fire razes market in Bayelsa

    Sorrow as fire razes market in Bayelsa

    Traders at a makeshift market in Bayelsa State are yet to come to terms with the damages done to their lives by a fire, which razed the market and their goods, reports SHOLA O’NEIL 

    There was weeping and wailing as a midday fire wreak havoc in Kaiama community in Bayelsa State on Monday. Properties, goods and wares worth several millions of naira were destroyed by the fire, which broke out at a make shift market located along the Kaiama-Patana stretch of the East-West Highway.

    Rows of shops where petroleum products, mostly diesel and engine oil, motorcycle parts and other items are sold were razed by the inferno, which destroyed over 10 makeshift stalls and caravans.

    Eyewitnesses’ account of the fire indicated that it was sparked off by a petty trader, who lit fire at the back of the shop close to the River Niger Bridge in the town.

    “The woman, who owns a restaurant made the fire behind the shop and after cooking her food, she noticed that the fire was spread into the nearby bush. She and her daughter then tried to put out the fire.”

    It was further learnt that when the woman and her daughter thought they had put out the fire, they returned back to the shop and continued their normal services, not knowing that one of the cinders was still smoldering.

    “Some minutes later, we just noticed that the fire had started again and this time the way it spread was completely unbelievable. Within the twinkle of an eye, it had gone through over 20meters of the dried bushes at the back of the shop. From there it spread into the shops, starting from the places were drums of diesel are kept.

    “What we saw and heard was a very big ball of fire that engulfed everywhere, giving nobody time to move against the fire. The dry bush and condition of the harmattan did not help matters as the fire quickly went through dozens of shops in the makeshift market,” one of the sympathisers at the scene when our reporter visited said.

    The incident led to heavy traffic build up around the area forcing travelers going and coming from Port Harcourt to other south-south, west and other parts of the country to spend several hours at the scene because victims and supporters had taken over the road in their desperate bid to stop the fire.

    However independent check by Niger Delta Report around the scene revealed that apart of the dryness caused by the harmattan, the fire was aided by petroleum products waste that had gathered around the area over time.

    Our findings revealed that several of the shops that were gutted by fire were used to store drums and large quantities of petroleum products, including diesel and engine oil. The waste from the products, it was gathered, had drenched the area over time.

    “You know that unlike petrol, diesel does not evaporate or dry off when it pours into the ground; it can stay at the spot for several weeks, months and even years, if it is not properly disposed off. So, it was the collection of these wastes over time that became fuel for the fire that ravaged the shops and stalls,” a security office who visited the scene to assess the extent of the damage, told our reporter on condition of anonymity.

    Attempt by our reporter to get the comment of a police officer from the police post in the area was rebuffed. The law enforcement agent, whose name tag read ‘Binileke’, said he was sent to the scene for an on-the-spot valuation and not to make comment.

    Our reporter however noted that he concentrated on the owners of the shops where petroleum products were kept and overheard him asking for the details of their owners, who he directed to “report at the police station.”

    Meanwhile, as the traders counted their loss they appealed for relief from government. Some of the victims begged Governor Seriake Dickson to come to their aid by giving them financial assistance in order to help them pick up the pieces of their lives that were shattered by the disastrous fire.

    “We cannot hold the woman who started this fire to pay for everything; even if we do there is no way she can do anything because she has nothing to offer. It is only the government can do something to wipe away our tears and that is why we are appealing to the governor to come to our aid,” one of the victims said.

  • Why Bayelsa should vote for Jonathan, by Dickson

    Why Bayelsa should vote for Jonathan, by Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson spoke with reporters in Yenagoa, the state capital, on his activities. He also explained why the people should vote for President Goodluck Jonathan. MIKE ODIEGWU was there.

    The governorship election will not hold in Bayelsa State. But, can you deliver the state to the PDP at the presidential election?

    Nobody is talking about the governorship election in this state, because it is still far away. Anybody who is doing that has not calculated well. They are dancing too early and you know what happens to early dancers; they get tired early and fizzle out. Let us for now; sink all those ambitious; reasonable, unrealistic, whatever ambitious they may be. When the time comes, you put yourselves up for nominations.

    Let us gather and support the President’s election and deliver Bayelsa. Let’s join our leaders and friends across the country to work for the emergence of President Jonathan for him to continue with the business of transformation. And for Bayelsans, I look forward to collaborating with you all so that we can deliver a new and prosperous and peaceful Bayelsa State in Jesus name.

    What are your expectations about the poll?

    We are full of expectations concerning the presidential elections. For me unlike a number of people who seek power over men to bow down to other things; they do all kinds of funny things but we look up to God only. I believe that the fact that the presidential election is taking place on the anniversary of this government of restoration; it shows a very clear sign of victory. I have no doubt that the Peoples Democratic Party will be victorious. I have no doubt that our brother and leader, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will be victorious and the reasons are clear.

    We have a strong political party that is like a horse. If the war horse is strong, anyone can ride it to victory. The other party has not been tested yet at the national level. So, you are pitting the PDP tested old warhorse against an infantile contraption.

    We in the PDP through Mr President’s transformation agenda and the performing governors including myself have a good message of transformation that is powerful. What does the other side have? promises and criticisms and most of it sometimes unfair. So we believe that Nigerians will discern between what is real and on ground. It may not be perfect but they are seeing the honest efforts that the President is making.

    In every election, after you have talked about the platform and the programmes, you talk about the candidate himself. We have a good product to sell in President Jonathan and with the dexterity that he has shown in managing the affairs of the country at a time that is quite not too friendly; taking this country through this trying period, he has demonstrated that he is a statesman. I believe that our product is good enough to market itself. The Bible says, surely people will gather. It didn’t say people will not gather, but it tells you clearly what happens when the ungodly gather and they will surely scatter because when you do your best, God sees and He is interested in the affairs of the people because we are created in his image. When you do things to advance the cause of the people, then you become of interest to God. I call on you all to go and get your permanent voter’s cards because that is the power you will show. For us, we at the state are solidly behind the candidature of President Jonathan but we will not be able to join me to support if you don’t have your PVCs. I have told the chairman of councils and political leaders of the various local government areas to mobilize our people in order to get their PVCs so that they can cast their votes.

    The PDP in the state seems divided some any members of the party are still not happy about the outcome of the last party primaries. What is your take on the cracks in PDP?

    Let me assure you right away that the PDP in Bayelsa State is not divided; there is no crack. As a matter of fact, I want to use this opportunity to congratulate all the leaders and members of PDP in Bayelsa State and the work of the security agencies. If you have been following the political events and the outcome of the primaries, you will realize that the Bayelsa primaries were the least problematic. The Bayelsa primaries didn’t even give any challenge to the national authorities because members and aspirants conducted themselves peacefully. The processes that we followed were all inclusive and the outcome generally was more acceptable.

    Like in every contest, there are losers and winners. There are people who didn’t have the opportunity to actualize their ambition. And to such persons I say, today may not be your time, tomorrow may be yours. I keep reminding everybody that power flows from God. Generally, we are doing well as a party. There are very few cases of PDP members being dissatisfied and therefore going to contest against their party candidate’s on other platforms but we have not seen high level defections in this party arising from the primaries as we read about them in the newspapers everyday.

    The kind of leadership we are providing apart from building roads and other infrastructure extends to reforms in the political culture; that is why we subject people to their primaries. And in the local government elections, there was no single scratch or injuries to anybody. We have done what a lot of people thought was going to be very volatile party primaries. It was very peaceful. People should know that this is the hand of God visiting Bayelsa. It is only satanic and cultic characters that thrive in crisis; who always go against what is rationale and normal. This is not the time for such characters to come to Bayelsa because the light of God will repel and expose you. We may have had one or two isolated cases, which you can’t really rule out in the most advanced democratic governments. So it is a negligible phenomenon and by the time our reconciliation committee run its full course, there will be some understanding.

    Only recently we’ve witnessed an upsurge of criminal activities along the waterways and creeks in Bayelsa particularly the challenge of sea piracy. Also last year, the Maritime Union went on strike twice because of the issue of sea piracy, is your administration bothered about this problem and what is government doing to stem this tide?

    We are a government of law and order. If there is any government that has put security on the front burner, it is this restoration government. So we are concerned. Do we have an ideal security situation? No human security situation can be ideal and particularly the situation in our waterways has always presented a challenge. This is because of the difficult terrain and the challenge of funding. Security is very expensive. We know what we spent to maintain even the operation Doo Akpor when we came on board because we needed to reduce crime. We know the investments we have made. Security is expensive; you’ve to procure equipment, train men, pay allowances and so on. People don’t know what running a government means.

    They don’t know the sacrifices that we officials of government and security agents make. Just some days back I heard the news of the killing of law enforcement officers on the waterways but it is a challenge that we are responding to. I don’t think the approach the maritime workers took was the best. The maritime workers themselves have a role to play. They need to collaborate more with security agents because it is their own drivers who know the waterways and the terrain. All of us need to work together, so I call on members of the public to continue to collaborate with security agencies and give information on how sea pirates get their funding and so on.

    It is a disturbing trend but now in areas like Nembe, the incidence of sea piracy has reduced somewhat except for Brass, Akassa and parts of Southern Ijaw local government, which have always been areas of concern. If it hadn’t been the dwindling finances, we would have provided more support in terms of more platforms to security agencies. We had earlier provided 25 patrol gunboats to support their efforts.

  • Bayelsa to communities: your attacks on pipelines reducing revenue

    The Bayelsa State Government has warned communities hosting oil companies from protests against them and vandalising their facilities.

    Through Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Mr Francis Ikio, the government vowed to henceforth invoke relevant laws against anyone who vents his anger on oil facilities under the guise of fighting oil companies.

    Ikio spoke yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, at the inauguration of 14 projects executed under Shell’s Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) by the Iduwini Foundation.

    The commissioner said attacks on oil facilities had reduced revenue accruing to the state from the Federal Government.

    He regretted that the people behind such breaches in pipelines were misguided to believe that their actions were targeted at oil companies.

    Ikio said: “But they are fighting the collective interests of our state and the country. They are fighting the rest of us. The government wants to say now and finally that these attacks must stop.”

  • Whereabouts of kidnapped expatriates unknown

    Men of the Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, are combing the creeks to locate the whereabouts of three expatriates kidnapped in Bayelsa State.

    The expatriates were abducted by unidentified gunmen at Amakalaka, Ogbia Local Government Area, of the state.

    The victims identified as two Pakastanis and an Indian were reportedly whisked away on Wednesday by the hoodlums.

    It was gathered that they are employees of Elmerit Construction Company.

    A security source identified them as Muntaz Ahmed, Ghatar Abdul, both Pakistanis and Sriribas Rao, an Indian.

    The source who pleaded anonymity said their whereabouts were still unknown adding that the hoodlums had yet to contact the company.

    Sources said their assailants grabbed and pulled them into a waiting boat and sped away into the surrounding creeks.

    No group had claimed responsibility for the abduction.

    Spokesman of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code-named ‘Operation Pulo Shield’, Colonel Mustapha Anka, confirmed the incident.

    He said the task force and other security agencies were combing the area with a view to rescuing the victims and arresting the hoodlums.

     

     

  • Niger Delta princess feeds Bayelsa

    Niger Delta princess feeds Bayelsa

    The charming fair-woman was mistaken by the anxious elders, youths, children and women for an oyibo (white) woman. They were further convinced when she spoke like an American.

    Little did they know that Princess Modupe Ozolua is one of the amazons of the Niger Delta. In fact, a Niger Delta princess from Edo State. On discovering her origin, the indigenes of various communities in Ogbia, including Otuoke, the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan, appreciated her with a standing ovation.

    Ozolua brought the train of her foundation, Body Enhancement Foundation (BEF), to Bayelsa State and berthed first in Ogbia. The Princess and her crew of 18 experts established their temporary base at the Otuoke Cottage Hospital from where their food and medical mission kicked off.

    The foundation was in Bayelsa to give free medical treatments and distribute bags of rice to communities. As expected, after the princess, in company with Madam Cynthia, went round the communities in Ogbia, the first beneficiaries, to inform them about her mission,  residents trooped to the cottage hospital to have their share of the gesture.

    The elderly, the youths and children found their ways to the hospital complex. For five days, the hospital experienced a beehive of activities. The sick hurried to go and lodge their health complaints. The visually-impaired moved gently down the busy road while the youths and children raced down to partake in the generosity of the Niger Delta queen.

    In fact, in a twinkle, all the seats in the hospital waiting room were occupied by the people of Ogbia including the paramount ruler of Otueke and other chiefs. Nobody was left out. Those who could not go on their own because of their health conditions were taken there by their loved ones.

    After undergoing examinations by the team of doctors, many of the beneficiaries had free eye surgeries; went home with free eyeglasses and drugs. They sang the praises of the princess. On sighting heaps of bags of rice, the women, elders and youths refused to go home. They sat patiently to collect their share of the rice.

    Could this gesture be politically-motivated especially coming at a time of campaigns for 2015? Princess Ozolua quickly cleared the air. She said there was no political motive behind her gesture. It was just coincidental that the period scheduled by the foundation to undertake the mission fell within a political period.

    She said: “Most people may think it is a politically-motivated thing. But I don’t bother to hesitate because I have many friends as politicians. But in all the parties, it doesn’t make a difference for me.

    “I am not a politician. I don’t belong to any political party. That will not stop me or my organisation from going anywhere in the federation and it is a very bad habit that when something is good, people try to associate it with hidden intentions.

    “People in Bayelsa State based on what we have seen, definitely need more programmes like this. There are so many places you can’t even reach by land.

    “There are so many communities you will look at and say ‘oh my God there is s much wealth coming from this place but they are so underdeveloped’. It is very disturbing.”

    Ozolua explained that the mission was a bi-monthly affair and inherently part of the programmes of the foundation. On how Bayelsa was selected, she said: “Every two months, what we do, is we randomly pick a state in Nigeria. Bayelsa was picked at the last random selection”.

    She added: “It is a programme we have been doing for 11 years. We also do free reconstruction surgeries like deformities and cataracts.” She said Otuoke was chosen as a base for the programme in Ogbia because of the medical facility in the community.

    Princess could not hide her feelings over the level of poverty in the land. She said people have an erroneous belief that all was well in the state because the President hails from there.

    “Unfortunately, when people hear Bayelsa, the first thing they think of is that because the President is from the area. They assume that everybody is okay. That is a very wrong impression.

    “There are many people suffering all over the country. There is a great deal of poverty. I was even in my state, Edo State in Sptember. We donated rice and medication. We didn’t even do eye programme like this.

    “Even my local government which is not the poorest local government in Nigeria; people were on the ground packing rice that mixed with sand. It goes to show that there is a great deal of need in the country and people should reignite the spirit of help.

    “Everything is by the grace of God. Nothing prevents any of us from having an eye problem tomorrow and it is not everybody that can afford to fly out of the country for care.

    “So, what do you do? The first thing is, if you can’t afford to go to the hospital, you look for an NGO or someone that can do it for you. That is why organisations like ours, Body Enhancement Foundation, is on ground to help.”

    She said the foundation donated food items, 650 bags of 50 kg rice, and offered free medical mission to the people of Bayelsa State. She said the mission was undertaken in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, Immigration, Dana, a member of the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Gusau, Auto Plaza and other organisations.

    “During this mission, which took place for five days, in the eight LGAs in the state, we offered free ophthalmology, gave away eye glasses, reading glasses, medication and others to the under-privileged individuals in the state.”

    In his marks, the Chairman who declared the event open in the state, King Obigbomikimiki of Opume Kingdom, A. J. Turner, described Ozolua as “our sister and good woman”.

    Turner who was represented by the Commissioner for Land and Survey, Mr. Frebie Akeni, asked people to imitate the good heart of the Princess saying judgement before God depends on one’s goodness to people.

    Also, the Commissioner for Health, Mr. Ayibatonye Owei, who represented Governor Seriake Dickson said Ozolua came to empower the people the state with good health.

    “We are happy for this gesture. Our government will like to encourage all other foundations to imitate the spirits of Ozolua”, he said.

    The elated people of Ogbia gave three happy cheers to Ozolua to commend her gestures. The Vice-Chairman of Otuoke Community Development Committee, Chief Obodo Cornelius also thanked the princess on behalf of all the benefitting communities.

  • Bayelsa PDP aspirants insist on primaries

    Bayelsa PDP aspirants insist on primaries

    •Oppose automatic tickets for senators 

    Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspiring for senatorial tickets in Bayelsa State have called for fair and credible primaries.

    Some of the aspirants warned the party against giving automatic tickets to serving senators.

    Irked by the recent decision of the national leadership of the party and President Goodluck Jonathan to pacify many of the senators with automatic tickets, the aspirants said the move would lead to protest votes against the PDP.

    Some of the angry aspirants, who spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital on condition of anonymity,  said the decision should immediately be reversed in the interest of justice and democratic principles.

    They  described the plan to give automatic tickets to the senators as the highest level of deception by the party, which collected their hard-earned money in exchange for forms.

    Stressing that the decision would spell doom for the party, the aspirants described most of the senators clamouring for automatic tickets as  electoral liabilities.

    They challenged the senators, whom they said had failed their constituencies, to a fair primary elections and vowed to defeat them.

    The Coordinating Secretary, Southsouth Peoples Assembly and a leader of the PDP in the state, Dr. Ayakeme Whiskey, described the decision as undemocratic.

    Whiskey, who is aspiring for the ticket of the Bayelsa West Senatorial District, said the decision was a contradiction to the principles of democracy, which allow the people to choose their leaders freely.

    He said the PDP, by the decision would only succeed in narrowing the political space and presenting misfits to the electorate in the general elections.

    He recalled that, in 1999, the PDP lost the Bayelsa West senatorial seat to the Action for Democracy (AD) because of the decision of  party leaders to present an unpopular candidate.

    “Therefore, the decision to give half of the seats to serving senators, whether they have performed creditably well or otherwise, will lead the party to many problems.

    “The elections do not end in the party. Flagbearers of the party will certainly face the best from other parties and, where a party decided to impose a non-performing candidate on them, there could be protest votes”, he said.

    He said the move by some of the senators to hide under the party for tickes was a demonstration of their unpopularity and lack of performance.

    Whiskey said: “It is my conceived belief that where party members are not given the right to choose their representatives in the manner at which they want it, you are invariably alianating the people from governance.

    “It is particularly painful that some of those senators who are clamouring for third term tickets may not win the elections in their own senatorial constituencies for reasons of non-performance.

    “The concept of representative democracy is that where a representative has served well, the people will naturally volunteer their mandate for the person to go back.

    “Tickets to return should not be seen to be automatic. It should be a product of effective representation. It should be a product of the people being satisfied with the services rendered by the elected representatives.

    Besides, Whiskey said the desicion by the party meant injustice to the aspirants who had spent their money to acquire forms.

    He said: “The decision should be reviewed. It is an injustice to aspirants who have submitted themselves to provide effective representation to their people.

    “Most of us have committed our money and have been doing underground work to actualise our aspiration. I call on the leadership of the party to review the decision, otherwise, we will feel the party has done injustice to us and we will protest it. The decision is undemocratic and should be stopped.

    “I have been reaching out. If a serving senator feels that he is very popular, he should do the same and let the people return him. My prayer is that for the interest of the party, this decision should be reviewed. Justice must not be seen to be selective. Some of these senators could become electoral liabilities to the party.”

  • Bayelsa football teams block roads over non-payment

    Players of Bayelsa football teams, Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens, took to the streets of Yenagoa, the capital city to protest alleged refusal by the government to pay them arrears of salaries and allowances.

    The players barricaded the road leading to the Bayelsa Government House at Opolo, obstructing traffic and lamenting unpaid allowances and sign-on fees.

    They accused the government of planning to abandon them after their last 2014 league match scheduled for Sunday.

    It was gathered that the protesters wanted to disrupt the proposed visit of the Governor to the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to the state House of Assembly complex for public presentation of the 2015 budget.

    But the governor could not turn up as he was said to be in Abuja.

    It was learnt that security agents pleaded with the protesters to leave the road.

    The armed operatives were said to have urged them to be patient and to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters.

    A player who spoke on condition of anonymity said that it was unfair for government to treat them in such manner.

    “It is so sad that this issue has degenerated to the extent that the players had to protest for their benefit instead of preparing for their trip for the last league games.

    “I think everything needs to be done to prevent another occurrence because the situation is certainly out of hand, we stay in one of the worst camp in the country, feeding most time on our own, and it is just obvious that we have been abandoned by the state government.

    “The outstanding debts is quite much, some of the players are being owed four years salaries, some one year, and some have not been paid since they were employed, so how do you address it, we will rather stay on this road until our demands are met.”

    Another player further expressed sadness over the poor handling of the state teams by the current administration.

    He said the administration had refused to appreciate the teams, adding that they had approached the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) without any reasonable solution to their plight.

    Ambrose Vanzekin, the team goalkeeper and Adegoke Mutiu, a player, also spoke angrily over the nonpayment of their salaries.

    Vanzekin stated that he had not been paid for two years and threatened that they would continue to protest until the government pays them.

    Adegoke lamented that they lost their best players because of the refusal by the government to pay them.

    A member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Emmanuel Isenah, representing Kolokuma/Opokuma constituency 1, met with the protesters who later blocked the Assembly complex.

    He pleaded with them to leave the road promising that the matter would be addressed during their emergency sitting.

  • Locals save ex-Bayelsa deputy governor in boat mishap

    Locals save ex-Bayelsa deputy governor in boat mishap

    Former Bayelsa State Deputy Governor Peremobowei Ebebi was rescued in a boat mishap by local divers, it was learnt yesterday.

    Four people died in the mishap.

    An officer of the Department of State Security (DSS) is said to be among those said to have died.

    The DSS officer was attached to the Office of the State Project Monitoring Department on Imgbi Road in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    He was said to have accompanied the head of the department, Mr. Ball Oyarede, an aspirant for a seat in the House of Assembly, to Ekeremor Local Government Area for the ward congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Oyarede was Commissioner for Land and Housing and former representative in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties.

    On returning from the ward congress, a boat the DSS officer and Ebebi boarded at the Ekeremor town jetty capsized before leaving the jetty.

    It was learnt that the scramble to rescue Ebebi caused the death of the DSS officer and three others.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, blamed the incident on overload.

    The source said the boat was loaded beyond its capacity, forcing it to tilt and turning upside down.