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Tag: Bayelsa

Polio’s discovery worries Bayelsa govt

Bayelsa State government is worried over a case of poliomyelitis discovered at a remote community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Seriake Dickson was said to have lamented the polio which is the only case so far reported in Nigeria since this year.

Following the development, the National Polio Eradication Committee (NPEC), had instructed the state to carry out three rounds of intensive polio immunisation campaigns.

The second round of the immunisation campaign was inaugurated in Yenagoa recently. Dickson who spoke through his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) confirmed the single case of polio virus in Ekeremor and vowed that the state would not tolerate the transmission of the virus.

He said everybody must be mobilised to stop the virus and implored eligible children to receive the vaccine during the campaign. The governor also called on religious and traditional rulers to create awareness in their communities and ensure that every eligible child is vaccinated.

He further urged chairmen of local government areas to provide adequate logistic support and mobilise chiefs, women groups and religious bodies. Dickson asked mothers to ensure that their children are fully immunised before their first birthday.

He said his administration has invested massively in health infrastructural development. He said after the completion of the ongoing general hospitals in the eight local government areas of the state, the government would confront the challenge of manpower development.

Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, observed that polio cases have drastically reduced in the country with the South not recording any case in more than three years.

“In Nigeria, only one new case of polio has been isolated this year even in the northern parts of the country. Surprisingly, a new case of polio was discovered in Ekeremor local government area”, he said.

Owei said vaccination team would go round the state to administer two drops of the oral polio vaccine into the mouths of every child. He said discussions had been held with the Delta State team to synchronise immunisation in the two states.

Also, a representative of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA), Dr. Andrew Etsano, disclosed that the Federal Government has earmarked N3.6b in the 2014 budget to eradicate polio in the country.

Etsano said that N3.5b was provided in the budget for routine immunisation services which he said underscored President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment in kicking polio out of the country. He said the Polio Eradication Centre has been established with the mandate of totally eradictaing polio in the country by June 2014.

He said only one case of polio has been recorded so far this year against 56 cases that occurred at the end of 2013. Confirming that the single case was recorded at Ekeremor local government area, Bayelsa State, he said Nigeria was at the verge of kicking the polio out finally.

He appealed to the state government to set up a vibrant polio task force and improve on health infrastructure in different local government areas.

Speaking on the development, the World Health Organisation (WHO), said only three countries have not successfully eradicated polio. WHO’s Representative, Dr. William Komakeche, said four countries in Africa had so far reported one case of polio each.

According to him, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and Nigeria, were among the countries. He said: “Tremendous achievements have been made in Nigeria but it has to be totally stopped otherwise other parts will be affected”.

He said though a new case was recorded in Bayelsa, the government had responded very well to curtail it.

April 25, 2014
Bayelsa explains power crisis

* Says no deliberate plot to punish some areas

Bayelsa State Government on Monday said ongoing repairs of the Kolo Creek Turbine were responsible for the energy crisis in the state especially in some local government areas.

The government convened a press conference in Yenagoa where it clarified some issues following insinuations that the administration was deliberately denying some areas electricity.

Some areas in Nembe, Southern Ijaw and Ogbia which depend on the turbine for electricity, including Otuoke, the community of President Goodluck Jonathan, have been in darkness for some months.

But the Commissioner for Energy, Francis Ikio; Special Adviser on Energy, Olic Kemenanabo and the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, took turns to reel out facts behind the crisis.

Ikio said the faulty component of the turbine known as Gas Generator has been undergoing repairs in Vancouver, Canada.

Explaining that the component was being repaired by its original manufacturers, Ikio hinged the delay in delivering the equipment on technical reasons.

Reading from a volume of progress report on the equipment sent to the state by the company, the commissioner said the faulty equipment would be ready for test-running in May 26, 2014.

He assured the people of the state of the government’s commitment to their welfare insisting that the administration would not play politics with the development of the state.

Sympathizing with areas heavily affected by the crisis, he described persons accusing the government of deliberately punishing and marginalising some communities as mischief makers.

He recalled series of times the component was refurbished in the past and said the current repairs would turn the gas generator to a new one.

“This government is serious and focused. There is no marginalization or intention to punish anybody. We know the importance of power and we cannot afford to play politics with it”, he said.

Kemenanabo who provided further insight into the problem, said the administration inherited a moribund turbine.

According to him the present government took over the turbine at a time it could only generate six megawatts of electricity instead of its 20 megawatt capacity.

Describing the gas generator as the engine of the gas turbine, he said the equipment was first repaired in 1999 after its original installation in 1985,

He said after the repairs, the gas generator began to function as a new one and lasted till 2006.

But he recalled that it was sent to another vendor, Alba Power, for repaiforgot the second time instead of the original manufacturers.

He said: “The second case was when it was sent out for repairs but not to the original manufacturers. It was through a vendor whose name is Alba Power. It repaired and returned it. From the date of commissioning, it was obvious that there were many cracks on the machine.

“This same machine ran only about two and half years and it was already collapsing before this administration came on board. When the government came into power, the government in his wisdom established a committee to appraise existing and new proposals for gas turbine.

“We thought it wise to carry the gas generator back to the original manufacturers. That generator was sent out at about December 20, 2013. From that day there was no space to move it into the repair shop of the company in Canada. The machine was conducted into the shop in January 19, 2014”.

On why the government decided to refurbish old turbine instead of considering proposals for new ones, he said it was foolhardy to discard a turbine because of a faulty component.

April 7, 2014
Bayelsa dangles the carrot to promote Ijaw culture

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has never hidden his passion for Ijaw culture. His zeal to create cultural awareness for the third most populous ethnic group in the country at the beginning of his administration was seen by some as having a secessionist agenda.

His efforts have produced an anthem, a coat of arm and a flag as identifying marks of the Ijaw nation. So, it is not out of place to see Ijaw flags hoisted and flying beside the Nigerian flag in most public institutions including the Government House. The Ijaw cultural flag is also embossed on the governor’s Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) each time his long siren-blaring convoy sets out for any journey.

Though the Ijaw anthem is not popular, the nation’s attire has significantly stood out. Dickson does not pay lip service to Ijaw attire. He wears it, especially in all his public outings. Nobody has ever sighted the governor in suit or any corporate outfit. How he will look in a pair of trousers, shirt and tie only exist in one’s imagination.

Dickson once directed that all civil servants and government appointees must wear Ijaw attire to work every Friday. The governor frowns on anybody who flouts the order.

The Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs (a novel ministry created by Dickson himself), Dr. Felix Tuodolor, has vowed to enforce the directive which is within the jurisdiction of his ministry.

Therefore, last Friday Tuodolor set out to observe the level of compliance of the governor’s pronouncement. His monitoring team chose the Ministry of Energy. They paid the ministry a surprised visit.

But he was dissatisfied. He observed that some persons dressed below the expected standard. He was, however, happy that the Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mr. Francis Ikio, stood out. He decorated him with the state emblem and gave him an umbrella.

Others who were encouraged with similar gifts are the Permanent Secretary, P. E. Gede; Head of Petroleum, Christmas J. Brass and Human Resources Director, John Diepreye Appah. They were adjudged the best dressed in the ministry.

But persons whose outfits were said to be of partial compliance were denied the two gifts. The commissioner encouraged them with either the emblem or the umbrella. Ronima Joseph of the Accounts Department received an umbrella while Monday Godfrey of the commissioner’s office got an emblem.

Tuodolor reiterated that he was in the ministry to assess the level of compliance of civil servants to the subsisting order on Friday’s dress code. He asked Bayelsans to be proud of their culture, their language, dishes and cuisine.

“Since it is a directive, we don’t want to inform anybody in advance that we will come. And to encourage those that are traditionally dressed, we prepared little reward for them. We always give the best five we come across in any ministry these gifts”, he said.

Felix further observed that people in the state had not been sensitized enough on the need to wear the Ijaw outfit. He said more awareness would be created in the state.

He said: “I believe what we are doing today will further sensitise the people and further make them know it is good to be proud of their culture. We had radio jingles even on television on these issues, advertising it and telling people to be culturally compliant to their culture, be proud of their language and cuisines and so on. We think it is not enough, we need to do more”.

He said the action was not designed by the governor as a witch-hunt but to encourage people to love their culture. He said apart from civil servants, Bayelsans must develop longing for their attire and export same to people within and outside the state.

“We want to encourage all Ijaw people to comply with this little directive, it is not a witch-hunt. It will encourage many facets of the economy. The local textile industry will grow. Cuisine industry, the hotels, the food and the arts and culture will grow. If we put more effort, it will be exported which can generate revenue.

“We are complete when we have our hat and working stick. Culture does not only mean the dressing but also your language and dialect. Encourage parents to speak Ijaw language to their children. Encourage those who have not been complying to comply”, he said.

Ikio appreciated his culture counterpart for the surprised visit. He said it had become part of him to dress in Ijaw attire every Friday even when outside the state.

Gede also said he appreciated the directive and said he was so in love with the attire that he wore it throughout the week.

He emphasised the need for civil servants and the Ijaw to be proud of their culture. While Brass said he would remain proud of nature, community and environment, Appah urged the commissioner to continue with the surprised visits.

April 4, 2014
Oil cash fuels dispute between Bayelsa, Delta communities

A boundary dispute between two communities in Delta and Bayelsa states may snowball into a bloody war. Southsouth Regional Editor Shola O’Neil, who visited the area, reports that at the root of the crisis is a N305m court victory by one of the feuding parties against an oil giant

There is no visible attraction on Okia’s landscape to indicate why two communities are locked in a fierce tussle over its ownership. The tussle is between the people of Agge community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and Okia, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Okia is disappointing. Apart from a lone weed-overtaken multimillion naira civic centre, which sits forlorn in the middle of the bush, there is no suggestion of any other asset in the town.

The emptiness is accentuated by the imposing multimillion naira, Civic Centre, built by SPDC, operator of the NNPC/SHELL/TEPN/Agip Joint Venture. An abandoned (or failed) project – a solar power water scheme lies besides the centre.

The civic centre is as divisive as the community. One of several residents of neighbouring hamlets who spoke with our reporter said they could not comprehend why the company “would commit dozens of millions to build and furnish a massive structure in the middle of nowhere.”

Okia may just be another hamlet in the creek; yet for over a decade there have been lingering scrimmages between Agge community (a clan of four brothers) over the ownership of this strip of land on the tip of the Ramos River.

The sound of the war drum increased towards crescendo recently when the Okia (the Gbeneyeis) won a N305 million suit against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The case was instituted in 2001 after one of several crude oil spillages from the company’s facility.

Pius, one of the Gbeneyei brothers, alerted security and governments’ agencies to a ‘brewing boundary clash’ between Okia and Agge in Delta and Bayelsa states.

He accused the people of Agge of using resources from Delta land to service another state – Bayelsa. The move was seen as a ploy to drag the two state governments into the brewing crisis.

The comical and effervescent Pius told Niger Delta Report that Okia had borne the brunt of several aggression by their counterparts, explaining that the activities of the Agge people kept his town undeveloped. He said Okia was a thriving community until it was razed by the people of Agge nearly a decade ago: “They attacked us, killed our people, wounded some and laid the community to ruin.”

His claims, like several others over the community, could not be independently verified by our reporter, who found neither stumps of the former houses nor graves of those killed in the empty town.

Our independent investigation though indicated that until a few decades ago it was just a fishing camp. But it became strategic when the Trans Ramos Trunk Line was built by Shell to convey crude from oil wells in the area to the Forcados Terminal for export. Okia is the point where the pipeline crosses from one state to the other.

Oil Royalty the root of the crisis – Pius Gbeneye

With its strategic position, the community became attractive to the oil firm and locals. Confirming this, Pius Gbeneyei told our reporter that Okia “is a very small community, but it is also very rich”.

First sign of trouble emerged when Shell awarded the Integrated Production Surveillance Service (IPSS) to an indigene of Agge community, much to the chagrin of Gbeneyei and other claimants to the Okia title. The Gbeneyei brothers kicked and sued the SPDC to court.

But HRH David Isiayei, the traditional head of Agge and its Federated Communities, told our reporter that it was the right of Agge to get any contract from Okia. The traditional ruler, who spoke extensively on the tussle, recalled that the land was acquired from his community by Shell even before most of the claimants were born.

He explained that Okia was merely separated from his community by the necessity of using the Ramos River as a boundary between the two states, adding that Okia is used by fisherman for seasonal fishing expeditions.

“When the time for a particularly fishing in the area comes up, people leave Agge and other communities in Bayelsa and Delta to settle there for weeks. They fish, dry their catches and sell or take them to Agge, which has been a fishing depot for centuries.

“When Julius Berger was building the Trans Ramos pipeline, people came from all over the country to look for job here. That was how the Gbeneyeis came here. They settled and worked, but because they lived in Okia, at a point they started parading themselves as owners of the land. So we went to court and got a judgement, which ordered them to leave the land.

“You see, we are all Ijaws and we do not discriminate, but problem usually arises when some people want to take our hospitality for granted. Okia is part of Agge in Kou Kingdom, nobody can dispute that. That it falls on the other side of the river that has been marked Delta doesn’t change that,” he added.

While saying that there is no contest over the land, the aged monarch also revealed that Agge had recorded series of legal victories that conferred the ownership of Okia on his community.

Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of Agge and its Federated Communities, Mr Stephen Fiyapade, accused oil multinationals of using divide-and-rule tactics to create trouble in oil communities. He said the latest crisis was instigated by some Shell staff who used “some persons” to make money for themselves by making Okia a host community.”

Fiyapade particularly noted that the civic centre built in the bush was part of the concept adopted by the oil workers. “Which sane person would conceive a project like that in the bush? How many people are living around there for the company to build a town hall that can sit up to 1,000 person? Doesn’t that tell you anything?”

The mutual suspicion between the two communities is the major reason the Civil Centre had not been used for nearly three years since it was built.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, hinted that the project may have been a conduit pipe by some persons to make easy money.

“It is part of the deliberate programme of some oil companies’ staff to create ‘communities’ that they can use to hijack money meant for Corporate Social Responsibility. Tell me, if Shell’s headquarters in The Hague comes here would they be happy that their fund was put into a project that would benefit no one?” the source asked.

The source explained that the “Civic Centre might just be a contract awarded to empower some contractors and to benefit some powerful interest within the JV operators. Don’t be surprised that this same Okia may have been awarded other ’projects’ in the past. This kind of corporate social responsibility is irresponsible, to say the least.”

Furthermore, our finding revealed that in line with the Shell GMoU with communities, such projects as the civic centre are not conceived by Shell, but the community.

A high ranking Shell official told our reporter, “You can blame Shell or any other oil firm for this kind of project because the people of the community usually determine what they want and the company merely provides fund to execute them. That is how the GMoU model of community development operates.”

Meanwhile, Pius Gbeneyei debunked reports of court victory conferring the ownership of the community on Agge. Touting his own legal victories, he explained that Agge only won against Okibou, a boundary community in Delta State.

“Agge has never won any court case against us.”

He traced the latest “aggression” of Agge people to the landmark Federal High Court judgment, which awarded him and four others N305,637,381.60 as special and general damages caused by Shell crude oil spill.

Gbeneyei said prior to the ruling Agge, had sort to “gain through the backdoor” by asking to be joined in the case, adding, “They were denied and ordered to pay me N40,000. But they ran away and up till today we did not seen them.

“The Agge people do not have any oil well; they are looking for an opportunity to benefit at all cost that is why they want to annexe our land in order to continue to deal with oil companies as host communities. We are not going allow that,” he added.

“They have continued to go to oil companies in the area to collect money as host. With all these, I do not know why they are still troubling us. We are preparing to return to our community and they cannot stop us,” Pius Gbeneyei added.

But, the Agge traditional head said the ‘court victory’ being bandied by the Gbeneyeis was merely a criminal case when some persons were arrested by Agge indigene for erecting an illegal signpost on Okia land and not on the ownership of the land.

March 28, 2014
Bayelsa police boss’s headache

Conventionally, a typical security meeting has in attendance security commanders and some appointed and elected government officials. But a similar gathering that occurred recently in Ogbia local government area, Bayelsa State, was different.

It was an expanded security meeting involving only the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, and other stakeholders within and outside the local government area. The gathering was the initiative of Hilary, a professional police officer, whose achievements were being threatened by a gale of kidnapping sweeping across the state of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Hilary is rated as “the best commissioner of police in Zone 5” comprising Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Delta states. The state has the lowest crime rate. When the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Argungu Hashimu, visited the state recently, he praised the efforts of Hilary and described his command as the best in the zone.

No wonder, the commissioner has been jolted by the recent incidents of kidnapping especially in Ogbia. Daredevil kidnappers appear to have laid siege to the council which has multiple creeks and waterfronts. They struck in consistent operations and whisked their victims to unknown places in the mangroves. Hilary was restless as he battled the gunmen terrorising his domain.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was the abduction of the cousin of President Jonathan, Chief Inengite Nitabai. Having formulated strategies that set the septuagenarian free after about 18 days in captivity, Hilary was worried over the abduction spree in Ogbia. He was angry that other stakeholders had abandoned security of their territories to only the police.

He, therefore, decided to reawaken their security consciousness by calling for a security meeting. As expected, he chose a hall in Ogbia as the venue of the meeting and by coincidence the parley held on Thursday last week, the day, Nitabai, was rescued from the kidnappers’ den by the police.

Before the meeting, he said: “It is not acceptable for the local government chairmen to be parading themselves as the chief security officers of their areas while people commit crime with impunity.

“What are the chairmen of the various community development committees doing? What are the efforts of the traditional rulers, youth leaders and other stakeholders in various communities in tackling kidnaping and other crimes? It is unacceptable.”

Little wonder, chiefs, chairmen of the eight local government areas, traditional rulers, chairmen of community development committees and youth leaders attended the meeting.

Hilary did not mince words. He told the gathering the truth. He asked them to take responsibility for the security of their various communities. “Don’t try to secure other communities. Just secure your own community and there will be peace everywhere,” he said.

He insisted that persons committing the crimes in the state belong to communities. He wondered why such communities always claim ignorant of the identities of such criminal elements. He said failures of communities to assist the police would amount to complicity and an indictment on its various leadership.

He said to the stakeholders: “If you see something, you should say something not just keeping quiet. When you see these boys moving around, alert the police and other security agencies. That is the only way we can handle them. We are not magicians. We work on information.

“We don’t want your communities to be used as hideouts for kidnappers. We don’t want your waterfronts to be used as areas of operations. So, you assist the police and security agencies to assist you too. Help us to help you. Give us information. We are resolved to serve you and that is the message for today.”

He insisted that he convened the meeting to reawaken the security consciousness of the people. “We came here to awaken the security consciousness of the people. We came to alert them that we must partner with the police and other security agencies to curb criminality in the society.

“We need that partnership because there is no way we can go on alone. After this meeting we expect them to give us useful information. I told them,” he said.

Though the police boss was a little disappointed at the response he got from some of the speakers, he believed that the meeting had achieved its objectives. Some of the community leaders begged for mobilisation and stipends to enable them fight crime in their domains.

Such contributions did not go down well with the local government chairmen who attended the meeting. The Chairman of the Association of Local Government in Nigeria (ALGON) who is also the council boss of Yenagoa local government area, Mr. Chubby Walson, did not hide his feelings.

He told the people that it was wrong to demand mibilisation before securing their environment. “When issues of managing security in our various communities were raised, people stood up and were talking about mobilisation and stipends. This is wrong.

“The jobs of CDC chairmen and youth leaders are voluntary.it is when you have done your homework well that you can ask for encouragement from the government. It is not every issue that we should be talking about money”.

He described the meeting as very important. He said: “This meeting is very important. That is why almost all the chairmen of various local government areas are in attendance.

“It is a security meeting and we know that as chairmen, we are the chief security officers in our LGAs. We treat security matters very paramount and there is none of the chairmen here that don’t hold security meetings.”

March 28, 2014
Chevron leads campaign against HIV in Bayelsa

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) is leading a campaign to reduce the spread of the pandemic, HIV/AIDS in Bayelsa State. The company has received accolades, especially for championing a campaign tagged Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) which is popularly known as PROMOT.

Indeed, Bayelsa, the state of President Goodluck Jonathan, has a case with the virus. It has the third highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the country with 9.1 per cent after Benue State (12.7 per cent) and Akwa Ibom State (10.9 per cent). The state of Governor Seriake Dickson occupies a higher step on the ladder than Rivers State (7.1) and Delta State (4.1).

One health expert once said sex smells in Bayelsa. What worries stakeholders, especially health experts, is not the high libido in the state but the entrenched and pervasive ignorance entrenched in most people on sex matters.

Curiously, most people in the state still do not believe that HIV/AIDS is real. They still frown at the use of protective measures such as condom during sex. A report presented by the Director, Public Health, Ministry of Health, Bayelsa State, Dr. Wakiente Omubo, referred to the state as a priority state for HIV/AIDS control including PMTCT.

It is one of the states that contribute 70 per cent of Nigeria’s PMTCT burden and that have been earmarked for phase one scale-up towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.

The report breaks down the percentage prevalence rate of the virus according to the eight local government areas in the state. Sagbama, the local government area of Dickson is the highest with 12.7. This is closely followed by Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Nembe and Ogbia which have 9.1 each. Brass has 7.6; Yenagoa, 8.7 while Southern Ijaw has the least with 3.5.

The statistics further shows that 6,072 pregnant women are living with the virus. Yenagoa has the highest number with 1333; Sagbama, 1032; Ekeremor, 1067; Ogbia, 711; Nembe, 518; Southern Ijaw, 590; Brass, 608 and Kolokuma/Opokuma, 314.

The spread of the virus in the state is caused by intense transactional and intergenerational sex and low condom use; high rates of sexual intercourse with multiple and older partners with low condom use rates and low personal risk perception.

It is also reported that women in the state have poorer comprehensive knowledge of HIV, routes for mother-to child transmission, utilizing a healthcare professional in pregnancy and obtaining HIV testing and counselling.

Apart from that, the 2010 National HIV zero-prevalence sentinel survey estimated that 98,000 women were pregnant in the state but only a quarter of them accessed ante natal care during pregnancy.

The development prompted Chevron to partner with Pact, the state government and others to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus. The partnership especially with Pact started in 2012 and recently the company expanded funding for the project in a ceremony that was held in Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa.

Chevron’s Chairman/Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Fawthrop, says the company’s partnership with Pact is part of a larger, multi-organisation, $20million United Nations Millennium Goal commitment to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.

Fawthrop whose speech was read by the company’s Area Manager, Mr. Joe Jakpa, said the partnership had achieved many results in the state. He said it had helped to reach more than 6,500 people with critical HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention information, test more than 7000 women during prenatal care and arrange for a HIV counselling for nearly 700 people.

He said the company’s additional $1.7million for PROMOT has raised its five-year investment in the project to $5.3million.

“The additional funding support will facilitate the expansion of the PROMOT project to all local government areas in the state. Chevron is proud to expand our partnership with Pact to support initiatives like PROMOT.

“This is a proven model that we are motivated to expand as we work together to deliver real, measurable results towards ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV”, he said.

He said Chevron’s $55million investment in the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria has helped millions of people in Africa and Asia since 2008. He said at the Global Funds Replenishment event which was held last December in Washington DC, the company announced its commitment to an additional $5million over two years to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“This commitment raises Chevron’s investment in the Global Fund to $60million, making the company the single largest private sector partner to the organisation.

“Working with partners globally and at the local level, Chevron will continue to dedicate a great deal of resource capabilities and effort to support initiatives that build local capability and deliver real, lasting gains in the fight against the devastating diseases including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria”, he said.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Anapurere Awoli, said the expanded Chevron’s social investment in the state was a reminder that people should save lives by eliminating transmission of mother-to-child.

The commissioner lamented that despite the efforts of the government, new cases of HIV infections had continued to rear their ugly heads. But he emphasised that prevention was the only to halt the spread of the virus. He said the state was in support of Chevron’s efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

Describing the oil company as Nigeria’s greatest trading partner, Awoli expressed optimism that the expanded programme would cover all the local government areas.

But he added: “PMTCT is not an easy topic. It requires vocal and concerted leadership in all sectors. This campaign will have the greatest chance of success if political, traditional, faith, and civil society leaders all talk openly about deeply entrenched cultural norms, gender relationship and other challenging issues that make elimination difficult”.

During his presentation, Omubo said the war against the virus in the state was far from over. He commended Chevron for its investments but called on other corporate entities to imitate the oil company. He said the state needed about N8billion (51.5million USD) to effectively tackle the pandemic.

To underscore the importance of creating awareness especially on prevention of mother-to-child transmission, an entertaining and educating drama piece was presented to the audience by the state’s cultural troupe.

Chevron also rewarded persons who have been playing crucial roles in implementing PROMOT with awards. The highpoint of the programme was cutting the ceremonial cake to launch the expansion.

March 28, 2014
Oil companies are environmental terrorists – Dickson

Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has decried environmental terrorism in the Niger Delta region blaming the oil companies of being the brains behind it.

Dickson, therefore, advocated stringent environmental laws to protect and preserve the environment from such terrorism.

The governor who spoke on Tuesday when members of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), led by its Chairman, Major Lancelot Anyanya (rtd), paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa,

He said oil companies were fond of abandoning crude oil spill sites without properly cleaning them.

He said such sites had ravaged environment in the region citing Bayelsa State as the worst hit.

Dickson while addressing members of NOSDRA said: “I have said it before that what has been going on in Bayelsa State, the Niger Delta and in all oil-producing areas concerning the levity with which oil companies treat the issues of the environment and the maintenance of environmental and health standards.

“When you look at all of these and particularly listening to your chilly statistics, which I believe is only a tip of the iceberg, one is really left with no other conclusion than that, we are actually facing a case of environmental terrorism.

“What has been going on in the Niger Delta since the discovery of oil; a situation where more than one spill takes place in Bayelsa every day, going by what your statistics is telling us and all these sites are treated with reckless abandon and the environment is left to fend for itself, the livelihood and in fact the lives of the people and the ecosystem are not attended to. What then is more of terrorist action than this?”

He emphasised the need for international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region to protect the environment.

He said an environmental summit would be organised by his administration soon to discuss ways of mitigating the effects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the region.

He expressed his administration’s commitment to collaborate with NOSDRA to facilitate the speedy passage of the amended Act of the agency, which had undergone its first and second readings at the National Assembly.

The governor explained that, health hazards arising from such environmental pollution were the reasons behind the establishment of the toxicology institute.

He granted the request of NOSDRA for a functional office in the state and called on the agency to site its headquaters in Bayelsa.

He described the state as the host to the bulk of oil and gas operations in the region.

As part of efforts to address environmental problems, Dickson proposed that the Federal Government should build receptacles to evacuate crude oil recovered from illegal refineries.

He also asked the the government to design mechanisms for effective and proper remediation of impacted areas.

“This is an opportunity again for us to remind ourselves that we all have a duty to work together as government to government and it is also an opportunity for us to call on all stakeholders especially the oil companies, regulatory agencies and everybody to be alive to the need to protect our environment”, he said.

Earlier, a team of NOSDRA delegates led by the agency’s Director-General, Mr. Peter Idabo, said they were in the state of President Goodluck Jonathan to assess spill sites in various communities.

Idabo said environmental pollution arising from crude oil spills in Bayelsa could only be compared to similar disaster in Ogoni, Rivers State.

Idabo and his team first visited Well 12 operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) near Imiringi in Ogbia local government area.

“Pollution in Bayelsa is very rife, it is like what is happening in Ogoniland”, he said.

He, however, observed that Well 12 where a truck discharged pollutants last year, had been cleaned.

He said the visit of spill sites in the state was part of activities lined up by the agency in its tour of oil-producing states.

He said the agency would consult and cooperate with the Governor of the state, Mr, Seriake Dickson, to tackle problems of oil spills in the country.

In his remarks, Chairman of NOSDRA, Major Lancelot Anyanya (rtd), explained that the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing collaboration between government and the agency on efforts at curbing oil spills and its attendant effects.

March 26, 2014
Gunmen kidnap couple in Bayelsa

Eight gunmen struck at Konga, a community in Akassa, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, and abducted a couple.

The victims were identified as Mr. and Mrs. Joel Kido, parents of a maritime businessman in the community.

But Mr. Kido reportedly escaped from his captors by jumping into the river.

While Kido is said to be 65-years-old, the wife is 50.

A source said there was an attempt by some gunmen to kidnap Mr. Kido last year, but that he luckily escaped.

“This time, they came again when Kido and his wife were sleeping. They bundled them into the boat. As they were escaping with them, Kido jumped into the river. The gunmen only took his wife,” the source who pleaded for anonymity said.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the couple’s home on Monday at about 12.10am.

The victims were sleeping when their assailants struck.

There were allegations that the incident occurred following an unresolved issue between the businessman and his workers over unpaid wages.

The hoodlums are yet to establish contact with the family of the victim.

The police confirmed the incident and said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the abduction.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Alex Akhigbe, said the suspects had made useful statements.

He said the police were making efforts to locate the kidnappers and free their victim.

In a related development, suspected sea pirates attacked a passenger boat traveling from Okpotuwari to Otuan in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

The pirates were said to have ordered all the passengers to jump into the river and later dismantled and took away the engine of the speedboat.

The passengers were said to be returning from a wake at Okpotuwari when they pirates rounded them off.

March 25, 2014
Bayelsa Police probe new trick by rapists

The police in Bayelsa State are investigating a new trick used by rapists to lure their victims.

It was gathered that rapists now pose as hair stylists.

Investigation showed that most saloons in Yenagoa were operated by men.

Most female residents patronise male stylists, who also perform home services.

A senior police officer told The Nation that the command uncovered the trick and had begun investigation.

He said three ladies were raped at the weekend by three men, who posed as hair stylists.

The officer, who pleaded for anonymity, said the incident occurred at Ekeki area of Yenagoa.

He said one of the suspects deceived the girls, who were looking for a saloon, by telling them he could help them.

The officer said the suspect, instead of taking the girls to a saloon, led them to his room.

On getting there, he said the girls suspected a foul play but the suspect was able to convince them.

“He told them he had no saloon yet. He said he operates from his room and he had everything he needed. He said it would be cheaper.

“Unknown to the ladies, there were two other men in the room.

“The assailants bolted the door and threatened their victims with weapons. They defiled them,” he said.

Police Commissioner Hilary Opara said one of the suspects had been arrested.

He said the suspects held their victims for more than 12 hours before releasing them at 2 a.m.

“We are looking for two of the suspects and we are going to get them,” Opara said.

March 25, 2014
Bayelsa eyes agric, tourism to boost revenue

Its revenue has been going down in a scary manner in the last few months. Bayelsa State’s share of revenue from the Federation Account has dropped by between N4 billion and N5 billion monthly in recent time, prompting the urgent need to look inwards for alternative revenue sources. Cyril Akika, Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, confirmed that much when he said that fluctuations in oil price as well as dwindling allocation from the Federation Account has put tremendous pressure on the state’s fiscal system hence, the resolve to drive the development of its economy by growing the SME sector in collaboration with members of the private sector.

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson believes the way out of the quagmire is to diversify the economy. In the last two years, he said he has devoted attention to various policies and projects aimed at diversifying the economy of the state away from oil and gas. Consequently, the state government has made deliberate interventions in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector where it is grooming a new crop of entrepreneurs to drive post-oil Bayelsa State, including other revolutionary investments in agriculture, culture/tourism, entertainment, and infrastructure development such as building roads, airport, seaport, and industrial parks.

For instance, to underscore the shift towards the SME sector as one of the growth drivers and alternatives to oil & gas revenue, the state government, in collaboration with members of the organised private sector (OPS) is raising a N10 billion SMEs Development Trust Fund to encourage small and medium scale entrepreneurs. While the state government, according to the governor, would source for 40 per cent of the fund, members of the OPS would provide the remaining 60 per cent and also manage the fund. The Nation learnt that while the governor has supported the Trust Fund with an initial sum of N250 million, the Bayelsa State Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC) did same with the sum of N100 million. That was last year. Beneficiaries, especially land and property owners in the state with relevant Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), after presentation of their title documents, would have the opportunity to access the fund after thorough screening.

The BDIC is a privately run state enterprise set up in August 2012 with the mandate to, among others, promote the state’s public private partnership (PPP) initiative, which seeks to create the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive; act as holding company for all the state’s assets, manage them and bring in income and dividends to the state, as well as act as catalyst for social and economic development. Apart from the critical focus on tourism and agriculture, the BDIC is also focusing on areas of comparative advantage in oil and gas, marine and logistics. The BDIC is also donating the sum of N50 million to support the 20th International Conference on SMEs scheduled to hold in Yenagoa, the state capital, between March 28 and May 1.

To enlist the support of members of the OPS, Dickson, on March 9, led his commissioners to a pre-event luncheon with business stakeholders ahead of the 20th International Conference on SMEs. At the event, the governor called for the active participation of local and foreign investors in the economic development of the state, urging investors to take advantage of the numerous business and investment opportunities that abound in the State. He identified some of the areas of the state’s economy begging for private sector partnership with the state government to include agriculture, aqua-culture, tourism, waste management, housing and the construction of a new airport and deep seaport. The administration, as part of its sensitisation programmes, would organise a special road show within and outside the country on the deep seaport project located in Agge in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the State.

Also, preliminary engineering works have been concluded for the construction of an airport. “We have started and we hope that in the next two years we should be able to deliver on the airport project. The area has been acquired, preliminary engineering works concluded. Bulldozers have been brought in,” the governor informed. When completed, the Bayelsa airport would create a direct link to Yenogoa, thus bringing to an end the about two kilometer drive by road from Port Harcourt Airport. “We are also working on setting up an industrial park within the vicinity of the airport,” he said, adding that the state government is also investing massively in infrastructure such as roads and bridges. “Before I came into office, it was taking us one hour from Yenogoa to Amazoma, the university community, which is almost where you are not just talking of a congenial, right investment climate, you are also talking about the presence of supporting infrastructure,” the governor said, with glee.

He further disclosed that the state is building a tourism development school, probably one of its kind in the country, “because we want to train tourism practitioners who would service that robust economy. He said the state is leveraging the tourism sector to diversify the base of the state’s economy beyond oil and gas, which is why month after month it sponsors major local and international events in collaboration with the private sector. “If you are interested in investing in the tourism sub-sector, Bayelsa is the place to be,” he declared, assuring that investors would get a C of O within 60 days for any piece of land acquired for any tourism related investment. “The reason is that we don’t have enough hotels in Bayelsa so, we are looking for people who would take advantage of that. About a month ago, I launched the automated title certification system; it is not just for people who may be interested in the tourism and hospitality industry, but also for any other kind of investment that you can think of,” he explained.

Another major plank of the state’s inward-looking strategy is agriculture. As the governor explained, Bayelsa State has a comparative advantage in agricultural long before the discovery of oil in commercial quantity. He recalled that the whole of the territory known as Bayelsa and its environs was originally known as the oil rivers protectorate, but because of crude oil but oil palm. He therefore, disclosed that the state government is poised to resuscitate palm oil production and several other derivatives along the entire value chain. “We shouldn’t just be focusing on producing primary products, we should be thinking of doing it down the entire value chain, which again presents several opportunities to investors,” he said, pointed out for instance, that the swampy nature of the state, “we have no business importing rice into this country when you have a place like Bayelsa. I want to see big time investors, people who would come and take over the massive farmlands that have been earmarked already for rice production.”

The need to boost human capital development is not lost on the state government, which is why there has been emphasis on manpower training. At present, the state government is sponsoring about 150 doctor of philosophy (Ph.d) and 400 Masters Degree students in various top-notch universities across the world, according to governor Dickson. Also, about 25 model secondary boarding schools have also been built across the state. “There is no state in this country that has made the type of investment we have made in education. We are making this kind of revolutionary investments because unless you have an educated population and workforce your society and the economy have no capacity to develop; we are absolutely going to have a combustible society, the type that can blow up anytime,” he explained.

Apparently buoyed by the structures so far put in place to unlock the enormous investment potentials in various sectors for the purpose of preparing Bayelsa for the post oil regime, the state government has set for itself the lofty ambition to become the ‘Dubai of Africa’ in terms of physical infrastructure and business opportunities. “We are already on the journey of becoming the new Dubai,” governor Dickson declared, noting that “this is why you see major international events holding in Bayelsa. In the past two years, Bayelsa has become the home of hospitality and tourism and entertainment capital of Nigeria and the entire continent.”

March 21, 2014