The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dickson

  • Dickson’s passion for youths

    Dickson’s passion for youths

    Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has since he assumed office been putting smiles on the faces of his people. The former member of the House of Representatives has been taking giant steps in developmental projects.

    Close associates of the governor say that besides his dream to spearhead the rapid development of the state, he is passionate about raising a new generation of Bayelsans who can stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers anywhere in the world. Consequently, his administration has made youth empowerment the bedrock of his developmental philosophy.

    One of the early policies of Governor Dickson was the declaration of amnesty for cultists in the state; an exercise that saw hundreds of youths submitting the illegal arms with which they had caused the restiveness in the state.

    The governor, who has just returned from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, USA, where he signed an MoU with the renowned institution to provide technical support for the Niger-Delta University, has also identified tourism and style as areas of opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. The Bayelsa Tourism Development Agency is sponsoring Helen Apreala, a young Bayelsa-born designer, to the world biggest fashion show scheduled to take place on November 1 at the iconic Grand Canyon, Arizona U.S.A.

  • Dickson rejoices with RCCG on 10th anniversary

    Dickson rejoices with RCCG on 10th anniversary

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has rejoiced with The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) on its 10th anniversary.

    He welcomed the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, to the event.

    The governor said yesterday in a statement: “I, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa, on behalf of the government, chiefs and God-fearing people of Bayelsa State, most graciously welcome Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and other anointed servants of God to Bayelsa State on the occasion of the 10th anniversary celebration of the church in the state.

    “As a state and as a people, who appreciate the goodness of the Lord in our lives, we most sincerely welcome you and your entourage to the Glory of All Lands and wish you an eventful and rewarding time with us.

    “It is our belief that your visit to Bayelsa at this time will usher in and ensure the fulfillment of God’s divine blessings, wishes and destiny for the government and people of our great state.

    “We also wish to use this opportunity to congratulate RCCG on its 10th year of highly spiritual, diligent and fulfilling service to the Lord.

    “We must equally express our profound gratitude to the church for their prayers, which have contributed to the success story of our restoration government in the state.

    “Once again, on behalf of a grateful state and people, I say welcome and may the good Lord continue to dwell in you and inspire you to give fatherly guidance and direction to us all in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  • Dickson: I won’t borrow to run Bayelsa

    Dickson: I won’t borrow to run Bayelsa

    The Transparency Law appears to be working only in the level of the state government. Are the local government areas exempted from it?

    The Transparency Law requires chairmen of the various local government councils to give account of their income and expenditure. I hope they are doing that faithfully. Well, the leaders and other stakeholders of the various local government areas should rise to the occasion because they all need to do that.Our people at all levels need to know how we are exercising public power and expending public resources. The way we have restructured our affairs at this level, it is difficult for anybody from me to the least appointee in government to be a millionaire or billionaire from your resources. It is not possible at all.

    Every time, before we make approvals or anything, the finance team comes to me. The chairman of that finance team is the Commissioner for Finance not the Accountant General. The Director Treasury after the three of them, I even have another appointee, Special Adviser on Treasury and Accounts, Mr. Timipre Seipulo who is not a civil servant. He is a professional accountant.So they all come and scrutinize it and there is no one instruction that I have given one day other than what is regular and in the course of running your government, we would like stakeholders in the local government areas to rise to the occasion. I am really surprised if the level of compliance is not very good.

    Despite reforms you embarked upon to professionalise the civil service, the civil servants in the state always sound unhappy and disenchanted. Don’t you think their happiness is key to your restoration agenda?

    The conduct of our civil servants is a concern that a lot of stakeholders in this state have.For example, we are spending as much as N3.962bn for payment of salaries. Where are these people? Just this morning, I gave instructions for the apprehension of some civil servants; I directed that they be arrested and investigations be carried out.

    Unknown to them, I have different layers of surveillance set up by which we monitor what goes on. I have told everybody that government is not a place where you come and become a millionaire or billionaire because there is not enough for that. There is not enough for stealing and certainly not enough to do the peoples work.If you want to live a flamboyant lifestyle, take a facility then go and be a businessman and I will support you to be a billionaire but the management of the resources of our people can not be left like that and I will like to be understood because this is a revolution.

    We have to all change the mentality of our people to work, which happily, is changing. Now with the measures we have taken, civil servants now go to work. I had to call out our leaders, Senator Rufus Inatimi Spiff led the verification team in his Brass Local Government; Senator John Braimbaifa led the team for Sagbama, my local government.You need to see the reports that they turned in. There are people on the state’s payroll who have no business being there. When Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha established the Development.

    But the civil service especially in the local government areas is still fraught with payroll fraud?

    Let me tell you about the local government areas, the whole idea was to move government closer to our people.We are grateful to the military and Gen. Sani Abacha, you know, we always honour his memory for creating this state but he did not create more local government areas and people who are afar think that Bayelsa is one state with eight local government areas.

    They do not know that in my local government for example, when I was campaigning, it would take me three days to go round; it will take me another three days to cover Ekeremor. It will take four or five days to cover Southern Ijaw. If you go to Nembe and Brass, it is the same story and that is the story all over.

    Everybody kept putting his or her relation and friends on the payroll from that time till now. The same with the local government areas and civil service to the extent that people who were even in an acting capacity will approve hundreds of people to be employed and then the propaganda will be that Hon. Seriake Dickson is sacking people; he is not civil service friendly.

    My dear people, this is not just for me alone, we have to save our state. If this state sinks, the Ijaw Nation sinks. This state must stand out as a beacon of hope.It is when we are able to eliminate these things that we can now have enough resources to build the schools that we are building.

    We are building so many you all know. We are building roads. We are thinking of how to get partners to work with us to build roads and bridges in our difficult terrain; a road from Nembe to Brass will cost us almost N90 billion; that of Ekeremor to Agge is estimated at N120billion but we will not be deterred because we are determined to open up our state.

    So we must all key into this vision. When I exercise restraint in the recurrent approvals, people misunderstand it because people find it difficult to change.

    Are you saying there are no dedicated civil servants in the state?

    Talking about civil servants, I know that we have hard working, dedicated crop of civil servants. And what I have always said is that, for the majority of you who are dedicated to the cause of development of your only state, please do not allow the antics of the fraudulent ones in your midst to destroy your service. I have always told civil servants that, those of us who are in government are temporary occupants of the house. As political office holders, we have a fixed tenure – four years and if God and the people permit, another four years renewable and no more.

    Some appointees in the cabinet have no tenure but the real stakeholders are the civil servants because they have 60 years or 35 years, whichever comes first. But we know a great majority of you are upright and doing a great job in our state, which is the right thing to do and we are grateful but please be more vigilant.

    I saw from the report I always get from my sources how people are still trying to beat our system. For instance, if a person’s salary is supposed to be N200,000, they will add over a hundred thousand naira. And what they record for their payment is different; the actual thing they send to the bank to pay is different.

    I have directed the Commissioner of Police to beam his searchlight on them, and I am happy he is saying work in that regard has started. I have no apologies to make to any civil servant for doing the right thing for our people. This state is bigger than me, this state is bigger than any civil servant and I am not going to be blackmailed.

    They will say ah, he is not civil servant friendly, go and bring those crooks that will wreck this state again if you do not want to do what is right but God will not allow it. This state has risen up, and we are not prepared to go back to where we are coming from again. We are addressing the issue of civil servants because the finance team is deploying a technology and my expectation is that with the report it has given, by the end of this year, that system should kick in where we will be able to track everybody.

    I also want to call on all the political leaders in all the various ministries to also ‘shine your eyes’. As commissioners, you must take responsibility for what your permanent secretaries and directors are doing particularly in this area. I believe that we can still reduce the wage bill, I do not feel comfortable anytime I see it because I know that there are states in this same country older than Bayelsa with a larger population paying salaries with their entire state allocation that is not even up to N3.9billion that we are spending on civil servants and everyday, the complaint is, “you are not civil service friendly.”

    The civil servants are complaining about the new tax regime in the state. Dont you think the taxes are outrageous?

    They want more and more instead of rendering service; it is either this allowance is not paid or that one is not done and payment of tax has been an issue; tax that I did not impose. We did not impose any new tax; it is an existing law of this country and every state is complying with it. When I set up a committee, chaired by one of our best, Chief Francis Doukpola, and said look we have to work hard to increase our tax strength. I said go ahead and make recommendations. He said look, there is a tax law called, Personal Income Tax Act (PITA).It is a federal law and it is only the National Assembly that can repeal it and states are complying with it. Our honest advice to you is to implement that law as others are doing and that is what we have done.

    My appointees are even paying more than civil servants because it is based on the principle of ‘the more you earn, the more you pay’. That is why in our financial report, the Deputy Governor read that our Internally Generated Revenue has risen from about N60million to N833million every month.

    So that is the sacrifice all of us must make. The finance team is working with consultants to see how we will even broaden our tax net in this state. Go to states like Lagos and see what they do. You open a shop and you pay your tax. We must do that in this state. Particularly when we are using your tax judiciously because you are seeing it.

    The children that we are sending on scholarships are our children; the money we are spending to make Bayelsa one of the safest states in this country is for all of us. And when we start our compulsory boarding system, we will be feeding boarders in this state. When the secondary schools we are building all over the state are completed, particularly the constituency secondary schools, those who will be there will become state responsibility.

    I have heard that I am communalizing governance. In my view, government exists for the people and not the other way round. We have a duty to educate our children, incubate them and train them well. They are our future. We cannot claim we are making progress, if they are not better than us.

    Why have you shied away from talking about the liabilities and debts inherited by your administration?

    When we first came in, we took some decisions in the overall interest of our state.We want to move forward. When we see Bayelsa mentioned in a negative light, we feel bad because we are actually out to rebrand Bayelsa everyday and everywhere we go to (even outside this country) in a positive light.

    We want to be known and respected for the decent human beings that we are. We did not want to raise issues with the lenders because we felt the state should move forward. That is what we have done but we have taken your advice and the finance team will consider that while preparing the report because the liabilities are two-fold; you have the bond liabilities, which are taken at source and the bank facilities which were there before we came in.

    The news making the rounds is that despite your earlier promise not to take loan, you have taken 60 million Euros loan from Poland. What is your position on this?

    The point you raised is what the Deputy Governor wanted to address when he was giving the financial breakdown. I made the Deputy Governor to chair the committee that I set up because of his military background. Of course, you know he is a retired Rear Admiral. I sent him to Poland where he had a useful meeting with the Polish government.

    Because of the new image our state enjoy now investors within this country and outside are willing to come in; the Polish government offered to work with us to build our Maritime Academy which is like a university. We wanted to start a small academy in Okpoama in Brass Island so that we can have this major facility there. This state has potentials because of our maritime nature. We are all water people and so we want to dominate the maritime industry going forward.

    Today, there are countries like the Philippine whose Gross Domestic Product mainly comes from sea-farers. Why can’t Bayelsa aspire to that?

    We want the best for our people; we dream big dreams for our people and we need your support and cooperation to actualise it.

    The Polish ambassador came here, I did not go to Poland; he came and said governor, we are seeing what you are doing, we are a big maritime nation, we can work with you to develop your maritime potentials. It was thereafter I sent the Deputy Governor to lead a delegation to Poland and they were given a red carpet reception.

    And then they came back.The President of Poland visited President Goodluck Jonathan, our dear president and brother. They raised in their bilateral meeting, the discussions they had with us. “Look, your Governor and people of Bayelsa are working hard; we want to support them. And what do they want to do? They wrote to us saying that, we have free funds.”

    This is the Government of Poland, a sovereign nation and not a state. So we should consider ourselves privileged that a sovereign nation wants to support us. They said to me, “look, we want to work with you to build your maritime academy, we have funds; we have the expertise; we are actually going to affiliate it with our own maritime academy or university.

    We will build and run it and train people in that place, get them certified and they would be marketable all over the world. We will allow you in such a way that the operations of that university become commercial in this country and in West Africa. And because the business is international and highly regulated, people who do not have sufficient training cannot get employment.

    That is why other countries like the Philippines, who position themselves, excel. I confirmed with them that Bayelsa will not pay one naira back and they said no problem. They will bring the fund and then when the institute is set, they would also admit students from all over Africa and other places for training. Then they will now service it and get it right. It is a “Tied Direct Aid (TDA).”

    So the financial aid is tied to a project, we are not going to receive their money and spend it. They will supply the manpower and the ships. Then when they finish with the admissions and training, they will now recoup their initial investment in the Maritime Academy. We are not taking that as a bank facility as was done before; get that clearly. It is not a bank facility with interest; no I will not go near that.

    I have been in office for 16 months, you should know that I would not go for any loan, particularly money matters.

    In fact, I am calling for investors to come everyday. They should come because we do not have the money to turn this place to the Dubai of our dreams.

    The President of Poland raised it in his bilateral talks with our president, the Deputy Governor led a team to Poland again to represent me and they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Poland.This is an investment of confidence in what we are doing.

    The Executive Council and State House of Assembly must pass a resolution and now the assembly is considering it and when they are through, we are to send it to the federal authorities that will now join it with the requests from all other states and discuss it at the Federal Executive Council level. The Federal Executive Council will now send it to the National Assembly, which must authorize it. The Government of Poland will in turn send it to their parliament.

    Remember that the money they want to bring to invest here must be budgeted for in their country; so, it is a government-to-government arrangement. And the amount is 60 million Euros and not 60 billion Euros and it is not a loan.

    I will not authorise that kind of thing where money that we do not even have is involved; I will not sign that kind of an obligation and be paying back. It is not possible.

     

     

     

     

    If we put our boys and girls there for two or three years, and at the end of it they get a diploma we have given them a meal ticket for life. Bayelsa youths in the school will receive training to enable the state dominate the provision of sea fearers and other maritime specialists in the maritime industry in Nigeria, West Africa and participate actively in the international maritime arena.

    The state will pay commercial rates for its students in the school, and we are hopeful that our youths on graduation will find employment in shipping companies and other marine related institutions worldwide and thus generate foreign remittances into Bayelsa State. This is the only way we believe, the school can generate commercial fees to repay the Tied Aid Credit from the Polish Government.

    Due to the importance of the school, we are very optimistic that the school will be greatly utilized by students from the state, the country and the West African region and beyond. This will generate foreign exchange earnings for the country as well. So that is the way your government thinks.Next year, we will launch the New Yenagoa City Project. It will be from Tombia down to Igbogene and down to Yenaka. We have concluded surveys; it is not just talk. We talk and do. And now you answer me, is it Bayelsa Government money that we will use in developing that place that is going to run into billions of dollars.

    We are going to attract investors; we will go on a roadshow to all the major city capitals, sell our aspirations, that is why the investment we are making in the area of peace is very critical. I want to congratulate all of us for achieving that.

    So if we market that place and somebody says, he wants some hectares to build high rise buildings and he wants me to sign land for him and build 200 roads and so on and that he wants to collect his money in 25 years time from the rent of that place, will I not sign? Of course, I will sign. Because development is here with us; that is the way we are thinking and we need to broaden our perspectives. We may take decisions that people may not understand but we mean well for this state and we love this state and we will do everything to protect your interest.

     

     

  • Dickson to RMAFC: Revisit era of 100% derivation

    Dickson to RMAFC: Revisit era of 100% derivation

    Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on Thursday lamented injustice in revenue sharing formula and asked the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to revisit the era of 100 per cent derivation principle.

    Dickson insisted that for Nigeria to practise true fiscal federalism, the era of 100, 50 or 30 per cent derivation formula must be reconsidered by RMAFC.

    The governor spoke in Yenagoa at a three-day South-south zonal public hearing on the review of revenue allocation formula organised by the commission.

    Though all the governors in the zone were not present at the event held at the state Cultural Centre, they sent representatives.

    The Government of Akwa Ibom State received commendations for bankrolling the live broadcast of the event.

    Dickson, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, recalled that 100 per cent derivation principle formed the basis for revenue sharing when agricultural products were the mainstay of the country’s economy.

    He said such percentage was once given to regions that produced cocoa, groundnut, cotton and other agricultural products before the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities.

    He said the formula was later reviewed to 50 and 30 per cent, observing that there was no time such regions were paid below 30 per cent.

    While lamenting that the country abandoned agriculture after discovering oil and gas, he said it was only just for the Niger Delta region to enjoy better derivation formula considering the pains of oil exploration.

    He said: “It is a well-known fact that the exploration of oil in the Niger Delta region has not only exploited the people of the area but has also made the area toxic resulting into polluted environment which has adversely affected the agrarian and subsistent lifestyle of the people.

    “The current 13 per cent derivation principle has become increasingly inadequate to surmount the huge developmental challenges confronting the area.”

    He appealed to the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    He said when passed into law the bill would help to address the lopsided and disparity in revenue allocation formula especially to the oil-producing states and communities in the region.

    He urged other regions to show understanding to the problems of the region by supporting the passage of the bill.

     

  • nPDP, CLO disagree with Dickson on foreign loan

    nPDP, CLO disagree with Dickson on foreign loan

    The new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) in Bayelsa State and the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on Wednesday disagreed with the state governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, over his explanations on the N13 billion (60million Euros) fund obtained from Poland.

    Dickson had explained that the money was a proposed developmental grant from the Government of Poland tied to the construction of a Maritime Academy in Okpoama, Brass local government area of the state.

    While denying that the money was a loan being processed by his administration, the governor insisted that the Polish government intended to build the academy and recoup their investment within 30 years.

    But the interim leadership of the new PDP and CLO accused Dickson of half truth, saying he was deceiving people in the state with his rhetorics.

    The interim Chairman of the Kawu Baraje-led nPDP, Chief Richard Kpodo, asked the governor to resign for allegedly lying to the state.

    He said: “Dickson lied that the facility is not a loan and the investment recovery plan mapped out by Poland does not have anything to do with the state government.

    Also, the state Chairman of CLO, Chief Nengi James, rising from an emergency meeting of the body, said the governor’s explanation left much to be desired.

    He said such attempt to cover-up the issue was contradictory and a deliberate act to promote falsehood in governance.

    James in 10-point communiqué he signed alongside the Secretary of CLO, Mr. Timi Igoli, after the meeting, said the governor’s attempt to explain the deal had thrown up many questions.

    He said the hurried manner in which the state House of Assembly approved the deal was worrisome.

     

  • Dickson to aides: Resign if you don’t like my style

    Dickson to aides: Resign if you don’t like my style

    •Blames school management for varsity woes

    Bayelsa State Governor yesterday told members of the executive council and his aides who are not comfortable with his style of administration to quit.

    The governor, in a live radio broadcast, blamed the management of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, for allowing the school to lose accreditation of key courses, including Law.

    Dickson flayed some of his aides who reportedly attacked his leadership style and complained that he was stingy.

    He insisted that aides who were not contented with their salaries and allowances should quit as they were not prepared to serve in his administration.

    Dickson said his government would not allow appointees to enrich themselves with public funds and become “super commissioners and super special advisers”.

    The governor advised persons aspiring to live above their constitutional entitlements to approach banks for facilities to finance their expensive lifestyles.

    Dickson asked the people to report any aide, who complains of being starved of funds.

    “The mandate you gave me does not include misappropriating your resources. People who are in government, who are making those kind of statements, I will like you people as soon as somebody who is in government makes a statement like that, you look for a way to send the names of those people to our security number.

    “For those who are in government, they should know that there are several other qualified people. What you need are salaries and entitlement; every other thing is what we use in this state to develop the state.

    “That is why people did not do what we are doing. People in government realised so much money on their own and became super commissioners and super special advisers. It is not like that in this administration.

    “There is no one in my exco you can compare with aides who served before. I know how a chief of staff was getting N500million to spend and share to people to do terrible things. So people who are commissioners and special appointees need to understand and come to terms with what we are doing.

    “What the people in government need are their legitimate allowances and salaries. If the state wants to make progress, all of us must understand that this is the right way to go, including me. If you want to build mansions and buy big cars, you should go to bank and take loans.

    “Nobody can live like a big man, millionaire or billionaire all from the public purse. For those in government who are complaining, tell them that if they are not happy, they should resign. There are other people who are ready to take their places.”

    On the withdrawal of accreditation of courses by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the governor directed his anger to the management.

    The NUC last month withdrew accreditation for seven courses, including Law, and placed 20 other programmes on interim official recognition during its last accreditation.

    Dickson said he was particularly angry that Law, which had full accreditation was denied the status because the dean of the faculty was not a PhD holder.

    Blaming the authorities for not being proactive, he said he had despatched delegates with a protest letter to NUC in his efforts to resolve the problem.

    The governor insisted that that the reason for the withdrawal was not lack of funds, adding that his administration had begun upgrading facilities in the school.

     

  • Dickson warns contractors against delaying projects

    BAYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson has warned contractors against delaying their projects beyond the timeline agreed.

    Dickson, who gave the warning while inspecting projects over the weekend, insisted that projects must be completed timely and expeditiously.

    The governor, who was in the company of other top government officials, expressed satisfaction with the pace of work on most of the projects, while assuring that the onsite inspection was to ensure that the jobs were executed according to specifications.

    Dickson visited the ongoing construction of the governor and deputy governors’ office complex, government house clinic, new secretariat annexes, modern police officers’ mess, and the state archives, museum and language centre.

    He also toured the Gloryland Cultural Centre, pharmaceutical storage and distribution complex, ring road project, Elebele and flyover bridge project.

    Dickson said he was particularly impressed with the pace of ongoing reconstruction of the GloryLand Cultural Centre.

    He said he was excited at the quality of new sculptural work designed to enhance the aesthetics of the events centre.

    But he ordered that the stage and some parts of the edifice should be redesigned to make them world-class.

    He directed the Commissioner for State Capital Development, Mr. Zuwa Konugha, to liaise with his Culture and Ijaw National Affairs counterpart to adorn the city with more artifacts portraying Ijaw culture and values.

    The governor also directed the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ewrudjakpo, to ensure the construction of a befitting road to link the archives, museum and language centre.

  • Dickson reaffirms commitment to youth development

    Dickson reaffirms commitment to youth development

    Bayelsa State government has expressed its commitment to the development of youths.

    It presented an 18-seater bus to the state chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).

    Speaking during the handing over of the vehicle to a representative of the council at the Ministry of Transport, Governor Seriake Dickson said the bus would enhance its activities.

    Urging the youths to use the bus judiciously, the governor noted that the gesture was an affirmation that the government would ensure their welfare.

    Represented by the Commissioners for Transport, Mrs. Marie Ebikake and Youth Development, Mr. Salo Alamieyeseigha, Dickson hailed the NYCN for its support to his administration.

    He also lauded the efforts of the Restoration Youth Network (REYNET) in making the event a reality.

  • Dickson seeks UNs’ intervention to combat flood

    Dickson seeks UNs’ intervention to combat flood

    Bayelsa State government and victims of the 2012 flood disaster are waiting for the intervention of the United Nations Organisation (UNO), donor agencies and philanthropic individuals.

    The devastation caused by the floods had overwhelmed the Governor Seriake Dickson administration compelling it to depend on interventionist agencies and individuals.

    It was found that critical infrastructure, especially roads destroyed by the disaster, are yet to be reconstructed with many roads and bridges that caved in remaining impassable one year after. Even some sections of the road that leads to Otuoke, President Goodluck Jonathan’s home town in Ogbia Local Government Area are still begging for reconstruction.

    The Imiringi road is thoroughly devastated without any meaningful work to reconstruct it.

    But the representatives of the United Nations had in June visited the state and promised to provide technical assistance in rebuilding damaged infrastructures.

    United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, who was on a two-day working visit, inspected some of the affected areas.

    She said: “I am here in Bayelsa to see for myself the impact of the devastating flood of last year. I have had the opportunity to talk to the ordinary people and the Post Flood Management and Response Committee on the efforts made in the provision of food, shelter and other relief materials.

    “There are lessons to be learnt and we would like to work with the state government and federal authorities to support and partner in strengthening preparedness and look at ways in which we can assist with technical support.”

    But one month after the visit, the Chairman of the post-flood committee, Chief Francis Duokpola, said the state was eagerly waiting for the UN to redeem its promise.

    He said the committee was at the verge of designing a technical report on the disaster to enable it source funds from other interventionist agencies and individuals.

    Doukpala said the committee had been ameliorating the plight of the victims by supplying then with relief materials.

    He, however, regretted that some persons, especially community leaders, were bent on sabotaging the efforts of the committee.

    He said at least five leaders of communities were in trouble for selling bags of cement donated to victims by the committee.

    Leaders of the community were said to have sold the bags of cement, instead of distributing them to victims in their localities.

    The Chairmen of the Community Development Committees were said to have been fingered in the alleged scam.

    “The suspects will face prosecution after investigations,”Doukpala said.

    He said the defaulting communities were from Ogbia, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw local government areas.

    He said after investigations, the indicted community leaders would be prosecuted, describing the action as against the terms of reference of the committee.

    He said the arguments by the CDC chairmen of the affected communities that they sold the cement to cater for other pressing needs in their respective communities were not tenable.

    “It is unfortunate that some communities sold their bags of cement. We will identify the CDC chairmen and prosecute them. We are not taking the matter lying low”, he said.

    He said the committee had so far distributed 107,000 bags of cement to the communities which were ravaged by the floods.

    He said the committee intended to send 130,000 bags of cement to 13,000 communities adding that the state was expecting the intervention of the United Nations after the visit of the UN Under-Secretary.

    “We are making arrangement to either build shore protection or higher grounds to prevent the looming floods,” he said.

    He added: “It is safer and better to prevent the floods than going into a higher ground. But it is left for the communities to choose between local shore protection or higher grounds”.

     

  • Bayelsa: playing by showbiz rules

    Bayelsa: playing by showbiz rules

    THE line-up of entertainment activities by the Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson led government of Bayelsa State is a pointer to the axiom that ‘entertainment drives tourism’. Music, drama, film, comedy and other related leisure acts play important parts in modern society, and are becoming increasingly important as tourism motivation.

    Whereby a tourist’s desire can be measured by ‘attraction’, the key phrase for the tourism entrepreneur is ‘promotional strategy’, thus it is important to position entertainment when establishing the promotional approach of tourism enterprises.

    Entertainment is the driver of many tourist journeys, and a great deal of tourist attractions have strong entertainment connections, being areas that are used primarily for an audience to be engaged or captivated, through sensory stimulation and emotion.

    During the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) which held in April, Bayelsa was touted as the next tourism hub, I dismissed most of the plans as mere political statements. But with the unveiling of the calendar of activities that brings attention to the state almost every quarter of the year, I had barely put up my hands in compromise when the news of UNESCO’s approval of Bayelsa as host of the maiden edition of its under-water committee conference was brought to my attention. I gave up.

    I see a conscious drive by Bayelsa state to realize its desire. Dickson appeared to have played the politics and lobbying in other to create foundation for a long term project. In today’s Nigeria where every entrepreneur is not looked at with the eye of sincerity, it is difficult if not impossible to suspect a businessman who chooses a long term project.

    Meanwhile, the criticism for a long term project which the State pursues would come in form of statements like: “how would hosting a film show or pageantry or an art festival bring financial return to the state?” It’s a shortsighted sentiment, but Dickson appears to have a ready-made answer for those who think that this is all about state fund or tax payers money being showered on showmanship; showmanship because only few Nigerians see the ‘business in shows’ to be able to think showbiz.

    Many have forgotten so soon that one of the fears about the Niger Delta area is the case of insecurity, occasioned by youth restiveness and kidnapping. How else could a government explain that its domain is safe than to say that for seven years that it has hosted AMAA, with local and international stars coming to town, no incident of insecurity was recorded. And now, with the chapter of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) being opened, the assurance of a safe business environment is being testified.

    The Governor affirmed that his administration has made huge investments in the area of security and today it is beginning to pay off as Bayelsa is now being rated as one of the most peaceful states in the country, while observing that night life has also returned to the state. Indeed, a time out at V10 night club last weekend said it all, and I recall that an old friend had told me that the popular ‘Do It All’ night club which held sway in Lagos at a time is about to resurrect in Yenagoa. What more; the proposed Silverbird Cinema in Yenagoa, with an exotic layout.

    Now, the ready answer as I said earlier is due to the fact that the State government is said to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with nine firms under the public private partnership (PPP) framework to accelerate its investment drive, spanning oil and gas, agriculture, electricity and infrastructural development.

    One business principle that I find particularly commendable is the State’s insistence that what they needed most were investment partners and not just contractors.

    With Mr. President’s assurance of technical and financial support in the promotion of the tourism industry and establish of an under Water Research and Imaging Centre in collaboration with the UNESCO for the State; an announced Federal Government’s donation of N25 million to the proposed Yenagoa Film City during the last AMAA; Governor Dickson’s proposed Bayelsa State Indigenous Movie Trust Fund with an initial donation of N250 million for the development of budding talents; the proposed hosting of over 7,000 Nigerians and foreigners for the National Tourism, Arts and Culture Festival; the UNESCO Underwater Community Conference for over 70 world experts for the African Centre for Underwater Imaging, then Dickson as eulogized by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke, has become a great Icon of tourism. “Tourism is one of the top three economic investments in the world,” he said. “If we want to be among the top three economically viable countries and states, we better start doing what Bayelsa is doing.”