The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Restoration

  • Jubilation as Cocodia joins Restoration Excos

    Jubilation as Cocodia joins Restoration Excos

    Chief Collins Cocodia seems to be one of the most loved politicians in the Bayelsa West Senatorial District especially judging from the crowd that turned up to felicitate with him in a ceremony to mark his elevation as a commissioner in the Restoration Cabinet of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    The event centre was congested as lovers of Cocodia trooped to Osiri Road in Yenagoa to grace the occasion. Most notable politicians in the senatorial district and friends of Cocodia from other parts of the state were present.

    An elder statesmen, Chief Thompson Okorotie, was the Chairman of the occasion. Chief Ayakeme Whisky, an aspirant for the senate, was present. Serving and former commissioners as well as traditional rulers and chairmen of community development committees took the centre stage to welcome the new Commissioner for Youth Development.

    It was like the affairs of the women as different women groups adorned in their best wrappers and blouses to match took over the arena. They danced alongside Cicodia to good music. In fact, the elevation of Cocodia from the office of the Sagbama Representative of Dickson to a commissioner excited them.

    It was also a period of counseling as many lovers of Cocodia took to the microphone to advise him. Governor Dickson had before the party swore-in Cocodia.  The Governor while addressing him noted that, as a new member of the Restoration Team, he should strive hard to bring his wealth of experience garnered in his previous portfolio to bare on his new assignment.

    Dickson said Chief Cocodia’s appointment was based on the hard work, trust and zeal, he brought to bare on his previous job, which has endeared him to the present administration.

    His words: “I also want to charge you now that, we are going into a more political time, so use all the skills that you have. You are a well known and tested politician. Bring all the skills that you have to bear on the process of supporting the government of restoration.

    “The present administration’s stance on issues of development and prosperity, transparency and accountability as well as criminality is well known and as such the new commissioner should work towards meeting the expectations of the government and the people.

    “Now you have joined the first 11 team of the restoration team. You have come into government at a time that the character of our government has been well formed and properly established.

    “We are known as a government of transparency, prudence, focused; we are known as a performing government all over our state and country and even beyond.

    “We are also known as a government that abhors corruption; a government that does not tolerate violence and criminality.

    “We are a government that has come to bring about development and to spread prosperity. These are the essential principles upon which our restoration government is erected.”

    Apart from the governor, Cocodia also got good dose of advice from his guests. Okorotie thanked God for the appointment and asked him to make good use of it.

    “Whatever position you are occupying, get the best out of it. Whatever you are doing, do it well”, the elder told his son.

    Also, the chairman community development committees, Mr. Are Toru thanked the governor for appointing their son as a commissioner.

    The elated Cocodia said his appointment was divine. He said he would work hard to make his ministry relevant in the scheme of things. He disagreed with people who claimed that there was nothing in the ministry.

    He said:  “There were earthly calculations before, but now God has done his calculation. The governor has extended his bridge. Some people say that some ministries are better than others, but to me all of them are the same.

    “I believe that wherever you find yourselves, you should do well with the position. Some even say there is nothing in some ministries. To me, I will squeeze water from the rock and make something happen. God has considered me worthy for elevation.

    “I want to guarantee you that we will deliver all our candidates come next elections. It is a divine call for me to serve the state in a bigger capacity. Some years back, l was just an office assistant.

    “I didn’t know that my elevation will be this sudden. Since l am in charge of the youths, I want to promise you that 2015 will be peaceful. Bayelsa will be peaceful and we will try to create jobs by looking at ways to lift embargo on employment.”

  • Operators fret over restoration of bombed BTS

    Telecoms operators have expressed worry over difficulties in restoring bombed base transmission stations (BTS) in the northeastern part of the country.

    They are insisting on approaching the Federal Government for a financial bailout to shore up the losses suffered in the wake of the premeditated bomb attacks on the facilities.

    Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said restoration efforts of the BTS are being hampered by persisting insecurity in the region.

    According to him, aside gaining access to the bombed sites, some of the indigenes too are wary that if the facilities are resuscitated, their communities may easily become vulnerable to attacks by the insurgents.

    “More than 250 sites were affected by the spate of bomb attacks. We are having challenges accessing some of the sites. Some locals (residents of the host communities in which the sites are cited) are wary of allowing restoration efforts to take place because they fear it may make them vulnerable,” he said.

    Speaking in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said most of the BTS lost to flood in the Niger Delta area have been restored.

    Specifically, he said the vandalised sites in Bayelsa State have been restored, adding, however, that the same story could not be told of the ones in the northern part of the country.

    He said the security situation in the north has made it difficult to send “engineers” work there.

     

  • Relief as Ajimobi unveils Restoration Bridge

    Relief as Ajimobi unveils Restoration Bridge

    : Residents jubilate

    Residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were launched into new mood of joy and relief as Governor Abiola Ajimobi inaugurated a new bridge which is by Awolowo Road Junction and close to the state secretariat.

    The bridge was washed away during the August 26, 2011 downpour and worsened by subsequent heavy rains. The incident caused several civil servants, traders, artisans, businessmen, women and others who use the road to experience indescribable hardship.

    In the past 20 years or more, residents of Ibadan and its environs were always gripped by fear during rainy season. Thousands of residents and road users were always stranded as flood overflows the bridge and cuts off the entire Bodija area from direct link to the state secretariat, Orita-Mefa and other parts of the city.

    The devastating effect of the August 26, 2011 heavy flood brought pain and agony to commercial drivers plying the popular Bodija Market and Ojoo from Molete, Beere and Gate.

    They were forced to divert to another route within Bodija Estate. This engendered suffering on the residents of the estate who could no longer enjoy their privacy.

    Previous administrations did not attempt to solve the problem of erosion in the state until last year when Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration began the reconstruction of the bridge to free the water channel to enable it to contain greater volume of water during heavy rains.

    While the reconstruction of the bridge lasted, some residents complained of hard times, but the government refused to bow to pressure to do a shoddy job just to ease people’s suffering which may be compounded in future if shoddy jobs are executed.

    So, when the governor and his team went for the inauguration of the new bridge, residents praised the administration for delivering quality jobs across the state. Stalwarts of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) attended the inauguration ceremony.

    Among them were the Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Jumoke Sunmonu and the state chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke, commissioners, among others.

    While inaugurating the bridge, Ajimobi said: “Permit me to remind you of the unfortunate incident of flooding which severely washed away this water channel. Year after year, the incident disrupted the socio-economic lives of the people, causing untold hardship, including death, to members of the public.  I am sure the events of August 26, 2011 are still fresh in our memory when flood ravaged major cities in Oyo State, especially Ibadan. Bridges collapsed and water channels overflowed their courses.

    “As a responsible and responsive government, we were determined to put a stop to the wanton destruction of lives and properties occasioned by flooding.  Immediately after this unfortunate disaster, we set to work. We began a systematic and aggressive exercise of widening water channels and dredging of rivers, so as to widen them and allow free flow of water.

    “We did not stop at that. We equally slated vital bridges that collapsed for reconstruction, so as to mitigate the challenges posed by the flood.  Bodija Bridge is one of them.  Others are also at different stages of completion.”

    The governor excitedly said he was proud of the smooth pursuit of his vision to reposition the state as it is being achieved daily in its march towards restoration of the glory of Oyo State as the “Pace Setter State.”

    He continued: “The delivery of this project is a testimony to this administration’s determination to impact the lives of our people positively, lessen their sorrows and take away their fears.  Flooding of this river channel and its attendant problems is now buried and forgotten.  Let me assure you that we shall continue on this path to ensure the full accomplishment of our mission.

    “I wish to congratulate the good people of Ibadan in particular and Oyo State in general. Our people probably did not understand the significance and impact of this bridge until it was cut off by the flood and they had to navigate far lengthier routes to get to their destinations.

    “This bridge shall resume, from today, its invaluable contributions to the improvement of our people’s socio-economic lives. I also wish to congratulate the stakeholders in the transport industry on the completion of this project.”

    Residents have since been using the bridge rechristened “Restoration Bridge.” The bridge is now expanded, longer and stronger, even as it allows free flow of mass water in times of heavy rain.

    Residents can now sleep with confidence even during heavy rains unlike previous periods when anxiety grips them when it seemed to rain.