The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sagbama

  • 517 abandoned amnesty students beg Dokubo for assistance

    About 517 Niger Delta students on scholarship at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Sagbama, Bayelsa State, have appealed to the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Prof. Charles Dokubo, to come to their aid.

    It was gathered that the students, who were enrolled in the university under the PAP’s scholarship scheme during the administration of the former Coordinator, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, were abandoned by his successor.

    The Spokesperson for the students, Justice Ebiks, who is a 100 level student of Agricultural Economics and Extension Services, told the Nation that they were all stranded at the university because the new leadership of PAP failed to take responsibility for their scholarship.

    Ebiks, however, expressed optimism that if Dokubo, whom he described as a lover of education, would grant them audience, he would intervene in their plight and get them back to school.

    He complained that security officials and other personnel in the Amnesty Office blocked all the efforts of the students to interact with the coordinator.

    Ebiks explained that senior officials in the amnesty office only told them that they were illegally included in the scholarship scheme and improperly documented during the tenure of Boroh.

    Read Also: Our plan for amnesty programme, by Dokubo

    He said: “We have been abandoned despite the fact we have cultivated the zeal to be in school. We are all stranded and most of us are going through difficult times. We were all sent to the school in Bayelsa by the amnesty office but now people there are telling us that we were not properly documented.

    “We have been making series of efforts to see the new coordinator to no avail. Some persons in the office don’t want us to see him because they believe that Dokubo being a lover and product of education knows the value of education in the Niger Delta and will graciously rectify whatever problems we have and get us back to school.

    “We once sent a delegation to Abuja to see him. We contributed money and sent the delegation but on getting to Abuja they were left stranded. Security operatives and other officials in the amnesty office did not allow us to see him.

    “The delegation proceeded to see our elder statesman Chief Edwin E.K Clark at his Abuja residence. As soon as he got to know about the situation he felt the plight and pain of the youths and quickly criticized the act of wickedness carried out by the office. He emphasized that Niger Delta is not as we expect it to be, because people now politicize the life and affairs of the youths in the region.

    “When we got back to Bayelsa, we reported our plight to the state government through the commissioner for education. But after waiting in vain, we decided to make further efforts to see Professor Dokubo. During the election, we sent a four-man delegation to Abuja to see him but on getting there they were told the coordinator travelled to Abonema to partake in the elections.

    “The delegation went to Abonema in Rivers State to see the coordinator in his compound. It was almost like a suicide mission because of the gun battle in the area when they got there. They waited for two days and later proceeded to the house of the coordinator. They were still not allowed by security officials to see him.

    “Other officials of the amnesty programme took over the matter and ensured the delegation did not see the coordinator. They told us that were not properly documented. We are appealing to the coordinator to come to our aide.

    “Right now we are frustrated but we don’t want to engage in violence. We only want to go to school. Even if they said we were not properly documented, we are not illegal Niger Deltans”

  • P/Harcourt Disco donates books, bags to students

    The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) says it has donated about 1,000 bags, books and learning materials to pupils and students in four states.

    PHED’s Chief People Officer, Mobolaji Ajani, said this in a statement issued by the company’s Manager of Corporate Communications, John Onyi, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

    Ajani said that PHED was passionate to contribute to education advancement in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states.

    “As a mark of our support for children’s education, PHED deemed it fit to donate over 1,000 bags with associated writing materials such as pencils, biro, crayons and rulers.

    “This gesture may not seem much, but we are assuring of our desire to support education across the four states of our operations.

    “The company, as part of its Social Corporate Responsibility, will continue to engage in other projects that will improve the socio-economic growth of the region,” he said.

    The official said the donation was presented to school children in local government areas of Eleme (Rivers), Abak (Akwa Ibom), Sagbama (Bayelsa) and Akamkpa (Cross River).

  • Gunmen kill police sergeant in front of Bayelsa police station

    Gunmen kill police sergeant in front of Bayelsa police station

    There was confusion in Sagbama Police Station, Sagbama, Bayelsa State, at the weekend, following the killing of a policeman in front of the station by unidentified gunmen operating in the area.

    The policeman, a sergeant, whose name could not be determined, was reportedly shot dead at about 8:30pm by the gunmen, who were said to be riding across the station on a gateway motorcycle.

    The hoodlums said to be two in number, however, escaped before the policemen at the station could recover from the commotion caused by the incident.

    Sources said the fleeing gunmen shot at a group of policemen in front of the station but that the bullet hit the sergeant killing him at the spot.

    One of the sources, who spoke in confidence, said the incident created panic and tension in the area and wondered why the colleagues of the deceased policeman could not go after the killer hoodlums.

    “We heard gunshots from the direction of the police station. It was not certain what was going on but residents took cover for safety.

    “It was late we were told that hoodlums riding on a motorcycle killed a policeman and escaped. How could they escape after killing the policeman in front of a police station?” He said.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Butswat Asinim, confirmed the incident saying the police were looking for the hoodlums.

    He said: “The policeman was killed in Sunday at about 8:30pm in front of the Sagabma Police Station by two unknown gunmen on unregistered motorcycle.

    “We are working to establish the motive behind the dastardly act because they didn’t stop. We recovered the rifle of the dead policeman. They shot at the policemen and zoomed off but we have swung into action and some people have volunteered useful information”.

  • RIFAN urges Bayelsa youths to embrace agric, shun crime

    The Bayelsa chapter of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has urged youths in the state to shun crime and embrace agriculture so as to boost the economy.

    Mr Ezekiel Ogbianko, state RIFAN Chairman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Tuesday that crimes like stealing, pipeline vandalism and kidnapping were destructive and harmful to any growing economy.

    He described farming as the oldest and the most lucrative business that was not perishable, urging the youth to go into it.

    “We cannot fold our hands and be begging the government for jobs that are not forthcoming; there is more money in agriculture than the oil and gas.

    “RIFAN in Bayelsa is ready to partner with individuals or groups that would want to venture into rice farming.

    “We will continue to do what we can do to ensure that there is enough food for the common man in the society.

    “We have commenced clearing of lands for the new rice planting season and many farmlands have been acquired, cutting across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa.

    “The state’s topography is not a hindrance to rice cultivation because what we are into is pure mechanised farming; therefore, the challenges of terrain can be surmounted,” he said.

    NAN reports that Bayelsa has a riverine and estuarine setting, as a larger percentage of the state comprises settlements which can only be accessed via water transportation.

    Out of the eight local government areas of the state, only Yenagoa, Ogbia, Sagbama and Kolokumo/Opokuma local government areas can be accessed by road.

  • Violence in Dickson’s Sagbama area

    Violence in Dickson’s Sagbama area

    There are reports of violence at unit 3, 2 and 1 at Toru-Orua community, Dickson’s home town in Sagbama local government area.

    Gunmen stormed the polling units and chased away the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters.

    At Dickson’s unit 4, ward 2 where card reader has started working, an APC supporter was beaten to coma for challenging the thugs.

    The security personnel are facing hard time in dealing with the situation.

    They seemed helpless though they are trying to restore normalcy at the four units in the community.

     

  • Sagbama, Ekeremor defy rain, forego churches for Jonathan, Dickson

    The rain initially drizzled. Eventually, it got to a torrential level pounding roofs and drenching whatever and whoever stood in its way. Most people in Sagbama, the local government area of Governor Seriake Dickson in Bayelsa State ran helter-skelter scrambling for shelter.

    But many others were not afraid of the rain. They trudged along the streets and roads that criss-crossed the ancient city in search of the venue for the grand endorsement rally organised on Sunday by the Bayelsa West Senatorial District.

    The district comprising Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas  organised what it called the mother of all rallies  to drum support for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and Governor Seriake Dickson in 2016.

    The party faithful apparently forego their churches and other worship centres to be counted among persons who gathered at the Sagbama Council Park for the event.

    Perhaps viewing the inclement weather as a shower of blessing, the political juggernauts, women of influence, youth leaders and masses from the district trooped to the event centre to take a stand for Jonathan and Dickson.

    They danced in the rains. Women dressed in Ijaw wrappers and blouses with headgears to match and different colours of beads hanging round their necks and festooned to their wrists danced in excitement.

    The district boasts of many political heavyweights and opinion leaders. Many of them were on parade that day. The Chairman, Ekeremor LGA Restoration Caucus, Chief Thompson Okorotie took the centre stage as one of the brains behind the ceremony.

    The former Acting Governor in the state and member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Nestor Binabo; Governor’s Special Representatives, Sagbama, Mr. Collins Cocodia; his counterpart from Ekeremor, Mr. Pius Jonah and the pioneer state Chairman, PDP, Sir. Charles Dorgu, who is also the Chairman of Sagbama LGA Restoration Caucus, were in attendance.

    A member representing Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Dr. Stella Dorgu who replaced Governor Seriake Dickson in the House of Representatives after his election as governor of the state in 2012 was also there. The chairmen of Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas, Mr. Billy Tobiyei and Mr. Willy Oyadongha, we’re also present.

    It was, indeed, a gathering of who-is-who in the senatorial district as the list was endless. The youths swarm like bees around the venue as they held many placards declaring support for their candidates.

    Okorotie who is also the Chairman, Organising Committee, Bayelsa West Senatorial District Grand Rally, went spiritual in his address. He said leaders are chosen by God and that the people are divine vessels for the actualisation of God’s will.

    “The choice of President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson are products of God and we are the divine vessels for His purpose.

    “During the campaign for the first term of our son, father and leader, we told Nigerians that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan whom we are presenting to Nigeria is a good product”, he said.

    He said Jonathan’s achievements in governance bore eloquent testimony to he veracity of that statement. He said that President Jonathan had recorded landmark achievements in different sectors of the economy especially in agriculture, education, road infrastructure, investment promotion, railway transportation and power.

    He claimed that Jonathan surpassed the achievements of past presidents in all the areas he mentioned.  He gave Jonathan kudos in his war against insurgency.

    Speaking about Governor Dickson, he said the governor was a special gift to the state just as he described him as a man of uncommon courage and a restoration giant.

    He said: “A man who came on board on February 14, 2011 with a development storm that has been persistent, robust and vigorous. In only two and a half years, our son father and leader has achieved much more than has been done by any previous administrations in the state”.

    He commended the people of the district for their political sagacity and vibrancy saying they have always shown such qualities right from their days in the old Rivers State. He said their consistent support to other parts of the state was rewarded by the emergence of Dickson as the governor.

    So, the speeches rang on. The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Salo Adikumo, mounted the podium. He said Jonathan and Dickson had performed and deserved a second chance. For instance, he said Dickson had shown strength of character in education and infrastructural revolution.

    The former Deputy Governor, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi; the Paramount Ruler of Ebedebiri Federated Communities, King Anderson Esemokumo and many other speakers took turns to mobilise support for Jonathan and Dickson.

    The highpoint of the ceremony was when Okorotie and some leaders mounted the podium and moved a motion endorsing Jonathan and Dickson for a second term. The motion was unanimously supported by everybody in attendance.