The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Seriake Dickson

  • Militants vow to attack Dickson over unpaid salaries

    Militants vow to attack Dickson over unpaid salaries

    …threatens more attacks on flow stations            

    A consolidated group of militants, the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), yesterday, vowed to riddle Bayelsa State Government House with bullets if Governor Seriake Dickson continued to owe workers their salaries.

    The group said it was unacceptable for Dickson to be owing civil servants about seven months, local government workers for over 13 months, pensioners for about nine months and workers in the only state university, Niger Delta University (NDU) for about seven months.

    The group in a statement said after its meeting in Yenagoa, it also resolved to attack more flow stations to express its displeasure in the inability of the Federal Government to address the challenges confronting the Niger Delta region.

    Persons who endorsed the statement for the group identified themselves as ‘General’ Torunanaowei Latei (Creek Network Coordinator); ‘General’ Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro (Pipeline Bleeding Expert); ‘General’ Akotebe Darikoro (Commander, General Duties) and ‘General’ Pulokiri Ebikade (Intelligence Bureau).

    The group said: “We are warning Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state, without further delay commence the final payment of all workers including the old pensioners been owed their several months of salary. Dickson is to pay these workers/pensioners in full and not 50% or half of half of their legitimate salaries.

    “He will not claim of no funds to pay them. The funds are with him based on the allocations he received from the federation account which is known to the people. No

    fund but the government is busy doing projects and building personal buildings within and outside the state, while these workers are dying in abject poverty in the state.

    “This is unacceptable and it must stop forthwith in the region because our parents, brothers and sisters are not to suffer as a result of their effort in government.

    “Enough is enough, he should go and bring the money wherever he is keeping it and fully pay these workers and pensioners before the end of this month or otherwise, what he is looking for in the state he shall see it from us”.

    Accusing the government and its family of diverting public money for personal projects, the group claimed that the ministry of works of paying all supply contracts to governor’s relatives while ignoring others.

    The militant group said: “If the government said there is no money, it should without delay auction those properties it and its relatives amass with the state funds within and

    outside Bayelsa now to pay the workers immediately.

    “We’ll go after any of Dickson’s relation and political appointees who have given wrong advise to the Pharaoh (Gov. Dickson) of Bayelsa state to cripple the state.

    “Since the governor cannot pay workers in the state, by avoiding the oath he took and his constitutional responsibilities, he should leave the seat of power in the state by

    avoiding bloodshed. Whoever that attacks us in words will also go for it.

    “If Dickson undermines us what he saw while serving as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the state on that fateful day of April, 27th 2007 were we came and sacked President Goodluck Jonathan then governor of the state at government house, will experience same but this time around it will be disastrous and head will roll, whoever that confronts us”.

    On attack on oil attacks on oil installation the militant group named its targets as the oil and gas pipelines running from Ogboinbiri in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa state to Obrinkon in Ikwerre LGA of Rivers state.

    Other it planned to attack are the flow stations of Ogboinbiri, Oporoma, Peremabiri, Tabidaba, Nembe, Brass, Chevron platform in Koluama, Okordia-Zarama and Biseni including Gbarain-Ubie gas gathering plant.

    It said they would be be set ablaze because  the oil companies were major hindrances to the development of the region.

    The group warned persons staying within its targets to leave insisting that its mission was to cripple the economy of the country and not to kill anybody.

    “The Nigerian securities who are claiming they are securing the oil facilities in the region should stay as their dwelling places and see whether their safety will be guarantee by the music on those days.

    “We thanked the Minister of state, Petroleum Resources for the bold steps he personally took to resolve the injustice created and sponsored by the wicked companies and government in Nigeria.

    Our struggle is beyond monetary gains and we cannot be bribe by the Nigerian government to the detriment of our suffering people and the struggle is unstoppable until justice is done to the region.

    “Our Field Commanders have been instructed what to do and those who are

    on standby in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Edo, Delta Cross River await after Bayelsa state operations.

    “We further warned that, henceforth, any attack on Ijaw communities or person(s) by the military or para-military body in the region, we will not hesitate to order our shoot-at-sight squad of any uniform personnel in the region.

    “For the records, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) are not in Delta state, we only go there to strike and  returns back safely to the struggle base, Bayelsa state”.

  • Bayelsa election: Appeal Court tribunal to play key video evidence

    Bayelsa election: Appeal Court tribunal to play key video evidence

    Former Bayelsa State governor,Chief  Timipre Sylva got a major boost Friday in his challenge of the re-election of the incumbent Seriake Dickson.

    The Court of Appeal, Abuja, in a ruling  Friday, ordered the State Governorship Election Tribunal to play, in the open court, a digital video disc (DVD) recording of the announcement of the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw Local Government by the  Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

    Sylva, who is contesting the declaration of Dickson as winner of the last governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), contends, in his petition, that INEC’s REC lacked the powers to cancel election.

    The ex-governor, whose lawyer, Sebastine Hon (SAN) had pleaded was denied the opportunity to play DVD when he applied to do so through a witness.

    However, the Court of Appeal Friday faulted the tribunal’s refusal to allow Sylva play the DVD. It directed the tribunal to play the DVD in the open court.

    Justice Onyeakachi Ottis, who read the court’s unanimous judgment on the interlocutory appeal by Sylva, set aside the tribunal’s ruling of May 10, 2016 rejecting the request by Sylva lawyer to have the DVD played.

    The court said that contrary to the decision of the Tribunal the appellant complied with the conditions precedence stipulated in Section 84 of the Evidence Act on the admissibility of electronically generated evidence.

    The appellate court held that it was wrong of the tribunal to have misapplied Section 84 to deny the appellant the right to play the DVD in the open court to justify his petition against the election of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    It said once the evidence had been admitted, having met all the conditions under Section 84 of the Evidence Act, there was no need for any certificate before any computer could be deployed to play the DVD in evidence.

    The court ordered the tribunal to recall the petitioner’s witness, through which he had sought to play it, to play the said DVD in the open court.

    It noted that the DVD was pleaded by the petitioner; it is relevant to the petition, and that it also the tendering also conforms to the law on electronically generated document.

    The court further noted that since it was admitted in evidence in line with Section 84 of Evidence Act; the foundation for its admission well laid, and the DVD well pleaded in the petition, “it is not the decision of the judiciary to supply any authority other than to follow the law in the circumstances.”

    The court said there ought not to be any inhibition to the playing of the DVD in the open court by the tribunal because all conditions prescribed by law have been fulfilled by the appellant.

    It held that the DVD ought to be played by the tribunal in the open court to demonstrate that it intended not to make it a sleeping exhibit.

    Reacting to the judgement, Hon described it as a milestone in the development of our laws and will go a long way in strengthening the laws.

    He said justice has been done to in his client’s case.

    Lawyer to Dickson, Emeka Etiaba (SAN) said his client would first study the judgment and then, decide on what next step to take.

  • Dickson warns against ‘politicization’ of security

    The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has warned law enforcement agencies in the state against politicizing security issues.

    Dickson said introducing politics into law enforcement would undermine the security of the state and reduce public confidence in security agencies.

    The governor, according to a statement signed on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, spoke in Government House, when the new Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command (CNC), Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, paid him a courtesy visit.

    Saying that crime has neither colour nor political party, the governor said he expected security agencies to enforce the full weight of the law to deal with persons perpetrating violence and criminal activities in the state.

    He said: “I will like to say that those, who are manning security agencies should not politicize security. In this state, those who know us, know how we take issues of security. For us, security knows no partisanship and criminality has no colour and must be dealt with as such.

    “If we have riffraffs, who are a threat to their communities within this area, we expect the Navy under your command to take decisive steps to contain them and not pander to political interests.”

  • Violence will aggravate Niger Delta woes – Dickson

    The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday warned that resurgence of violence and militancy in the Niger Delta region would only exacerbate the developmental and environmental problems in the region.

    Dickson in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, warned youths in the region against violence and destruction of national assets.

    The statement said the governor who spoke during a meeting with heads of oil companies operating in the state, said peace and security was needed for sustainable development and prosperity in the region.

    He condemned the killing of military personnel and pipeline vandalism and assured that government would arrest and prosecute persons behind the dastardly acts.

    But he called on security agencies to exercise restraint in their quest to tackle the violence, claiming that his administration was working closely with community leaders and other stakeholders to bring the perpetrators to book.

    The governor also urged oil companies to take their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) seriously and assured them of government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for their operations.

     

  • Confusion as LG workers reject Dickson’s proposed salary payment

    Confusion as LG workers reject Dickson’s proposed salary payment

    There was confusion in Bayelsa State Friday following the decision of the local government workers to reject a proposal by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to pay them one out of about 13-month salary arrears.

    The council workers have been thrown into untold hardship because of failures of the government to pay them arrears of salaries ranging from seven to about 13 months.

    But after the State Executive Council meeting on Thursday evening, Dickson said the government would commence the payment of the salary arrears on Monday.

    Though the governor did not disclose how many of the arrears he was willing to pay, it was gathered that the government intended to pay the workers one month of the backlogs in cash.

    Dickson said the council also resolved that payment of salaries would commence at the various designated centres including Peace Park, Samson Siasia Sports Complex, DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Izon Wari, Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre and Micro Finance Bank in Yenagoa.

    He sympathised with the plight of workers in the state adding that payment of the council workers’ salaries would be based on the recently concluded verification exercise.

    Dickson said the council decided to set up two committees to monitor salary payment at the state and local government levels, with representatives drawn from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).

    He said the Head of Service, Dr. Peter Singabele, would be in charge of the committee for the state mainstream civil service, while that of the LG is to be headed by Mrs. Agatha Goma.

    According to him, the supervised payment was expected to further strengthen the verification exercise and confirm the payment vouchers emanating from the 8 local government councils.

    Shortly after the decision of the government, the workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) said they would not accept the proposal.

    They said it was insensitive for the government to ask all the workers to converge at different centres in Yenagoa to receive one month salary in cash as a pilot scheme before other backlogs would be paid subsequently.

    The joint unions made the rejection in a press statement signed by NULGE Bayelsa Secretary, Mr. Tonye Jaja and the secretary, MHWUN, Mr. Letam Nwibani.

    The unions called on their members to disregard the state government’s proposal and turn up en mass on Tuesday next week to protest the non-payment of their salaries as earlier agreed.

    One of the workers who spoke in confidence wondered why the governor was only wiling to pay a month salary after receiving N1.2bn bailout funds and about four month allocations from the Federal Government.

    He said all the revenue for the local government areas so far received by the governor could offset about six to seven months of the arrears.

    He said it was inhuman for Dickson to ask workers, most of whom are resident in the hinterlands and creeks, to assemble at designated places like beggars in Yenagoa just to receive a month’s salary.

    “We can’t even afford a meal much less money for transport. We have not been paid for many months. We are asking the governor to release all the allocations for local government areas and the bailout funds. These funds will go a long way to alleviate our plight,” he said.

     

  • Dickson to militants: Your activities destroying Niger Delta

    The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday lamented that activities of militants were damaging the image of the state and the Niger Delta region as a whole.

    The governor also told gun-wielding youths in the region that his government would not want a repeat of the 1999 Odi massacre.

    During the administration of ex- President Olusegun Obasanjo, the military invaded Odi in Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area of the state to avenge the killing of security operatives by militants.

    Dickson spoke in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, following the brutal killing of three soldiers at a military outpost in Foropa, Southern Ijaw, on Tuesday morning.

    The incident occurred about two days after suspected militants killed four naval ratings, an oil firm’s employee and his wife at a wellhead in Nembe creeks, Nembe local government area of the state.

    In the two incidents, the militants carted away the riffles and other ammunition of their victims.

    Niger Delta region especially Bayelsa has been on the spotlight following the emergence of a new militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

    Already President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the security chiefs to crush the uprising in the state.

    Dickson in the statement condemned in very strong terms the unprovoked attack and killing of the security operatives.

    According to him, such unwarranted attacks on the nation’s security personnel were putting the state and the region in bad light.

    He said community leaders, elders and other stakeholders would be summoned to a meeting at a date to be announced later.

    He called on the perpetrators of the dastardly killings and their collaborators to stop it with immediate effect.

    “Terrorism does not favour peace, neither can democracy express itself through violence,” Dickson said.

     

  • Dickson writes Buhari over non- payment of tax by oil firms

    Dickson writes Buhari over non- payment of tax by oil firms

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has written President Muhammadu Buhari, over alleged default in the payment of taxes and levies by oil companies operating in the state.

    Dickson appealed to President Buhari to use his good offices to prevail on the companies concerned, who are licencees of the Federal Government, to comply with the laws of the state and that of the country.

    The governor’s letter obtained by our reporter in Abuja, chronicled the various negative exploration activities of the oil and gas companies operating in the state over a long period of time.

    Dickson said the affected companies refused to pay land use service charges and developmental levies thereby impinging on the environment especially through spillage.

    He regretted that the oil majors have not been realistic by contributing proportionally to the economy and development of the state, a situation, he said must be reversed.

    He listed Shell, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC), Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Consolidated Oil, Conoil Producing, Brass LNG and Aiteo as the defaulting companies.

     

  • Sylva to Dickson: Stop destabilising Bayelsa APC

    Sylva to Dickson: Stop destabilising Bayelsa APC

    Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, Tuesday, warned Governor Seriake Dickson against his alleged continual moves to destablise the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Sylva said Dickson, his rival in the last controversial governorship election in the state, was currently circulating falsehood against him and key members of the party to cause disaffection in APC.

    The former governor in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr.  Doifie Buokoribo, noted that the governor resorted to using discredited and suspended members of APC as moles to cause internal disaffection in the party and blackmail the party leaders.

    Sylva said Dickson’s devilish conspiracy against APC would always be exposed and demonised, adding that it was an effort in futility.

    He said: “Of late, Dickson and his party, Peoples Democratic Party, have re-enacted their pastime of spreading falsehood about APC and its leaders in Bayelsa State and trying to create dissension where none exists.

    “They had tried that before and during the last governorship election in the state. When they failed miserably, they turned to forces external to Bayelsa, but inside the election management body and armed militia community, which they used to steal the people’s votes.

    “After he was awarded victory, one would have thought that a man who ‘won’ election would concentrate on governance. But Dickson would not. Living under the shadow of fear of losing the stolen mandate, since APC filed a petition at the election tribunal, Dickson has applied every available mischief to try to destabilise the party and blackmail its leaders.

    “They have now procured the services of some discredited officials of APC, who were suspended recently. These renegades are being used by Dickson and PDP to spread wild, unsubstantiated allegations against Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

    “Fabricating stories about Sylva and APC has proved to be more than just a passing fad for Dickson. It has become policy – the only ostensible policy of the administration since his swearing in. The latest email from Dickson’s media aide, Daniel Markson (dmb2co@yahoo.com), to some reporters last Sunday, 3 April at 16:24 hours, clearly show how the Dickson government throws caution to the wind in its haste to blackmail APC.

    “Dickson has since being awarded victory at the governorship election manifested understandable nervousness on the governorship seat. But there should be a limit to anxiety. He should stop his mission in futility and await the outcome of the electoral courts. Neither his nervousness nor his current mischievous publications can stop the wind of justice that is about to blow him out of his usurped seat.”

     

  • Free Ese Oruru rally suspended in Bayelsa 

    Free Ese Oruru rally suspended in Bayelsa 

    A rally organised on Monday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, to protest the plight of the kidnapped Ese Oruru has been put on hold.

    It was gathered that the intervention of the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, compelled the campaigners to suspend the rally.

    Ese, was kidnapped by one Yinusa, alias Yellow, about six months ago, taken to Kano, converted to Islam and forcefully given out in marriage without her parents’ consent.

    A civil society group, Kindling Hope Across Nations Initiative (KHANI), which organised the protest shelved it after Dickson reportedly expressed concerns that the rally could snowball into a tribal clash between Bayelsans and the Hausa community in the state.

    The Executive Director, KHAN, Mr. Kizito Andah, said Dickson presented his concerns when he held a meeting with officials of the NGO on Sunday.

    He said the governor requested he should be allowed to intervene on the matter.

    He said Dickson in their presence called the Governor of Kano State, Mr. Abdullahi Ganduje, on telephone over the issue.

    He said Dickson reported that he had a fruitful discussion with Ganduje and assured them that with collaborative efforts between the two state governments, Ese would be released “very soon”.

    Andah said the governor expressed shock at the way and manner the minor was taken away from the state.

    Andah said: “In view of the personal interest demonstrated by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, we have decided to suspend the rally to give both state governments time to urgently bring Ese back.

    “We will however continue the fight to return Ese back to her parents and seek justice for her.”

    When contacted, Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, confirmed that the governments of Bayelsa and Kano were discussing to ensure quick resolution of the matter.

    He said Dickson received full assurances of Kano governor that the issue would be resolved in no distant time and that the girl would return.

    Iworiso-Markson said: “There is government to government relationship over the matter. The two governments are talking to see to the quick resolution of the matter.

    “There is no need to panic. We are on top of the matter. We are talking with the parents of the girl, the security and the relevant stakeholders. Soon, the media will be given report on the final resolution of the matter.”

    Also, the Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group (UMDG) condemned Ese’s abduction and the manner the teenager was forcefully converted into Islam, renamed Aisha and betrothed to Yinusa as her husband.

    The group in a statement on Monday by its President, Mr. Kingsley Oberuruaria, said the abduction and subsequent marrying of the teenager to the suspect was criminal and barbaric and must be condemned in its entirety.

    He said: “The victim was 13 when she was abducted last year.  Only recently, a group of Fulani herdsmen kidnapped and killed the traditional ruler of Ubulu-Uku in Delta State and the trend suggests that the Nigerian state is gradually returning to the medieval era and it must not be allowed to continue.

    “We are also not aware of the allegations that Yinusa kinsmen including the respected Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, are complicit in the abduction and forceful conversion of our daughter to Islam as the parents alleged that their daughter is within the Emir’s palace.

    “The Kano Command of the Nigeria Police is also conniving with the culprits to detain the girl against her basic fundamental human rights as contained in the Nigerian constitution.

    “We are giving the Kano State government, the Emir of Kano and the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to produce Ese Oruru and set her free unconditionally or we will evict their people (northerners) from our land (Niger Delta).

    “At the expiration of this ultimatum if our demand is not meant, we will have no option than to forcefully evict all northerners in our domain.”

  • Bayelsa poll: Dickson receives Certificate of Return

    Bayelsa poll: Dickson receives Certificate of Return

    The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on Thursday received a Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after winning the state governorship election.

    Dickson, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, was issued the certificate by INEC at the commission’s office in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The brief ceremony was witnessed by enthused crowd of party faithful, aides of the governor, youth leaders, members of the state House of Assembly and women groups.

    Among the personalities at the occasion were the Chief of Staff to the governor, Chief Talford Ongolo, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Kombowei Benson, former acting Governor, Ebebi, Director-General, Restoration Campaign Organisation, Fred Agbedi and commissioners.

    The PDP supporters and various groups of women including female dancers from northern part of the country kept the area busy drumming and dancing to celebrate the victory of the governor at the poll.

    The state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd) also received his certificate of return.

    Presenting the certificates to Dickson and Jonah, INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner, South-South, Mr. Mustapha Leki, said it was the responsibility of the commission to present the certificates following the declaration by the returning officer.

    He said Dickson was declared the winner of the keenly contested election and in accordance with Sections 68(1) and 78(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended deserves the certificate.

    He said the certificate must be presented to the governor-elect within seven days, adding that the pronouncement of the returning officer after every election is the final and can only be challenged at the tribunal.