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Tag: Yenagoa

  • Vandals destroy two transmission towers in Yenagoa

    Vandals destroy two transmission towers in Yenagoa

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said two transmission towers, T98 and T99 along the Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kV line in the Igbooghene community of Bayelsa State were destroyed by vandals.

    Its Public Affairs, Managing Director, Ndidi Mbah broke the news in a statement.

    The statement noted that the incident caused the collapse of both towers, cutting off power supply to the state, including TCN’s Yenagoa Sub-station and the Gbarain Power Station.

    At present, Yenagoa, theh state capital and the entire state are still without power supply.

    She said TCN engineers led by the General Manager Transmission, Port Harcourt Region, Emmanuel Akpa and accompanied by men from the DSS have inspected the site of the vandalised towers.

    The statement further noted that plans were already ongoing to mobilise a contractor on an emergency basis to reconstruct the collapsed towers.

    Continuing, the statement noted: “This follows an incident on June 16, 2024, where an individual was caught vandalising tower T238  along the Owerri/Ahoada 132kV double circuit transmission lines. Another act of vandalism occurred on June 10, 2024, at the Ahoada Transmission Substation.

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    “TCN is urging the public to help in the  ongoing fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure nationwide. The company will continue to collaborate with security operatives and host communities including the DSS and Civil Defence Corps to combat the menace.

    “Meanwhile, we are interfacing with stakeholders including security operatives in Yenagoa to put in place other initiatives geared towards helping TCN curtail the menace within the State.

    “As we continue to work towards a robust grid, it is pertinent to note that a nation’s power sector cannot grow efficiently if funds intended for infrastructural expansion are repeatedly used to replace vandalized equipment.”

  • Commendations as IOC-approved wrestling training ends in Yenagoa

    Commendations as IOC-approved wrestling training ends in Yenagoa

    The Nigeria Wrestling Federation in conjunction with the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has concluded a level 3 IOC coaching course for the coaches/Referees of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation.

    The training which took place in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital, was an opportunity for coaches/referees to achieve their maximum potential performance with applications of international guidelines and aiding Nigerian wrestlers in reaching their peak.

    In a closing remarks, President Nigeria Wrestling Federation Champion Daniel Igali eulogised the massive impact the training course would have on the federation’s coaches/Referees and as well as the athletes.

    “I must say a very big thank you to the IOC, UWW and the NOC because this for me is very massive as you know your coaches and referees are what determine the outcome of every Federation.”

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    “I’m very glad we now have accredited level 3 coaches in Nigeria which means the level of instruction is going to be higher and I believe heading into Paris 2024 the contingent would be better prepared.”

    Also speaking, the president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) represented by Tony Nezianya explained that the wrestling federation was singled out for the training due to its achievements in international competitions.

    “We’re very pleased to organize this because we have evaluated all the sports we have in Nigeria and thought that wrestling has the best opportunity of making us proud and giving us that prestigious Olympic gold medal.”

    “The Wrestling Federation has been impressive recently winning a lot of medals and we think they deserve to have this course.”

    Assessing the level of performance by the coaches/referees, American Wrestling instructor Zac Dominguez expressed confidence that with time Nigerian athletes would benefit greatly from the training.

    “They’re soon to be great coaches. They all came with open minds to learn but Wrestling is like a marathon. It’s going to be a journey so they’ll have to keep learning and keep improving.”

  • World Press Freedom Day: Bayelsa NUJ seeks security for journalists

    The Bayelsa Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Friday called on governments to provide adequate security for journalists deployed for elections.

    Mr Samuel Numonengi, Chairman, NUJ, Bayelsa Council, made the call while addressing journalists as part of activities to mark the 2019 International Press Freedom Day at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Yenagoa.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2019 International Press Freedom Day had the theme: “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”.

    Numonengi said that the theme  was  apt considering the critical role of the press in shaping democratic practices vis-a-vis its role in ensuring free, fair and credible elections.

    According to him, the day serves as a reminder of the importance of free press in democratic practices as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993.

    He noted that the UN had been leading in the advocacy and propagation of the fundamental principles of press freedom and free speech.

    Numonengi said that no democracy would be complete without access to transparent and reliable information, adding that free press was the cornerstone for building a fair and impartial society.

    Read Also: NUJ and Buhari’s second term

    He urged politicians, leaders and governments to support media freedom as its served as a catalyst for deepening democracy and sustaining development in digital times.

    Numonengi paid tribute to journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty, and called for defence of the media from attacks on their independence to enable them to be the society’s watchdog.

    NAN reports that hundreds of journalists in Bayelsa turned up for the celebration.

    NAN

  • Mob kills suspected child thief

    A mob on Tuesday attacked suspected kidnappers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, killing one and inflicting serious injuries on two others.

    It was, however, gathered that the injured suspects, who were rescued by the police, later died on their way to an undisclosed hospital.

    One of them was said to have confessed that a politician sent them to steal a nine-month old baby from a crèche.

    It was gathered that nemesis caught up with the suspects at about 10am when they were taking away the child.

    An eyewitness said: “Three alleged child thieves were caught at Edepie at about 10.00 am.

    “While one was not lucky and got killed by an irate mob, the other two were thoroughly beaten and was barely rescued by the police.

    Read Also: Mob kills two armed robbery suspects in Bayelsa

    “One of them allegedly confessed that they were sent by a politician and that confession further infuriated the mob.

    “The child was being taken away from his school before nemesis caught up with them at the junction.

    “As at when I left the scene tires have been gathered round the thief”.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Asinim Butswat could not be reached for his comments.

     

  • Stakeholders commend Dickson for lifting embargo on promotions

    Stakeholders under the auspices of the Bayelsa Restoration Crusaders (BRC) have commended Governor Seriake Dickson on his recent decision to lift the embargo on promotions in the state civil service.

    They also described as commendable the directive by the governor for the payment of accumulated arrears of promotions in the state.

    Director-General of BRC, Mr. Okaniba Damson, in a statement in Yenagoa said the development was a product of the current sanity and stability in the civil service.

    Damson, while thanking the leadership of the various labour unions in the state for supporting Dickson’s government, said the lifting of embargo on employment was one of the gains of the civil service reforms in the state.

    He said the civil servants in the state should expect more welfare packages from the government as a reward for their perseverance, dedication and commitment to the reforms.

    While drumming more support for the Restoration Government, Damson said that in the last seven years, Dickson demonstrated true leadership and passion for the wellbeing of his people.

    He said: “The complete sanitisation of the public service that was previously bedeviled by rot in the form of misconduct and unprofessionalism, indiscriminate promotions and employments without due process all led to the enactment of an embargo on promotion years ago as the only legitimate option to finally cure the ugly menace.

    Read Also: Easter: Dickson preaches love, peace

    “We sincerely commend the governor for that. He has proven capacity against weakness to better the overall welfare of civil servants in many aspects ranging from the introduction of the reforms, initiation of the Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme, Employment of young graduates, among others.

    “We laud the leadership of labour unions and all workers for their support to the Restoration Government and urge them to continue.

    “We know for sure that before the expiration of his tenure, more things will be unveiled to celebrate workers in the state for their loyalty to service over the years and for their dedication and commitment in facilitating the development of the state through the civil service”.

  • Shell bags Most Impactful Local Content Company award

    Shell Companies in Nigeria have emerged the International Oil Company with the most impactful Local Content Initiatives in the upstream category at the 2019 edition of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    Shell beat other competitors ,Total and ExxonMobil to the second and third positions respectively at the second edition of the fair organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

    The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, who presented the award, singled out Shell Companies in Nigeria for exemplary support to local vendors and suppliers in the oil and gas industry, which, he said, enabled greater participation of Nigerians in the service value chain.

    Read Also: Shell unveils $15b five-year investment plan

    Receiving the award, Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, described the recognition as an important acknowledgement for the impressive work Shell companies continue to do in Nigeria content development.

    He said: “This award is a strong recognition of our leadership in the Nigerian content development space. Nigerian content development remains a very important step in our growth aspiration as Shell Companies in Nigeria roll out the next phase of major projects.”

    Shell’s Nigerian Content Development Manager, Olanrewaju Olawuyi, described the NOGOF award as well-earned given the pioneering initiatives and strides by Shell companies in Nigeria which he said had put the oil and gas industry in the hands of Nigerians. “We are motivated by the award to continue to pursue in-country value addition in the oil and gas sector as this aligns with the government’s aspiration in local capacity development.”

    The NOGOF award is a confirmation of the leadership position of Shell in local capacity development in the oil and gas industry. In 2018, Shell Companies were named the Local Content Operator of the Year at the Annual Oil Industry Achievement Awards Dinner of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN,) an association of indigenous technical oilfield service companies in the upstream and downstream sectors.

  • Shell unveils $15b five-year investment plan

    The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has unveiled a $15 billion investment in the oil and gas sector in the next five years.

    Its Managing Director, Osagie Okunbor, broke the news at the second edition of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) organized at the weekend by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    He said the company was keen at expanding local content in the oil and gas sector.

    Okunbor said the proposed $15 billion investment would bring huge benefits to the country and its people in terms of contracts and jobs, among other benefits in line with the theme of NOGOF: “Maximising Oil & Gas Industry for the benefit of the Nigerian people”.

    He said: “These remain exciting times for Nigeria as Shell along with its partners will be maturing several projects in support of Nigeria’s growth ambition.

    “A cocktail of policies and the active support of government and its agencies like NCDMB have made these investments possible. The industry continues to witness improve cycle times with NCDMB.

    “We have an investment portfolio of over $15 billion over the next five years. Shell’s investments will bring huge benefits to the country and its people – contracts, jobs, thus underscoring the theme of this year’s NOGOF.”

    Okunbor said that Shell recently announced the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the 300 million (cubic gas per day) Assa North Ohaji (ANOH) gas development project in Imo State.

    He said on completion, the project is expected to generate circa 1200MW to power circa 1.2m homes (1MW – 1000homes) by supplying gas into the domestic gas market.

    The SPDC chief added: “We also issued Invitation to Tender (ITT) for Bonga South West Aparo (BSWA) and as a shareholder in the NLNG Train 7, we are on track for FID later this year.

    “In addition to these, we are also maturing several sizeable projects planned to start within the next five years with 28 projects covering export gas, domestic gas and oil projects spread across deep offshore, shallow water, swamp and land terrains.

    “Benchmark for all these projects is to meet and where possible surpass the 70 per cent Nigerian content target set for BSWA.”

    He listed other projects as the construction of over 200 wells; 1000 km of flowlines and bulk lines; subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF); jackets, platforms, hull and manifolds.

    Others are major oil and gas facility modifications and upgrades both onshore and deep water and at least 4 gas compression projects.

    He said: “Employment opportunities are huge, not to mention the spin-off in allied services. These projects also offer huge capacity building opportunities in the delivery of Human Capacity Development (HCD) training, increased community content/ participation, in-country fabrication, increased utilisation of Nigerian vessels, re-skilling of Nigerians to take up more roles in shallow and deep-water operations and technology transfer.

    “Beyond the project phase, on completion, these projects will offer significant brownfield opportunities in asset maintenance, logistics, among others.”

  • Bayelsa election tribunal begins sitting in Yenagoa

    The 2019 election petition tribunal began sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to begin considerations of various petitions arising from the conduct of the 2019 national and state legislative elections.

    Already, the candidates of the Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance (APDA), Azibataman Johnbull, filed a petition challenging the declaration of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mieteme Obodor, as the winner of the House of Assembly election in Ogbia Constituency 1.

    Johnbull earlier applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the certified true copies of results from the entire Ward 13, where he alleged that irregularities took place during the election.

    He alleged that army personnel attached to former President Goodluck Jonathan were involved in the malpractices.

    The tribunal also received from the APC candidate for Bayelsa Central senatorial district, Mr. Festus Dumeibi, against the PDP candidate, Douye Diri.

    Petitions were further received from the APC candidate for state House of Assembly candidates, Dr. Selekaye Victor-Ben (Constituency 4, Southern Ijaw), Leskey Ikengs (Southern Ijaw Constituency 4), Nathan Aggro (Yenagoa constituency 1) and Mrs. Caroline Jack (Yenagoa 3).

    The Speaker of the State House of Assembly and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency also filed a petition against the electoral victory of Preye Oseke of the APC.

    Petition came from Mrs. Marie Ebikake of the PDP against the victory of Israel Sunny-Goli of the APC who was declared winner of the Nembe/Brass federal constituency.

    In a related development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has issued certificates of return to 23 members-elect of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

    The State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Pastor Monday Udoh-Tom, while presenting the certificates return urged them to be better representatives to their constituency.

  • Slain corps member’s brother seeks motive behind killing

    Akpos Honest, the elder brother to George Onokpoma, a serving member of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) shot dead in cold blood by rampaging cultists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is still at a loss as to why his deceased brother was visited with such violence.

    Akpos, a broadcast journalist, who said his dead brother was a twin, noted the deceased lived an upright life and was fondly called a pastor by members of his family.

    Speaking to our correspondent in Yenagoa, Akpos said he sought to know from the NYSC and the police the crime his brother committed to deserve such gruesome murder without getting answers from them.

    He said the police merely told him that his brother died in the hands of cultists and that such killings were common in the state.

    Describing his brother’s death as very painful and unbearable, he said he made all efforts to redeploy him to Rivers State but that his brother out of his uprightness rejected the offer.

    Akpos said his brother waited for two years before receiving his call-up letter adding that George also turned down his offer to work his posting to Rivers, where he works.

    But Akpos vowed to explore all legal means to avenge the death of his brother saying George would not die like every other corps members, who were killed in similar circumstances and were forgotten by the government.

    He said since the death of his brother, the management of NYSC had not deemed it necessary to send a delegation to his grieving mother.

    Read also: Truck kills woman, injures baby in Lagos

    “My mother single-handedly brought us up. We are seven in number. But George was very exceptional”, he said adding that his mother had not slept since the incident happened.

    Also, former Governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, condemned the killing of the corps members and derided the the government for failing to secure Bayelsa.

    He said: “It is a very sad thing that some NYSC members were killed in their own lodge. They were not even outside. They were in their own lodge when two of them were killed.

    “My heart goes to the families of these corps members. They were very innocent people serving the nation but they are no more with us not because of their fault but because the government could not protect them”.

  • ‘Ritualist’ lynched in Bayelsa 

    A mob yesterday lynched a suspected ritualist at Akenfa, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    He was reportedly caught while trying to cut the body of a young woman he was accused of killing.

    It was gathered that the woman, identified as Best, an indigene of Epie, was killed by the suspect.

    The community has come under attack by ritualists, who kill women and remove their body parts.

    Sources said the suspect threatened to attack the mob with an axe when he was caught, but he was overpowered and burnt to death.

    The Nation learnt that the man pretended to be mentally-deranged during the day, but turned to a killer at night.

    Read also: Cultists kill corps members in Bayelsa

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “That was the man that had been killing women at Akenfa. They caught him once when he was trying to kill another woman. I think that was last month. They beat him up but did not hand him over to the police.

    “He said he would still kill. This morning, he killed one Epie woman. They caught him when he was killing the woman with an axe. That was the third woman he had killed so far.”

    Confirming the incident, police spokesman Asinim Butswat said the suspected ritualist and the women he killed were mentally deranged.

    A human rights activist and gender advocate, Princess Elizabeth Egbe, lamented the spate of ritual killings in the community.

    She said: “There have been a lot of killings at Akenfa recently. The victims were mainly women. The killers always remove parts such as breast, brain, private parts, eyes, etc. They also remove panties and bra.

    “As a human rights activist/gender advocate, I strongly condemn these killings and call on the perpetrators to desist from this barbaric, inhuman and ungodly act. It is violence against women.

    “We urge the government to tighten security.”