BAYELSA PDP CRISIS:MPS SIDE JONATHAN AGAINST GOV. SYLVA

SENATORS and members of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa State have pitched themselves with Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan in the ensuring crisis between him and Governor Timpire Sylva over control of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The legislators are particularly incensed that the State caucus resolution to uphold all the party structures were breached at the weekend by aides and supporters of the governor who conducted a state congress in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP, Bayelsa West) who spoke on behalf of the state delegation to the National Assembly at the weekend nevertheless excused Governor Sylva from the crisis saying that the governor who hosted the caucus meeting that was also attended by Vice-President Jonathan could not have unilaterally revoked the decision of the caucus. The state party caucus consisting of the vice-president, governor, deputy governor, National Assembly members, state legislators and other notable party stakeholders had at the February 18 meeting at Government House Yenagoa resolved to sustain all existing party structures from the ward to the state level.

“What is happening is absolutely absurd in the sense that it is the highest form of irresponsibility being exhibited by anybody who wants to rescind whatever decision the caucus of the State has taken," Senator Lokpobiri said over the telephone, Friday.

“On the 18th there was a caucus that was attended by the vice-president hosted by the governor of Bayelsa State and a motion moved by the deputy governor of the State supported by Senator Amange and a commissioner and the governor himself. The exco has done well we said let us retain them, that was the decision and that is why there has been no ward congress, there has been no local government congress. Without ward congress and local government congress how did they get the delegates for the State congress. Where did they get the delegates? As far as we are concerned nobody recognizes that illegality they have done there.

On the effort of the National Assembly members to resolve the crisis, Lokpobiri said: “As far as we are concerned what they have done is absolutely wrong, is insubordination and the party has taken steps to suspend them." On insinuations that Governor Sylva may have masterminded the crisis using his aides, Lokpobiri said: “The governor was not around when these things happened, let us wait until the governor comes back" Governor Sylva was on official visit with President Umaru Yar‘Adua to China when the purported congress was conducted.

“I don’t think the governor is involved because the governor is not in town, but all his commissioners are involved, some of his SAs are involved and that is why some are saying the governor may have a hand, but I don’t think the governor will so have a hand because it would be so irresponsible for anybody to do that. What we are trying to do is to ensure that peace returns to the party and you know what we are trying to do is that we are throwing our weight fully behind the decision of the caucus meeting where we were part of."

COMMUNITY CRIES OUT OVER ABANDONED ROAD PROJECT

The Elume community in the Sapele Local Government Area of Delta has said that poor road network in the community has hampered the smooth evacuation of its agricultural products.

The people of the community, who spoke to Newsmen at Elume, said that the most worrisome of the bad roads was the one abandoned since 1981.

A former councillor, representing Elume ward in the community, Mr Morrison Ikoyo, said the road was awarded to Hispanic Nigeria limited, by the Prof. Ambrose Ali administration in the defunct Bendel State. Ikoyo explained that work started at the initial stage, but was abandoned two years later when the military took over government.

He said that another road, the Ozue/Ugboru road project, had been awarded to four different contractors, but were yet to be completed.

The councillor said that bad roads abound in the community and had caused the people a lot of hardship since their major occupation was farming.

He said that the situation had encouraged ruralurban drift, as well as an increase in transport fares. Another indigene of the community,Omatie Egbrin, said that the state government should as a matter of urgency come to their aid to alleviate their sufferings.

According to him, if it were in the raining season that you embark on this journey, you would not have been able to enter into the community. `Even our sons and daughters who ran out of the village do not come during rains.

They manage to visit in the dry season,'' he said. Also speaking, another indigene, Mr Sunday Ojuhomu, called on the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOAEC) to also assist them. He appealed to the state government to remember the community in the implementation of its three point agenda of infrastructural and human capital development, peace and security..

NGO DONATES COMPUTERS TO YENAGOA LOCAL GOVT COUNCIL

A non-governmental organization, the Stakeholders Democracy Network has provided over six flat screen computers to the Yenagoa Local Government Council, Bayelsa State.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Friday at the premises of the Council, the Country Director of Stakeholders Democracy Network, Ms. Pueba Damka explained that the set of computers would facilitate the process of modernizing Yenagoa Local Government Council administration. Damka said the project, a unit of a multidimensional major project embarked upon by the Stakeholders Democracy Network and funded by United Kingdom Department for International Development, (DFID), and the Canadian Embassy would enhance the efficiency and productivity of the Council.

Damka informed that as a measure of capacity building, the first batch of operators would be trained on computer skills as well as security of the systems.

She disclosed that the Yenagoa Council project cost a minimal sum of N1.2 million, saying that the acceptance of partnership by Council management was encouraging for the organization.

According to Damka, the organization was out to assist communities affected by the activities of the extractive industry to negotiate their drive towards development.

She also said the organization identifies areas of needs of communities and build capacities on them as well as carry out advocacy for good governance.

Damka expressed hope that the computers would be maximally utilized to achieve effective data management for smooth administration of the Council.

Also speaking, the commissioner for Information, Culture and Communication, Pastor Ebiowei Sokare highlighted the significance of computers in modern administration, adding that the Council had become the first local government council in the state to apply computers in rural administration.

While saying that the state government was delighted at the project, Sokare assured that government was interested in the modernization of rural administration with computer applications.

Sokare expressed appreciation to Stakeholders Democracy Network for the gesture and advised the Council to optimize the use of the system to justify the provision of the computers.

E.K CLARK INFLUENCED MY APPOINTMENT -SSA TO GOV SYLVA

The Senior Special Adviser to Governor Timipre Sylva on Ethics and Good Governance, Chief Amba- Ambaiowei Wisdom has revealed that his appointment by the governor was influenced by foremost Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark.

Ambai-Ambaiowei, who is a retired Army Captain, was until his appointment in January an ardent critic of Governor Sylva's style of governance.

Speaking to journalists in Yenagoa on Thursday, Ambai-Ambaiowei said Clark had approached him while he was engaged in criticizing Governor Sylva for lack of action on development of the state.

Ambai-Ambaiowei, who is a native of Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area said he was humbled by Clark's elderly appeal for him to soft-pedal in fighting against Governor Sylva.

He explained that he had to carpet the governor most of the times "to make him sit up and have listening ear" as governance was a serious task which demanded performance.

Ambai-Ambaiowei debunked insinuations in certain quarters that his acceptance of the appointment was for monetary gains, informing that the governor's recognition of his 25-point ethical standards of governance was enough for him to accept to work with him. According to him, he was not fighting Governor Sylva on personal grounds but for the general good of Bayelsa Sate.

He pointed out that the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, in his opinion, had become rubber-stamp in matters of development of the state, which was why he had to take up the fight on good governance in the state.

He said as the Senior Special Assistant on Ethics and Good Governance, it was his duty to advise the governor to shun acts of corruption and bad governance to avoid unnecessary hiccups in the system.

Ambai-Ambaiowei, who declared that "no area or person is more Izon than the other in Bayelsa State," assured that he would instill ethical standards in the state's civil service to make it very efficient and productive.

He expressed gladness that government had embarked upon the opening up of the state capital with the approval of 25 road contracts to ease movement of people and services. He commended the press throughout Nigeria for its vital role of shaping governance for the common good of the governed in the country..

INSTITUTE CONSTITUTES 56-MEMBER COMMITTEE FOR 1999 CONSTITUTION

Foremost research institute, The National Think- Tank, stated that it has concluded arrangements to commence the review of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It has constituted a fifty six-member constitutional review committee to commence the review of the constitution, which has been described variously in certain quarters as flawed.

The national coordinator of the institute, Professor Steve Azaiki, told bayelsanews.blogspot.com in a chat in Yenagoa that the committee would critically examine all the provisions contained in the 1999 constitution, especially those that do not conform to Nigeria's contemporary needs and suggest new status as well as make recommendations towards fashioning a better constitution.

Membership of the review committee, he informed, was drawn to reflect the declaration of the first line of the 1999 constitution, "we the people of Nigeria do hereby make, enact and give ourselves the following constitution."

Azaiki, a former Secretary to Bayelsa State Government under the erstwhile administration of Governor Diepreye Alamieseigha, said the committee would be inaugurated on March 6, at the Kano Hall of the Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

According to him, the committee shall aim to produce a document that would provide the basis for good governance and sustainable development of the nation as a virile and united democracy.

He said the constitution review committee, made up of legal luminaries with expertise in constitutional law, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria and distinguished professionals from other fields, among others, would bring their experience to bear on the effort to give Nigerians an acceptable document.

Referential materials, the national coordinator said, would include all the materials and proposals that emanated from the 2005 National Political Reform Conference, Presidential Technical Committee on Review of the 1999 constitution, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Reform and the National Conference organized by the PRONACO.

He said the review exercise would involve the analysis of all materials of preceding constitutional review attempts, examine international experience in constitution drafting, canvass opinion and memoranda from civil society groups, government at all levels, political parties, organized private sector, Labour and the academia.

Azaiki said it was the intention of the Think-Tank to forward the report of the committee along with validated appendices to the Presidency, the National Assembly, governors, relevant government agencies, civil society organizations and the Nigerian public, among others, for a ratification process.

MILITANTS BLOW UP POLICE STATION, BURN RULER’S PALACE

Armed youths invaded Bonny Island, an oil and gas export hub in Rivers State in the early hours of yesterday, shooting sporadically before burning down a police post and the palace of the traditional ruler, King Edward Pepple the Amayanabo of Bonny Kingdom .

State police commissioner Felix Ogbaudu who confirmed the report, said the gunmen also used dynamite in the attack, which happened between 2 am and 5 am

He could not confirm if anyone was killed or injured during the attack in the city which serves as headquarters of the multi-billion-dollar Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas Company (NLNG).

The security experts working for an oil major and a construction company said the raid took place in the middle of the night near the main jetty on Bonny and several vehicles were torched. The attackers fled in speedboats before dawn.

"Armed men attacked and razed the marine police building at the Bonny main jetty. Several vehicles were also torched," one of the security experts said.

He said the attackers were thought to be members of a local group that had recently written to state and federal authorities complaining that oil company funds meant for development of the region had been diverted by politicians.

The authorities had tried to negotiate with community chiefs to avert a crisis, but the attempt failed and local youths threatened attacks.

Such conflicts are frequent in the Niger Delta, home to Africa’s biggest oil industry which produces 2.1 million barrels per day.

Under corporate social responsibility programmes, oil firms provide funding for what they say are development programmes, but human rights activists say the money often gets used to pay off extortion racketeers, or is pocketed by politicians.

Competition for oil money has fueled many local wars between communities in the delta and numerous revenge attacks on police and troops, seen as agents of a hostile state.

OCEAN BOYS WIN FA CUP

            
Ocean Boys FC of Brass confirmed their supremacy once
again over sister team,Bayelsa United in the 2008 bayelsa
state fa cup,by emerging champion for a 2nd
consecutive time,after winning the trophy last year.

Speaking with BAYELSANEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM, club
spokesman.Olayiwola Ogunbona said, though it was a
tough match,but his team proved once again that
they are the state champion.

"We just won the bayelsa state FA cup final.It was a
tension sopaked game,playing against our sister  team
Bayelsa united is no mince meat,but at the end we
carried the day"

"Though both team have already qualified to represent
the state at the national level,the game was down to
who is the best in the land and this we proved once
again that we are better than them(bayelsa utd).

When asked if there was any reward from the state
govt,he answered,"there was no mention of reward at
the end of the game,though those who matter in sports
were present,but nothing of such was mentioned"
"in view of this we are not deterred in any way, as we
remain focussed with the task ahead,which includes
finishing in a better position in the league and
making a name in the FA cup as it remains the only
trophy we are yet to lift in nigeria.

The Brass based side won the match 2-1 after extra
time scores stood at 1-1 at regulation time.
Goalscorers; Bassey Nkereuem 62',Kinsley Akpososo
100'pen(for ocean boys)
Tarilaye Nwankwe 77'pen.
Dignitaries at the final includes;the state deputy
gov,Hon Peremobowei Ebebi,Dr Peter Singabelle among
others.