The Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has called on youths of the Niger Delta region to shun violence and embrace dialogue, describing it as the only solution to the problems of the region. Governor Sylva who gave the advice during a telephone interview with our correspondent, stressed that there cannot be any meaningful development in the region in the absence of peace.
He therefore urged youths in the region to lay down their arms, shun social vices and embrace meaningful dialogue with constituted authorities, to enable the realization of the dreams of the region.
He also used the medium to highlight his administration's efforts at making life more meaningful to the people of the state, while urging them to support the present administration of the Peoples Democratic Party both at the state and federal levels, in order to move the nation forward.
The governor, also revealed the readiness of his administration to accept constructive criticisms from Bayelsa citizens and residents, and therefore called on the people to avoid acts that could distort the prevailing peace and progress in the state.
While referring our correspondent to his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Sylva pledged his determination to totally transform the state, but urged the people to be supportive and remain calm, law abiding and always pray for the present administration in the state.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
CNPP CONDEMNS UDUAGHAN'S REFUSAL TO PROBE ADVISER
THE Chairman, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties(CNPP), Delta State chapter, Comrade Igbini Odafe Emmanuel, has condemned the refusal of the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to probe the allegation of fraud brought to his notice early in February this year by the CNPP against his Special Adviser on Inter Party Relations, Dr. Emmanuel Mafiana, over the recent disbursement of N20 million grant approved by the state government for all registered political parties.
Comrade Igbini, who spoke in Warri said: "It is even more worrisome, when the Special Adviser only recently confessed to the fact that the Action Congress(AC) and the Democratic Peoples Party(DPP) were excluded from benefiting in the N20m grant contrary to his earlier claim that these two parties were among the 34 parties he paid the grant"
Moreover, he pointed out that the Special Adviser in justifying fraudulent disbursement of the Grant, told newsmen, that he was acting based on instruction from above, stressing that the exclusion of AC and DPP was surely for the simple reason that the Governorship candidates of the AC and DPP were in court challenging the election of the Governor.
The CNPP Chairman stressed, that the refusal of the governor to resolve such minor problem which bothers on fraud and creating political tension, crisis and disaffection amongst political parties in the state had raised fundamental questions on the sincerity of Gov. Uduaghan on his 3-point agenda which focused first and foremost on peace.
"His action so far is aimed at creating crisis within other political parties and encouraging members of such political parties to betray and abandon their candidates ahead of the expected nullification of the governorship election and the forthcoming local government elections".
He said Comrade Igbini, noted that many of the parties such as NMDP and NDP, have now been engulfed in internal crisis promoted by the special adviser due to the N20m grant while some other parties had also abandoned their candidates and are now working for the success of the PDP.
According to him, the CNPP wish to state categorically and unequivocally that no amount of injustice and denial of their right to such grants to political parties would make them to abandon their parties and candidates to become political slaves and prostitutes to Gov. Uduaghan and the PDP.
"We have just been informed that while Gov Uduaghan has refused to address the fraud perpetrated by his special adviser, a further N16m Grant was again released to the special adviser as outstanding grant for political parties.
We shall ensure that we remain resolved in maintaining the peace, unity and development of Delta state, despite such unwarranted provocation and injustice, while ensuring that soonest we shall seek lawful means in ensuring that the governor and his special adviser render account of the disbursement of all monies withdrawn from the Delta State treasury in the guise of disbursement to political parties. Such refusal by the governor amounts to aiding and abetting fraud and corruption in Delta State, a position we had rejected until now". Comrade Igbini said.
Comrade Igbini, who spoke in Warri said: "It is even more worrisome, when the Special Adviser only recently confessed to the fact that the Action Congress(AC) and the Democratic Peoples Party(DPP) were excluded from benefiting in the N20m grant contrary to his earlier claim that these two parties were among the 34 parties he paid the grant"
Moreover, he pointed out that the Special Adviser in justifying fraudulent disbursement of the Grant, told newsmen, that he was acting based on instruction from above, stressing that the exclusion of AC and DPP was surely for the simple reason that the Governorship candidates of the AC and DPP were in court challenging the election of the Governor.
The CNPP Chairman stressed, that the refusal of the governor to resolve such minor problem which bothers on fraud and creating political tension, crisis and disaffection amongst political parties in the state had raised fundamental questions on the sincerity of Gov. Uduaghan on his 3-point agenda which focused first and foremost on peace.
"His action so far is aimed at creating crisis within other political parties and encouraging members of such political parties to betray and abandon their candidates ahead of the expected nullification of the governorship election and the forthcoming local government elections".
He said Comrade Igbini, noted that many of the parties such as NMDP and NDP, have now been engulfed in internal crisis promoted by the special adviser due to the N20m grant while some other parties had also abandoned their candidates and are now working for the success of the PDP.
According to him, the CNPP wish to state categorically and unequivocally that no amount of injustice and denial of their right to such grants to political parties would make them to abandon their parties and candidates to become political slaves and prostitutes to Gov. Uduaghan and the PDP.
"We have just been informed that while Gov Uduaghan has refused to address the fraud perpetrated by his special adviser, a further N16m Grant was again released to the special adviser as outstanding grant for political parties.
We shall ensure that we remain resolved in maintaining the peace, unity and development of Delta state, despite such unwarranted provocation and injustice, while ensuring that soonest we shall seek lawful means in ensuring that the governor and his special adviser render account of the disbursement of all monies withdrawn from the Delta State treasury in the guise of disbursement to political parties. Such refusal by the governor amounts to aiding and abetting fraud and corruption in Delta State, a position we had rejected until now". Comrade Igbini said.
*BSIEC CHAIRMAN UNDER PRESSURE DUE TO LG POLLS
A cloud of uncertainty is hovering over the proposed Bayelsa state local government elections scheduled for 10 May as indications emerged yesterday that the elections may be shifted to a later date.
Reports reaching BAYELSANEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM gathered that factions within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were yet to come to terms in the aftermath of the imbroglio that deepened the crisis rocking the party in the last few weeks.
But besides the no love lost situation between factions in the PDP, some of the opposition political parties in the state are said to be gearing up for a show down with the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) over its perceived partisanship towards the PDP.
The opposition had accused the ruling PDP led state government of appointing an electoral commission with card-carrying members of the party including the chairman, Mr. Akpoboade Yingomone, former chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area, Mr. Barnabas Edure as Head of Media and Publicity, among others with no regard for the opposition.
Since the controversial conduct of the 28 February state congress, at the end of which a 30-man state executive was"elected" and subsequently inaugurated by Governor Timipre Sylva, the PDP in the state had remained a divided house.
The uncertainty over the local government election became much more evident following the denial of access to the suspended six members of the state's House of Assembly penultimate Tuesday when the House sat to screen and confirm Justice Kate Abiri as the substantive Chief Judge of the state.
The suspended six had vowed that they were not going to stomach the humiliation meted to them that day as they would do all within their reach to amend their dignity battered by the denial of access into the House for the sitting. It was gathered that at a meeting they held in a highbrow hotel in one of the South-South states, they had resolved to use the local government elections as a platform to launch their strategy.
Despite the accusation of connivance with the PDP, the BSIEC's message in a jingle being aired on Radio Bayelsa has been to the effect that all stakeholders should embrace peace and tolerance during the local government elections. Chairman of BSIEC, Mr. Akpoboade Yingomone had also seized every opportunity to explain the neutrality of the commission, saying that the electoral body would provide a level playing field for all parties at the local government polls. However, the opposition has said the BSIEC was insincere in its message.
A reliable source in the opposition informed BAYELSANEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM that since 3rd March when the date for the local government was arrived at during a meeting between the BSIEC and stakeholders, the opposition had been involved in a collaboration to slug it out with the PDP.
According to the source, the opposition would rather ensure that the elections did not hold because all complaints that the BSIEC was improperly constituted had fallen on deaf ears.
The opposition said its position was also justified by the non-provision of voters register as well as non-release of funds by BSIEC. This, it maintained, was a calculated measure to weaken it ahead of the local government elections.
Findings also gathered that the gathering cloud of uncertainty over the local government elections had been giving the BSIEC chairman and his members' sleepless nights as the date of the elections draws closer.
A source in BSIEC revealed that the chairman was under pressure by the factional groups in the PDP and the opposition who had been insisting on 'harmonization' to grant them a fair share of chairmanship seats in the seven local government areas (Ekeremor LGA not inclusive) and councillorship seats in the 105 wards where elections would be conducted.
Reports reaching BAYELSANEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM gathered that factions within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were yet to come to terms in the aftermath of the imbroglio that deepened the crisis rocking the party in the last few weeks.
But besides the no love lost situation between factions in the PDP, some of the opposition political parties in the state are said to be gearing up for a show down with the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) over its perceived partisanship towards the PDP.
The opposition had accused the ruling PDP led state government of appointing an electoral commission with card-carrying members of the party including the chairman, Mr. Akpoboade Yingomone, former chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area, Mr. Barnabas Edure as Head of Media and Publicity, among others with no regard for the opposition.
Since the controversial conduct of the 28 February state congress, at the end of which a 30-man state executive was"elected" and subsequently inaugurated by Governor Timipre Sylva, the PDP in the state had remained a divided house.
The uncertainty over the local government election became much more evident following the denial of access to the suspended six members of the state's House of Assembly penultimate Tuesday when the House sat to screen and confirm Justice Kate Abiri as the substantive Chief Judge of the state.
The suspended six had vowed that they were not going to stomach the humiliation meted to them that day as they would do all within their reach to amend their dignity battered by the denial of access into the House for the sitting. It was gathered that at a meeting they held in a highbrow hotel in one of the South-South states, they had resolved to use the local government elections as a platform to launch their strategy.
Despite the accusation of connivance with the PDP, the BSIEC's message in a jingle being aired on Radio Bayelsa has been to the effect that all stakeholders should embrace peace and tolerance during the local government elections. Chairman of BSIEC, Mr. Akpoboade Yingomone had also seized every opportunity to explain the neutrality of the commission, saying that the electoral body would provide a level playing field for all parties at the local government polls. However, the opposition has said the BSIEC was insincere in its message.
A reliable source in the opposition informed BAYELSANEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM that since 3rd March when the date for the local government was arrived at during a meeting between the BSIEC and stakeholders, the opposition had been involved in a collaboration to slug it out with the PDP.
According to the source, the opposition would rather ensure that the elections did not hold because all complaints that the BSIEC was improperly constituted had fallen on deaf ears.
The opposition said its position was also justified by the non-provision of voters register as well as non-release of funds by BSIEC. This, it maintained, was a calculated measure to weaken it ahead of the local government elections.
Findings also gathered that the gathering cloud of uncertainty over the local government elections had been giving the BSIEC chairman and his members' sleepless nights as the date of the elections draws closer.
A source in BSIEC revealed that the chairman was under pressure by the factional groups in the PDP and the opposition who had been insisting on 'harmonization' to grant them a fair share of chairmanship seats in the seven local government areas (Ekeremor LGA not inclusive) and councillorship seats in the 105 wards where elections would be conducted.
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