PDP GOVERNORS IN ACTION

- Bags “Businessday Newspaper Governor of the Year 2017 Award By Pat PA Okon                                                       Apparently worried by the unprecedented insecurity and unwarranted attacks on unarmed communities by herdsmen, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has called for the immediate re-jigging of the nation’s security architecture. Also, the Management of Businessday Newspaper has announced the nomination of Governor Wike as “Businessday Governor of the Year” 2017. In a press statement signed by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, Governor Wike, speaking when he received the Management of Businessday Newspaper at the Government House Port Harcourt on Thursday, said that the current approach to national security is no longer functional. He said: ” This time, criminality is targeted at some communities. Every time when they kill over a hundred innocent Nigerians, the security agencies claim that 3 persons have been

                                  - Set To Sign GMoU With Shell On Gbarain/Ubie Gas Plant - Restates Preparedness To Partner Int’l Community On Oil, Gas - As Hoy attributes high oil output to stability In N’Delta By Pat PA Okon                        Bayelsa State Government is to sign a Global Memorandum of Understanding with Shell Petroleum Development Company, (SPDC) on the Gbarain/Ubie Gas plant, a multi-million dollar project, which is the largest investment in Africa. Speaking while receiving the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Sean Hoy in Government House, Yenagoa, the State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtd), expressed the Government’s preparedness to partner the international community, in seeking ways the state can benefit maximally from the oil and gas industry. A statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Francis Ottah Agbo, quoted the Deputy Governor as lamenting the non-participation of Bayels

- Rationalizes Staff of Tertiary Institutions By Pat PA Okon                                                        Bayelsa State Government says, it has expended N313.5 million as payment for the disengaged staff of tertiary institutions, following the staff rationalization policy of the government. The State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (Rtd), who stated this in Government House, Yenagoa, declared N7.3 billion as balance of funds available as at the end of May, 2018. A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, quoted the Deputy Governor as stating that, the amount was part of the total outflows of the month, which came up to N6 billion. According to Rear Admiral John-Jonah, the amount was spent in lieu of the 3 Months’ notice prior to the termination of their services, in line with the public service regulations, as they apply to tertiary institutions. He listed the affected institutions

 President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, June 26, 2018, commissioned the  Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital and 100-nos. Naval Housing Units in Calabar. These are the pictorial details. By Pat PA Okon.

                                          Applauds Ayade; says project is People-Oriented Posted by Tony Okechukwu President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, commissioned the Cross River State Seedlings and Seed Multiplication Factory in Calabar which he described as people-oriented project. The President said the project was in line with his administration's zero oil economic roadmap with Cross River Governor,  Senator Ben Ayade becoming a reference point in that vision. His words: "When we assumed the rein of leadership of our dear country, our administration launched a zero-oil economic roadmap as a way of making our country less dependent on oil, while encouraging investments in other sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture. "I am happy that Governor Ayade keyed into that policy and has today become the reference point in our agricultural revolution effort." While emphasising the significance of the event, President Buhari said: "That we

- Say Otobo's show of greed and ingratitude should not be a distraction By Pat PA Okon The Bayelsa Youths Movement has urged the Governor of the state, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, not to give attention to the recent defection of the Commissioner for Youths, Mr. Ibarakumo Otobo, to the opposition All Progressives Congress. The Secretary-General of the group, Comrade Elisha Inodu, called on Governor Dickson to be resolute in his decision to raise a new generation of leaders to pilot the affairs of Bayelsa State in a statement on Saturday. He called on the Governor to ensure that he was not distracted by the betrayal and disloyalty displayed by the former commissioner who was a beneficiary of the visionary leadership provided by the governor. According to him, Otobo was picked by the governor out of thousands of youths who embraced the values of the Restoration Government and given the opportunity to serve Bayelsa in sensitive positions before his decision to turn h

 - Say Otobo's show of greed and ingratitude should not be a distraction By Pat PA Okon The Bayelsa Youths Movement has urged the Governor of the state, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, not to give attention to the recent defection of the Commissioner for Youths, Mr. Ibarakumo Otobo, to the opposition All Progressives Congress. The Secretary-General of the group, Comrade Elisha Inodu, called on Governor Dickson to be resolute in his decision to raise a new generation of leaders to pilot the affairs of Bayelsa State in a statement on Saturday. He called on the Governor to ensure that he was not distracted by the betrayal and disloyalty displayed by the former commissioner who was a beneficiary of the visionary leadership provided by the governor. According to him, Otobo was picked by the governor out of thousands of youths who embraced the values of the Restoration Government and given the opportunity to serve Bayelsa in sensitive positions before his decision to t

.....Warns Public Servants Against Partisanship By Pat PA Okon The government of Bayelsa State says  the chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, should be blamed for creating room for payroll fraud, employment racketeering and other unethical practices in the civil service while in  office. Speaking during an interactive meeting at Twon-Brass in Brass Local Government Area of the state, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson said the style of governance of the immediate past administration created rooms for rot and decay in the public sector. He accused the Chief Timipre Sylva-led administration of leaving behind huge debts and over- bloated wage bills which the present administration is addressing through the ongoing public service reforms. Mr. Iworiso-Markson said it would be wrong and most unpatriotic for any right thinking Bayelsan to align with the APC chieftains in the state, w

- HOS, Labour Deny Sack of 28, 000 Workers - Rumours of Sack, Handiwork of Opposition By Pat PA Okon                                                                           The Bayelsa State Government has revealed that, the ongoing reforms in the public service has continued to yield positive results, as it is currently saving about 684 million Naira annually from the review of the grade levels of workers at the Local Government level alone. Making the revelation at a joint media briefing of top government functionaries in Government House, Yenagoa, the State Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Mrs. Agatha Goma, explained that, the review of the grade levels of workers was to ensure that, Local Government staff are at their appropriate grade levels as well as check cases of arbitrary promotions.  According to her from the exercise, which was carried out by the Local Government Service Commission, the Government made savings of about N57 million monthly,

Posted by Tony Okechukwu Officials of the Cross River State Government and officers of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar are putting finishing touches to preparations to receive President Buhari on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 as the President returns to the state, this time, to commission the new completed Nigeria Navy Reference Hospital and the Cross River State Rice Seeds and Seedlings Factory also known as Rice City. The multibillion Naira automated rice seed and seedlings factory according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ben Ayade, Mr. Christian Ita, is the first of its kind in Africa. “Cross River State Government is happy to announce that His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President MuhammaduBuhari – GCFR will on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, commission our ultra-modern, fully automated rice seeds and seedlings factory in Calabar, “ read the statement in parts. The factory is also a seed multiplicat

By Aniekeme Finbarr I love perfumes. My wife does not think so. She rather thinks I love ‘cheap’ perfumes. Women! You know very often she watches me dismiss all these designers perfume sellers and marketers who have pencilled me as a target for their products. I don’t know why. My problem now is how best to convince my wife that I love those perfumes, their deep, penetrating, lingering, floral and woody scents, except that I just don’t know why perfumes should be more costly than the minimum wage in the country. You mean all that money to smell good? Well, well, well. This is how I see it, folks, the cost of each bottle of designers perfume can produce several other scents in my house like the aroma of fried egg, tomatoes and ripe plantain in the morning, pounded yam, with a native he-goat pepper soup to accompany it, with several other ‘obstacles’ and ‘animals’ slowing down traffic in the plate of soup and there is this lingering smell that accompanies fufu with a well-stoc

By Pat PA Okon                                                               No fewer than 100 players selected from the just concluded second edition of the Governor Seriake Dickson Football Tournament otherwise known as the Restoration Cup will begin the first phase of open camping from Monday, June 25, 2018. The screening exercise will take place at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa from 8am. Media Director of the tournament, Daniel Alabrah, in a press release, asked the selected players to check their names on the notice boards at the Restoration Cup secretariat at Ijaw House along Sani Abacha Road in Yenagoa, the Ministry of Sports and at the Samson Siasia stadium. The list is also available on the Restoration Cup Facebook page and other online publications. Alabrah urged the players to report at the stipulated time for accreditation. They are expected to come with proper means of  identification, including birth certificate, school leaving certificate o

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (L), presents a special State Plaque to the visiting Team Leader, Nigeria War College, Course 2/2018, Major General Enenche John Enenche, during a courtesy visit by the top Military Delegation to Government House, Yenagoa. By Pat PA Okon Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Seriake Dickson on Thursday, said his administration would continually collaborate with the security agencies particularly the Nigerian Army for the enthronement of peace, stability and development. Governor Dickson made the assertion when the Nigerian Army, Course 2 of 2018, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa. In a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Francis Agbo, Honourable Dickson described peace as pivotal to the development and growth of any society, noting that, his administration, since its inception is anchored on security and development. According to him, the state government is currently working with

Posted by Ramo Silvers Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has met with the leadership of Abia State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), led by Comrade C N Udensi, to deliberate on his administration’s plan to ensure regular payment of pension and settlement of inherited outstanding. Governor Ikpeazu At the meeting which held at the Government House in Umuahia, Governor Ikpeazu who made a detailed presentation on the financial status of the state to the pensioners, assured them that his administration considers the welfare of pensioners and other senior citizens a major priority. He informed them of plans to ensure that pensioners are at par with other workers in the state MDAs who are up to date with salaries. “I must confess that regular pension payment is one of the key issues that gives me sleepless nights as I believe that taking care of our senior citizens is a task that should be prioritized. Regular payment of pensions is therefore a challenge we mu

By Ebi Anthony                                                               The Bayelsa State Unemployed Graduates Forum has commended Governor Seriake Dickson for directing the employment of 1,000 Bayelsans into the state civil service. The governor made the pronouncement recently at a live media chat in Yenagoa, and on Tuesday, the process for the commencement of the employment began in Yenagoa. At the media chat, the governor was quoted to have said the move became imperative following the success recorded so far in the ongoing public service reforms. The governor was also quoted to have said the 1,000 employment is the first in a series, as his government move towards injecting more young people in the state public service. Reacting to the development, the leadership of the Unemployed Graduates Forum in the state says the pronouncement was in fulfilment of a promise made by the Governor. President of the Forum, Comrade Eddy Soko described the governor’s decision as

- As his nationwide consultations gather speed By Pat PA Okon Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) frontline presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday visited Ekiti State for a strategic review meeting with Governor Ayodele Fayose where he also rallied support for Prof. Kolapo Olusola, the PDP governorship candidate in the State in the July 14 Governorship election. A statement from the office of the Director-General, Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCO), Otunba Gbenga Daniel, also disclosed that the campaign team will be in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State capital on Tuesday in continuation of Atiku’s nationwide consideration with Governor Seriake Dickson and other chieftains of the party in the State. Later, Atiku Abubakar will be in Rivers State on a two-day visit between Wednesday and Thursday where the former Vice President is expected to commission some projects executed by Governor Nyesom Wike in the State. The team will also pay courtesy ca

By Ebi Anthony                                                               The Bayelsa Bayelsa State Government on Thursday announced that it has reduced its public service workforce from 55,00 to 27,000 as a result of the ongoing public sector reforms in the state. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, described the public sector reforms as one of the best policies embarked on by the Governor Seriake Dickson Administration. Iworiso-Markson made the comment while speaking at a town hall meeting in Sagbama, on Thursday. He said that the workforce was reduced by 28000 through the removal of several ghost workers discovered through the painstaking verification exercises conducted by the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson Administration, The Government’s Spokesman stressed that the ongoing implementation of reforms in the public sector would create a lot of job opportunities aside from the generation of resources for infrastructural devel

                                             - Say It Will Accelerate Economic Prosperity, Promote Peace, Stability In N'Delta By Pat PA Okon                                                               The people of Amassoma community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have expressed joy over the ongoing international airport project sited in their community.                      While commending Governor Henry Seriake Dickson for envisioning the airport, they said it will provide gainful employment to Bayelsans, accelerate economic prosperity, promote peace and stability of the state and the region.                                    The airport is billed for completion in August this year. According to a press statement signed by the Governor's Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, the community leaders spoke at the airport on Friday after a facility tour of the airport project. The tour was led by the Ebenanaowei of Ogboin Clan,

By Ebi Anthony                                                       Bayelsa State Government has charged relevant organisations to rise to the challenge of protecting the environment from issues of oil spills which has affected coastal communities in the state and has also destroyed aquatic lives. The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who gave the charge said the government of Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson is very concerned about the activities of multinational companies, especially in the area of oil exploration. Speaking when he received executive members of the state chapter of the Nigerian Environmental Society, Iworiso-Markson expressed the willingness of the government to partner groups that will be at the forefront of agitating for a safer environment for all. He assured that as part of efforts at protecting the environment from further degradation and confronting the climate change, the government in conjunction with the

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (right) his Deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah retd, (centre) and Hon. Fred Agbedi (left) in a discussion during a meeting of PDP Stakeholders at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa. By Pat PA Okon                                                     Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Tuesday reiterated his call on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the bottlenecks militating against the commencement of work on the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Refinery projects. The Governor who spoke during a stakeholders meeting of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Yenagoa, said the call has become imperative in view of what he described as unacceptable lack of Federal projects in the state. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Francis Ottah-Agbo, the Bayelsa Governor noted that the take-off and eventual utilization of the two projects would not only give

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of Ondo state has informed the leadership of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of his intention to resign from the party. Mimiko, through a letter to the party, said he has concluded plans to return to his former party, the Labour Party (PDP) Punch newspaper reported that Mimiko, who joined the PDP in 2014 and later became the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, dumped the party following a disagreement between him and some national leaders of the party shortly after he left office as the governor in 2017. In a letter addressed to the state leadership of the PDP on Wednesday, Mimiko said his decision to leave the party was personal to him. The letter read in part, ” I hereby with utmost humility inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the PDP with effect from today, June 13, 2018, for some well-thought-out personal reasons. “It was an honour working with the many prominent Nigerians with whom I shared the PDP platform f

…To Be Allocated Free Shops At New Business Incubation Centre By Pat PA Okon The Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday approved the sum of N500m, as a take-off grant for the Young Bayelsa entrepreneur Network. Governor Dickson announced the approval, during the formal inauguration of the forum at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Yenagoa. He urged the youths to shun negative acts and channel their energies to more productive ventures for their overall good and that of the society at large. The Governor, in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, explained that, the approved grant is a revolving loan, aimed at empowering the young entrepreneurs, stressing that, this is in addition to ongoing plans by the government to employ over 1,000 graduates into the state civil service. He described the Ijaw people as hardworking, but lamented the attitude of some of the present generation of youths who have de