N’Delta Group Warns Gov Dickson Against Media Attack On Jonathan

N’Delta Group Warns Gov Dickson Against Media Attack On Jonathan

A rights group, the Niger Delta Roundtable, has warned Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, desist from sponsoring fake media  reports against former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The group gave the warning in a statement signed by its acting state coordinator, Tony Ile, in Yenagoa, yesterday.

The group also alleged that the governor has  commissioned lawyers to “file frivolous court cases with a view to embarrassing Jonathan.

“We are out to align ourselves with the recent   warning issued by the Niger Delta Youth Movements NDYM to Bayelsa  State Governor Seriake Dickson as regards his continued attack on  the person of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
“It is no secret that Dickson has failed as a governor and it appears  the only way he can divert attention from his gross incompetence is to  continue to rake up non-existent fallacious issues and sling mud on  the former president.  We had thought that a governor who was recently  adjudged to be the worst performing in the Niger Delta by a national daily would gain wisdom, roll up his sleeves and get down to work  to ensure the the hapless people of Bayelsa experience the dividends  of democracy for the first time in 6 whole years,” it said.
The group further accused him of reckless media spending, saying: “He  is busy frittering away what is left of Bayelsa resources by buying up  space in print and social media. He has abandoned projects in Yenagoa and and other parts of the state.

“In the past one week he has been busy running a campaign of calumny  against Dr Goodluck Jonathan and his family in a bid to score cheap   political points. He is so desperate that he is even sponsoring  negative stories against his government with the aim of blaming it on  the former president.  The latest in this bizarre campaign was the  fake impeachment plot against him which the Governor himself planted  in the media, in a bid to whip up sentiments from the same good people   of Bayelsa whose mandate he has betrayed and has continued to  shamelessly abuse.

“We have it on good authority that the follow up to this fake news  with the headline “Bayelsa lawmakers resist plot to impeach Dickson”  has already been written and waiting to be published. Even if he no   longer hides his hand against the former President, why is Dickson  ridiculing himself with such chaotic and predictable media campaign.

“With all the money he is pumping into the media, he has failed to  galvanise a credible argument against Dr Jonathan. We hear he is even taking his theatrics to a whole new level by  recruiting some charge and bail lawyers to file frivolous cases for  the arrest of President Jonathan,” the group added.

Federal Government Inaugurates Water Supply Project in Bayelsa

Federal Government Inaugurates Water Supply Project in Bayelsa

Bayelsa state  government and Otupoke neighborhood have actually revealed assistance and gratitude to President Muhammadu buhari for the conclusion of the water job in the ogbia city government location of the state.
The job which was started by the previous administration is to end supply of water difficulties occasioned by ecological issues.
The minister of water resources Suleiman Adamu turned over the job to Bayelsa state federal government on behalf of the federal government.

for video visit
https://jobtraining.green/green-job-training-videos/federal-government-inaugurates-water-supply-project-in-bayelsa/

DICKSON VS CIVIL SERVICE: Again Dickson Decries Fraud in Bayelsa Civil Service, Vows to Clean Rot

Dickson Decries Fraud in Bayelsa Civil Service, Vows to Clean Rot
Source: Thisday

The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, yesterday lamented what he described as the ‘massive rot’ that pervaded the state civil service when he took over, assuring that he will continue to block the leakages to reduce the challenges likely to be faced by the next government.

In a chat with journalists at the Government House in Yenagoa, the governor said many people in the civil service were in the habit of collecting salaries from at least three different sources every month.

He added that the effort of the government had already reduced the wage bill from close to N5 billion to just a little over N3.5 billion, insisting that  in the next few weeks, the public service should be ready for a new round of cleansing.

According to the governor, if the state is to make progress, it must stop servicing fraudulent activities in all its ministries, agencies as well as its parastatals, stressing that the huge burden left by previous governments must not be allowed to continue.

“The payroll in Bayelsa is like Nigeria’s voter register. Even children, you find them there. Nobody retires, nobody dies. We are happy that nobody in Bayelsa  civil service dies, but that is the truth.

“Bayelsa people must stop blaming the wrong people. If our allocation is down , do you expect local governments to steal money to pay your fraudulent salaries?

“Or should I stop everything I am doing and be paying fraudulent salaries? In the primary education system, there is monumental rot in our schools. This is the only state where you have a primary school with only one headmaster, with 10 clerks, 30 cleaners, and 20 labourers.

“All the labourers and clerks are over 70 years. That is the rot we have in the so-called public service and I am going to address it. There are people that don’t have certificates, we will look at all of them,” Dickson vowed.

He promised not to leave any stone unturned in turning around the fortunes of the state no matter whose ox is bored and urged the people to prepare for the next round of reforms.

“I wouldn’t want the next governor to inherit all of them (problems). The person will not handle it because it takes a lot of courage to do.

“In Bayelsa, all these people who know about it are the culprits, unions everywhere. They connive with criminals. These are bloody criminals. We are compiling a lot of data and even since 2012 there were no records. They will never retire.

“Somebody is in service, the son has retired, the grandson has retired, but the father is still working. They are contributing to the crisis. People don’t even go to work. We are stopping that. We will deal with them. We are stopping their salaries.

“From next week, they will see. We are already collating names. We cannot be intimidated. These are people earning salaries in three to four places. They buy grade level. They sell steps like it is in Swali market,” he lamented.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/09/12/dickson-decries-fraud-in-bayelsa-civil-service-vows-to-clean-rot/

BAYELSA GUBER: South South PDP Warns Against Ridiculing Jonathan

South South PDP Warns Against Ridiculing Jonathan
Source: Leadership



Concerned PDP members from the South South region has warned against a new trend of sponsored attempts aimed at reducing and ridiculing the image and personality of former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying he deserves every respect as an elder statesman.

In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, jointly signed by Barr. Ariolu Tebidapa and Mr Akpan Ibibio it described such effort as a calculated attempt to distract him when he is busy working with other party leaders and focusing his attention on how to reposition.

The statement said that former President Jonathan remains a perfect gentleman and a national leader of PDP who will not want to reduce himself to affairs of state gubernatorial election or a region interest.

“Former President Jonathan is not contesting for the office of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, even though he is well qualified constitutionally and by pedigree because he is still widely loved and accepted by Nigerians . However, the PDP has zoned it’s presidency to the Northern part of Nigeria, so we wonder what these fifth columnist really want to achieve by selling falsehood.

“How can a sane man insists that Jonathan wants to install the governor of Bayelsa State as to help him in perceived presidential election? Presidential election will be held January/February? 2019 while Bayelsa governorship election will be November 2019 and the governor will be inaugurated February 2020,’’ it said.

http://leadership.ng/2017/09/12/south-south-pdp-warns-ridiculing-jonathan/

Ibo Man drowns In Bayelsa: Family accuses police of forcing him to jump into the River

Family of drowned man accuse police of forcing him ‘to jump into river’
Source; Premium Times

A family in Bayelsa State is accusing the police of forcing their son at gunpoint to jump into a river where he eventually got drowned.

Joseph Uzoukwu and Christiana Uzoukwu, who are the grandparents of the victim, are suing the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State, the Inspector General of Police, and the nation’s Attorney General jointly for N864 million f the alleged murder of Tochukwu Uzoukwu, 25.
The case was first filed at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. It was later transferred to the Federal High Court, Calabar, Cross River State, to avoid it starting afresh, when the judge handling it was transferred to Calabar.
The Uzoukwus are also asking the defendants to jointly pay the family N3 million being the “cost” they said they incurred to recover the corpse from the river, the mortuary bills, and other sundry expenses.
The victim’s mother, Christiana Uzoukwu, and four of his siblings are also plaintiffs in the case.
The plaintiffs, according to court documents, said the victim, Mr. Uzoukwu, was arrested on May 11, 2011, at Shell Ramp Water Front, close to Goodluck Jonathan Bridge, in Yenagoa by a police sergeant, Benjamin Ogbuagu, for alleged possession of Indian hemp.
The Uzoukwus told the court in their affidavit that the police made a demand for “settlement” before they could release their son, and afterwards ordered him at gunpoint to jump into a river, despite the victim’s plea that he was unable to swim.
“Tochukwu Uzoukwu pleaded with them to spare his life and told the police he could not swim and that he is an Igbo boy but the police will have none of it,” the Uzoukwus said in their affidavit.

“When he refused to jump into the water, they cocked their guns and threatened to shoot. With imminent death facing him, Tochukwu jumped into the water and was drowned.”
The Uzoukwus also filed before the court a statement from one Stanley Godspower, a resident at Shell Ramp, who claimed to have witnessed the incident that led to the victim’s death.
“On 11th May 2011, (at) about 6:30 pm, I was taking my bath on the steps of the Shell Ramp jetty when I heard a shout from someone repeatedly saying ‘abeg (please) officer, abeg officer’ and was crying,” Mr Godspower said in his statement on oath.
“When I looked at the direction of the voice, I saw three police officers with the famous ‘Tangbe uniform.’
The police officers led a young man to the waterfront close to a floating toilet inches away from where I was bathing.
“The police officers ordered the young man to kneel down and say his last prayer.
“They later ordered him to stand up and jump into the river or be shot. The young man started saying that ‘I don’t know how to swim’ and continued to beg the police officers. The next thing I saw was that the young man jumped into the river when the police officers cocked their guns and threatened to shoot at him.
“I saw that the boy couldn’t swim and was drowning. The police officers stood there and watched while the young man drowned,” Mr. Godspower said.
The family said the body was recovered from the river after a four-day search.
Mr. Uzoukwu, before his death, had just finished his apprenticeship in the salesof building materials and had started catering for his mother and his siblings, the family said, adding that he lost his father when he (the victim) was 22.
Meanwhile, the police have denied being responsible for the death of Mr. Uzoukwu.

Paul Ekubi, a police sergeant, in an affidavit disposed of on behalf of the police, said Mr. Uzoukwu “escaped from policemen and ran into the dark, and that the police only got to know about his death later.”
They also gave their defence in an affidavit filed on their behalf.
“On the 11th of May, 2011 at about 1930 hours, one Tochukwu Uzuokwu (now deceased) was arrested by men of the anti-vice patrol team headed by Sgt Benjamin Ogbuagu for alleged unlawful possession of Indian hemp at the floating toilet shell ram waterside Yenagoa,” Mr. Ekubi said in his affidavit.
“The said Tochukwu Uzuokwu was with the team until the team leader Sgt Benjamin Ogbuagu received a distress call through a radio message that they should relocate to Arietallin road to effect arrest of some cultists operating in that area.
“Before the team left Shell Ram waterside, the team leader handed over Tochukwu Uzuokwu to another patrol team headed by Sgt Boniface Nwagboso also assigned to patrol that Area.
“Tochukwu Uzuokwu told the patrol team that he can go and show the team the dealer where he bought the Indian hemp. Tochukwu Uzuokwu led the team down the waterside of the River-ban area and showed the team a plank house, but as the officers were trying to ascertain whether there was somebody living in that house, Tochukwu Uzuokwu took to his heels and escaped from the team through the back door.
“When the search for Tochukwu Uzuokwu for re-arrest proved abortive, they returned to their vehicle to continue with their patrol,” the police sergeant said in the affidavit.
The police also denied that they demanded “settlement” for the release of the victim when he was arrested.
Ebimobowei Okele, of the D. D. Fuderikumo Chambers, Yenagoa, is the plaintiffs’ lawyer, while the police is represented by Mgbechukwu Asuru and Zedeme Gwegwe.
The case comes up on October 4 in Calabar for the adoption of written addresses by lawyers to the parties.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/242803-family-drowned-man-accuse-police-forcing-jump-river.html

Bayelsa PDP Power Tussle: Jonathans Accused Again

2019: Jonathan, wife plot to hijack PDP structures in Bayelsa

Source;  The Nation

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, are working desperately to hijack the strictures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

 It was gathered that the former first family was scheming to ensure that Governor Seriake Dickson lacked the capacity to make an input in selecting his successor.

 Besides, it was learnt that Jonathan desired to use the control of the state’s PDP platform to present a strong argument on why he should fly the Presidential flag of the party in 2019 despite reports that the position had been zoned to the north.

 A source and PDP chieftain, who spoke in confidence, said the plot was real, adding that for the former President to present himself as a candidate he must be seen to be in charge of the state

He said despite the efforts of Dickson, the wife of the former President had never liked him and had been working intensely to either remove him or wrestle the party structure from him.

 The source said Jonathan and his wife were not happy that Bayelsa was not among the state’s executive committees dissolved by the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

 He said Patience later mandated Jonathan’s godson, Mr. George Turnah, who is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to write a petition against Dickson and the PDP leadership in the state

http://thenationonlineng.net/2019-jonathan-wife-plot-hijack-pdp-structures-bayelsa/

Bayelsa Man impregnates his Wife's little Sister then Kills the Baby

Man Impregnates Wife’s Younger Sister, Kills Baby

source; Thisday. photo source: Nigerian monitor

One Moses Otimba, a 47-year-old man from Ogbogoro community, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State , has been accused of impregnating his wife’s younger sister, Joy Matthew and killing the baby.

He was said to have allowed her  carry the baby for nine months ,before asphyxiating and burying the five-day-old  beside the sea shore in Yenagoa. 

Otimba, the police said, took 18-year-old Joy to a traditional birth attendant where the baby was born, before he, along with the teenager collected the baby five days later, moved across the Swali bridge, killed him and buried him in a shallow grave. 

 Two months later the young girl was said to have confessed to her mother who reported the incident to the police. 

The two suspects were paraded yesterday by the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asuquo Amba, at the command’s headquarters in the state capital. 

Amba said policemen from Yenagoa Police Division arrested the suspects, who confessed to the murder. 

”Mr. Moses Otimba, male, 47, impregnated one Joy Matthew, 18, a younger sister to his wife, Glory. The pregnant Joy was delivered of the baby by a traditional birth attendant at Amarata, Yenagoa on May 8, 2017. 

”On May 13, 2017, Moses, Joy and the baby left the birth attendant and went across Swali bridge where Moses took the baby from her mother (Joy), went down the river shore, snuffed the baby to death and buried him in a shallow grave.” 

Amba said Joy, who claimed to be under the influence of ”some spirits”, disclosed the incident to her mother some months after the act.

 He added that the police visited the scene of the incident , stressing that by the time they got to the scene, the currents of the river had washed off the child’s body. 

”The suspect, Moses Otimba, has confessed to the crime and Joy Matthew has also confessed on her alleged involvement in the murder of the baby. Investigation is ongoing”, the police chief said.

But Otimba in an interview admitted that he killed the baby boy because he was ashamed to  face his wife (Glory) and his mother-in-law.

He confessed that he killed the baby with the consent of Joy, after discussing his predicament with her.

Otimba said: ”I killed the baby boy because I was afraid and scared. I did not really know how to face my wife and my mother-in-law. That was why I killed the baby. I am really sorry.

”I took the baby to the bush in my community and closed his nose until he died. When I was carrying out the act, I was weeping and crying but I had no choice.

”When I got to the site, he was five days old then, I closed his nose and within some seconds, he stopped breathing. After that, I started regretting.

”The mother of the baby agreed that we should kill the baby. I told Joy that the situation was precarious for me and that I did not know how to tell my wife about the development.

”On that day, she was carrying the baby. She gladly gave me the baby to do whatever I wanted to do. My wife was not aware of all of this.  But somehow, I did not know what happened. I learnt the baby’s mother told her mother who alerted the police”

Also paraded was one  Isah Mohammed, 31, whom the police said was in the habit of killing vultures and selling them as chicken meet.

Meanwhile, an 11-year old boy was yesterday electrocuted to death in  Biogbolo community, Yenagoa, after he unknowingly picked up  a power line that fell in the area.

‎The boy identified as Joseph was reported to have died immediately after grabbing the live cable.

THISDAY learnt that the wire fell after the heavy downpour ‎last week. But residents of the area claimed they had alerted the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) but they failed to effect the repair.

Spokesman of the Bayelsa Police command, Asinim Butswat described the death of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) student as “ pathetic and unfortunate.”

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/09/09/man-impregnates-wifes-younger-sister-kills-baby/