Skill centre: FG threatens to revoke Bayelsa contract

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Steve Oru, has threatened to revoke the contracts for two of the nine skill acquisition centres in the Niger Delta over poor and delayed contract execution.

The two contracts are the Skill Acquisition Centre in Otuke, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and the one for Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State awarded for N3.4bn.

The companies involved in the execution of the contract for the two centres are Stegis International Agencies Nigeria Limited, Salem Cat Limited, Enorasol International Limited, Ogbosite International Limited,  El-Hanen Ventures Limited, Verity Concept Limited, Y.S. Associates Limited

The Otuoke Centre is expected to be a centre for the training of youths in oil and gas, maritime studies, Information and Communication Technology and how to assemble Ipad and mobile telephone on completion.

The Minister summoned the contracting firms to his office and lambasted them for shoddy execution of the contracts for the centres which according to him, lacked the appropriate supervision.

He told the two contractors that the level and quality of job done on the centres was too poor to be acceptable to the Federal Government.

The aggrieved minister issued a two-month ultimate to the contractor handling the Otuoke Centre and a six month period of grace to the firm handling the Ibeno Centre to complete the project or face the ire of the government.

Oru said that his observations during an inspection tour of the projects was rather disappointing and conflicted with the impression created that the projects were ready for commissioning.

He stressed the present state of the centre contradicted the impression created by the handover notes to him at the ministry that the Otuoke project would be commission soon.

“The impression we had before the visit were of Otuoke being ready for commissioning by the President at any given date and that this would be followed by the commissioning of Ibeno.

“But contrary to what we had on paper in the office here when I was being briefed, we were in state of shock by what we saw first at Otuoke which we thought was already fully completed.

“I think our findings show clearly poor execution of jobs by most contractors and untidiness of sites. We observed poor finishing of jobs and very poor supervision by consultants.

“So in totality it is a tail of poor job executions which resulted in disappointments and jobs being executed in substandard and unacceptable manner.”

The Minister who urged the contractors to take a second look at their approach to the execution of government jobs said that adequate attention would be given to ensure a thorough scrutiny of all previous certificates presented by the contractors as a corrective measure.

 Speaking also, the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Dairus Ishaku, who also blamed the contractors for poor execution of the contracts, noted that the jobs would have been completed if the contractors had done what was expected of them.

He said that it was not conceivable for the contractors to cite the terrain and wheather as the reason for doing shoddy jobs.

However, the Chairman of one of the firms, Salem Cat, Mr Austin Uloho, who defended the firms attributed the delay in the execution of the contract to poor funding.

Source; http://www.punchng.com/news/skill-centre-fg-threatens-to-revoke-bayelsa-contract/

Bayelsa takes Ebola campaign to corps members

The Seriake Dickson administration in Bayelsa State has taken its sensitisation and awareness campaign against Ebola Virus Disease to the National Youth Service Corps members in the state.

On Tuesday, the government team led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei went to the Kaiama Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.
Owei warned the corps members against making contacts with persons showing symptoms of the virus.

Owei also appealed to the corps members to be vigilant, saying they should look out for persons showing symptoms of the disease and to avoid contact with them.

Explaining the Ebola virus and its deadly nature, the commissioner asked the youths to join other Nigerians in “fighting the disease like a wounded lion.”

He told the corps members that all Nigerians that had shown symptoms of the disease were  persons who had direct contacts with the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.

He, however said the fear of Ebola should not affect interpersonal relationship among the corps members since the virus could only be transmitted by persons showing its symptoms.

“It can only be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. It is one of the conditions that can easily be prevented. When the person is not sick, he is not capable of transmitting it,” Owei said.

He said corps members must avoid secretions of sick persons and maintain high level of personal hygiene.
He said the task force had distributed sanitisers, washing soap and water across the camp and appealed to the youths to always wash their hands.

“We are not saying that you shouldn’t shake hands but don’t do it with sick people. Don’t eat bush meat because some of them are carriers. Ensure that any meat you eat is well-cooked,” he said.

He said the National Council of Health had cancelled the movement of dead bodies from one place to another.
Owei, who described the corps members as the foot soldiers, asked them to carry Ebola message to other parts of the state.

In his remarks, the State Coordinator, NYSC, Mr. Ekeocha Anthony, told the corps members that the Ebola virus was deadlier than the HIV/AIDS.

Source; http://www.punchng.com/news/bayelsa-takes-ebola-campaign-to-corps-members/

Bayelsa moves to immortalise Gen. Azazi

In order to immortalise the late General Owoye Azazi, Bayelsa State Government has instituted an endowment fund with the sum of N5 million in the National Defence College, Abuja for the purpose of establishing an Award for Outstanding Academic Performance in the College. 

Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah(rtd), at the weekend presented the draft on behalf of Governor Seriake Dickson during the graduation ceremony of course 22 at the National Defence College, Abuja.

 According to Rear Admiral Jonah, the endowment fund was made in appreciation and remembrance of the immense contributions of the late General Azazi not only to Bayelsa State but also to the Nigerian nation when he was alive. He, therefore, urged the National Defence College to open a dedicated fixed deposit account with the money so that the accruing interest will continue to serve and sustain the purpose of instituting the endowment fund.

 In his response, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Patrick Agholor, thanked the State Government for taking concrete steps to immortalize one of its illustrious sons, stressing that the collaboration between the College and the State Government will continue to flourish in the years ahead. It would be recalled that the State Government pledged to immortalize the late General Azazi during his burial by instituting a prize for Outstanding Academic Performance at the National Defence College.

 - See more at: http://nigerianpilot.com/bayelsa-moves-to-immortalise-gen-azazi/#sthash.hKl4Vsvy.dpuf
SOURCE; http://nigerianpilot.com/bayelsa-moves-to-immortalise-gen-azazi/

Bayelsa: Group Seeks End to FMC Workers Strike

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers' Rights (CDWR) in Bayelsa State has called on the management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa to meet the demands of its striking workers without any further delay.

The health workers under the banner of Joint Health Sector Unions at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), had embarked on strike after an initial three-day warning strike, demanding payment of outstanding promotion arrears. However, the refusal of the management of FMC Yenagoa to pay promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances, currently being enjoyed at other FMCs, made the strike inevitable.

The group in solidarity with the health workers on their ongoing indefinite strike action urged the Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state to compel manangement of FMC to pay workers their allowances.

“We call on the management of FMC Yenagoa to meet the demands of the striking workers without any further delay. We commend the workers for organising mass actions and not reducing the strike a sit-at-home strike action. We call for the solidarity of the Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Bayelsa and the entire trade union movement to throw their weight behind the struggle of the workers.

“We argue further that only a democratic socialist political and economic solution can sustainably guarantee the interests of workers. This is why CDWR supports the ongoing initiative to build the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and call on workers to join the SPN today,”  the group stated.

Source;http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/bayelsa-group-seeks-end-to-fmc-workers-strike/186737/

I was once ashamed of Bayelsa, says commissioner

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, has said he was hitherto ashamed of the state for glaringly lacking physical development.

Ewhrudjakpor said the state could hardly boast of development infrastructure especially among the comity states in the South-South region.

He bared his mind while addressing newsmen in Yenagoa after his weekly inspection of on-going projects embarked upon by the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration.

The commissioner said it was at the first BRACED Commission meeting in Asaba that shame overwhelmed him, as the state could not showcase anything.

He said there were now sufficient reasons for him to beat his chest as the state government had invested massively in infrastructure development.

“I was ashamed when we had our first BRACED Commission meeting in Asaba. Now, we can boast that we have a flyover, but Delta State is only building now. Edo and Cross River states don’t have any. These states were all created long before ours’, Ewhrudjakpor said.

According to him, the massive investment in infrastructure was to open up the state for rapid development, adding that the state had lagged behind in development.

“The governor has sworn that he wants to make Bayelsa the Dubai of Africa. So, we are investing massively in infrastructure because we have a deficit in that area”, he said.

The commissioner, who had on his entourage some staff of the ministry, labour leaders, civil society activists, government officials and politicians as well as journalists, inspected several projects in the state capital.

The projects include the Onopa Villa and Resort, the state Museum and Archives Centre, New Governor’s Office complex, the Diagnostics Centre at the 500-bed Hospital, residential quarters for medical personnel, fly over, Outer Yenagoa Ring Road, the Tower Hotel, Isaac Boro Road, among other road projects.

Source: http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/08/ashamed-bayelsa-says-commissioner/

Ebola: Adadevoh‎ saved Nigeria from disaster – FG

The Federal Government has ‎commended Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh‎, bravery, commitment and patriotism in restraining the Liberian American, Late Patrick Sawyer‎, from escaping from First Consultant Hospital, Lagos where he was being treated for Ebola.

This is even as it has disclosed that the sum of N200 million has been released to the Lagos State Government to support its efforts in tackling the ebola virus disease‎.

‎It has also disclosed that the United States government in support of Federal Government’s efforts has donated  30 body scanners that would soon be deployed to major entry and exist points across the country.

‎Adadevoh‎ died Tuesday evening from complications arising from contracting the Ebola virus disease‎ from Sawyer, while treating him.

Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Health Onyeabuchi Chukwu alongside the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said but for Adadevoh’s commitment and vigilance, Sawyer would have escaped and infected several primary contacts which would have been difficult to trace.

‎Chukwu who‎ briefed Council on the latest development as regards the Ebola virus ddisease and the country’s efforts to eliminate the disease, said comprehensive efforts have been deployed to eliminate the virus within the nation’s borders with the support of the President.

He said currently, ‎ Nigeria has had a total number of 12 case of Ebola including the index case,  Sawyer. According to him among the 12 are 11 Nigerians who were primary contacts with the one  index case.

He said:  “Of this 12, the total number of successful cases who have been discharged stands at five but the total number of deaths including the index case stands at five. Currently, the total number of cases in Nigeria are two, made up of one doctor, one nurse who had managed the index case and they are presently on treatment at the isolation centers.

Source;http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=77955

Dickson’s Antidote To Kidnapping, Sea Piracy In Bayelsa

When in the space of three weeks, five high profile cases of kidnapping were recorded in Bayelsa State, the Seriake Dickson administration had to develop an antidote and reached out to ex-militant leaders and the state security apparatus to assist and stop the ugly trend.

While the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) insisted that the antidote being proposed with the setting up of a Task Force on Waterway Security, headed by the former deputy leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly known along the creeks as Boyloaf, may not be the solution to violent crimes along the waters of the state, others, including the special adviser to the governor on security, Col. Bernard Kenebai argued that the setting up of the Task Force, coupled with the strengthening of the Marine Component of the State Special Security outfit, Door Akpo, may be the solution needed at this time to end crimes along the creeks.

The 11-man special task force, made up of notable leaders among the coalition of ex-militant leaders, including Osei Clever as vice chairman, Tony Ekisa, Pastor Reuben Wilson, Ayibatari Odio, Alalebo West, Ibarakumo Otobo, Daubiri Samba, Chiefson O. Chiefson, Etai Daniel and Pius Andabai Wariyai, is expected to secure creeks and waterways in the state against violent crimes.

The task force, which came barely few days after the coalition of ex-militant leaders in the state assisted men of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to secure the release of three high profile victims, including the 90-year-old mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker and the younger brother of the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Kombowei Benson, is expected to tackle the rising incidence of kidnapping, sea piracy, illegal bunkering and oil pipeline vandalism in recent times in the state.

Governor Dickson, who expressed deep concern over the rising cases of insecurity in the waterways, called on community leaders, youths and the general public to be vigilant and cooperate with the special task force as well as the various security agencies to flush out the perpetrators of criminal activities in the waters.

Meanwhile, Governor Dickson has also approved the setting up of a Special Marine Component of the State Security outfit known as Door Akpor. The marine component is expected to be headed by a serving naval officer from the state.

According to the governor, the date for the inauguration of the special task force and the leadership of Operation Door Akpor Marine will be announced later, with both bodies to function under the direct supervision and coordination of the special adviser to the governor on security matters, Colonel Bernard Kenebai (rtd).

The constitution of the new Task Force on Waterways Security was based on the effort of the ex-militant leaders who intervened in the rising cases of kidnapping in the state and assisted the men of the State Police Command to secure the release of three high profile victims including a British expatriate working for Conoil Nigeria Limited.

The intervention of the ex-militant leaders under the aegis of the South-South Regional Peace Advocacy Group, and the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI), led by General (Pastor) Reuben Wilson led to the release of the three victims within five days.

Aside from the British oil worker, the ex-militants in conjunction with the State Police Command and the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, rescued the 90-year-old mother of the senator representing Bayelsa Central senatorial district, Senator Paulker and the younger brother of the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Iniokpeomi Benson.

Confirming the role of the ex-militants in the successes recorded last week, the special adviser to the governor on security, Col. Kenebai, said though the role of the ex-militants was that of intelligence on location, the offer of assistance to the state and the police was commendable, adding, “they offered to help and it was a success. The swift response of the state security apparatus is commendable.”

The national coordinator of LPCDI, General Wilson, who threw more light on the role played by ex-militant leaders in the rescue of the three kidnapped victims, said it was part of their required service for peace and security in the region.

According to Wilson, the ex-freedom fighters liaised with the state security agencies including the police in the area of intelligence gathering which led to pressure on the abductors and the abandonment of the abducted woman at a fishing camp in Azuzuama community of Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

He commended the state government and the security agencies in the state for giving them the opportunity to serve and assist in the rescue operation of the octogenarian.

The ex-freedom fighters also condemned the rising cases of sea piracy and other violent crimes along the waterways and creeks of Southern Ijaw local government area, calling on the indigenes of the coastal communities to assist security agencies in stemming the ugly tide.

According to the ex-freedom fighters, they are ready to work with security agencies in the state to check sea piracy and other crimes along the waterways and creeks of the state.

Indigenes of the coastal communities have, however, continued to commend the state government for the recent constitution of an 11-man special task force to ensure adequate security of lives and property on the waterways in the state.

Residents of some of the communities where cases of sea piracy, kidnapping and pipeline vandalism were on the increase, expressed relief that security would further be strengthened when the marine component of the state security outfit, Operation Door Akpor becomes operational.

According to Mr Ebiakpo James from Ekeremor local government area, incidents of sea piracy, bunkering, and other related vices would be reduced to the barest minimum with the policing of the creeks and waterways by the task force.

He particularly praised the government for the choice of membership of the task force, which is drawn from experienced persons, who have deep knowledge of the creeks and rivulets criss-crossing the state and have been working closely with security personnel in checking pipeline vandalism and other acts of criminality.

Also in her commendation, Mrs Ebiendu Philip expressed joy that commuters, particularly traders would feel safe to travel on the waterways with their wares, noting that sea piracy and hostage taking have had adverse effects on socio-economic activities in the area.

Mrs Biobelemoye Telimoye and Mr Meindiyo Baralate, who observed that the inaccessibility of the creeks in the hinterlands has remained a major factor contributing to the incessant cases of criminal activities, expressed optimism that with the ongoing construction of the Ogbia-Nembe road, life would be a lot easier for residents of Nembe, Brass and Akassa areas in the state.

They said, “In the absence of security, there will be no meaningful development either from the public or private sector and social and economic activities will come to a standstill.”