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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • Man beats lover to death in Bayelsa

    Man beats lover to death in Bayelsa

    A man identified as Mr Arepamowei Koru, who hails from Ogobiri Community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, has allegedly beaten his 22-year-old girlfriend, Miss Toma Angolo to death.

    The two lovers were said to be cohabiting at the man’s community, before the tragic incident occurred on Tuesday.

    Residents of the community said that the two friends have been staying together without any noticeable quarrel before their minor disagreement on Tuesday led to a fight.

    According to them, the man might have hit her hard, resulting to her bleeding to death.

    The elder sister of the deceased held the culprit before alerting the police at Amassoma Division, which apprehended him.

    The deceased father, Mr. ServeGod Angolo, had rushed her to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, but she gave up the ghost before they could reach the hospital.

    Police spokesman in Bayelsa, SP Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect has been arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

  • Naval officer arrested in Bayelsa for the death of a teenage girl

    Naval officer arrested in Bayelsa for the death of a teenage girl

    A naval officer has been arrested by men of the Nigerian police for alleged complicit in death of a 16 year old girl in a hotel in Bayelsa state.

    The deceased whose name was given Nengi Enenimiete had died while her body was found  in the wardrobe of a hotel in Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area of the state last year November.

    It was  gathered that Naval Police in conjunction with the operatives of the Nigerian Police and the leadership of youths in the community were able to identify and arrest the naval rating involved in the dastardly act.

    A source in the community told pressmen that the arrested naval rating is in the custody of the Nigerian Navy located at Egweama in Brass Local Government Area and will likely be handed over to the Nigerian Police for prosecution after the internal naval trials.

    Recalled that the corpse of the 16-year-old was discovered at Blevera Hotel, Brass in November by the manager. The corpse showed no signs of physical injuries, mutilation or strangulation.

    But the indigenes of Twon Brass community had demanded an autopsy and arrest of the mystery male guest seen with the deceased.

    Confirming the incident to newsmen the spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, Asinim Butswat stated: “On 21st November 2022 the manager of a Hotel in Twon Brass, reported at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Brass, that he perceived an offensive odour from one of the rooms in the hotel, upon a search he discovered a lifeless female corpse hidden inside a wardrobe.”

    “The deceased was later identified as Nengi Enenimiete, female, aged 16. Investigation is ongoing to identify the suspects who lodge in the hotel room on the night of the incident. The corpse has been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.”

  • Bayelsa confirms receipt of arrears of 13% oil derivation refunds from FG

    Bayelsa confirms receipt of arrears of 13% oil derivation refunds from FG

    Bayelsa government confirmed on Tuesday that it had been receiving refunds of arrears of 13 per cent oil derivation proceeds from the Federal Government.

    It did not state how much had been received, however.

    Tuesday’s confirmation by Bayelsa followed Rivers Gov. Nyesom Wike’s declaration and commendation for President Muhammadu Buhari for authorising the payment of the money that had been owed since 1999.

    At the weekend, Wike declared that Niger Delta states had been receiving the funds since 2019 and challenged governors in the region to account for the windfall.

    Reacting to Wike’s claim and challenge to the governors, Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa admitted that the state had been getting the funds and deploying same to capital projects.

    Diri said that the state discounted the funds.

    Diri’s reaction is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabra.

    “For people who are talking about the 13 per cent derivation funds due to the state, I want to state that for one reason or the other, we were under-paid.

    “When we discovered that, we followed due process from the state’s Executive Council to the state’s House of Assembly.

    “Approvals were given and the funds were discounted.

    “I do not play politics with this kind of thing. Anybody who wants to see how we use our money, our monthly transparency briefing on our financial income and expenditure are available.

    “One kilometre of road we build in Yenagoa is costlier than three kilometres or four kilometres of road built elsewhere,’’ Diri said.

  • Nigerians can’t breathe – By Owei Lakemfa

    Nigerians can’t breathe – By Owei Lakemfa

    BAYELSA State was for weeks submerged by floods which damaged or washed away bridges and roads, homes and farms, power transformers, and hospitals, and displaced 99 percent of its over 2.5 million people. Some deaths were recorded with the living clinging to life while the buried could not safely remain in their abode as the floods covered or washed away graves. The only means of reaching the state was either by air or water.

    State Governor Douye Diri, a fortnight ago, cried out that despite international concerns and desperate pleas, neither the Federal Government nor its agencies had sent relief materials. He was specific that although the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk claimed to have sent relief materials, these had not been received.

    Indeed, if the Ministry had sent relief materials to such an area covering 10,773 square kilometres, there should be some evidence including when it was supplied, where and who received it. But no such evidence could be provided, leading to a recall of how the same Ministry in 2020 scammed Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Government had imposed a total lockdown on Nigerians with no movement. Subsequently, all schools were shut-down and children, like the rest of the citizenry were confined to their homes.

    Shockingly, the Disaster Ministry claimed it spent N523.3 million to feed pupils in three locations during the  lockdown. How was it possible to feed children who were on lockdown   at home? Did the Ministry procure the addresses of the pupils and went knocking their doors to feed them? There was not a shred of such evidence. No pupils could be produced who were fed by government during the lockdown. When doubts were raised, rather than keep her head down, Minister Umar-Farouq in an audacious move, addressed a world press  conference insisting that her fairy tales must be believed by a rational world.

    She claimed that in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, her Ministry during the lockdown, fed 88,227 pupils in 29,609 households. In Lagos, she claimed 112,767 pupils were fed in 37,589 households while in Ogun State, 181,173 pupils were fed in  60,391 households. In all, she claimed that her Ministry in seven weeks, fed 248,371 pupils in the three areas when their homes were under lockdown. In striving to explain the magic how pupils on lockdown at home were allegedly fed by her Ministry, she replied that they were “Take Home Rations.”

    If such money had been paid out as COVID-19 relief  package, each of the estimated 200 million Nigerians would have gotten N2.5 million each. It was a scandal over which a decent human being should have resigned. But she stayed in office; retained  by a government whose leadership when it was in opposition in 2012 popularised the slogan: ‘If Nigerians don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.’

    The school feeding programme itself is a mess. While the Presidency in 2020 claimed it was spending N679 million daily, the Minister denied this. Some weeks later, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, revealed that it had traced to private accounts N2.67 billion meant to be funds for the school feeding programme. The Federal Government was to later accept that the flood relief materials had indeed not gotten to the state.

    Its excuse was that trucks conveying them were stuck in Kogi State and other locations due to the flooded condition of the roads. This did not appear sensible as it was known for weeks that Bayelsa had been cut off from the rest of the world and that the two ways of reaching  it were by air or sea. So why would the Federal Government claim to have put trucks on the road and then  announce that it had supplied relief materials to the state?

    When finally the relief materials were airlifted on October 26 and 27, 2022, they were shockingly meagre. The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA South- South Zonal Co-ordinator, Mr. Godwin Tepikor, announced that the Federal Government supplied 1,400 bags of 10kg rice, 1,400 bags of 10 kg beans, 1,400 bags of 10kg maize and 75 20kg bags of salt while the non-food items supplied were 8,000 pieces of nylon mats, 1,000 pieces of mosquito notes and 600 cartons of bath soap.

    The State Government through its Emergency Management Agency Chairman, Hon. Walama Igrubia, disputed the Federal Government’s claims on the number of relief materials brought to the state. He was, however, emphatic that what the people need is primarily food: “The intervention so far is not encouraging. The non-food items brought can come later but the state needs food at the moment. It is when a man eats that he can survive.”

    The Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, given the snail speed at which the Ministry seems to be working in an emergency in which lives were being lost, took a swipe at the Minister: “We have a Humanitarian Minister that is not humane, who was only active to carry out school feeding of school children who were confined to their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown.” Honourable Minister Umar-Farouk who appears to have a lot of time in her hands, responded in almost a child-like manner: “Merely looking at me, you know that I am humane.”

    At a press conference in the Presidential Villa on Thursday, November 3, 2022, Madam Farouk was obviously seething with anger over the Bayelsa State issue. In seeming to reverse herself on her false claims that only four local governments in the state were affected by floods, she said: “Almost all of Bayelsa, but it will also interest you to know that Bayelsa is not even among the ten most hit. I think Jigawa is number one and we have taken intervention to Bayelsa and it’s still on-going.”

    Incredible! It is a disaster for a Minister of Disaster to rank states affected by a disaster as if it were a sports competition in which medals were being awarded.  Her conclusion is primarily based on the number of deaths. So by her logic, since the floods led to 91 deaths with 148 injured in Jigawa, compared to 58 dead and 81 injured in Bayelsa, Jigawa wins the gold medal!

    Our country is suffocating; with inflation inching towards 20 per-cent, hunger spreading, insecurity, especially banditry, common place, the country being buried by debris of foreign debt, corruption rampant, hospitals in decrepit state and  education virtually abandoned, Nigerians can hardly breathe. Given the fact that the handover date is still six months away, we need to beg the Buhari administration to loosen a bit, its suffocating grip on the country so we can at least be alive to witness its glorious exit.

  • Prayers for Bayelsa, boos for FG – By Zogbobia Selomo

    Prayers for Bayelsa, boos for FG – By Zogbobia Selomo

    By Zogbobia Selomo

    To what level has this country to sink to warrant a stirring from the leadership of this much vaunted most populous black nation on earth into action? It is not about the economy going burst, that is a given. It is not about infrastructure decay or electricity in acute short supply, that is a fait accompli. Or is it about Nigeria being the poverty capital of the world, even the inertia in high places has forced this ignominious reality on us as the home truth.

    Just how low does the country have to sink? As I watch Bayelsa State under water in the past couple of days, that is the question that haunts every moment of my life, just to see people suffer so much, battle the waters which they have been used to all their life, and then be overwhelmed and found themselves completely abandoned, all alone, like the ancient mariner, lost at sea. Bayelsa is a nightmare. And the complete abandonment of the state by the Nigerian government makes the matter even worse.

    By November 2, 2022, the state celebrated the 11th anniversary inside the waters, to give glory to God for His act of mercy in keeping the state alive. The holy books say, in all things give thanks to God. That’s what the state, led by the governor, Douye Diri, did this past Tuesday. But the flood pictures, especially viewed aerially, are not good. They are too overwhelming to behold.

    Wednesday morning, the governor was on Arise TV. Pressed by the anchors, Dr Reuben Abati and Rufai Oseni, about the response of the federal government, the governor kept saying this is no time for blame games. We have not heard from the President, the Vice President and even the minister of the Humanitarian Affairs ministry.

    Flash the pictures again. A state has nearly been taken over by soaring waters. The state has not heard from the top functionaries of the federal government. No visit. No words. No empathy. It is the silence of the grave yard. Who knows it may be their wish for the entire state to be washed away, for the leadership of the nation to have peace in their soul.

    It is worse as the President of the country, Mohammadu Buhari, has evacuated himself to the United Kingdom on health grounds. He has to be fit to continue to govern, but those in Bayelsa can go with the floods. As we say in this part of the world, God forbid! Really?

    Could anything have been done to stop the floods? Perhaps, preemptive measures could have been taken. But not here where procrastination is a standard policy of the government. Procrastination while expedient actions are executively misplaced.

    So it was that while several states of the federation were under water with Lokoja in Kogi state bringing their ordeal to the fore, the road connecting Abuja totally submerged, as Bayelsa was loading at the same time, President Buhari went to attend the First World Bio Summit in South Korea. Six days he was there, perhaps, watching on TV and trying to confirm the number of deaths in his own country. Okay, he has returned but has now travelled for the real reason, to take care of his health, as the President must be alive to serve his nation, or is it really to remain alive to be served by this nation?

    I don’t think people hate Buhari but they hate the fact that he belongs to the APC, a ruling party that has done so much to destroy every facet of life in Nigeria. The party that has taken the nation from the nadir of a pretending developing country to the mire of a loading failed state. They hate the fact that with all the human capital available in this nation, President Buhari has just managed to put together a collection of human species that hardly understand modern socio-political, economic practices or even nurse  a modicum of human feelings in them. Really? Are these guys alien, that some states in the federation have endured devastating flood and the federal government is just about waking up from an irritating slumber?

    What was expected? Nigerians expected governance. Nigerians expected empathy. Nigerians expected some actions from the government and a little humanness. They got none. Quite different from what they see in other lands.

    Governance is not rocket science. Precepts abound for those with a little strand of brain. Hurricane Ian made a landfall on the state of Florida on September 28, 2022, with serious devastation. October 5, 2022, the President of the United States, Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, were in the state, took a helicopter ride to get full view of the catastrophe, and also met with the governor , Ron DeSantis, even though the latter is of the Republican Party, and he, a Democrat. This wasn’t about party but life. Biden then approved the Florida Disaster Declaration which made federal funding available to affected counties and individuals. The Biden administration got behind the state and her people. Where is the Nigerian government in Bayelsa?

    Before we scratch for the answer, let’s take a little trip back in time. When what now seems to be a much lesser evil came in 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan, the man they called inept and clueless, had the presence of mind to tour the affected states of Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers, to estimate the devastation by himself.

    Spokesperson for the President at the time, Dr Abati wrote on October 9, 2012, “President Goodluck Jonathan has declared the flooding a “national disaster” and established a National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation. On October 9, his administration announced it was providing U.S. $110million in financial assistance.”

    The same man they called clueless  appointed bsuinessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and erudite lawyer, Mr Olisa Agbakoba, as co-chairmen of the Committee, and Dr Mike Adenuga of Globacom as the Chief fund raiser.

    Jonathan, to them, was clueless but he took action and galvanised the big boys into action to help save lives. History has played a trick on this government peopled by those who haunted Jonathan out of power. The floods have returned in more ferocious anger. They have not only been found wanting, daft and inept but have sorrowfully just displayed a  total lack of capacity to govern. Their protracted silence is not only uncanny but evil. Their delayed response is beyond condemnation.

    This is not about Jonathan however, but about the shouting failure of this government, whose officials made so much noise about changing things in Nigeria in 2015 that Nigerians saw El Dorada without experiencing it, they saw castles built in the air and dreamt to live in such abracadabra that only APC could create.

    Now Bayelsa and other states need help and the APC government led by Buhari is pouring salt on the pains of the people it has refused to help. One failed minster, among several others, a human disaster who didn’t have have any business occupying that position in a nation that boasts of some of the best brains in the world, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, gave a morbid ranking within the week that Bayelsa is not among the ten most affected states, but Jigawa. More morbidly, she blamed the dead and the submerged states that those who suffer are the states who refused to heed the early warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMET.

    Can’t this nation just wake up to the evil in the land and the recklessness of this administration which has more appetite for lucre than accommodation for human feelings? This minister fed pupils who were not at school during COVID-19 with large sums of money, doled out subvention to people not listed in any register to bring them out of poverty, but with floods wiping out life in the nation, the minster is aggravating pains and anger with her crash ineptitude and provocative ignorance.

    And the same party is campaigning. They have a magician in a Bola TInubu, former governor of Lagos State, who, after contributing immensely to create a disaster, has now dusted up himself as the new messiah, who has promised to continue with the very disastrous and destructive legacy of this administration.

    There is disaster in the nation. The PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has gone to walk on water in Bayelsa, Peter Obi of the Labour Party has done same, obviously not in the manner of the story of Jesus Christ in the Bible, but as humans, to share in the pains of these people. Meanwhile the head of government is abroad, the officials are unfeeling, and the party is campaigning to change our world, but not the world of those who are dead or have lost everything in the flood.

    Bayelsa needs our prayers. This government deserves outright condemnation of the very extreme type. But Nigerians need to wake up to ensure that never gain will APC and its evil happen to the nation again.

    Selomo writes from Lagos State.

  • Flood impact ranking: Bayelsa Govt tackles Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs

    Flood impact ranking: Bayelsa Govt tackles Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs

    The Bayelsa government on Friday faulted the ranking of flood impacted states as presented by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

    Recall that the Minister, Sadiya Farouq, had told State House Correspondents that Bayelsa is not among the 10 most impacted states by the 2022 flood.

    The Minister had listed the death toll, number of buildings, farmlands partially and totally destroyed amongst others as part of criteria used in the assessment.

    However, the Bayelsa government, in a statement signed by its Information Commissioner, Mr Ayiba Duba, described the Minister’s claim as disheartening and contrary to existing facts.

    Duba regretted the slow response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the flood in spite of the President’s directive to relevant agencies of the federal government to come to the aid of the state.

    He alleged that the Faroud-led ministry and its agencies have abandoned their responsibility and are not interested in managing the disaster.

    “Indeed, the Minister is already turning into part of the disaster she was appointed to manage. She had earlier claimed that only four Local Government Areas of the state were impacted by the unprecedented flood.

    “She was obviously relying on bogus data in contradiction to the clear reality that every local government in the state is impacted by the flood in varying degrees.

    “The way the minister has treated our state is so unfortunate that our people are beginning to doubt that we are part of Nigeria,” Duba said.

    He wondered which criteria were used to arrive at the ranking since no representative of the Federal Government has visited Bayelsa to assess the situation.

    The Bayelsa government further claimed that the Federal Government has not shown sufficient empathy since the natural disaster hit the state one month ago.

    “And we are asking, is Bayelsa State still part of Nigeria? Are we only important when it is time to exploit the resources in our land?

    “If the minister is sincere, let her tell Nigerians the relief materials brought to the state and who received them,” Duba said.

    According to Duba, the Minister and Indeed the Federal Government are not fair to the people of Bayelsa who have been traumatized by losing loved ones, homes and livelihoods.

    The commissioner explained that the minister’s data with which she came to the conclusion that Bayelsa was not even one of the 10 most impacted states, contradicts basic science, common sense, concern and kindness.

    “How can a state up North, Jigawa, be worst impacted when indeed Bayelsa State has the unfortunate responsibility of receiving the flood water that ran through more than 15 states?

    “The data used by the Federal ministry to arrive at the conclusion is suspect and erroneous,” he said, indicating by the realities on ground, over 300 communities were impacted by the flood and almost a million people were displaced from their homes, many of them losing their livelihoods.

    “And no other state in the Federation is so impacted. If the Minister is desirous of doing a good job, she should come to Bayelsa State to ascertain the truth, even as the flood has started to recede,” Duba said.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, on Thursday visited some impacted communities and displaced persons’ camps and called for joint efforts by Bayelsa and the Federal governments to assist victims.

    Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa, said he was unimpressed with the preparedness of Bayelsa government, adding that portions of the East-West road, cut off by the floods, would be fixed expeditiously.

  • PHOTOS: Ex-President Jonathan laments after visiting flood-ravaged Bayelsa home

    PHOTOS: Ex-President Jonathan laments after visiting flood-ravaged Bayelsa home

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday visited his country home of Otuoke in Bayelsa State and other communities in the State ravaged by flood.

    Speaking after visiting the communities, Jonathan described the magnitude of the flood as depressing, stressing that he is touched by the dire situation.

    “I sympathize with the victims of this year’s flood across many states of the federation who have lost loved ones and properties worth millions. The worsening humanitarian crisis in the affected states calls for urgent action and collaboration by all stakeholders.

    “I am touched by the dire situation in some of the affected states, especially my home State Bayelsa where almost all the local government areas are submerged in water and the East-West Road section leading to the State has become impassable, creating scarcity of food and essential commodities.

    “Today, I visited Otuoke, my community and a few other communities in Bayelsa State to have an assessment of the impact of the flood. It is still a depressing situation in many of the affected communities because of the magnitude of the flood and the disruption and destruction it has caused.

    “This is a moment of crisis; we need to work in unity to achieve the goal of giving hope and providing succor to all victims. I urge all citizens of goodwill and humanitarian agencies to demonstrate solidarity with these victims and provide support to those affected,” the former President stated.

    See photos below:

     

  • Flood: Buhari directs emergency bodies to offer needed assistance to Bayelsa

    Flood: Buhari directs emergency bodies to offer needed assistance to Bayelsa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday expressed sadness at the devastation caused by flood in Bayelsa, urging all emergency bodies to provide all necessary assistance to the state.

    According to reports by the State Government, 700,000 persons have been displaced in about 300 communities and villages in five of the State’s eight local government areas that were submerged in water due to rains causing the floods.

    The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, on Sunday in Abuja extended the nation’s condolences to the families of the victims and all those affected by the natural disaster.

    Shehu quoted the president as directing that all federal agencies dealing with rescue and disaster management offer all needed assistance to Bayelsa as the
    the authorities in the State continued to take steps to help people hit by the floods.

    Buhari blamed buildings on water channels, disregard for early warning by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the changes to weather caused by climate change as being the major causes of the floods across the country.

    He noted that the floods had so far hit 33 of the nation’s 36 states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which has not been spared either.

    The president also directed all concerned to work for the restoration of normalcy throughout the affected parts of the federation.

  • Victims cry out for help as flood claims 16-year-old in Bayelsa

    Victims cry out for help as flood claims 16-year-old in Bayelsa

    A 16-year-old boy, Temedi Yerimene drowned in the ravaging flood at Igbogene Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    The flood pushed the remains of the teenager into a deep canal in the area and the body is yet to be recovered.

    It was learnt that the deceased in the company of his playmates went swimming in the rising water close to the Bayelsa Ecumenical Centre.

    He was said to have been overwhelmed by the high current of the flood which pushed him into the deep drainage channel.

    Efforts by the community search party to locate the remains proved futile as half of the community has been submerged.

    The mother of the deceased known in the area as Mama Caro, in tears, said the tragic incident happened at about 11 a.m. on Monday while she went to the market to get ingredients for preparing lunch.

    “When I came back from the market, I was told he had gone swimming with friends. I thought he was swimming in the rising water at the compound until one of his friends told me that he had been dragged by the flood into the canal” she said

    According to the bereaved, the family hails from Amabulu in Ojobo community of Ekeremor Local Government Area of the State.

    Meanwhile, residents of communities impacted by the floods in Bayelsa have appealed to the government to find a lasting solution to the annual menace.

    Some of them who lamented the hardship occasioned by the situation, appealed for temporary shelters and relief materials as the flood had already sacked them from their residences.

    A victim, Mrs. Perez Ayebanua, said their houses were flooded late last month and the menace was already taking a toll on them with reptiles competing with them for space.

    Madam Florence Job and Mrs Ebi Perekeme explained that while those with resources had left their homes for hotels or elsewhere, the indigent ones got stuck and were left behind.

    The residents said they were at a loss over the situation, calling on the Bayelsa and Federal Governments to come to their aid and cushion the pains caused by the flood.

    Biseni, Tombia-Ekpetiama, Tombia-Amassoma Road, Akenfa, Akenpai, Igbogene and Swali all in Yenagoa LGA as well as Kaiama, Odi, Otuoke, Ogbia communities are already flooded.

    Others include Tungbo, Agbere, Odoni, Bulu-Orua, Agoro and Sagbama.

    A correspondent monitoring the situation reports that River Nun, its tributaries that receive waters from River Niger and the Epie Creek have all overflown their banks, discharging excess water into nearby settlements.

    Other communities such as Sampou, Gbaranma  Sabagreia, Okoloba, in Sagbama, Ekeremor and Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Areas are also battling the flood.

    Checks along the East-West Road indicated that the flood was already affecting some sections of it.

    Worst hit is the Patani section in Delta that shares boundary with Bayelsa community, Adagbabiri, which is already submerged.

    Meanwhile, schools in Bayelsa are on six weeks flood break to protect pupils and students from any disaster.

    Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa has inaugurated a task force on flood whose major mandate is to bring relief to flood victims.

    However, one week after its inauguration, the team led by the Commissioner of Environment Mr Iselema Gbaranbiri, said the committee was visiting the impacted sites and would make recommendations to the government.

  • Bayelsa spends N3.52bn on debt service to commercial banks in May

    Bayelsa spends N3.52bn on debt service to commercial banks in May

    The Bayelsa government on Friday said it spent  N3.52 billion on servicing its loan obligations to commercial banks for the month of May.

    The domestic debt stock data from the Debt Management Office for Bayelsa as of March 31, stood at N151.41 billion.

    Mr Timipre Seipulo, Technical Adviser to Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa on Treasury Matters, stated this while giving an update of the state’s income and expenditure profile for the months of May and June in Yenagoa.

    According to the financial highlights, the state generated some N1.68 billion from internal sources in addition to a gross inflow of N22.86 billion from the federation account to make a total of N22.91 billion for May.

    Of the amount, derivation revenue, a 13 per cent of value of crude oil produced within the state for May stood at N17.82 billion.

    On the other hand, non oil revenue of N124.69 million accrued to the state for the month under review.

    According to Seipulo, the state’s wage bill for civil servants and political appointees gulped N6.2 billion.

    For the month of June, Bayelsa got N18.67 billion after deductions at source from the federation account.

    Oil derivation accounted for N14.02 billion, while the internally generated revenue was N1.99 million. The total wage bill for the month of June was N6.14 billion.