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Tag: bayelsa

  • Bye-election: Three policemen feared dead as boat capsizes in Bayelsa

    Bye-election: Three policemen feared dead as boat capsizes in Bayelsa

    Three policemen on bye-election duty have reportedly drowned in Bayelsa State.

    They were said to have drowned on their way to the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa Central senatorial district after the speedboat in which they were travelling reportedly capsized.

    The incident was said to have occurred on the eve of the Saturday senatorial bye-elections in Bayelsa Central and West.

    The deceased cops were being conveyed to their place of primary assignment when the incident took place.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the accident.

  • Ex-Bayelsa gov Dickson, family escape death as gunmen invade residence, kill policeman

    Ex-Bayelsa gov Dickson, family escape death as gunmen invade residence, kill policeman

    One police officer was killed in a midnight attack by some unknown gunmen at the Toru Orua, Bayelsa country home of former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson on Wednesday night.

    But Dickson and his family were not in the compound during the attack having been away in Abuja and Yenagoa for about three weeks.

    However, it was learnt that a police team successfully prevented the gunmen who attempted to invade the compound through the Forcados River from gaining access.

    The Police officer who was killed led the operation.

    In a statement by Fidelis Soweri, his spokesperson, the former Governor condoled with the immediate family of the late police officer, the Inspector General of Police, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of police and the entire police team on the death of the gallant policeman.

    He also noted that this period was indeed a trying one for the country, the police and the security agencies called on the society to give them the requisite support to effectively carry out the sensitive duty of securing the society.

    The former Governor said that the Commissioner of Police and heads of other security agencies have commenced immediate investigation to unravel those who perpetrated the heinous acts.

    He assured that no stone would be left unturned in the bid to fish out those behind the cruel act.

    He called on his supporters across the Ijaw nation give relevant information to the police to aid their investigation into the crime.

    He urged everybody to remain calm to await the outcome of police investigation.

  • OML 29: Crack in Opu- Nembe as community leaders back AITEO

    OML 29: Crack in Opu- Nembe as community leaders back AITEO

    There is a major crack in Opu Nembe community (Nembe- Bassambiri) in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State as a set of community leaders have distanced themselves from the quit notice served on AITEO Eastern Exploration and Production Limited over the operations of Oil Mining License (OML) 29.

    The Council of Chiefs at a press conference over the weekend had asked Aiteo to hands off the operation of OML 29 declaring it persona non grata in the area over the shabby treatment that has meted out to the people.

    However a set of leaders under the aegis of Concerned Sons and Daughters of Opu Nembe in a press statement expressed disappointment with the way and manner the Council of Chiefs has managed resources accrued from the operations of Aiteo in the community.

    According to them before the advent of Aiteo, the community had purchased two boats flowing from the training and orientation for the leadership of the community from the previous operator of OML 29, Shell Petroluem Development Company (SPDC) on how to reinvest funds accruing to the community from the General Memorandum of Understanding(GMoU).

    Sadly they noted that the boats which were given back to the oil company for hiring for which millions of naira had accrued to the community purse had not benefitted the community as there is lack of transparent and accountability.

    The press statement signed by Mr Numoipre Dede, Mrs Love Ayebaemi, Mr Monday Ozo, Mr Moses Dambo, Mrs PeaceAmabite, MrSamuel Appolo, Mr Ololo Bara and Mr Owei Nicholas alleged that some persons behind the quit notice to Aiteo are desperate because of the termination of their contracts due to incompetence and its re-award to more competent indigenous contractors.

    The leaders while insisting that the community should not be dragged into personal issues between some members of the Council of Chiefs and Aiteo declared that Aiteo as an oil company has done well for the community.

    The statement read in part”Aito has done some commendable things which deserved our commendation as a community. This includes prompt replacement of the community 1000KVA generator, and provision of incentives through festive periods. Also before now Shell pay N2000 remuneration per day and N60, 000 per month for unskilled workers but Aiteo through dialogue with the community leadership increase it to N5000 and N150, 000 respectively which makes Aiteo to be one of the oil companies that pays higher remuneration to unskilled workers in Nigeria.

    Aiteo involves more indigenous contractors than the former operator of OML 29. It is on record that the number of Indigenous contractors involve in providing services are higher than any previous time. We believed this in turn created more employment opportunities for the youths that led to reduction in social vices and other criminal activities in our waterways like sea-piracy”

  • Those hating me will die – Nengi says after Bayelsa Gov’s appointment

    Those hating me will die – Nengi says after Bayelsa Gov’s appointment

    Big Brother Naija ex-housemate, Nnegi, has cursed those hating her.

    The reality TV star was recently appointed as a Senior Special Assistant to Bayelsa Govenor, Duoye Diri.

    The BBNaija star was also named Face of Bayelsa.

    She confirmed the appointment via a video on Friday.

    Nengi was on Instagram live as she moved in a convoy of vehicles.

    “Tell them, them go die. My governor give me appointment, una dey hate me, una no fit congratulate me.

    “Una dey hate me, una go die…una never start, una go die,” she said in pidgin.

    Meanwhile, her former housemates have taken to their social media accounts to congratulate her.

    Winner of the Season 5 edition of the reality television show, Laycon, said on his Twitter account, “My SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT MA. MY SSA. YES MA; ANYTHING FOR YOU MA. CLEAR THE ROAD FOR THE SSA. @nengiofficial.”

    Another housemate, Ozo, said via his Twitter account, “Congrats to @nengiofficial on your appointment for the position as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Face of Bayelsa State and Ambassador for the girl child Bayelsa state. Many more blessings.”

    The third runner-up of the show, Neo Mobor Akpofure also tweeted, “Omo my girl oo.. Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and Face of Bayelsa State. Congrats my sister @nengiofficial.”

     

  • BBNaija star,Nengi appointed Senior Special Assistant to Bayelsa State governor

    BBNaija star,Nengi appointed Senior Special Assistant to Bayelsa State governor

    Rebecca Nengi Hampson ,former housemate of the reality TV show, Big Brother Naija has been appointed as a senior special assistant to the Bayelsa state governor, Douye Diri.

    The news of the appointment was made known by reality TV star, Neo Akpofure via his Twitter page on Friday, November 6, 2020.

    “Omo my girl oo.. Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and Face of Bayelsa State. Congrats my sister Green heart @nengiofficial,” he tweeted.

    The reality TV star was hosted by the officials of the Bayelsa government on Friday, November 6.

    She was praised for her outstanding behaviour during her time in the reality TV show.

    In an interview, Nengi revealed why she didn’t sleep on any man’s bed during Big Brother Naija.

    “The housemates felt I wanted every guy and that is crazy. How could I want every guy and still not be with anybody in the house? I never slept on any man’s bed. Even as close as me and Ozo were, I still tried to set a boundary. I could play with people but for me, there would always be boundaries and nobody can cross them. However, people took it the wrong way. They felt since I played with the guys, I must have wanted them. That was the biggest misconception people had about me. As a matter of fact, that was one of the reasons I went for Big Brother in the first place. I wanted to correct the misconception that I was just a fine face. And I feel I corrected that notion.”

  • Supreme Court didn’t cede disputed oil wells to Rivers – Bayelsa govt insists

    Supreme Court didn’t cede disputed oil wells to Rivers – Bayelsa govt insists

    The Bayelsa State Government has said Tuesday’s verdict of the Supreme Court on the matter it instituted over the disputed oil wells with neighbouring Rivers State did not amount to a resolution of the dispute.

    It also said contrary to reports in the media, the apex court’s verdict did not cede the oil wells or area to Rivers State.

    Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ayibaina Duba, who gave the explanation on Friday, said the clarification was necessary in order to dispel erroneous reports and misinformation.

    He explained that the Supreme Court, by its decision, only advised Bayelsa State to await the ruling of the Appeal Court where it also filed an appeal seeking to nullify the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered in favour of Rivers on the disputed oil wells.

    He further stated that the apex court did not rule on the substance of the matter brought before it as it felt it was premature to do so when the appellate court had not decided on the same issue.

    He stated: “Justice Sylvester Ngwuta felt filing another application before the Supreme Court on a similar matter was an abuse of court process. So, the apex court, in its wisdom, felt it was appropriate for the Appeal Court to determine the matter before it before we can approach the highest court of the land if necessary. That is the exact position.

    ”It is therefore wrong for anyone to create the erroneous impression that the apex court gave judgment in favour of Rivers when that was not the case.

    ”Besides, the dispute does not amount to a strain in the relationship between Bayelsa and Rivers. The issue for determination is purely administrative.

    ”We are contesting the decision of a court, which we consider unfair to us as a state. There is nothing unpleasant in our decision to challenge an unfair ruling of a Federal High Court. Bayelsa is not a part of Rivers as the area in contention is in Oluasiri clan, which is in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa.”

  • S’Court strikes out Bayelsa’s suits against Akwa Ibom, Rivers on Soku oil wells

    S’Court strikes out Bayelsa’s suits against Akwa Ibom, Rivers on Soku oil wells

    The Supreme Court has struck out two suits filed by the Bayelsa State Government against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Akwa Ibom and River states over earnings from disputed Soku oil wells.

    A seven-man panel of the court, headed by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, struck out both suits, marked: SC/SC649/2020 and SC/650/2020 after lawyers to the plaintiff – Biriyai Dambo (SAN) and Kemsauode Wodu – applied for withdrawal.

    At the mention of the first suit, marked: SC/SC649/2020, which had the AGF and Rivers State as defendants, Wodu told the court that his client chose to approach the Supreme Court to among others, to stop the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) from deducting earnings due to Bayelsa State from the Soku oil wells.

    Wodu claimed that the Rivers State Government surreptitiously obtained a judgment at the Federal High Court, without the knowledge of Bayelsa State Government, in respect of which it (Rivers) now lay claim to the Soku oil wells and earnings due from it.

    He said his client has applied for the leave of the lower court to enable it appeal, as in interested party, the judgment allegedly got behind it by the Rivers State Government.

    After listening to him, the Supreme Court panel insisted that there was no way the court could exercise jurisdiction over a case relating to a judgment given by a High Court, in respect of which the Court of Appeal has not made a pronouncement.

    Justice Ngwuta particularly, noted that it was impossible for the Supreme Court to determine the suit by Bayelsa, without touching on the issues determined by the Federal High Court, which would form part of the appeal to be filed at the Court of Appeal.

    Justice Ngwuta added: “What we are saying is that you should withdraw this suit.”

    Another member of the panel, Justice Amina Augie said: “Your best bet is to go to the Court of Appeal.”

    Realising that the court was unmoved by his explanation and that it was unwilling to alter its disposition on the matter, Wodu applied to withdraw the suit, an application lawyers to the defendants, including Tijani Ganzali (for the AGF) did not oppose.

    In a ruling, Justice Ngwuta said: “Suit number, SC/649/2020 having been withdrawn, is hereby struck out.”

    At the mention of the second case, marked: SC/649/2020, lawyer to Bayelsa, Biriyai Dambo (SAN) – who is also the state’s Attorney General – elected to withdraw in view of the court’s position in the earlier case.

    The panel then proceeded to strike out the suit, which had the AGF and Akwa Ibom State as defendants.

    Bayelsa had, in the suits filed earlier this year, prayed the Supreme Court to stop the Federal Government from further paying monthly statutory allocation from Soku oil wells to Rivers State.

    It argued that it stands to lose billions of naira accruable to it should FAAC complies with the demand made by Rivers State, relying on the Federal High Court judgement, that earnings due from the Soku Oil Wells be paid to it.

    Justice Inyng Ekwo of the Federal High Court had, e in December 2019 held among others, that Rivers State owns the disputed Soku oil wells located in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    Justice Ekwo declared that after examining all the documents from relevant government agencies and facts before his court, the Soku Oil Wells/fields belong to Rivers State.

    In the second case, Bayelsa State had, among others sought to restrain the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) from withholding its statutory allocation or deducting it in favour of Akwa Ibom State.

  • Bayelsa guber: Diri reacts to another Appeal Court victory

    Bayelsa guber: Diri reacts to another Appeal Court victory

    Govenor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Friday said he is God’s messenger and that nobody can unseat him.
    Diri while reacting to Friday’s separate Court of Appeal victories in his favour and that of his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

    The appellate court in a unanimous decision overturned the August 15 Bayelsa Election Tribunal Judgment in favour of the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), which nullified the election of Diri on November 16, 2019.

    The court on same day also dismissed the Liberation Movement appeal against the deputy governor.

    The governor in a press release by his spokesman, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, applauded the five-man panel of Justices for upholding the law and dispensing justice to all.

    He attributed the victory to God whom he referred to as the supreme leader of the universe ruling over the affairs of men.

    His words: “I want to thank God for this victory. Today, a Daniel came to judgement in the name of the Court of Appeal, which has given the true position of the law and we are happy about it.”

    Diri said his administration was instituted by God and as a messenger, he is only holding brief for Him.

    The Governor noted that the governorship candidate of the ANDP, King George, had earlier withdrawn his case at the tribunal and equally left the party but wondered why some persons would remote-control the purported chairman of the party.

    While appealing for support, Diri described the litany of electoral cases as distractions, stressing that it was time the “portfolio political parties” stopped fanning the embers of disunity in the state.

    “For those who are fanning the embers of disunity in our state using portfolio political parties, this is a time to put a full stop to it. If they really love the state, why are they still fanning the embers of destabilisation and moving on to unseat us?

    “The governor of Bayelsa State is God Himself. I have told those who care to listen that I am only a messenger-governor. The governor of Bayelsa is His Excellency the Supreme Leader of the universe and that is God Himself.
    He kept me here to hold brief for Him and you cannot unseat God. There is a God that rules over the affairs of men and that God that has brought me here will protect me, my deputy governor and everybody put together to lead this government.”

    Diri also called on the political class to exercise caution and desist from divisive politics particularly as the senatorial bye-elections are fast approaching.

  • BREAKING: Court of Appeal affirms election of Gov. Diri of Bayelsa

    BREAKING: Court of Appeal affirms election of Gov. Diri of Bayelsa

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed the election of Gov. Duoye Diri of Bayelsa.

    The court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the election of Douye Diri as governor of Bayelsa state.

    In a split judgment on August 17, two out of three judges had upheld the petition filed by Lucky King-George, candidate of the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), on grounds that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was wrong to have excluded the party from the November 16, 2019 governorship election.

    The tribunal ordered INEC to conduct a fresh poll in the state within 90 days.

    But in three separate appeals, Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC had approached the appellate court seeking to upturn the tribunal’s decision.

    In the lead appeal, Chris Uche, Diri’s counsel, submitted that the petition by the ANDP was statute-barred.

    According to Uche, the ANDP had filed its petition more than five months after the cause of action arose, instead of within 14 days as stated in the Electoral Act.

    PDP, in its appeal filed by Yunus Ustaz, their counsel, drew the court’s attention to the affidavit of the ANDP national chairman, where he admitted that the party had no candidate in the November 16 governorship poll.

    He added that if a rerun is ordered, the ANDP will have nothing to gain because the case has become “academic”.

    INEC, in its own appeal, argued that by the alteration done to section 285 of the 1999 constitution, it has the power to screen and disqualify any candidate wrongly nominated by a political party.

    INEC had explained that it excluded ANDP from the election because David Esinkuma, the party’s deputy governorship candidate who was 34 years old at the time, did not meet the age requirement of 35 years.

    Delivering judgement on Friday, a five-man panel of the appellate court led by Adriza Mshella, upheld Diri’s appeal.

  • Rivers, Bayelsa resume hostilities over ownership of Soku Oil Well

    Rivers, Bayelsa resume hostilities over ownership of Soku Oil Well

    Rivers and Bayelsa have renewed hostilities over ownership of the Soku oil fields reportedly situated in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area and the revenue accruing from it.

    The Federal High Court in December 2019 declared the oil wells belonged to Rivers and ordered the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to pay revenue from the oil fields to Rivers.

    Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri faulted the payment of the Soku revenue to Rivers and appealed the judgement.

    But Wike on Tuesday disagreed with him, describing Diri’s call to halt the ongoing remittance of Soku’s revenue to Rivers as unfortunate.

    Wike, who spoke when a delegation of RMAFC led by Alhaji Mohammed Usman visited him in Government House, Port Harcourt, insisted the oil wells belonged to Rivers and urged RMAFC to continue paying the revenue to the state.

    Wike said: “It is unfortunate that the Bayelsa State Governor told you when you visited him that you should not pay us revenue from Soku Oil Well.

    “The matter was at the Supreme Court when the National Boundary Commission admitted that they made an error in their 11th edition publication by situating Soku Oil Well in Bayelsa State.

    “They were therefore, directed to correct the error in their 12th edition publication. When they also failed to effect the correction, we had to go back to the Federal High Court.

    “The court, in its wisdom directed that all revenue accruing from Soku Oil Well should be paid to Rivers State.

    “That is the position. For Bayelsa State Governor to come up to say that you should not pay us our money is unfortunate. If they have filed a matter at the Supreme Court, it is not an injunction to stop the implementation of the subsisting judgement”.

    The governor advocated a new revenue sharing formula that would make the states get more money for development.

    Wike argued States bore more development burdens than the Federal Government and would require more money to cater to the needs of the people.

    “There cannot be a Federal Government without the States. So, we advocate a new revenue formula that should take more revenue out of the Federal Government and given to the States.

    “This is because the burden is more on the States than the Federal Government. So, the states should have more revenue to cater for the people,” he said.

    The governor commended the commission for taking the bold step to correct fraudulent practices adopted by some States to gain financial advantage.

    But Diri, who received a similar delegation in Government House, Yenagoa, flayed deductions of the state revenue by RAMFC in favour of Rivers despite the pending appeal.

    He said the action was tantamount to ceding of Bayelsa territory indirectly to Rivers and called on the commission to revisit its decision until the apex court gave a final verdict on the boundary dispute between both states.

    He lamented the action had significantly affected the state’s allocation for September.

    He said: “The action by the commission is tantamount to ceding a part of Bayelsa State to Rivers State, which can breach the peace between both sister states.

    “I will still appeal to your chairman and members of your commission to revisit this deduction from the monthly allocation of Bayelsa. I have in this regard written letters to the President, the Vice President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Accountant General. I will follow it up by visiting their offices.

    “We want to explore a peaceful method. But what the commission has done can degenerate the peace that we are having between these sister states. I don’t think that my people from Oluasiri in Nembe and all of us from Bayelsa will accept ceding any parts of our territories to anybody.

    “So, what your commission has done is indirectly ceding our territories to Rivers state and that is totally unacceptable to us as a people and a state.”