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Tag: Seriake Dickson

  • Gov. Dickson denies spending N120 billion on airport project

    Gov. Dickson denies spending N120 billion on airport project

    The Bayelsa Government has said that it spent less than N60 billion on its airport project and not N120 billion being alleged by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri.

    Gov. Seriake Dickson who made the clarification on Thursday in Yenagoa, said the amount spent on the project was minimal, compared to the figure mentioned by the minister.

    Recall that Lokpobiri had on February 12, during the APC presidential campaign rally in Bayelsa, alleged that Dickson spent N120 billion on the airport project.

    “Let me clarify to the general public on the comments by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri, that we have spent over N120 billion on our airport project.

    “I must tell you, the project gulped less than N60 billion and not what the minister said during President Buhari’s visit to the state,’’ he stated.

    The inaugural flight is expected to land at the airport at the time of filing this report as part of activities marking Gov. Dickson’s seventh year in office.

    On achievements so far recorded by his administration, the governor said he was satisfied, especially about youth empowerment, health facilities, education and other related development for his people.

    “We are happy with the completion of Nembe road, and the Sagbama-Ekeremor road which is ongoing as well as Oporoma road and lots of modern schools all over the state,” he said.

    Dickson, who also spoke on Saturday and March 2 general elections, urged the electorate to be mindful of the electoral code of conduct.

    “Let me remind our people that every citizen has the duty and right to come out and be law-abiding and cast his or her vote because it is their civic obligation.

    “Come out and vote the candidate of your choice. Vote and stay out of trouble that we have been campaigning against.

    “Security operatives must be focused on their duty and responsibility; discharge your duty according to the code of conduct and law of the land,’’ the governor added.

     

  • Lokpobiri, Dickson trade blames over security challenges in Bayelsa

    Lokpobiri, Dickson trade blames over security challenges in Bayelsa

    Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, and Gov. Seriake Dickson have continued to trade blames over the current security challenges in Bayelsa.

    Dickson had on Friday accused Lokpobiri and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being the masterminds of election violence in the state.

    But Lokpobiri, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr George Orgi, alleged that Dickson was only engaging in a blame-game against the main opposition party in the state.

    He described as false and malicious, the allegation that APC was “plotting to use the security agencies to rig, manipulate and unleash violence on voters in the state.”

    He said: “In the warped imagination of the governor, the leadership of the main opposition party in the state is arming thugs with all sorts of ammunition and weapons to attack the electorate.

    “This allegation comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with the political antics and deceit of the governor.

    “APC is not surprised at this recent allegation by Dickson,” the minister further stated, adding that it had dawned on the governor that the game was up for him.

    He boasted that APC was like a moving train in Bayelsa, which could not be stopped by anybody, including Dickson.

    “The APC is moving in full force to reclaim the state, starting with a landslide victory at the Presidential and National Assembly polls,” he said.

    He said that APC’s door-to-door campaign had commenced throughout the nooks and crannies of the state.

    Lokpobiri said that the governor was “obviously frightened by the massive support APC was receiving in the state. “

    He said that there was no reason for APC, “which is cruising to electoral victory, to either engage in political violence, store weapons or recruit political thugs.”

    He said that Dickson was only “trying to run away from his negative shadows haunting him, by stoking non-existent allegations to cover up his failure in office.”

    Lokpobiri said, “The governor should face the obvious challenge of giving account of his stewardship to the people of Bayelsa.”

    The minister alleged that the governor was panicky because he was conscious that his tenure would soon come to an end and that the people would demand the account of his stewardship.

    The leaderdhip of APC in the state, including former Gov. Timipre Sylva and Lokpobiri, recently marched to the police headquarters to protest the recent killing of some party members in the state.

     

  • Bayelsa gets new Commissioner for Justice

    Bayelsa gets new Commissioner for Justice

    Bayelsa Government has announced the appointment of Mr Arthur Seweniowor as the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

    He replaced Mr Wodu Kemasuode who had served Gov. Seriake Dickson’s administration in the last six years.

    Seweniowor was until his new appointment, the Commissioner in charge of the newly created Ministry of State for Special Services.

    A statement by Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, said Dickson wished Kemasuade success in all his future endeavours.

    Kemasuode was the longest serving Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the history of Bayelsa.

     

  • Bayelsa gets new medical university

    Bayelsa gets new medical university

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the take-off of the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) the third University in the state and number 48 state owned university in the country.

    The approval was given by Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, Executive Secretary, (NUC) in Abuja on Thursday.

    Rasheed said it was necessary to have a specialised university in the state which would be a pacesetter in medical line judging by the governor’s doggedness in advancing the course of education in the state.

    The establishment of BMU brings the number of universities to 170 in the country.

    BMU is now recognised as the second public medical university and the fourth medical university in Nigeria.

    It will be recalled that Bayelsa State already has two functional universities; the Niger Delta University, established in 2000, and the University of Africa, established two years ago.

    The executive secretary said though the commission did not want the proliferation of universities, Gov. Seriake Dickson’s achievements in the two other universities was sufficient encouragement for the establishment of another one to increase enrollment.

    “With the powers confined on me and the management of NUC, we shall recognise Bayelsa Medical University as the 48th state university and the second public medical university in Nigeria.

    “It has also become the fourth medical university in Nigeria.

    “This is because we have two private universities, one in Port Harcourt and the other in Lagos; and now we have two public medical Universities, one in Ondo State and the new one in Bayelsa.

    “We do not want the proliferation of universities. We are aware that some states only build more and neglect, but with what the governor has done with the two universities, we feel that anything he touches becomes gold.

    “We hope that this University will be a pacesetter. It is number four in line, but we hope it will soon be number one,’’ he said.

    He noted that the current 169 Universities have a total enrollment of only two million students, when Nigeria’s population stood at 200 million, meaning that just one per cent of students were currently enrolled into the university system.

    Rasheed encouraged governments and other stakeholders, to contribute to the country’s educational development.

    Speaking earlier, Dickson said investment in education was a cardinal point of his administration.

    The governor said the state had continued to fund education in the state in the last seven years through the establishment of model boarding schools, provision of learning materials, learning and teaching infrastructure and others.

    He noted that the state which was ranked number 27 in education in 2012, had moved to the third, Fourth and second position in the last three years.

    He said: “If we do not invest in education and build schools, we should be prepared to build more prisons and to enrich more cemeteries.”

    “In Bayelsa, furthering the course of education is one of the top priorities of the government as we have decided to match our words with actions.

    “The crisis I met in Bayelsa was such that I had to compel children of school age to be in school through melt down penalties.

    “We now have over 10,000 students taken from their parents and spread in all the boarding schools.

    “We take responsibility for their feeding, uniforms, books and others; and we also paid for the WAEC fees of all students in our model boarding schools.’’

    The governor said that the Bayelsa Education Trust Fund had been set up where contributions were made by him and everyone who earned from the state to cater for the educational needs of the state.

    He also noted that a Technical and Science Board had also been created in the state to encourage Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) study.

    “With all these, we believe there is need for more tertiary institutions.

    “The enrolment figure has increased, so we want a specialised University to meet the demand of our students,’’ he said.

    Dickson, who said that there would be no government interference with the university, pledged to make it the best training institution in Africa.

     

  • 2019: Osinbajo meets Jonathan, Atiku

    2019: Osinbajo meets Jonathan, Atiku

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday met with former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Vice President Osinbajo met with the duo at the interdenominational commendation service of Madam Goldcoast Dickson Mama Gogo, mother of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson in Toru-Agiama community, Patani LGA of Delta State.

    The Vice President, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, was captured in talks with Atiku, presidential candidate of the opposition party PDP.

    The interdenominational commendation service of the mother of the Bayelsa State Governor also has in attendance Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa and Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki.

     

  • Reps to investigate deployment of Commissioners of Police in Bayelsa

    Reps to investigate deployment of Commissioners of Police in Bayelsa

    The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Police Affairs, to investigate the deployment and redeployment of eight Commissioners of Police (CP) in Bayelsa in the last three months.

    The resolution was sequel to a motion of urgent national importance, moved by Rep. Diri Douye (PDP-Bayelsa) and four other lawmakers from the state, at the plenary on Wednesday.

    Douye said the primary responsibility of the police is to protect the citizens, prevent and investigate crimes and respond to emergency calls among others.

    He said consistency is important in building trust and bridging the gap between police and the citizens for efficient operation of the force.

    The lawmaker said the CP, as the operational head of the police in the state is required to be on ground for a period of time to grasp a good understanding of the state.

    “It is therefore worrisome to experience the incessant and confused rotary of deployment and redeployment of Commissioners of Police in Bayelsa.

    “In the last three months, eight commissioners have passed through the state.

    “This consistent erratic behavior should be checked. On an average, one CP is posted in and out of a state virtually every 10 years.

    “Thus making it possible for the governor who is the Chief Security Officer of the state, to develop a lasting synergy with the CP, which ensures peace and tranquility in the state,” he said.

    Douye said Gov. Seriake Dickson and the people of the state had expressed reservation over the constant changes of Commissioners of Police in the state.

    According to him, the apparent politicisation of the deployment of police commissioners in the state has created severe disequilibrium in the security, instilled fear and apprehension in the citizenry.

    He said the situation could lead to break down of law and order ahead of 2019 general elections.

    In his ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated the committee to report back to the house in two weeks for further legislative actions.

     

  • Bayelsa obtains $1mn World Bank/EU loan

    The Bayelsa State Government on Wednesday commenced the deployment of one million dollars bilateral loan it obtained from the World Bank and European Union (EU).

    Projects selected for implementation from the loan are scheduled to be completed in two years.

    Figures from Debt Management Office put Bayelsa’s external debt as at June 20018 at 47.756 million dollars, while the domestic debt stood at N123 billion.

    The World Bank and EU facility would be administered under the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) Project to provide 6,000 jobs for youth empowerment.

    Mr Parminder Brar, the World Bank Task Team Leader (TTL) for the SEEFOR in Nigeria, disclosed this in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the SEEFOR Project Implementation Support Mission (ISM) in Yenagoa.

    He said that during the first 12 months of the two years, 40 new projects would be started and crafts, technical and vocational training centres in the state would receive support under the SEEFOR project.

    Brar also said the overall allocation for the SEEFOR project was 480 million dollars of which 65 per cent was from the World Bank and 35 per cent from the EU, adding that the allocation for Bayelsa was 55 million dollars.

    Delivering a keynote speech at the event, Retired Rear Adm. Gboribiogha Jonah, the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, decried Nigeria’s slow approach to tackling its development challenges.

    Gboribiogha said that the approach was especially slow in terms of improving life expectancy, literacy rate, access to water and roads, among others, when compared to its neighbours.

    He said that some state governments focused on developing the urban areas while the rural areas received little or no attention, noting Bayelsa had keyed into the SEEFOR project to change the narrative in the rural areas.

    Jonah commended the SEEFOR project for not only providing more than 10,000 jobs for the teeming youths in the state in the previous phases, but also for constructing roads for farmers to evacuate their farm produce.

    He emphasised that the successful execution of SEEFOR projects would attract more projects to the state.

    Jonah also said that the greatest challenge facing Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the country was lack of access to funds that would attract minimal interest, enough time to execute projects as well as pay back loans.

    The deputy governor, who called on the participating states of Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa to have equal SEEFOR assessment, participation and benefit, enjoined them to take the peer-review sessions seriously, especially in the area of public financial management.

    Joshua Ongore, the state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, said that the objectives of the SEEFOR project were in line with the development agenda of Gov. Seriake Dickson-led administration.

    He said that the Bayelsa Government prioritised youth empowerment through training, entrepreneurship and employment.

    He described the scheme as an innovation that would open opportunity for peer-learning across the states, stressing that the SEEFOR project was active and responding to the challenges of innovative and better ways of doing things.

     

  • Dickson congratulates Atiku for clinching PDP Presidential ticket

    Dickson congratulates Atiku for clinching PDP Presidential ticket

    Gov. Seriake Dickson on Sunday congratulated Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for emerging as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flag-bearer in the 2019 presidential election.
    According to Dickson, the former Vice President of Nigeria has the requisite experience and knowledge to tackle the challenges bedevilling the country.
    Dickson stated this while reacting to Atiku’s emergence as the PDP presidential candidate after the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
    Dickson described the primaries that produced Atiku as the freest and best election ever conducted in the history of the country.
    “Let me congratulate the former Vice President and now the presidential candidate of our great party for the next presidential election over his resounding victory in a free, fair, transparent and credible primary election.
    “The delegates have spoken and they have elected a man who understands our country, the Niger Delta and a man who has the requisite experience.
    “He can build bridges of understanding and unity and form a great team to address the challenges that are facing our country.
    “We look forward to working, collaborating and supporting him in that onerous responsibility. As he rightly said, it is not a job left for him alone.” Dickson said.
    Dickson commended the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC), convention planning committee and Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and his team “for their hard work and the good job they have done.”
    “I cannot fail to appreciate my brother, Governor Nyesom Wike, the government and people of Rivers State for their hospitality and sacrifices in hosting this historic event.
    “Let me also commend our worthy leaders most of whom are my compatriots and friends for offering themselves for service. I thank and appreciate them for their show of sportsmanship and magnanimity,” Dickson said.
     

  • Okowa, 2 other South South Governors nominated for Niger Delta Award

    Okowa, 2 other South South Governors nominated for Niger Delta Award

    Three governors in the South South are being considered for the Niger Delta Governor of the Year Award 2017 by GbaramatuVoice Newspaper, a multi-media organisation in the region.

    The governors are Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa.

    Mr Jacob Abai, the Publisher of the newspaper, said in Lagos on Sunday that the award was to reward excellence in governance.

    “The three governors were shortlisted for the award in view of their contributions to development and impacting positively on lives of the people of the Niger Delta region, particularly in infrastructure, education, health and empowerment.’’

    Abai said that a committee to select the choice of the newspaper had been set up and the nomination would be announced soon.

    He said that the award presentation would be part of the grand finale of the third anniversary of the GbaramatuVoice newspaper.

    Abai said that presentation of the award would take place take place on Tuesday, September 11 at KFT Place in NNPC Housing Complex, Ekpan, Delta.

    A lecture on “Niger Delta Beyond Oil: Searching for Sustainable Development” will be delivered by Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme,
    will be followed by the Award of Recognition/Induction into the Gbaramatu Voice Hall of Fame.

    Gbaramatu Voice is a multi-media newspaper in the Niger Delta established in Effurun Sapele in 2015.

    The newspaper is a public trust dedicated to the pursuit of the truth as it affects the South-South region of Nigeria and the larger society.

     

  • Breaking: Bayelsa Governor loses mother to cancer

    Breaking: Bayelsa Governor loses mother to cancer

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has announced the passing away of his mother, Mrs Goldcoast Dickson.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Governor Seriake said Goldcoast succumbed to death on Wednesday after months of battling cancer at the University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer centre, Houston, USA.

    According to the Governor, his mother was aged 72 years when she passed out.

    “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear mother, Mrs Goldcoast Dickson who succumbed on the 8th of August 2018 after months of battling cancer at the University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer centre, Houston, USA.

    “She was aged 72 years,” he stated.