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Tag: Seriake Dickson

  • Bayelsa Gov. backs calls for restructuring

    Bayelsa Gov. backs calls for restructuring

    Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa on Thursday backed calls for restructuring in the country.

    He spoke at the Distinguished Guest Lecture of the Faculty Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, which had as theme: “ Restructuring and the Search for a productive Nigeria.’’

    ” If we were to conduct a referendum, majority of Nigerians will vote for the unity of Nigeria because the unity of Nigeria is desirable in the best interest of all,’’ he said.

    The Bayelsa governor, however, admonished Nigerian leaders to return to true federalism which was agreed on by the founding fathers of the country.

    “For this nation to be positively restructured, the issue of constitutional amendment should be addressed.

    ” Political leaders are more militant than the military and more intolerant of adverse opinions or criticisms.

    “ Nigeria’s unity cannot be sustained merely by constitutional provisions that we know are ineffective,’’ he said.

    Earlier, Dickson had visited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, where he lauded him for upholding the tradition and culture of the Yoruba.

    In his remarks, Ogunwusi sued for unity across the country, saying he was optimistic of a day party leaders would shun politics of bitterness.

    He also warned youths across the country against acts of violence.

     

  • Shocking! Gunmen kill newly appointed Bayelsa governor’s aide

    Shocking! Gunmen kill newly appointed Bayelsa governor’s aide

    Gunmen have shot dead Mr Ebikimi Okoringa, a newly appointed Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state.

    TheNewsGuru reports a community leader, who preferred anonymity, made this known on Tuesday in Yanagoa, the capital of the state.

    The community leader disclosed Okoringa was shot on Monday by some assailants who laid ambush near his house in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    “The incident occurred around 10.00 pm, the assailants waited for him in the cover of darkness, immediately he alighted from his car and walked towards the door, they released the first bullet on him.

    “The bullet tore his hand, but he started running to escape from the scene, they chased him to a point where he fell down and pumped many bullets into his body at a close range,” he said.

    The Police Command in the state confirmed the incident.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the incident, said the command would issue a statement on the matter.

    The deceased, a two-time councilor and former Acting Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, was yet to be assigned portfolio in his new appointment by the governor.

     

  • Bayelsa Govt to sensitise citizenry over uncollected PVCs

    The Bayelsa Government has pledged to mobilise its citizenry to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to enable them to fully participate in the 2019 general elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that no fewer than 28, 590 PVCs were yet to be collected by their owners while more than 65,000 new voters had been captured in the state during the recent registration exercise.

    Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Commissioner for Information in the state made the pledge on Sunday while in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at Opume in Ogbia Local Government Area.

    He said that the state government would mobilise the citizenry in realisation that the people were at the centre of political activities and should be encouraged to participate in the electoral process.

    “The government of Gov. Seriake Dickson realises that politics is about numbers and given the renewed confidence that we have in INEC that our votes do count, we are relying on the people and hence mobilising them to participate in elections.

    “Since we abhor politics of violence in elections, our strategy is to increase the participation of the people.

    “In Ogbia, we used to record the second largest votes but we have dropped to the fifth, due to apathy.

    “So we are looking forward to closing that gap in future elections,” he said.

    Iworiso-Markson who monitored the just concluded Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the area expressed satisfaction at the turn out and further appealed to INEC to extend the exercise to capture all eligible voters.

    He said that after the three weeks period of the CVR, prospective voters were still turning up for the exercise which ended on Friday.

    “The people of Opume kingdom have shown so much enthusiasm in responding to the call to participate in their civic responsibility to participate in the electoral process.

    “They keep coming out and even on the final day of the exercise some people are yet to be captured and we are hoping that INEC officers will report to the leadership for possible extension,” the commissioner said.

     

  • JUST IN: Buratai in Bayelsa for 16 Brigade Barracks ground breaking [PHOTOS]

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai today visited Bayelsa state for the ground breaking of 16 Brigade Barracks.

    Commending the State Governor Seriake Dickson, Buratai said Dickson has restored peace and stability to Bayelsa.

     

  • Agro revolution: Dickson partners NIRSAL to create wealth in Bayelsa

    The Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson wants the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Plc (NIRSAL) to partner with his government to expand the frontiers of the agricultural investments his administration has made in the last six years.

    He said, it is by so doing that, the Government can conveniently create wealth and employ the teeming Youths to bring about optimal return to the political economy of Bayelsa State.

    Dickson said NIRSAL by law and operation, is best positioned to help drive the government’s agricultural investments, reduce credit risks, increase lending and of course, and provide off takers on such investments.

    According to a statement signed by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, Governor Dickson spokeon Friday in Abuja, when he held preliminary discussions with NIRSAL Managing Director, Aliyu Abdulhameed in his office.

    Dickson Commended the Federal Government and particularly the Central Bank of Nigreria, CBN for the initiative of establishing NIRSAL.

    He said there has been a silent people-oriented revolution in the state in the last six years.

    According to him, he is in politics to serve the people, stressing that Politics must deliver development, and promote prosperity and not underdevelopment.

    He said: “In Bayelsa, there is a silent revolution in all critical sectors such as the agricultural sector for public good. We now have the best public schools and health institutions. Now, I want to create wealth using Poultry, Commercial Cassava Plant Farm, Agriculture etc. for we must create wealth and gainfully employ our teeming population and what best way to achieve that than through Agro-business. That is why we are building Aqua culture Villages: now we have already completed one in Igbogene with 500-Fish Ponds. The whole idea is to use Agriculture to make our Youths become skilled and empowered. We want to replicate the Aquaculture Village in the 8 LGs of Bayelsa.”

    The Governor said, Bayelsa is the world’s best kept investment secret and called on investors to take advantage of the investment-friendly Bayelsa environment to unveil it.

    He, therefore, used the opportunity of his visit to market the potentials of Bayelsa State in rice, cassava and palm plantation, adding that, they will do well on Bayelsa land, even without applying fertilizer to the soil.

    He also called on NIRSAL to provide technical assistance and help to access finance to support more Agro-business in the state, especially in Palm, Poultry etc.

    In his remarks, the NIRSAL MD, Aliyu Abdulhameed thanked the Governor for the visit and commended him for the massive investment in Agriculture.

    He also commended Dickson for his full grasp of financing, investment nuances and templates.

    The NIRSAL boss also said, his organization came out of CBN, as a unit to be a public company courtesy of the ingenuity of the CBN Governor.

    He said NIRSAL is alive to its responsibility of driving the financing of Agro-business and promised to partner with the Bayelsa State Government on the investments enumerated by the Governor.

    He said: “We were created to drive agricultural business. We are designed to search for and convince financiers to invest in agriculture, provide guarantee for projects to succeed across the country and we are ready to partner with Bayelsa State especially now that the state government has invested so much on agriculture. Aquaculture is one of the quickest turn around businesses in our country. We shall help get financiers to invest more in Bayelsa as well as provide markets for the investments through the off takers! ”

    NIRSAL will hold an executive technical section with the Bayelsa State Government in Yenagoa by April to sign off.

    Dr. Rogers Obubo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agric Financing accompanied the Governor on the visit.

     

  • Bayelsa Govt records N1.4bn increase in Feb. salary

    Bayelsa Govt records N1.4bn increase in Feb. salary

    The Bayelsa Government says it will spend N3.5 billion for the payment of civil servants salary in February against the N2.9 billion spent for January salary in the state.

    Gov. Seriake Dickson disclosed this through his deputy, retired Rear Admiral Gborigbiogha John-Jonah.

    He spoke on Wednesday in Yenagoa during the monthly transparency briefing to outline the expenditure of government during the month.

    The governor attributed the increase in salary for the month to the introduction of school feeding programme and boarding facilities in public schools across the state, where more staff would be engaged.

    He, however, promised to sustain the school feeding programme in the state to encourage the citizens and Nigerians living in the state to acquire qualitative education.

    According to him, the state spent over N2 billion on January salaries, while the increase for February will help in educational sector.

    He said that the state government invested huge funds to remodel and provide adequate facilities for intensive learning for Bayelsa children and other Nigerians living in the state.

    “In the month of January, the state received N2.9 billion as its statutory allocation; N9.6 billion, over N730 million from VAT; N8.9 million from Forex, and N57.5 million from the refund from other states which amount to the sum of N14, 289,476,335,70 for the month,” he highlighted.

    He announced that the state during the period under review, the state spent N630 million for salary grants to the state owned tertiary institutions, explaining that the state is expecting increase in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the months of February and March.

     

  • New Year: I won’t let anyone down, says Dickson

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has urged people of the state to be hopeful of better things in 2018, promising that his administration would not let them down.

    Dickson’s assurance is contained in his New Year Message issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Francis Agbo, in Yenagoa on Saturday.

    “My administration is sensitive to the yearnings of my people in the state; I am not going let anyone down.

    “I enjoin everyone to be hopeful of better things to come in 2018,” Dickson said.

    He said that his administration was working very hard to finish strong and consolidate on the achievements already made.

    The governor called on people of Bayelsa to remain united and guard against agents of destabilisation, in order to sustain the prevailing peace and development of the state.

    He also appealed for more unity among leaders in the country ahead of the 2018, and prayed that the year would be fruitful to Nigerians.

    “2018 provides an opportunity for the political leadership to unite the peoples of this country to stem the tide of the ethno-religious division in the country,” he said.

    Dickson urged the citizens to remain steadfast in God and pray for peace and stability of the nation.

    “It is when the leadership deliver selfless services backed with the fervent prayers of the citizenry that the country will attain its pride of place in the comity of nations,” he said.

    The governor urged citizens to be thankful to God for his protection and for seeing them through.