News

Fresh Crisis In Bayelsa Over N207bn Debt

Published

14 years ago

April 4, 2012

A staggering sum of N207billion debts left behind by the administration of Chief Timipre Sylva may hurt projects development in Bayelsa, if the reports of the Financial Management Review Committee is anything to go by.

The committee headed by one-time Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe submitted its report on Monday with the disclosure that the former regime of Timipre Sylva left behind a liability of over N207 billion.

The committee requested the government to recover funds from alleged questionable payments of contracts of N123.18 by the previous government.

Among the alleged questionable payments to the said contractors included, Moreno Construction Company, N10.2billion, Vehicles purchase N2billion, FAK Engineering, N9billion, SENECO N14.28billion and Ratana N2billion.

Chief Alaibe, who disclosed this in Yenagoa when presenting its report to Governor Seriake Dickson, revealed that only N4,500 cash was in the state treasury when the present government emerged.

The committee recommended that government should tactically reduce the cash flow in the state and review the biometric process of payment of civil servants to expunge “ghosts” on government nominal roll.

He highlighted that N660billion was received during Sylva’s government in the past four and half years, stressing that only N2.89billion was discovered in government bank accounts which cannot be assessed.

The 11-man committee was inaugurated on February 27 by the state governor to investigate the income and expenditure of the last administration.

Alaibe said the N47.18 billion bond collected by Sylva’s government at the capital market was not repaid, as he noted that government would pay back N104.2billion.

The committee recommended that competent hands should be appointed as accountant general of the state and director of treasury to enhance internal control mechanism to provide checks in the treasury department.

Alaibe called for a fresh valuation exercise of all existing contracts in the state before performance certificate is issued to them for payment and also recommended short, medium and long term planning to increase the Internally Generated Revenue(IGR)in the state.

The report also revealed that the former Acting Governor of the state, Nestor Binabo, awarded contract of N1.8billion on February 7, immediately approved payment and the release of the contract funds without the jobs being executed.

To this end, the committee recommended that the contracts should be revoked.

Earlier, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, said the committee report would serve as living document and assured that government will look at its recommendations and take action where necessary.

Meanwhile, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timi Sylva, has said that the outcome of the report of the committee set up by the Bayelsa State Government constituted another means of witch-hunting him.

Sylva said the probe committee, headed by a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Timi Alaibe, was another obsession with his ghost.

According to a statement by his aide, Doifie Ola, Sylva said the outcome of the probe committee was premeditated.

He said the report never indicted him of any wrongdoing.

The statement by Ola reads in full: “Our attention has been drawn to a committee report administered by Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe in which phoney allegations of grand financial crimes were made against the government of Chief Timipre Sylva.

“Sylva dismisses these allegations as unfounded, and a failed attempt to divert attention from the calamitous political parodies committed in Bayelsa State by these accusers.

“The report of the kangaroo committee is as ridiculous as it is unsurprising to any Nigerian. The composition did not belie its intent as another mock team impulsively set up to deliver a pre-determined judgement. In their continued battle with the ghost of Sylva, those who have installed a puppet administration in Bayelsa State have once again demonstrated their loss of touch with the essence of government and their choice of shadowboxing as state policy.

“To be sure, government is an administrative structure set up to govern human beings with needs. Any normal investigation of government expenditure would try to demonstrate how the financial laws were flouted. The Alaibe committee did not attempt to do this. It simply compiled the incomes that accrued to Bayelsa State within a carefully selected period targeted to smear Sylva, and assumed that there were no needs met in the period.

“The Alaibe report did not demonstrate any flouting of the state’s financial laws and regulations. If anyone had proof of such contravention, they knew where to go. And where to go is not an illegal committee unknown to the laws of Bayelsa State and Nigeria.

“Besides, the allegations thrown up by the power usurpers in Bayelsa State are too weighty to be handled by people with vested political interests in the state and whose track record and history smell of corruption.

The report by the Alaibe committee is at best biased, petty, and heavily tainted. This is yet another manifestation of the constant distress in the camp of those who recently usurped power in Bayelsa State as they live in perpetual fear of Sylva, and guilt of the harsh judgement of democratic humanity.

“As we near a judicial resolution of the manifest political travesty in Bayelsa State, those who believe they should do nothing other than fight the ghost of Sylva should learn to mitigate their desperation, at least, for the decency of what remains of our democracy that they have tried so hard to compromise.”

In the report by the Alaibe committee, presented to the state government on Monday, Sylva was accused of mismanaging the N660.45 billion his government received from the Federation Account from 2007 to 2011.

Sylva was also accused of accumulating almost all the N207 billion liabilities on the state government in terms of debts and frittering the N50 billion bond he received in December 2009 from the capital market without utilising the funds for the capital projects it was meant for.

The Alaibe committee, tagged the Financial Management Review Committee, told the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, that the state under Sylva received N99.5 billion in 2007; N164.7 billion in 2008; N106.3 billion in 2009; N110.6 billion in 2010; and N189.1 billion in 2011.

Alaibe said though government expenditure increased from N165 billion in 2007 to N208 billion in 2010, the chunk of the money was used to finance recurrent expenditure such as personnel, overhead and other contingency costs.

He said the recurrent expenditure maintained steady increase from 48 per cent in 2007 to 80 per cent in 2010 and 2011, observing that there was 48 per cent decline in capital expenditure within the period under review.

Alaibe added: “This accounted for the absence of funds for the implementation of capital projects. In the same period, recurrent expenditure had increased to 123 per cent from 2007 to 2010. In contrast, there was 48 per cent drop in capital expenditure during the same period.”

The report said most of the spending was without supporting documents, noting that security and ‘Government House emergency expenses subheads were used as a conduit to move the cash.

It further alleged that apart from the conventional security votes contained in the recurrent expenditure, the immediate past administration claimed to have spent on security N3.3 billion in 2010, N10.3 billion in 2011 and N3.87 billion in January and February 2012.

Sylva allegedly withdrew N1.6 billion in 2010, N7.4 billion in 2011 and N155 million in January and February 2012 from the treasury under the subhead: Government House Emergency Expenses.

Alaibe said in the report: “These payments were in spite of the regular monthly security payment made out of recurrent expenditure amounting to N3.19 billion in 2010; 7 billion in 2011 and N890 million for January and February 2012. Clearly these payments are abnormal payments. They are frivolous and in fact fraudulent.”

Dickson vowed to implement the recommendations of the committee as he lamented the collapse of institutions and processes in the past administration, adding: “It is difficult to believe that this kind of thing happened amidst poverty and so many challenges. “Never again will the state return to the time when all institutions and processes vanished.”

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

4 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

5 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

5 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”