Niger Delta

Bayelsa LGAs Set To Enact Bye-Laws On Waterways Security

Published

3 years ago

October 8, 2021

The Bayelsa State Government has directed local government councils in the state to without delay come up with legislations prohibiting the movement of speed boats within the state’s waterways after 7pm without security permit.
This was even as the government has in same vein directed the Legislative Councils of the eight local government councils to expeditiously enact bye-laws on the establishment of local vigilantes in all the communities.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directives recently during separate meetings with traditional rulers from Southern Ijaw and Nembe local government areas of the state at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who urged the traditional rulers to complement government’s efforts at curbing insecurity in the state, stressed the need for vigilante groups to be set up before the end of this month.
Consequently, he directed the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development, Chief Thompson Amule to notify the council chairmen to initiate bills for the enabling bye-laws towards establishing the vigilantes in their areas.
He said community leaders should work closely with the Nigerian Police to thoroughly screen members of the various vigilante groups, based on their individual capacities and integrity.
The Deputy Governor, who emphasized the need for more effective policing of the waterways to stem the rising tide of sea piracy and other forms of criminality, also directed that bye-laws prohibiting traveling with speed boats along the rivers and creeks be passed by the local government councils.
He noted that the measure would go a long way to complement the efforts of the security agencies to curb crime on the water routes in the state.
The Deputy Governor used the opportunity to call on the teeming youths of the state to shun acts capable of truncating their future by turning a new leaf.
He noted that the state government was determined to give traditional rulers a sense of belonging and restore their role as custodians of culture and peace through the community administration bill to be sent to the House of Assembly.
On the complaint of lack of teachers in the public schools in Southern Ijaw local government area, Senator Ewhrudjakpo directed the Director General of the Teachers’ Training Institute, Dr. Peremoboere Stella Ugolo, to quickly review the distribution of teachers in the schools, to enable government address the situation.
He equally directed the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, to visit Community Secondary School, Okoroma, which building was deroofed by rain storm and make a proper assessment for necessary action.
“The issue of security is a major one for us, and if we take it for granted, it is going to weigh down on all of us. The issue of the vigilantes will not only lie on the DPOs. We are directing the local governments to, between now and the end of October, to set up vigilantes. All communities must have their vigilantes set up. The screening of members of the vigilantes will be done by the DPOs who in turn will be supervised by the Commissioner of Police.
“The Commissioner for Local Government is hereby directed to write officially to the local government chairmen to form their vigilantes between now and the end of October. We will not leave the funding to the communities; the local governments are going to be responsible for the funding, with support from the state government”, he said.
“We are taking another measure here. The Commissioner for Local Government will do another letter to all the councils to work assiduously to pass the anti-night boat movement bye-law, to proscribe speed boats movements beyond 7pm.
“Any speed boat without security permit moving after 7pm is an enemy boat”, he added.
Speaking at the meeting, the Ibenanaowei of Bomo clan, King Joshua Igbugburu, enjoined the royal fathers from Southern Ijaw local government area to ensure that security remains a priority in their various domains and prevail on the people to maintain peace.
Also speaking, the paramount ruler of Okoroma clan in Nembe Local Government area, King Bethran Douglas, requested for a JTF post and police presence in the area to check the activities of criminals.
He pointed out that the face-off between Okoroma and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) over the broken power plant was a potential threat to peace in the area, and appealed to government not to relent in its efforts to resolve the issue.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Police, Mr. Echeng E. Echeng, and the Commander of 16th Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Oluwarotimi Awolo, appealed for cooperation from the people in the fight against criminality in the state.
They identified hostilities from communities as one of the challenges facing military officers on patrol duty along the creeks and marine routes which makes their job tasking.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Ewhrudjakpo Counsels New Couples On Faith In God

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

The Tide

Newly married couples have been advised to build their matrimonial homes on faith in God and trust each other for their marriages to stand the test of time.
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the advice, weekend during a wedding reception in honour of former Miss Sophia Oguru, daughter of former Secretary to the State Government, Professor Edmund Allison-Oguru, and her heartthrob, Mr. Daniel David.
Speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the event held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Onopa, Yenagoa, Senator Ewhrudjakpo described matrimony as one of the most important sacraments of the church, noting that it was the first social institution established by God at creation.
While drawing attention to the fact that the first public miracle performed by the Lord Jesus took place at a marriage ceremony, he called on Mr Daniel David and his wife not to lose sight of the fact that the family is the first place of worship of God.
In a statement issued by his media aide, MrDoubaraAtasi, on Sunday, the Deputy Governor further admonished the couple to avoid absolving themselves of blame when wronged, being unnecessarily accusative and abusive, saying that doing so could ruin their relationship.
Ewhrudjakpo also charged them to imbibe politeness, patience, trust for each other, and prayerfulness as a habit for their life-long journey of marriage to be truly successful.

Speaking earlier as Chairman of the occasion, the former Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtd.), noted that no couple was perfect, and advised the newly weds to make tolerance their watchword.

Rear Admiral Jonah, who is also the Chairman of Bayelsa Elders Council, congratulated the young couple and prayed God to guide them all through their marital journey.

Also speaking, Father of the Bride and former Secretary to the State Government, Professor Oguru, thanked all the guests for honoring the invitation to the reception.

Professor Oguru, who particularly expressed gratitude to the Deputy Governor, and the Chairman of the occasion, Rear Admiral Jonah, said it gave him joy to witness the wedding of two of his daughters in a space of one year.

The Secretary to the State Government, Professor NimibofaAyawei, and the Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity at the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, BYSIEC, Hon. Osomu Elliot, were among other dignitaries who graced the occasion.

By: AriweraIbibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Traditional Rulers Council Honours Two Commissioners

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

The Tide

The Usomini Council of Traditional Rulers in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, has bestowed prestigious traditional titles on two Commissioners currently serving in the State Executive Council in the State for their contributions to the development of the State and their local government as well as the Usomini community. They are Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Hon Isaac Umejuru; and the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh.
While Hon Umejuru was honoured with the chieftaincy title of Eze Chi na Chi 1 of Ogbaland, Dr Oreh was conferred with the title of Ugo Nwanyibueze.
The epoch-making ceremony was held recently in Obirikom Community, all attracted people from all walks of life.The event coincided with the grand reception organised by the Usomini community in honour of the two Commissioners, who all hail from State Constituency 1 in ONELGA.
Speaking at the event, EzeUsomini, Eze Allen Osoh said the Usomini traditional rulers council was elated over the appointment of its illustrious son and daughter into the State cabinet by Governor SiminalayiFubara, describing them as good and worthy ambassadors of the area.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the award of the contract for the construction of Igiri-Ubomini-Egbeda-Elele road project, which he noted would bring the much-desired development to the area.
The traditional ruler, however, pleaded with Governor Fubara to consider the award of contract for the construction of Usomini internal roads in order to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly in transporting their agricultural produce to the urban area.
The Eze Ali Usominill of Ogbaland also made a passionate appeal to the Governor for the upgrading of the Usomini traditional stool to first class status.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Hon Isaac Umejuru had expressed delight over the honour done him by his people, stressing that Governor Fubara would carry ONELGA along in the development agenda of his administration.
Umejuru, who is a former caretaker committee chairman of the local government council said peace, brotherhood and good tidings would come to his people for choosing the right path, contending that the governor would successfully rule for eight years like his predecessors so that the dividends of democracy would get to the people.
According to him, God would not allow anybody’s evil imagination to thwart the eight years tenure of the Governor.
“We have chosen the right path.The path to peace. Governor Fubara, our dear son will rule Rivers State for eight years and the dividends of democracy will come to us.God will not any evil to thwart it.Dr Peter Odili who owns the original political structures in the State did not fight anybody.Nobody fought the other governors after him.Would you want our son to leave office barely after five months? It is not possible.I will take this message to the governor and will tell him that my people said that anybody against him is an enemy of Rivers State “, he said.
On her part, the Commissioner for Health, DrAdaezeOreh thanked the Usomini traditional rulers council for finding her worthy of the honour.
DrOreh, who was represented at the occasion, said she does everything within her reach to promote peace and progress in Usomini community, and noted her willingness to always take Usomini as part of her home, and regretted her inability to physically grace the event due to official engagements.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Targets 600,000 Households For Intervention Programmes

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State Government says about 600,000 households have been captured in the social register for its various intervention programmes aimed at ameliorating economic hardship.
The Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Bob, said this during the ministerial briefing in Uyo on Monday.
The Tide’s source reports that the ministerial briefing is tagged; “ARISE Score Card’’, with the theme “Food Sufficiency and Security: The Intervention and Sustainability Strategy of Governor Umo Eno”.
Bob said though the state Social Register had increased to 2.3 million people, government was reaching out to the vulnerable poor through 600,000 households captured in the social register.
“The social register is well-structured. It’s structured in such a way that we have broken the villages, wards and Local Government Areas.
“These make up the state social register and the total number of people we have in the social register is 2.3 million.
“When you talk about households, we have about 600,000 households in the social register and that is what we have been using for various interventions in the state”, Bob said.
The Commissioner said the process for selection into the social register was very clear and transparent.
He said the social register had been there for the past eight years, saying that the Governor only ordered that it should be expanded to accommodate those who had fallen under the poverty line.
“How people are selected for the social register is very clear. It is a very transparent process in the sense that there is what we call ‘Community Based Targeting’.
“Don’t forget that anything that involves the World Bank is very transparent; they are thorough.
“Community Based Targeting is what was used for social register and we have State Organising Coordinating Units which work with the National Social Safety Nets Coordinator Unit in Abuja.
“They work together and they have staff across the local governments. They go to villages, meet with village heads to pick these people”, he said.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, DrOffiongOfor, said the State Government had put in place a lot of intervention programmes to boost food production and reduce the prices of foodstuffs in the state.
Offor urged the people to heed to the governor’s call and return to farming, saying that farmers should form themselves into cooperative groups for easy accessibility.
“Food sustainability remains the priority of Gov. Eno’s administration. The first thing is that the Ministry of Agriculture merged with the Ministry of Rural Development which also has a component of cooperatives.
“This was deliberate because the cooperative system is the system that is driving food productivity anywhere in the world”, Offor said.