The Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC), Monday and Tuesday issued certificates of return to Chairmen-elect, Vice Chairmen-elect and Councilors-elect of the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
In his speech at the event, which was attended by political actors and their mammoth supporters across the state, Chairman of the state’s electoral umpire, Dr Peter Singabele, reiterated the resolve of the Commission to continuously serve as an unbiased umpire in the conduct of Local Government elections in the state.
He noted that it was based on the premise of the mandate given the Commission by the extant legislations of the state that the commission conducted the April 6th, 2024 Local Government polls.
“I congratulate all the Chairmen-elect, Vice Chairmen-elect and Councillors-elect on their victory at the April 6th 2024 Local Government elections in the state.
“I want to assure everyone here today that just as the Chairmen-elect and Vice Chairmen-elect would be issued with their certificates of return today, councilors-elect of the respective Local Government Areas would also receive theirs on Tuesday.
“The essence of the issuance of the certificates of return was to further prove that they won the polls in their respective Local Governments”, the BYSIEC Chairman said.
It would be recalled that the BYSIEC on April 6th held the state’s Local Government elections in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swept all the Chairmanship positions of the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
The Tide reports that the newly Elelected Chairmen of the eight Local Government Areas of the State whose certificates of return were presented to are, Hon. Target Segibo, Southern Ijaw LGA; Chief David Alagoa, Nembe LGA; Hon (Mrs) Alice Allen Tangi, Sagbama LGA; and Hon. Isaac Oniye, Ekeremor LGA.
Others are, Hon. Leilei Tariye, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA; Hon. Lucky Febo, Brass LGA; Hon. Golden Jeremiah, Ogbia LGA; and Hon. Bulodiseye Ndiwari, Yenagoa LGA.
Responding on behalf of the Chairmen-elect and Vice Chairmen-elect, the Yenagoa Local Government Chairman-elect, Hon. Bulodiseye Ndiwari, commended the electoral umpire for the processes of the election, describing it as free, fair and credible.
Ndiwari, who also commended the State Working Committee (SWC) and entire leadership of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), said his colleagues and himself would continue to hold in high esteem the mandate given them at the elections by the electorate across various wards and communities of the state in the discharge of their functions when they are sworn-into office.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity of the state’s electoral body, Hon. Augustus Elliot Osomu, charged Councilors-elect of the Ogbia Local Government Area not to betray the confidence reposed on them by the electorates.
Osomu, a onetime member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, gave the charge Tuesday in Ogbia Town, headquarters of the Ogbia Local Government Area of the state while presenting certificates of return to the 13 Councilors-elect of the Local Government.
The spokesman of the BYSIEC said there was need to present the incoming third-tier legislators with their return certificates so that their electorates would know that their votes actually counted during the polls.
He advised them to tow the path of peace and tranquility, honesty and love amongst themselves in the discharge of their constitutional functions when finally sworn into office.
Responding on behalf of the incoming Ogbia Local Government legislators, the Councilor-elect, Ward one(1), Rebhon Frank Benson, assured the political class and electorate of the Councillors’ readiness to cooperate with the incoming Local Government Chairman-elect and Vice Chairman-elect to fast track development in the area, promising also to work for the peace and unity of the Local Government Area.

The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Rivers State Council, has expressed delight over the release of two ardent supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by the Inspector General of Police on Saturday.
It would be recalled that the two supporters of the governor, Hon Sokari Goodboy and Mr Ezebunwo Ichemati, were arrested by the police last Thursday in Abuja during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Commenting on the development, the Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, said in an interview in Port Harcourt that the arrest of the duo was condemnable in the first place, but commended the Inspector General of Police for acting in a professional manner to ensure that the duo were released promptly, without much ado, since they did not commit any offence to warrant their arrest.
While condemning the arrest, Osumah said the police went beyond their professional briefs, to even carry out the arrest, and carpeted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Council, Hon Samuel Nwanosike for allegedly orchestrating the arrest of the two PDP stalwarts in faraway Abuja.
According to him, the arrest of Hon Goodboy, who is a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Ahoada West State Constituency; and Mr Ichemati, the media aide of Governor Fubara, was a breach of their fundamental human rights, which he said, is tantamount to stretching political vendetta and witch-hunt to their limits by Wike and his loyalists.
He, therefore, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call to order the FCT Minister and his loyalists, who he said, are bent on deepening the political crisis in Rivers State, as well as heightening political tensions in the State through their thoughtless and self-serving actions.
The labour leader also used the opportunity to call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately effect the release of other supporters of Governor Fubara who might have become victims of political witch-hunt, following the rift between the Governor and the Minister.
Osumah equally advised Governor Fubara to see the present scenario as an affront from those fighting and opposing him.He, therefore, urged and encouraged the Governor to go ahead to institute a commission of inquiry, to recover all critical structures and assets belonging to the State, which were allegedly converted to personal properties by Chief Wike when he held sway as Governor of the State for eight years.
He said those assets are just there for Rivers people to see and listed them to include the large expanse of land where the Slaughter Market was located along Trans Amadi/Oginigba axis of Port Harcourt, now accommodating Hyper city Supermarket belonging to Wike; the large expanse of reclaimed land between Ogbunabali and Eastern Bypass, which houses another mega supermarket belonging to the former governor; and a section of the land at Ikoku spare parts market which is also housing another Hypercity and a filling station, belonging to Wike; among numerous others.
Said he, “The former Governor must be made to return all critical structures, properties and assets belonging to the State, which were taken over by him and you think people don’t see? Of course, everybody cannot be blind at all times.The Nigeria Civil Service Union and Rivers people are urging and encouraging the Executive Governor of Rivers State to without fear or favour institute a commission of inquiry to recover all these government critical assets including several others. If other Governors that ruled the State had converted government properties and assets to their personal belongings, what would have been left to manage the State?”
He also indicated that there is need for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to go after the former governor over financial allegations bordering on corruption against him, in the same way as the commission is making frantic efforts to arrest the former Governor of Kogi State, Mr Yahaya Bello, after declaring him wanted.
“If the EFCC could declare the immediate past Governor of Kogi State wanted, just a few months after he left office, then, it should not turn a blind eye in the case of Rivers State over all the financial allegations against the immediate past governor, who was covered by immunity; and the EFCC operatives were chasing after an ordinary messenger who was carrying out his master’s instructions then. We want to know if they have more explanations to give Rivers people for letting down their guard over the matter? We are waiting to hear”, he said.
Osumah wondered why Wike has decided to be a hindrance and a cog in the wheel to the zeal and determination by Governor Fubara to truly develop the State, contrary to his earlier promise and assurance to labour leaders in the State before the March 18, 2023 governorship election that he was offering the governor as a gift to the Civil Service.
He said in less than one year in office, Governor Fubara has been able to address up to 80 percent of the problems and challenges facing civil servants in the State.
“Thank Almighty God that he gave us our own, who did not hesitate, on assumption of office by conducting promotions across board. It is not only that, he started employment in tertiary institutions and other sectors, while that of the core Civil Service is expected soon. The Governor has also gone ahead to embark on several people-oriented projects which I cannot enumerate all here.But the only sin he has committed against the immediate past governor is that he refused to share the Rivers State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He refused it to be shared and taken away, instead of expending it on people-oriented projects, which he was elected to give Rivers people.This he is doing rather than allowing the IGR to sink into one greedy man’s purse and pocket, who took and acquired virtually all viable assets belonging to the whole State”, he said.
The labour leader recalled that the Civil Service during the administration of the former governor was comatose for eight years, as overheads were hardly paid; the State Secretariat Complex lacked attention, as it was without power supply and water; civil servants were never promoted; gratuities were never paid retirees; pensions payment was irregular; among other challenges.
According to him, the Fubara administration has painstakingly been attending to the challenges facing civil servants in the State in less than one year in office.
While calling on the workers to continue to reciprocate the good works of the present administration with their maximum and unalloyed support, Osumah expressed optimism that Governor Fubara would continue to put smiles on their faces.

A group that tagged itself “Rivers Group 23” has called on commissioners who are not loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to resign or be forced to do so.
The group gave the warning when its executives appeared on a live radio chat “Viewpoint” at the weekend in Port Harcourt.
Coordinator of the body, Priye Kalango, said it was strange to see commissioners who are supposed to be frontliners of the policies and programmes of the government turn and criticise the administration they serve in.
He described such Commissioners as moles planted by former Rivers State Governor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to disrupt governance in the State.
In his words,” some of these Commissioners don’t attend state functions, and we have seen various instances they come in public to condemn the Governor’s programmes”.
Kalango argued that, “some fathers disown disloyal sons. We have discovered that former Governor Wike planted his loyalists to frustrate Governor Fubara so that he would not succeed in governance”.
Calling on the Governor to disengage such Commissioners, Kalango said in the next 14 days if nothing happens, the body will be compelled to mobilise its members to Government House.
“I’m calling on Rivers people that once the 14 days ultimatum expires, we will march down to the Government House to force those disloyal Commissioners to resign.
Meanwhile, prominent Ogoni activist, Chief Gani Togbah, has called on Commissioners in Sir Fubara’s cabinet, who are not ready to work for the administration to vacate their offices.
Chief Togbah bared his mind in a live radio programme, saying the administration of Sir Fubara needs to be focused, and not distracted by moles planted by his predecessor.

By: Kelvin Nengia