News
Group Wants Dickson Sacked
The frosty relationship between First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State again manifested itself over the weekend with the staging of a protest by a political pressure group, Network for Bayelsa People’s Agenda (NBPA), for the removal of the later as governor.
The group claimed that the booing of the governor during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presidential rally in Yenagoa, was a clear evidence that the people have lost confidence in the leadership style of the governor who has been having a running battle with Dame Jonathan.
While commending Bayelsa residents for booing the governor, NBPA, in a statement signed by its chairman, Ibipa Oweiza and made available to journalists in Yenagoa, alleged that all attempts to prevent the people from ventilating their views by government officials failed.
They accused Governor Dickson of handling state matters as if it were a private estate and noted that the action of the people has reinforced that they were not satisfied with the governor’s style of leadership.
The Bayelsa governor was also accused of empowering only his kinsmen and in-laws in the award of contracts while telling other residents that there was no money in the state due to drop in federal allocation.While calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to look into their demands, the group alleged that the high handedness and lack of human feeling shown by the governor could no longer be tolerated.
”We are the people who are feeling the pains of Dickson’s leadership are the in a better position to say so, and we urge President Jonathan to listen to the voice of the people,” the group pleaded.Meanwhile, reacting swiftly to the protest, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, claimed that his principal’s supporters were in the majority.
He accused members of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), and the First Lady’s Women for Change Initiative as those who spearheaded the booing.According to him, “Attempts by members of TAN and Women for Change and Development Initiative to boo and stone the governor were drowned by the singing and drumming of pro-Dickson supporters, who were at the venue of the rally in their numbers.
”This position taken by Governor Dickson against Women for Change Initiative, a non-governmental organisation promoted by Dame Jonathan, and TAN which is controlled in Bayelsa by her loyalists, indicates that the mind of the President’s wife was made up as regards ousting the incumbent governor from his exalted position.
The next governorship election in the state comes up in 2016 considering that Dickson was sworn into office on February 12, 2012.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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