News
Diri Assures Victory For PDP In Senatorial Bye-Election

Bayelsa State Governor Sen. Douye Diri, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the suspended Bayelsa Central and West senatorial bye-elections whenever they are conducted.
Diri expressed this optimism yesterday while addressing PDP faithful shortly after the conduct of the party’s state congress at the Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.
In a statement by the Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the governor was quoted as saying that the peaceful conduct of the PDP ward, local government and state congresses demonstrated the party’s maturity and dominance in the state.
He said the successful congresses had repositioned the party to continually enjoy the support of the people and win elections in the state.
He expressed gratitude to former President Goodluck Jonathan and his predecessor, Mr Seriake Dickson, for their contribution towards the success of the elective congresses.
Diri also commended the elders, delegates and members of the party and paid special tributes to the outgoing chairman, Mr Moses Cleopas, and his team for their commitment to the overriding interest of the party.
While congratulating the newly elected executive, he charged them to emulate the worthy examples set by the Cleopas-led exco and improve on the fortunes of the party in the next four years.
He also called on stakeholders to support the new executive to enable them to serve the party effectively.
Diri said: “We can only make them succeed when we give them our full support like we did to the outgoing chairman and other members of that executive.
“They were committed, united and faithful to our party. So, I believe you will follow the example and footsteps that they have laid for you.
“Let me also seize this opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation to the former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and my boss and leader, former Governor Seriake Dickson, for their support for this congress.
“Let me assure us that with these two leaders by my side, the PDP will continue to win elections in our state. With what we have achieved today, even though the Bayelsa Central and West Senatorial bye-elections have been postponed, our party will win those seats squarely whenever INEC conducts the bye-elections.”
The newly-elected State PDP Chairman, Mr Solomon Agwanana, expressed appreciation to the delegates, Governor Diri and other leaders for giving him and his team the opportunity to serve the party.
The new PDP helmsman, who hails from Ekeremor Local Government Area, pledged that the new executive would consolidate and improve on the gains already achieved by the party.
He solicited the support of all stakeholders, stressing the need for deliberate efforts to reconcile and re-integrate aggrieved members within and outside the party.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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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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