Niger Delta
INC Lists Evil Against N’ Delta, Tasks FG On Dev
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has called on the federal government to take urgent steps to address the brewing agitations in the Niger Delta over issues bordering on the development of the region and the concerns of the people.
The President of INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at the weekend said the timely intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari would douse the growing tension in the region.
Okaba highlighted the issues, which he described as evil against the ijaw nation and the region, to include: “The continued existence of the grossly illegal vehicle of Interim Administration at the NDDC.
“The monumental deception of the Presidency and the Niger Delta Region by the Interim contraption and its promoters.
“The rape, emasculation and waste of the commonwealth of the Region by those charged with its efficient use.
“The abuse of propriety and self-enrichment of a select few to the detriment of regional development.
“The futility of the exercise of a forensic audit that is rumoured to be cloaked in so much shame and ineptitude that it might never see the light of day.
“The daily reports of abuse of privilege of office that no one is paying attention to, at the government level.
“The deliberate non-inclusion of any roads in Ijaw territories in the N621.237billion Federal Governnent Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme to be carried out by the NNPC. It is even more vexatious that the entire South-South region that sustains the country has the least of kilometres (81.9km) to be covered. This marginalisation in national infrastructure development is totally unacceptable.”
Okaba stated that the INC should not be blamed for any breach of security if the boiling anger in the Niger Delta results in the breakdown of law and order as the people are fed up with the lackluster approach of the president to the outlined issues.
He said, “The general feeling is that the region has been auctioned off to one man to do with it as he pleases! We feel inclined to let you know, so that you might take prompt action. If you do not take prompt action and the indigenous cross-cultural and multi-ethnic feelings of discontentment assume critical mass and become kinetic, we can do nothing to hold things back.
“We have verified reports that peaceful Ijaw protesters from the host community of the NDDC, were brutalized, beaten and injured, while the women were molested and abused by thugs working for, and on the orders of the Interim Administrator.
“We have reports which we are currently investigating that, emboldened by the onslaught on the Ijaw community, there is an attempt to procure the services of Ijaw ex agitators to cause mayhem and unrest within the region.”
The Ijaw leader said the minister of niger delta affairs no longer enjoys the support and goodwill of the people of the niger delta, stressing that his continued imposition on the area is unfortunate and counter-productive for both federal government and the region.
Okaba said the people of the region had resolved not to condone any further use of thugs to beat up young men and molest women in the region.
According to him, the people will henceforth not condone any attempt to procure Ijaws to wage war against fellow Ijaws and to stir up unrest and mayhem within the region.
Okaba maintained that the “continued delay of the inauguration of a substantive board for the NDDC is an inexplicable aberration that defies logical reasoning and is infuriating the region.”
“We are the conscience of the region. The full gamut of multiethnic nationalities in the region regard us as the Omega Line of Appeal. And this is what we are doing through this medium.
“It would not be easy to forget the dark season of depravity and decadence that the region is experiencing, which is foisted on us by our internal foes.
“It would not be easy to forget the display of maddening and offensive impunity of those who have depleted our commonwealth.
“It would be difficult to forget the silence of our friends who would rather watch while our future and that of our unborn children is being mismanaged by a handful of “empowered” people. Enough is Enough”
Dufugha, however, expressed resentment over what he described as stringent measures against assessing the State’s Students Loan Scheme, especially for the common citizens.
He made the observations while briefing journalists at the Earliest Ikoli Press Centre, Ekeki, in Yenagoa, the State capital.
“I commend the Governor for the relative peace in the state owing to his approach to the security of lives and properties in the State.
“For now, the police in Bayelsa State is using drones to monitor red flag areas that can cause security breaches and that has really encouraged the peace in the State.
“The security situation has improved and we commend the government for that. We cannot deny the fact that there is relative peace in the State”, he said.
On the State’s students loan, the publisher accused the scheme of having elitist posture due to its accessibility process.
He argued that it would be difficult for the ordinary Bayelsan to provide a Level-17 civil servant as guarantor to be able to benefit from the scheme, describing it as a systemic denial of the less privileged.
He noted that the loan was supposed to be a succour to indigent Bayelsa parents and students who could not assess education easily, noting that such persons should not be made to face cumbersome situations before assessing the financial instrument.
On road infrastructure, the Niger Delta Herald Publisher and Editor-in-chief praised the Diri’s administration on the work done on the three senatorial district roads and tasked the government to do more.
Dufugha, who described Bayelsa State as a wealthy State, asserted that the oil rich state needed to see more developmental strides comparative to its current financial status.
“Bayelsa is not a poor state in terms of public revenue. We’re an oil producing state. We receive federal allocations. We receive derivation revenue. We have access to enormous public resources.
“We receive interventions. Yet, after all these years, the ordinary citizen is still asking, what exactly are we getting for our money? Where are the industries? Where are the jobs? Where are the functional health institutions? Where is the agricultural transformation? Where is the human capital development? Where is the economic diversification?,” he argued.
He enjoined the government to redouble effort in the education and health subsectors, adding that it would pay the state a lot if there were centres for the treatment of critical health cases such as cancer and others in order to save lives and avoid capital flight.
The Publisher urged the Senator Diri-led government and the public not to misunderstand his message as hatred or personal issues with the Governor, but see it as a constitutional and professional duty to hold government accountable.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Peter Akpe, stated this rexently when he received the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in ernment House, Yenagoa.
charge of Bayelsa and Rivers States, during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa.
Akpe said the general perception of those in politics has always been that of corruption, but noted that the position of the Douye Diri-led Prosperity Administration is non-tolerance for corruption.
Akpe, who frowned at the habit of writing unfounded petitions against individuals and groups, said the heap of petition files from Bayelsa State at the ICPC was several times higher than that from any other state in the country.
He reminded residents that writing unjustifiable petitions to anti-graft agencies is not only a bad culture, but also attracts jail penalty, and assured the ICPC of the state government’s support to improve public enlightenment.
“Our government is a government that believes in zero tolerance for corruption; that is why we are always open to interact with you and other anti-graft agencies.
“Usually, there is this issue of negative perception of politics and politicians. But it is not true that every politician is corrupt. We have a good number of people in politics that are not corrupt, and we believe that a good percentage of them are in this government.
“The issue of petitions at the ICPC: What we observed was that the heap of files from Bayelsa were 10 times higher than the ones from even Lagos, and 15 more times than the ones from Sokoto and other states.
“That is quite disturbing. More so, most of those petitions were ion, our people should also know that such frivolous petitions can land them in jail”, he saidfrivolous.
From a personal experience, I can tell you that most of the petitions are extremely frivolous. While we will never tolerate corruption, our people should also know that such frivolous petitions can land them in jail”, he said.
Earlier in her remarks, the ICPC Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner in charge of Rivers and Bayelsa States, Dr. Ekere Usiere, highlighted the statutory mandate of the ICPC, stressing that its mission was to carry out sensitisation on the ills of corruption in the Nigerian society.
Usiere, who expressed concern at the volume of petitions currently before the ICPC emanating from communities in Bayelsa over the management of the PIA funds, expressed the commission’s desire to partner the Bayelsa State Ministry of Information to carry out sensitisation programmes.
The ICPC Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner was accompanied on the visit by Assistant Chief Superintendent, Mr. Evans Peters; Principal Superintendent, Mr. Emmanuel Akpor; Assistant Superintendent, Mrs. Tamaraudoubra Ebebi; and the Administrative Officer, Mr. Frank Yileaziba.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Director of Administration and Human Resources, Sir Kelechi Nwelue, gave the advice during a commission-wide staff interactive session with Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and insurance companies at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a statement signed and issued by Seledi Thompson-Wakama
Director, Corporate Affairs, Nwelue said the programme, approved by the Managing Director of the commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, was organised to sensitise staff on pension schemes and provide them with the knowledge required to make informed decisions about their retirement savings.
He particularly urged newly recruited employees to acquaint themselves with the operations and responsibilities of various PFAs before choosing an administrator to manage their pension contributions.
According to him, pension contributions deducted from employees’ salaries, alongside employers’ contributions, constitute long-term savings designed to provide financial support after retirement.
He urged staff to carefully assess the information provided by the participating pension administrators and choose the option best suited to their long-term financial interests.
Nwelue stressed that employees were at liberty to select their preferred pension administrator, noting that the interactive session provided an opportunity for the various companies to explain their products, services and benefits.
Also speaking, a Director in the Directorate of Administration and Human Resources, Mr. James Fole, said the programme was aimed at deepening employees’ understanding of pension, insurance and other financial instruments that could improve their financial wellbeing during and after active service.
Fole warned that inadequate preparation for retirement could expose employees to financial hardship in their post-service years.
He said: “That is not what the Managing Director, Executive Management and the entire management want for our staff. We want to see a situation where retirees enjoy a reasonable level of comfort, knowing that the Commission has contributed to their future.”
He added that equipping employees with appropriate financial knowledge while they were still in active service remained critical to achieving a financially secure retirement.
Several pension and insurance companies participated in the interactive session.
-
News2 days agoRSG Targets Nine Million Residents in Mosquito Net Distribution Campaign
-
Oil & Energy2 days agoAiyedatiwa Signs New Electricity Bill
-
Oil & Energy2 days agoNLNG Commissions Research And Innovation Centre In RSU
-
Maritime2 days agoMarine Minister Commends President Tinubu On NPERA Bill Assent
-
News2 days agoKenPoly Holds Eight Convocations, August 29
-
News2 days agoRSG Begins Another Phase of Projects Commissioning Today
-
News2 days agoRMAFC Completes Revenue Sharing Review, Proposes New Pay
-
Maritime2 days agoNAGAFF Petitions IGP Over Alleged Maritime Police Harassment