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Niger Delta

Bayelsa Woos Investors In Power Sector

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The Bayelsa State Government has said it is poised to take advantage of the Electricity (Amendment) Act recently enacted by the National Assembly by partnering well-meaning investors to generate and supply power in the State.
Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made this known during a recent courtesy visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Power led by its Chairman, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, to Government House, Yenagoa.
Ewhrudjakpo identified poor power supply occasioned by endemic corruption and lack of patriotism on the part of most stakeholders in the sector as a major stumbling block to efforts being made to drive industrial and economic development in Nigeria.
While expressing gratitude to his visitors, he urged them to facilitate the resuscitation of the Gbarain 252 Mega Watts Power Station in Koroama, which had a part of it burnt since September, last year, thereby subjecting the state to unprecedented power outages.
The state’s number two man wondered why the Federal Fovernment-owned station had failed to function effectively for the people to benefit maximally despite the state government’s support.
He, however, commended the National Assembly for enacting the Nigerian Electricity (Amendment) Act 2024, which ended the monopoly of the Federal Government in the power sector over the years.
The Deputy Governor also thanked the member representing the Yenagoa/Kolokuma Federal Constituency at the House Representatives, Hon. Oboku Oforji, for raising the issue of blackout in the state on the floor of the house, which necessitated the visit.
Speaking further, he stated that although investment in the power sector was quite capital intensive, the state government’s doors were open for effective partnerships to meet the energy needs of the state.
“We thank the two chambers of the National Assembly for passing the Electricity Act, because it has unbundled and dismantled the monopoly in the hand of the Federal Government. Now it is a question of what you can do in your state.
“If there is no power, there is no development. The power issue is actually the main issue in this country. But unfortunately, that is one area we are not giving enough attention to.
“As a state, we are ready to partner with serious investors in the power sector to produce enough power to meet the energy needs of our state.
“We are happy the Niger Delta Power Holding Company is represented here. We want you to build an additional power plant to boost power generation”, he said.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Power, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, said they were in Bayelsa for an on-the-spot inspection of the burnt section of the power transmission station at Gbarain in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
Addressing newsmen at the Gbarain Power Plant, Hon. Nwokolo assured that the Committee would report its findings to the House to enable it take informed decisions to improve power supply in Bayelsa and its environs.
Also speaking, the Member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Hon. Oboku, and the Managing Director, Bayelsa State Electricity Company, Mr Olice Kemenanabo, expressed displeasure at the laid-back attitude of NDPHC toward fixing the burnt section of the Gbarain power plant.
While cautioning against politicization of power supply issues in the state, they called on the Federal Government to prevail on the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and other relevant stakeholders to urgently tackle the power outage problem in Bayelsa.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian House of Representatives passed a resolution to resuscitate the Gbarain power transmission station during plenary recently following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Oboku Oforji, member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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Niger Delta

Eno Sacks Commissioner For Special Duties

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Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has relieved the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Bassey Okon, of his appointment with immediate effect.
Secretary to the State Government, Mr Enobong Uwah, disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Monday.
Uwah, who did not give reasons for the commissioner’s sack, directed him to hand over all state government properties in his possession to the Permanent Secretary.
He thanked the former commissioner for the period he served the state, and wished him well in his future endeavours.

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Niger Delta

Check Oil Pollution In N’Delta, Stakeholders Urge Oil Firms

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Stakeholders in host communities have demanded that oil companies be compelled to address adverse health impact of oil exploration in the Niger-Delta.
They made their position known on Monday during a public presentation of the research report on the impact of oil extraction on women’s health in Otuabagi community in Bayelsa.
The Tide’s source reports that Dr Emem Okon, Director, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, an NGO, championed the event.
The source also reports that Otuabagi Community within the Oloibiri District in present Ogbia Local Government Area is where crude oil was discovered in commercial quantity in Nigeria in 1956.
Okon said the report highlighted the adverse consequences of oil extraction which had profound negative impact on health and livelihood of women in Otuabagi community.
She said research revealed that several of the participants had hydrocarbons in their blood sample more than World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold and therefore demanded for compensation from oil companies and government.
“There is, therefore, a need to demand for compensation and restoration of polluted sites as well as health actions to keep us alive and to resist death, poverty and injustice”, she said.
She stated that the findings and data would serve as a tool for policy makers, community leaders and all those who strove for a more equitable and sustainable future.
Meanwhile, Dr Bieye Briggs, a public health physician and head of the research team, said from the findings of the report, it was revealed that there was very high and unacceptable level of exposure of the people to hydrocarbons.
Briggs advocated for the Federal Government to carry out health audit in Otuabagi community and other oil producing areas in the Niger-Delta region.
He explained that such audit was with a view to instituting intervention program to halt and reverse the impact of oil exploration.
Similarly, Chief Daniel Amangi, the traditional ruler of Otuabagi community, commended Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre for undertaking the project and urged the Federal Government to focus on developing the community.
Amangi also called for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the research findings for the overall benefit of the people.
In the same vein, Alagoa Morris, a stakeholder, lamented that life expectancy was lower in the Niger-Delta region than in other parts of the country due to the hazards caused by oil exploration.
He called for compensation to be paid to host communities to ameliorate the health impact of oil extraction in the region.
The ceremony also featured a drama presentation by Otuabagi women and panel discussion on the findings of the report.

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Niger Delta

Court Orders AAU Graduate’s Car, iPhone’s Forfeiture To FG

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A Benin High Court on Monday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sell a Toyota Venza 2012 model, recovered from a graduate of Biochemistry from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Osadolor Edomwonyi.
The EFCC charged Edomwonyi with internet fraud.
Delivering judgment, Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, sentenced Edomwonyi to three years imprisonment.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 13 Promax, recovered from the convict .
He also ordered that balances in his Opay account, Kids Bank account and Access Bank with which he was charged and convicted to the Federal Government through EFCC and the accounts be parmanently closed.
The convict prayed the court for a plea bargain agreement.
Ikponmwonba, however, gave him an option of fine in the sum of N100,000.
Earlier, the EFCC counsel, Mr I K Agwaisaid, said the convict committed an offence contrary to the provisions of Sections 6 and 8 (b) of the advance free fraud and other fraud-related offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The prosecutor said in a plea bargain agreement, Edomwonyi pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of possession of fraudulent documents.

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