Niger Delta
We’ve Repositioned LG System For Efficienc – Bayelsa D’Gov
The Bayelsa State Government says its reforms in local government administration has repositioned the system for efficient and effective service delivery to the people.
Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, stated this last Thursday, while declaring open a two-day entrepreneurship workshop for retiring local government staff drawn from the eight councils and 32 Rural Development Authorities (RDAs) in the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, noted that all the local government councils are now solvent and embarking on meaningful people-oriented projects due to the bold initiatives of the present administration.
According to him, before the advent of the Governor Douye Diri-led government, working in the local government service was like inviting a curse, stressing that the prospects of getting retirement benefits as and when due were dim.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, however, emphasized that all that had now changed for the better following the reforms, and promised to do more to ensure that people at the grassroots feel real impact of governance.
While appreciating the State Governor for creating the enabling environment for him to drive the reforms as the supervising officer of the councils and RDAs, he urged the participants to take the training seriously to safeguard their post-retirement life from unnecessary hardship and frustration.
“I wish to first of all thank the Governor of our state, Senator Douye Diri, for the opportunity he has given to us in the local government system. Before now, people think working in the local government was a curse.
“But today, I can assure you that many people are now considering transferring their services to the local government because of the reforms we have introduced.
“The reforms are not meant to idolize or venerate the present administration. But they were deliberate, conscious efforts based on our experiences and what people had passed through over the years.
“We felt we cannot leave the stage and leave people the way we met them. And that is why we came up with the reforms. And with your collaboration and cooperation, the reforms are now manifesting in what you are seeing today. So I thank every single stakeholder”, he said.
In a welcome address, the Chairman of the State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Lambert Ototo, noted that the training, with the theme, “Retirement to Relevance: Building Sustainable Livelihood Through Entrepreneurship”, was part of the ongoing reforms in the local government system to adequately prepare retirees for life after active service.
Chief Ototo, who described the participants as fortunate to undergo the pre-retirement workshop, expressed gratitude to Governor Diri and his deputy for turning the pitiable situation of the local government system in the state around for good.
Delivering a lecture titled “Understanding Entrepreneurship and Life After Service, Dr. Zuobomudo Agbana, enjoined the participants and retirees to cheerfully embrace retirement as it only marks the beginning of a new journey in life and not the end of work.
Dr. Agbana also charged them to apply entrepreneurship in their retirement phase of life as a tool to enable them achieve financial independence and make impact in their various communities.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has assured corps members deployed to the state of improved welfare and a supportive service year.
Okpebholo gave the assurance at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members last Friday at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp in Okada.
The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, safety and entrepreneurship.
Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mrs. Charity Amayaenvbo, the Governor urged corps members to embrace innovation, community service and self-reliance rather than wait for white-collar jobs.
“Edo is committed to supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and incentives that turn ideas into enterprises.
“Do not wait for jobs, create value. Wherever you are posted, serve your host community with humility, dedication and compassion.
“Have a positive footprint and let your service contribute to unity, productivity and progress,” he said.
Okpebholo assured the corps members that the state government was attentive to their welfare and had started addressing key concerns raised by the NYSC leadership.
“On behalf of the state government, I assure you of our support in terms of safety, an enabling environment and a rewarding service year.
“I listened carefully to the requests highlighted by the state coordinator, and I am glad to inform you that some of them have already been captured in the 2026 budget, which has been approved and signed into law,” he said.
The Governor noted that provisions for accommodation, meal subsidies, logistics and the construction of a multipurpose hall at the camp were included in the budget.
Earlier in her address, the Edo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, described the ceremony as a reflection of the state government’s commitment to youth development and national integration.
Ben-Ushie said as of midnight on Thursday, a total of 1,235 prospective corps members, comprising 531 males and over 700 females, had been duly registered.
She congratulated the corps members on their enlistment into what she described as a “noble scheme,” urging them to embrace discipline, learning and active participation throughout the orientation course.
“The NYSC platform provides a unique avenue to meet people from diverse backgrounds, build lifelong friendships and create networks that can open doors to greater opportunities,” she said.
Ben-Ushie also highlighted the contributions of the NYSC to the state’s development, noting that the scheme had consistently provided skilled manpower, promoted labour mobility and strengthened national unity.
She cited initiatives such as the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as key interventions benefiting communities across the state.
The NYSC coordinator commended the state government for its support, including the provision of buses for corps members, and appealed for further intervention to address lingering operational challenges at the orientation camp.
She expressed confidence that resolving the issues would enhance the effectiveness of NYSC programmes in the state and thanked the Governor for prioritising the welfare, security and growth of corps members.
The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the state government’s reported plan to establish a state-owned airline.
The party, in a statement by its Edo State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor, disconnected governance.
The Tide’s source reports that the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with Aviation Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.
Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting Edo State residents.
“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive”, he said.
He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.
According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be.
He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems and weak municipal services across the state capital.
“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage and enormous potential”, he said.
Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.
He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”
He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.
Against this background, he described the airline proposal as diversionary and lacking economic sense.
“When roads are barely motorable and services overstretched, proposing an airline betrays an absence of judgment,” he said.
He urged the government to abandon the plan and focus on people-centred priorities that would improve living conditions and spur growth.
“Edo does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government ready to confront them on the ground,” he said.
He warned that failure to refocus would deepen perceptions of an administration lacking direction, competence and a coherent development agenda.
Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have protested to the Governor’s Office in Calabar over an alleged plan to appoint a non-indigene as Rector for the institution.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students demanded respect for catchment area policy, local content, and the appointment of an indigene of the state as Rector of the institution.
Speaking on behalf of the students in Calabar, Stephen Etem said the protest sought to alert the Federal and Cross River State Governments to an alleged deviation from the established rectorial selection process.
Etem said a Governing Council, chaired by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, was constituted by the Federal Government to conduct the Rector selection exercise.
“The screening, which began last year, reportedly produced a Cross River State indigene as highest scorer and recommended candidate.
“Information available to us suggests that the alleged recommended candidate’s name might be substituted at the Federal Ministry of Education.
“We urge the Federal Government to uphold the council’s recommendation because altering the process could threaten peace in the institution,” he noted.
Responding at the Government House, Mr. Goddie Akpama, the Special Adviser on Intelligence to the State Governor, Bassey Otu, appealed for calm, saying the Governor was away but would be briefed.
Akpama advised the students to submit written petitions through appropriate channels, avoid inflammatory language, and engage authorities to ensure stability and uninterrupted academic activities.
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