Niger Delta

Tribunal Dismisses Case Against Bayelsa Gov

Published

13 years ago

July 12, 2012

Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Yenagoa has ruled Hon. Seriake Dickson was eligibly nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party for the February 11 governorship election in the state..

Giving their decision on Wednesday the three-member panel, led by Justice Muhammad Ibrahim, struck out the petition brought before it by the candidate for the Change Advocacy Party, Mr. Umoru Kubor, saying it lacked merit.

Justice Ibrahim described the grounds of the petition and the reliefs sought by the petitioner as “ridiculous”.

He cited the amended Electoral Act 2010 and the Nigerian Constitution as the laws regulating the conduct of the governorship election, and that Section 31 of the Act confers on registered political parties the exclusive right to nominate candidates for the election.

He also dismissed the claim by the petitioner that a Federal High Court in Abuja had in a suit between the former governor Timipre Sylva and the PDP made an order restraining the PDP from conducting the primary election won by Dickson.

Ibrahim said, “Our understanding of the judgment of the Federal High Court which was tendered as exhibit E is that the injunction sought was not granted.

“The defendants were only asked to show cause why the order sought would not be granted. No injunctive order of any kind was issued in that suit.”

He, however, said even if there was an injunctive order, “disobedience of a court order cannot lead to the disqualification of a candidate for an election even though it had its own consequences.”

He further judged that the “potency or impotency of the court’s order” has been set aside by the Court of Appeal on January 7.

The panel therefore throw away the suit for lack of merits.

Niger Delta

Ogoja State Agitation Gains Momentum In Cross River

Published

15 seconds ago

February 26, 2025

The Tide

Agitation for the creation of Ogoja State from the present Cross River State on Wednesday in Calabar gained momentum following a public forum organised to harmonise position and demand for the state.

The Tide’s source reports that the forum was organised by the Old Ogoja Province People’s Initiative.

In his remarks at the forum, its convener, Dr. Cklaimz Enamhe, said it was time to look beyond the past, and focus on the future.

According to him, “we need to look beyond what happened in the past and look to the future as our moment is now.

“The Ogoja man is ready and prepared; we have all come in unison to say this is the moment we have been waiting for, give us an Ogoja state”.

Enamhe noted that Governor Bassey Otu had spoken to the beauty inherent if the state was created, and the prospect it would hold for the future.

He also said that similarly all the council chairmen, councillors, senators and paramount rulers from the area of the proposed state were ready for its creation.

Also speaking during the forum, a former Military Administrator of Kwara State, retired Col. Pam Ogar, disclosed that all provincial headquarters way back in Nigeria had been made states except Ogoja.

He said he was in support of the creation of Ogoja state because the proposed state had the landmass, resources, as well as personnel to manage its affairs.

Similarly Prof. Francis Mogu, a former Secretary, Movement for the Creation of Ogoja state, said lack of unity and infighting robbed area of statehood in the past.

He, however, said in spite of the delay, “God’s time is the best” and the time for the actualisation of the state was now.

In the same vein, Mrs. Rita Anyim, a former chairman of Ogoja Council Area, said the proposed state would be one of the most viable in the country if created, as there was abundant resources to harness for its development.

She expressed optimism that the present administration would help in actualising its creation.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review had announced that it received 31 proposals for state creation from the public.

Niger Delta

LG Chairman visits Obololi Community, Laments Oil Spill Impact

Published

46 seconds ago

February 26, 2025

The Tide

Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State, Target Segibo, has bemoaned the adverse impact of an oil leak at Obololi axis in his domain.

Segibo, who said that the spill emanated from an oil asset operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), noted that the pollution was massive.

He expressed regret that SPDC has not been forthcoming in addressing challenges faced by its host communities in the area.

The Chairman addressed chiefs and people of the Community after an on-the -spot assessment of the oil spill from the company’s facility at Obololi,

Segibo expressed shock at the level of devastation on the Obololi Community, stating that the only source from which the people get water for drinking, cooking and washing has been heavily polluted.

He explained that the oil leakage, which occured last Sunday, was traced to rupture of the over-aged underwater pipeline laid in 1973.

The Chairman lamented neglect of the people by SPDC since the company laid its pipes and commenced operations there in 1973.

He noted that the people of Obololi have been exposed to environmental degradation, economic hardship, several health problems, including cholera, loss of biodiversity, soil and water contamination, air pollution, reduced tourism, displaced residents.

Segibo said Southern Ijaw LGA will urgently provide alternative water supply to the area to assuage their plights.

He called on the people of Obololi to avoid drinking and cooking with water fetched from the creek there to avoid water-borne diseases.

The chairman urged the people, particularly the adults, to sensitize the youths to heed to the caution to save lives.

In his response, Deputy Paramount Ruler of Obololi, His Highness Wilfred Kueke, intimated the Council Chairman on the age-long devastations the community has suffered since SPDC started its operations there in 1973.

The Community leader decried the refusal of SPDC and its contractors to provide social amenities in the community, including healthcare services, water as well as Community-Company relationship.

Also speaking, a representative of the women, Ebiware Ikuromo, while narrating her deep feelings, lamented the loss of aquatic life and what she describe as the recalcitrant attitude of SPDC concerning its relationship with the host community.

She noted that several people, particularly children who had been infested with ailments through drinking from the contaminated creek since there was no alternative, were on admission in various health facilities outside Obololi.

The people called on the State Governor, Douye Diri, and Segibo, to swing into actions by sending health personnel, drugs, relief materials and water to reduce their hardship.

A spokesman for SPDC, who pleaded anonymity when contacted for a response on the reported leak and pollution incident, promised to revert soon but was yet to do so at the time of filing this report.

Niger Delta

Bayelsa Housing Authority Partners Publishers … Promises Facelift For Yenagoa, LGA Hqrts

Published

1 min ago

February 26, 2025

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Housing and Property Development Authority (BSHPDA) has said it was recommited to developing the real estate sector of the state.

General Manager of the Authority, Rt. Hon. Tonye Isenah, stated this recently when the Chairman and members of the Bayelsa State Independent Publishers Association (BIPA) paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Yenagoa, the State capital.

Isenah said already plans were underway for the Authority to commence the construction of a 1000 housing units which would be shared amongst the eight Local Government Areas of the state, saying the project will begin in Ogbia Local Government and thereafter go on in others.

He noted that the reason for the 1000 housing unit in the local government areas was to create comfortable, affordable housing in those places, noting that another reason for taking that project to the Local Government headquarters was to deliberately develop other cities and towns within the state to curb the menace of royal-urban drift.

The Authority’s helmsman revealed that upon assumption of office the State Governor approved for the Authority the construction of about a hundred housing units at the Okaka Housing estate, saying the first 50 units have been completed and construction of others soon to start.

“Yes, I was appointed about six months ago, but those houses were actually built by the Authority in about three months.

“Upon my appointment, I discovered there were unused funds in the Authority’s purse, and so I approached the governor that he release it for us so that we can start-up something, and so he graciously released it to us, hence we commenced the building of the first 50units of the Housing estate at the old existing Okaka Housing estate.

“But that’s not all. The Governor has approved others for us. We’ve acquired 13 hectares of land at the gateway road, Igbogene in Yenagoa where we’ll be building another 1000 housing unit. Though we’ve not actually commenced that project, but plans have reached advanced stages”, he said.

The Authority’s boss promised to collaborate with the veteran publishers to educate and inform the public about activities of the agency, noting that the Media is a veritable tool for mutual partnership, hence he intends to work on a robust engagement with them.

Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of BIPA, Mr Francis Dufugha said the association opted to pay the BSHPDA helmsman the visit due to his outstanding performance just few months in the saddle.

Dufugha, who is the Publisher of Nigeria’s foremost regional tabloid, ‘Niger Delta Herald’, commended the Authority’s boss for his forthrightness and preparedness in executing the mandate of his office.

Similarly, the association has appealed to the Authority to facilitate the release of plots of land allocated members of the association during the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s administration.

The group noted that they have done all necessary documentations, yet the lands have not still been given to members of the association by successive administrations of the state.

“We came to felicitate with you on your achievements just six months in the office. In just six months in office, you’ve build about 50 units of housing estate at the Okaka Housing estate, and so we felt we should come for this visit and commend you on your stewardship of the BSHPDA”, the Association said.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa