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Bayelsa 2023: SA Hails Diri’s 2nd Term Bid

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Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Inter-party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri, has said the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has shown greater capacity and competence in the leadership of the state.
He made the assertions in his office in Yenagoa recently while speaking with The Tide on the sidelines of the third anniversary celebrations of the Governor Diri-led “Prosperity Government”.
It would be recalled that Diri took oath of office as Governor on 14th February, 2020, and on 14th of February, 2023 would have served three out of his first four year tenure as Governor of the state.
The Governor’s aide, who bared his mind on the programmes and projects of the Diri’s administration, reaffirmed the Governor’s Commitment towards human capacity and infrastructural development.
The Special Adviser noted also that upon assumption of office as Governor of the state, Senator Diri made the state entirely safe for investments to thrive by ensuring the enabling peace and tranquility and provision of adequate security architecture.
He said there was no Local Government Area of the state without executed or ongoing infrastructural projects by the Diri’s administration.
While calling on Bayelsans to continually keep faith in the government, the Kaiama-born legal practitioner lampooned those from the opposition divide whom he alleged were making “unfounded and unnecessary allegations against the government on its policies and programmes”.
Suokiri who also spoke on the Governor’s recent picking up of the governorship intent form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November, 2023 governorship polls in the state, noted that Governor Diri’s achievements were visible in all spheres of the state, saying he deserves re-election for consolidation and even greater achievements for the state.
“This government has touched lives of Bayelsans in all spheres. It’s been paying salaries promptly to civil servants in the state Civil Service, it’s been conducting regular promotion exercises for Civil Servants in the state and implementing their promotion incremental benefits.
“This government, from inception into office has been releasing N200,000,000 monthly for the payment of gratuity owed retirees.
“On infrastructure and urban renewal, this government has redesigned and reconstructed the Edepie/Etegwe roundabout in the Yenagoa LGA.
“This government completed and commissioned the Imiringi bridge, awarded contract and completed the construction of the collapsed Elebele bridge, both in the Ogbia LGA of the state.
“This government also initiated, constructed and inaugurated the 4.5km Igbedi road in the Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of the state; completed construction and inaugurated the Nembe unity bridge in the Nembe LGA of the state; completed the Onopa bridge and constructed the access road to the New Yenagoa city; constructed and inaugurated the Igbogene-Okarki section of the phase one of the Igbogene-AIT/Elebele outer ring road; and don’t forget that the construction of the three Senatorial roads projects with multiples of bridges is on course under this administration.
“Diri has shown capacity and competence, he truly deserves a befitting second tenure and I want to urge all Bayelsans to queue behind the Governor on his second tenure when finally the time comes”, Suokiri added.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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Niger Delta

A’Ibom Police Nabs 4 Fire Service Trucks Theft

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January 17, 2025

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The Nigerian Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, has arrested four suspects who are allegedly involved in the theft of four Fire Service trucks belonging to the state Fire Service.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Muhammed Azare, disclosed this during a Press briefing held at the Command’s headquarters, Ikot Akpan-Abia in Uyo, said the suspects were arrested following credible information that the trucks were stolen and heading to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Azare said, “Based on credible information from a good samaritan that 4 of the state Fire Service trucks were stolen and taken to Port Harcourt, River State, by some officials of the service, the Command moved to recover the said  trucks and further investigation revealed that the fire trucks were leased out to some multinational companies at the rate of N140,000 per truck per day for initial period of 3 yrs.
“The intermediary company’s share was N80, 000 while the fire service officials’ share stood at N60, 000 per truck per day. The deal was done in 2021 and was expected to terminate by 2024.
“However, about two months to the expiration of the deal, the Command acted and recovered the vehicles. The four suspects arrested in the case will be charged to court soon, while the trucks will be released to the Government to continue to serve the good people of the state”.
The Commissioner of Police, who highlighted other breakthroughs recorded by the command within the period under review, said the Command arrested two in connection with vandalisation of transformers, six suspects arrested and convicted in connection with raping of a 13- years old girl for three years, while a Director in the Ministry of Justice, who was kidnapped, was also rescued.
Azare continued that operatives also arrested two suspects in connection with the  vandalization of a transformer belonging to Sure Foundation Polytechnic situated at Ikot Atai, Ukanafun Local Government.
He said, “You may recall that during my first official visit to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of the state, he decried the rising cases of vandalization of Public transformers and infrastructural facility across the state.
“We have, therefore, stepped up our efforts to nip the crime in the bud, by arresting the perpetrators of this act. Towards this end, we have arrested one Prosper Brownson Jim and one Uduak Sunday Benson for vandalization of a transformer belonging to Sure Foundation Polytechnic situated at Ikot Atai, Ukanafun Local Government.
“Transformer Oil valued at about N800, 000.00 was drained, and armored cables valued at about N3.5m were stolen”.
He listed items recovered from the suspects to include transformer, Armored cable and items suspected to be Juju.
 Speaking on the rescue of director in the state ministry of Justice, Azare said, “On December 2024, a distress call was received that a Director with the Ministry of Justice, Akwa Ibom State, and his niece were kidnapped by five armed men.
“Our operatives in the Command immediately swung into action and busted the kidnappers’ den in a thick forest located within Ikot Ukpong Village, Abak Local Government.
“A thorough search was conducted within the forest, and the victims were rescued unharmed from an abandoned soak-away
“The victim’s car was also recovered by the police along Etinan Road where it had been abandoned”.
Christopher Tom, Uyo
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Niger Delta

Delta To Blacklist ‘Bad’ Contractors

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January 17, 2025

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Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, says any contractor who executes shoddy jobs in the state would be sanctioned and blacklisted by his administration.
Oborevwori, who said this late Tuesday while inspecting projects within the state capital, also said sanctions would be meted to site engineers who okay shoddy jobs for payment.
The Governor, who frowned at the poor quality of drainage executed by the contractor handling the 6.5 kilometer Achalla-Ibusa Road, a state government project, said his administration would not tolerate any shoddy job.
He disclosed that his decision to inspect the project, stemmed from an unsatisfactory feedback he had received from individuals whom he had previously sent to evaluate the project.
He said his administration would prioritise road inspection in 2025, as his goal remained ensuring quality road projects worthy of commissioning were constructed in the state.
“This year, we are starting with more of inspection. The work on Achalla-Ibusa Road is bad, very bad. I have told the Commissioner and the Director that we cannot accept the drainage.
“The poor drainage will not affect the stone basing and the asphalting of the road; so, the contractor can continue by taking advantage of the dry season.
“This will serve as a warning to other contractors. There is no contract work that l will not go and inspect. If you do a bad work, we will not pay you. Even if we have paid you, the site engineer will be in trouble.
“This government will not tolerate a situation where site engineers connive with contractors to deliver sub-standard projects.
“If you want to please me or be my friend as a contractor, do a good job; if you don’t do a good job as a contractor, you can’t be my friend”,  he said.
The Governor also said his administration would not spend money on projects that would not give value for money spent to residents of the state.
“Starting this January, I have committed to personally inspecting projects, not just in Asaba but across all 25 local government areas.
“Any contractor who fails to report to their site or delay the work will face contract revocation. We will re-assign such projects to those willing to deliver.
“Our terrain requires us to maximise the dry season for construction. Over the next four months, we aim to complete and commission significant number of projects.
“By the time we reach two years in office, we want to celebrate substantial progress across multiple sectors, including roads, health and education.
“The people of Delta have not seen projects yet; there are lots of projects coming. We are going to award more projects this year across all sectors”, he said.
Oborevwori also inspected the recently completed two kilometer road leading to the 63 Brigade Barracks of the Nigerian Army in Aboh-Ogwashi.
Other projects inspected include the gully erosion site along Okpanam-Ibusa bypass, the perimeter fence and road around Asaba International Airport as well as Kwekagbor Layout, opposite Summit Junction, Asaba.
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FAAN Seeks N580bn For Airport Runways Rehabilitation

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January 17, 2025

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 The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has disclosed that it requires N580billion for the rehabilitation of runways at airports nationwide.
Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, who lamented the state of the runways in the country on Wednesday while receiving the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, said the runways built in the late 1970s had outlived their lifespan.
Additionally, she said, other airport infrastructures such as terminals also need major rehabilitation, stressing that this has been affecting operational efficiency and safety.
“N580bn is required to fix runways across all airports, their life span is between 20 to 25 years but most of the airports were built in 1978.
“Many of FAAN’s facilities, including terminals and runways, are ageing and in need of significant repairs and upgrades. This affects operational efficiency and safety and necessitates substantial investment for modernisation.
“Also, despite efforts to enhance security at airports, FAAN continues to face challenges in managing security risks, particularly with the increase in air travel and the potential for terrorist activities or other threats at key airport locations”, she said.
On land encroachment, Kuku stated that due to the lack of a perimeter fence, FAAN’s landmass is constantly being encroached.
“Obsolete equipment such as old fire tenders, generators, air conditioning systems conveyor lines with worn-out slats, belts, and motors, can be found in many airports that have low efficiency and have high maintenance cost”, she stated.
The FAAN boss, however, promised to modernise infrastructures in the airports by renovating terminals, expanding runways, and upgrading navigational aids.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary expressed confidence in the ongoing transformation within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He promised the ministry’s continuous support to FAAN.
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