Politics
Autonomy: Diri Pledges More Support For Bayelsa LGAs
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said that his administration will continue to give financial support to local governments in the state regardless of the judgment of the Supreme Court that granted autonomy to the councils.
He stated this on Wednesday while swearing in chairmen of two Rural Development Authorities (RDAs) during the 134th State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.
He explained that some of the councils in the state run into deficit after paying workers and teachers salaries and that the government will continue to augment their funds in order for them not to suffer.
The governor further stated that contrary to the impression that states were tampering with local government funds paid through the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC), the case of Bayelsa was different as the government instead augmented their funds.
The state chief executive noted that creation of the RDAs was part of the government’s initiative of taking development to the nooks and crannies of the state, charging the newly sworn in chairmen to discharge their duties dutifully and humbly to the people at the grassroots.
“My administration will continue to give full support to the local government system, regardless of the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy.
“Unlike the impression being peddled that state governments control what goes to the local government accounts after FAAC allocation, the Bayelsa State government augments their funds, as some local councils run in deficit.
“You are carrying the banner of this Prosperity Government to your rural development authorities. I charge you to discharge your duties dutifully and humbly to the people at the grassroots”, Governor Diri said.
Those sworn-in were Mr. Andrew Ikputu-Kirifa for Ogboin South/Tarakiri RDA and Mr. Christian Egbo for Ogbia Central RDA.
The governor, again, expressed concern over the destruction to the power transmission lines serving the state by vandals that has thrown the state into total darkness.
He said he has kept the Commissioner for Power and Managing Director of the Bayelsa State Electricity Company on their toes, working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to ensure that power was quickly restored while the government’s plan to achieve independent power supply for the state was on course.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
A chieftain of the Simplified Movement, Oyigbo Chapter and Prime Minister of Okoloma-Ndoki Council of Traditional Rulers’, Chief Sampson Akaya, has said that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s policies and people- oriented development projects and programmes will guarantee him a second term ticket in the 2027 governorship polls in Rivers State.
Chief Akaya stated this while exchanging views with newsmen recently in Afam Okoloma -Ndoki, headquarters of Oyigbo Local Government Area, on the most remarkable strides in policies and programmes of the Fubara-led administration in the state for the past one year.
“For the first time, after the first indigenous Military Governor of old Rivers State and Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, His Majesty, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, we are having a government that is transforming all the nooks and crannies of the state simultaneously. Go to the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, the story of quality service delivery is the same. So, why won’t such a Governor get a second term.
“What Rivers people should rather be praying for, is for the Governor to keep doing the right thing, despite the avalanche of distractions by those who never wished the state and her people well, when he returns.
“His rescue mission mantra must continue unabated. Rivers people can’t afford to return to the land of Egypt, when we are on the march to the promised land, where milk and honey flows”, Chief Akaya declared.
The royal father used the opportunity to thank Governor Fubara for the appointment of Engr Gogo Philip as Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Oyigbo LGA.
“I am indeed happy that the Governor deemed him fit to serve the LGA in that capacity. Primarily, his vision is to take the LGA to the next level. What he touches becomes gold and this is courtesy of God’s grace; and now that he is involved in the development of Oyigbo LGA, he will do his very best to ensure that Oyigbo becomes one of the finest in Nigeria.
“He knows quite well that with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the saddle of governance in the state, every sectors of the economy, especially those of them in the LGAs, would enjoy unquenchable transformation fire, where better future will thrive.”
On his fitness to govern Rivers State, Chief Akaya said that the Governor has the wherewithal to rule the state beyond 2027 in order to attract more democracy dividends to the people.
He, however, urged the Governor not to be deterred, going by the political crisis rocking the state, adding that “No amount of distractions can change the narratives of the Governor’s commitment to quality service delivery, as to take the state and her people to a better development pedestal”.
Bethel Toby
He said if lack of funds for tuition had hindered them from going to school, they could now grab the Tinubu administration‘s students loan to go to school.
“The loan scheme is a beacon of hope for those interested in going to school, for they have no reason not to go to school any longer,” he said.
Senator Jibrin spoke at Amani Events Centre, Kano, during the distribution of admission letters to beneficiaries of his postgraduate foreign scholarship programme.
Barau Jibrin Foundation has sponsored 70 graduates from Kano to do Master’s in Canada, United States, India and others in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Information Security and Cyber Forensic as well as Robotics Science.
He noted that the Foreign Scholarship Programme was a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) identifying and supporting gifted and talented youths in Kano State to acquire postgraduate degrees in selected fields to give them competitive advantage to contribute to development of Nigeria.
Five of the beneficiaries are women, it was learnt.
“In this first edition, we are sponsoring 70 candidates from our three senatorial districts to pursue higher degrees abroad. This is to expose them to best global educational standards in their fields.
“The scholarship is designed to showcase our commitment to educational development of our youths, who we considered as pillars of societal development.
“At Jibrin Foundation, we give pride to development of the youth, who reshape and energise our society. What we are doing is a demonstration of the hallmark of our political ideology to build and empower the youth to secure our future and society,” he said.
He noted that beneficiaries were picked on merit, not because of political party or geographical affiliation.
Senator Jibrin called on the private sector and individuals to support the Tinubu administration’s efforts in revolutionising the education sector, as government, he said, could not do it alone.
The resignation letters, dated September 4 and September 6, 2024, were addressed to their party’s respective local government and ward chairmen.
The resigning aides are Osayande Emenya (Ward 6, Oredo Local Government), Henry Osaheni Ukato (Ward 6, Oredo Local Government), Efosa Edo-Osagie (Ward 6, Oredo Local Government), and Timothy Edokpolor (Ward 8, Ikpoba Okha Local Government).
The aides cited non-payment of salaries since their appointments as their primary reason for resigning. They also complained about the alleged marginalisation of original party members, stating: “We are resigning from the party based on the principles of equity, fairness, and justice, which are no longer upheld at the ward levels, coupled with the marginalisation of the original PDP members who have sustained the party.”
However, the aides did not disclose their future political destination.
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