Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed displeasure at the state of facilities in some public schools in the state.
Speaking in Kaiama at the end of an unscheduled visit to Saint Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata-Yenagoa, and the Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama, in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Diri said the government’s budgetary provisions and expenditure in the education sector do not match the reality on ground.
He directed the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, to immediately take steps to address the issues on dilapidated structures in schools across the state.
At the Ijaw National Academy, the Governor noted the absence of sporting facilities and the uncompleted dining hall and directed the Commissioner to ensure that the contractor returned to site.
He also frowned at the state of the hostels in the school, restating the commitment of his administration to the development of the education sector given its importance to nation building.
The Bayelsa helmsman said he will undertake more unscheduled visits to schools and other government departments to see things for himself and called on relevant officials to take more seriously maintenance of public facilities.
He said with the progress made by the state in external examinations such as the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), it was necessary to put the right facilities in place to enable students perform better.
“I have been to Saint Jude’s and I am here at the Ijaw National Academy. I am not satisfied with what I have seen.
“If schools that are in the urban, motorable areas are in this state, how would those in the rural, riverine communities be like?
“In this second tenure, I will pay unscheduled visits to our schools, hospitals and other important government agencies.
“Students are very important. I am not happy with the state of dilapidation I saw at St Jude’s. We must strengthen supervision.
“I have directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure that your school is rehabilitated. I have also directed that between now and Friday, the completed basketball court be handed over to the school authorities in Saint Jude’s.
“This is a school that has been doing well and has made our state proud many times in basketball”, Diri said.
Highpoint of the visit was the governor, who was a teacher, returning to the classroom at the INA to teach senior secondary students preparing for Government as a subject in the upcoming WASC examination.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa

The newly re-elected Chairperson, Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), in Edo State, Mrs. Ann Ojugu, has pledged to push for the establishment of a Disability Commission in the state.
Ojugu, who won a second four-year term on Saturday in Benin, said the commission would provide institutional support for persons with disabilities and attract funding from both local and international organisations.
“My plan is to intensify efforts to ensure that before the next four years, we get the commission working in the state.
“This commission is very important because it will help drive policies and attract foreign donors”, she said.
The keenly contested election saw Ojugu secure 105 votes to defeat her challenger, Emmanuel Omoike, who polled six votes.
Mr. Victor Imahingbe, Chairman of the Electoral committee, also announced Kingsley Osadolor as Vice Chairman.
Osadolor defeated Mathew Akabue and Justice Odigie with 57 votes to 34 and 18 votes, respectively.
Speaking with The Tide’s source after her swearing-in, Ojugu reaffirmed her commitment to push for the rights and welfare of PWDs in Edo.
She said during her first tenure, she created job opportunities for PWDs and implemented disability-friendly infrastructure in government buildings.
She noted the new secretariat building as a testament to her achievements.
“You see that many of us got jobs during that period, and we are hoping that even more will come in this new term.
She urged the government and society to recognise that disability does not define an individual’s potential.
“The government needs to be sensitised. We need to make sure that even if a person has a disability, that disability does not define who they are. It is society that defines who we are”, she asserted.
Ojugu thanked JONAPWD members for their trust and pledged to work tirelessly toward a more inclusive and supportive environment for persons with disabilities in Edo State.

Renowned evangelists, Rev (Dr) Uma Ukpai, Rev (Prof) Ebitimi Weigha, and an Abuja-based cleric, Bishop Emmanuel Effa, have said there is a better future for Ofoni Community, home town of the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
They gave their prophesies recently at the 12th edition of the Ofoni Annual Christian Festival with a call on the people of the community to trust God for greater blessings in the days ahead.
Speaking during the 3-day event, the clerics declared that Ofoni Community had entered a new threshold of blessings and elevation for keeping faith with the annual thanksgiving ceremony despite the loss of their paramount ruler last month.
Rev. Ukpai, who took his exhortation from the book of Genesis12:2 -3, noted that only a people who trust God for everything would come together and offer thanks to God every year.
The theme of the grand finale of the 3-day event, held at the Ofoni Ultra modern Pavilion at the weekend, was: “Ofoni, Thy Seed of Thanksgiving Shall Conquer, Reign, Rule and Prosper Among Nations”.
According to the man of God, Ofoni Community would never remain the same again, as God had opened a new door for it to move from one level of greatness to another.
Speaking from Isaiah 62, Bishop Effa emphasized that whenever God wants to change the story of a man, He gives him a new name, citing the case of Abraham, Sarah and Jacob in the Bible as examples.
Effa, who warned those involved in idolatry to repent, however, prophesied that God had given a new name to Ofoni Community, urging them to prepare for the great promotion that would manifest in the near future.
On his part, Rev. Ebitimi Weigha, who is one of the initiators of the Ofoni Annual Thanksgiving Day, enjoined the people of Ofoni to look up to Jesus Christ and make love and unity of purpose their watchword for them to conquer, reign and prosper.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, expressed gratitude to the clergy and everyone who came from far and near to join the Ofoni people celebrate their annual thanksgiving festival.
He also thanked his people for their unwavering support to him and the State Government over the years, and urged them to believe in the prophecies of the clerics by placing their total confidence in God, who alone can do all things.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who noted that the community was in a mixed mood on account of the death of its paramount ruler on the 3rd of January, said the thanksgiving was held against all odds because the people see it as a covenant with God that must be honoured.
Highlights of the event included observing a moment of silence in honour of the departed Amananaowei of Ofoni Federated Community, the late His Royal Highness, Chief Auditor Onakpohor, thanks-offering by various groups and presentation of cake to the Deputy Governor by some young girls led by Miss Michael Hope who he sponsored to acquire catering skills.
Dignitaries that attended the ceremony include: the state PDP Chairman, Hon. Solomon Agwana; the Commissioner for Communications, Science and Technology, Hon. Gibson Munalayefa; the Special Adviser on Religious Matters, Rev. Godspower Asingba; and former Technical Adviser on Conflict Resolution, Chief Boma Spero-Jack.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa