Niger Delta
Bayelsa Honours Jonathan, Diri, Others … Empowers 2850 Skill Graduands
The Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (ETDF) has awarded former President Goodluck Jonathan and the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as honorary Ambassadors of Education in the State.
Also awarded were former Governor of the State, and now Senator representing the State’s Western Senatorial district, Seriake Dickson, former Senator Emmanuel Paulker, and the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Dr. Fred Agbedi.
The awardees also included a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, Maj. Gen. Allison Isaiah Allison, Arc. Reuben Okoya, and a retired Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Diseye Nsirim.
The Tide reports that the event was held as part of activities marking the continuation of the fifth year in office anniversary celebration of the Governor Diri-led “Assured Prosperity” administration.
In her opening speech, the Executive Secretary, EDTF, Dr. Alice Atuwo, said the Fund was established in 2017 and took over the sponsorship of students in five model secondary schools, noting that presently the model schools have increased to 11.
She thanked the State Governor and all those who have made impact and contributed to adequate deployment of the Fund for their support and commitment.
Responding on behalf of the awardees, Dr. Jonathan, represented by a former Commissioner for Education in the State, Mr. Tobias James, described the award as recognition of contributions to the growth and development of education in the state, pledging to continue the advocacy for accessible and inclusive education for all.
In his remarks, the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, while paying tribute to his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, for establishing the EDTF, said his administration continued with some of the policies of his predecessor to enhance development of the state.
He noted that policy, such as the EDTF, was visionary and deserved to be retained and expanded in the overall interest of the state, promising to continue investing in human capacity building to develop a viable private sector in the state that is independent of government.
Tagged “Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) Interventions/Graduation Ceremony of the Diri Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Programme”, the programme held at the Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, the State capital.
Meanwhile, 2,850 graduands of the third batch of the Diri skills acquisition programme have been presented with starter packs and other tools by the State Government.
The Tide learnt that the beneficiaries were trained for five months in paint making, solar installation and electrical works, shoe making, soap making, cosmetology, fashion and design, catering, pastries and others.
“I consider this empowerment scheme as one aspect of this administration that we will continue to do so that our people will not be government-dependent. We’ll have a state that the private sector can develop and you are those that will develop the private sector”, the Governor said.
“I implore you, the graduands of this skill acquisition training, not to sell your starter packs, but rather put into practice the skills acquired to improve your lives and actualise government’s vision of building a sustainable future for you.
“You’re the ones carrying our dreams. So do not disappoint us. Out of 9,000 applicants, you succeeded. You’re building yourselves and equally building Bayelsa”, Diri added.
Directing the Technical Adviser on Entrepreneurship Development to conduct key performance index (KPI) on beneficiaries of the scheme, Diri appreciated the EDTF Executive Secretary, Dr. Alice Atuwo, members of the board, and those that have supported the fund for the feat achieved.
He stated that his administration has expanded the fund beyond the full scholarship for students in the model schools to now accommodate the technical colleges.
He also directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure that the technical colleges in Southern-Ijaw and Nembe Local Government Areas were built and completed this year.
In the same vein, the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship Development and Coordinator of the Diri Skills Acquisition Training Programme, Mrs. Charity Ken-Godwins, stated that since 2021, the Diri administration had been transforming the lives of the youths through various empowerment programmes.
“In 2021, 814 students graduated from the skills acquisition programme. In 2022, another 815 benefitted and today we are celebrating the graduation of 2,850 trainees who acquired skills in leather works, fashion design, cosmetology and other areas.These skills will instill in them a sense of self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
“In 2023, the Governor directed that an additional 800 Bayelsans be trained but over 9,000 persons applied and that 3,500 were eventually selected and trained”, She said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Tech and Gadget resellers in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have protested alleged incessant burglary attacks on their business premises within the last three months .
The Tide’s source reports that the dealers who were armed with placards of various inscriptions described the robberies as an attack on their businesses and source of livelihood.
They said within the last three months they have loss about N700 million due to the attacks on their shops and business premises.
They appealed to the State Government and relevant security agencies to save them from the incessant attacks, saying about seven shops have been attacked in the last three months.
According to the Spokesman of the dealers, Mr Paschal Obi, “we no longer feel safe. In three months about seven of our shops have been bugled and we have lost not less than N700 million collectively.
”These monies largely come from bank loans. So, government should come to our aid by providing security. We pay all manner of taxes and levies and should be protected by the government.”
Also speaking, the CEO of George Gadgets, George Nwosu, said his shop was burgled twice in 2024.
He said the matter was reported to the Police Command in the state, but nothing had come out of it yet.
He decried the poor level of insecurity in the metropolis and called for the State Government’s intervention.
In the same vein, Okoro Benjamin, another victim, said two of his shops were burgled last December 10 and 11 and that goods worth more than N400 million were lost.
He joined his colleagues to plead for security, saying that most of them were now running out of business.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Irene Ugbo, said the Command was investigating the robberies and would surely get the robbers.
She also disclosed that as a temporary measure, the Command would put an eye along that axis of the metropolis and put in a place a stationary patrol team along the area for improved security.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the placards carried by the protesters had inscription such as ‘’businesses cannot function in an unsafe environment”.
Others had “my prince, our gadget shops are shutting down”, “Phones and gadget shops are shutting down”, “There are no patrol teams in the city of Calabar from 12 am to 6 am, so criminals have an easy ride on us”.
The Police Command in Edo State says it has arrested five suspects in connection with two different killings in the state.
This is contained in a statement on in Benin by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in charge of the Command, CSP Moses Yamu.
Yamu said the killings included an alleged murder of a 7-year-old boy and the assassination of a local vigilante commander.
He said one Mr. John Okojabhole, a resident of Jehovah Witness Road, off Elebesunu Street in Irrua, reported the murder of his son, Evans Okojabhole, on February 22.
He said the boy, who had been declared missing 24 hours earlier, was later found dead with his stomach ripped open, his ankles severed, and some fingers cut off.
“His mutilated body was dumped in a bush near their home.
“Following preliminary investigations, two suspects were arrested in connection with the crime.
“The police transferred the suspects to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) in Benin for further investigation,” the statement said.
The PPRO said in another incident, the Command was investigating the killing of one Victor Ogedengbe, 50, the Vigilante Commander of Erah Camp in Owan East Local Government Area of the state.
“Ogedengbe was reportedly attacked and killed in his farm on February 25 by suspected herdsmen.
“The Chairman of Owan East Local Government Area reported the incident at Afuze Police Division, prompting a swift investigation that led to the arrest of three suspects.
“The suspects are all residents of Erah community, and they have also been transferred to the SCID for further interrogation,” he said.
Yamu noted in the statement that the police had also increased security in Uzanu and Okpekpe communities following the recent killing of two farmers by suspected herdsmen.
He said the State Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimenyin, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of residents in the state.
He quoted the Commissioner as urging the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with law enforcement agents by reporting suspicious activities.
“We appreciate the support from the general public and appeal for continued cooperation. If you see something, say something,” the police boss was quoted as saying.
The Bayelsa State Government has indicated its preparedness to partner the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank in harnessing non-oil and gas resources in the state for export.
Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made this known weekend during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from NEXIM Bank, led by its South-South Regional Head, Mr. Soni Oseghale, in Government House, Yenagoa.
Expressing the belief that the objective of the bank was in line with the Assured Prosperity Agenda of the present administration, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, however, debunked the impression that Bayelsa was a mono-product state.
He emphasized that apart from oil and gas, the state is richly endowed with a wide range of natural resources, including fish and arable land capable of producing rice, oil palm, plantain and several other crops in commercial quantities.
The Deputy Governor, who noted that Bayelsa has comparative advantage in aquaculture and fisheries, urged the visiting team to undertake a tour to the state’s fish farm at the Yenegwe- Igbogene area, which has potential for producing enough fish to feed the state and for export.
While calling on the NEXIM Bank to bring in their wealth of experience and expertise to help the state maximally harness its natural resources for export, Senator Ewhrudjakpo assured them that the state investment team was prepared for all the necessary discussions and documentation to ensure the prompt take-off of the partnership deal.
“Your mission here is quite apt for us as a government, and your objective is also in line with that of our government of assured prosperity, especially in diversifying the economy.
“But, let me again correct the impression that Bayelsa produces oil and gas only. We are not a mono-product state, but Bayelsa is often short-changed in several ways.
“Look at the tax reforms now, what is there for Bayelsa? You are doing a tax reform for VAT and other things, but does oil not play a major part in VAT? There is VAT in the oil they are selling, but nobody is talking about it.
“We have products that we really would want you to encourage us to harness. If you have the time, I would like you to visit Yenegwe and see our fish farm there. In my opinion, that fish farm alone is enough for us to start from.
“That place was meant to export fish, a lot of resources have been committed to it. It has capacity of processing about 10 thousand dried fish in a single day. It has a feed mill, and everything you can think of. It is like the fish terminal at Tamale, in Ghana.
“We actually believe that aquaculture should be our best foot out. We have a comparative advantage in rice, oil palm, shrimps, and all those things you have mentioned. But let us look for the ones that would give us immediate success”, he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Regional Head of NEXIM Bank, South South, Mr. Soni Oseghale, said the team was in Bayelsa to collaborate with the State Government in identifying non-oil resources available in commercial quantity which could be exploited and harnessed for export.
Mr. Oseghale, who noted that each of the 36 states of the federation had resources that could be tapped to earn foreign exchange, however, stressed that no deliberate effort had been made to correct Nigeria’s foreign trade deficit because of the country’s over-dependence on oil and gas for export.
He said the bank would readily deploy its strategy working in close synergy with the technical team of the Bayelsa State government to fully explore identified areas of comparative advantage for export purposes.
Present at the courtesy visit were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Mrs. Peremoboere Soroh, and the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Accounts, Revenue and Treasury, Mr. Timipre Seipulou
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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