Niger Delta

Dickson Charges Commissioner On Hiv/Aids Scourge

Published

13 years ago

July 4, 2012

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has expressed alarm over the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in the state and signifies his intention to establish an agency to tackle the menace.

Governor Dickson stated this at the swearing-in of the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Michael Awoli in Government House, Yenagoa.

According to Hon. Dickson, reports at his disposal

indicate the prevalence rate of the pandemic in the state is very high, which

he noted portends grave danger for the future of the state.

To institutionalise the fight against the scourge, the Governor said a bill establishing the agency has been forwarded to the State House of Assembly.

He explained that the body would be in abetter position to coordinate government’s policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS in the state.

Expressing his administration’s commitment towards providing effective health services to Bayelsans. He directed the newly sworn in Commissioner to be innovative and formulate policies that would assist government to provide “world class modern health delivery services to the people”.

He urged the health commissioner to also take inventory of all existing health institutions in the state, noted that the present administration has gone far with the processes of awarding

contracts for the construction of functional general hospitals and other health facilities in all the eight local government areas of the state.

While lamenting the undue setbacks the Melford Okilo

Memorial Hospital had suffered, Governor Dickson expressed optimism that his government would make concerted efforts to expedite the completion and use of the 500-bed hospital in the next six months.

Niger Delta

Fubara, Strategically Picked To Unveil New Bayelsa NLC/TUC House – Diri … As Bayelsa Spends N20bn On Gratuity

Published

7 mins ago

February 26, 2025

The Tide

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye, has said that his Rivers State counterpart, Siminalayi Fubara, was deliberately picked to unveil the newly built Secretariat of the organized Labour in the state, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Diri, who gave the explanation recently, during the inauguration of the new Secretariat on Bayelsa, said the Rivers State Governor was picked because of his workers-friendly disposition to Rivers worker.

“My brother, and Rivers counterpart, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara was deliberately chosen to inaugurate this Secretariat building due to his commitment to the welfare of workers in Rivers State as a career civil servant who attained the peak of his career before becoming Governor”, he said.

Diri further said “Governor Fubara has served meritoriously as a career civil servant and attained the peak of his career before becoming Governor”.

According to him, “the edifice symbolised the harmonious relationship between labour and my administration”.

He stated that more would be achieved when there is industrial harmony, noting that workers’ welfare had always been a top priority of his administration.

“When we came on board, the issue of outstanding gratuities and pensions were on the front burner. We immediately made it a matter of policy to ensure that our senior citizens were respected by paying their arrears over the years.

“At this fifth anniversary of our administration, we have paid over N20 billion as gratuity and pension to retired citizens and we will continue to ensure that they receive them. Before we leave office, we would have cleared the backlog.

Speaking on the issue of more homogenous states for the Ijaw ethnic nationality, the Bayelsa Governor urged the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to work towards the creation of Toru-Ebe and Oil River states.

He noted that the balkanisation of the Ijaws into different states has given them a minority status in those states, stressing that only Bayelsa was created out of the three states demanded by the Ijaws.

He also stated that it was an anomaly for Bayelsa to have only eight local government areas, saying it was an injustice that should be corrected by the Federal Government.

According to him, the creation of local government areas should have been the responsibility of states based on their ability and capacity to fund the number they create and not the current situation where local governments were created by the Federal Government and funded with the resources from the states.

In his remarks, Governor Siminalayi Fubara commended the Diri administration’s worker-friendly posture.

He advised labour to work harmoniously with the government, adding that they would be the most affected if there was industrial crisis.

He said his administration would continue to work with his Bayelsa counterpart in the interest and development of both states.

“For about 16 years, there was friction between Rivers and Bayelsa states but under my administration, we will work with you bearing in mind that you are a sister state and whatever the issues were, we have settled out of court”, Governor Fubara said.

In their joint address, presidents of the NLC and TUC, represented by former Bayelsa State NLC Chairman, Comrade Ebipre Ndiomu, and Austin Jonah, respectively, said the edifice was a testament of the collaborative effort between labour and government and would be used to strategize, and advance the cause of labour.

The labour leaders also appreciated Diri for his worker-friendly policies and urged workers to reciprocate the gesture through increased productivity.

In his address, the Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Chief Odoko Omiloli, explained that the NLC and TUC complex was a double-winged and double-annexed one-storey building that would serve as a one-stop structure for the activities of trade unions in the state.

Chief Omiloli, who said the project was inherited from the previous administration of Senator Seriake Dickson, added that it was revalidated and awarded in December 2022 to January Aboroebi Nigeria Limited, an indigenous construction firm.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Okpebholo Inaugurates New Buses For Revived Edoline, Security Agencies

Published

8 mins ago

February 26, 2025

The Tide

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has inaugurated 56 new Toyota Hiace buses for the revived Edoline Transport Service.

This is contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Fred Itua, in Benin.

Okpebholo also inaugurated 38 new Toyota Hilux vans and 16 Prado Jeeps, for security agencies in the state to fight crime.

Former Edo State Governor, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, who was at the event, commended the Governor for his achievements in 100 days in office.

Oshiomhole said Okpebholo had achieved what he could not accomplish as governor during his time.

He commended the courage, determination, and bravery of Okpebholo for reviving the state-owned transport service.

For the security vehicles, he said criminals were mobile, and security agencies charged with fighting crimes must be mobile too to match them.

“I am happy that you speak less and do more for Edo people. The security vehicles have been equipped with communication gadgets, and our security agencies have all it takes to fight crime”, he said.

The Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimenyin, lauded the Governor for the vehicles.

“We thank the Governor for matching words with actions by providing security agencies with vehicles, especially now that we are embarking on Operation Rescue at the instance of the state government”, she said.

Other dignitaries at the event include the Deputy Governor, Mr. Dennis Idahosa; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Secretary to the State Government, Musa Ikhilor; and Chief of Staff, Gani Audu.

Niger Delta

Ogoja State Agitation Gains Momentum In Cross River

Published

8 mins 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.