BAYELSA POLL: TIMIPRE SYLVA BROKE, OFFERS CHOICE PROPERTIES IN LAGOS, ABUJA FOR SALE

Indications emerged on Saturday that the Bayelsa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, is broke and may have resorted to selling his properties to raise funds ahead of the December 5 election.A source privy to the development who played a major role during the last governorship primary where Sylva emerged candidate confirmed that it was a desperate move to keep his campaign going and probably make some impressions during the race.According to him, since then, most of the funding of the campaign had been undertaken by Sylva as other key players who could have assisted were said to have distanced themselves from him because of alleged betrayal.“Timipre Sylva is broke, now flat, but there is hope very soon”, the source who craved anonymity declared.Sylva was said to have initially told most governorship aspirants that he was not running and actually collected huge sums of money from at least six persons with the understanding that he will make them the APC candidate only to turn around as aspirant and eventually maneuvered the electoral process to clinch the ticket.This, it was further gathered, had sowed the seed of discord between Sylva and the other former aspirants who are believed to be engaging in a ‘sidon look” attitude towards the election."Running a governorship election is money consuming and in the current circumstance of the APC in Bayelsa State, Sylva would have to take every step that could

VIDEO: LATE CHIEF ALAMEISEIGHA'S SPEECH,LAST WISH FOR THE IJAW NATION

ALAMIEYESEIGHA: GOV DICKSON SIGNS CONDOLENCE REGISTER

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, officially signing the condolence register for the death of the first civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, at the Government House, Yenagoa.

 

ALAMIEYESEIGHA: BAYELSA DECLARES 7 DAYS MOURNING, AS FLAGS FLY AT HALF MAST

 

The Bayelsa State Government has declared 7 days of mourning in honour of the first civilian Governor of the State Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, who passedon last Saturday at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.A Government House statement to this effect also directed that, all flags in all public buildings and premises across the State be flown at half mast for the period.The 7 days mourning period and the flying of the flags at half mast takes effect from Today, while condolence registers have been opened in Government House, the State Secretariat complex and Ijaw House, all in the State capital.

MORE IJAW GROUPS BLAME APC FOR ALAM'S DEATH

More reactions by pan-Ijaw groups yesterday trailed the sudden death of former governor of Bayelsa State, Dieprieye Alamayiesiegha, with a common stand that the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be held responsible for the incident.In their separate statements made available to the media, the groups said the recent extradition notice purportedly issued by Britain on the former governor aggravated his health condition and his eventual death.The Ijaw Heritage and Cultural Club based in the United States in its statement said it was shocked beyond words by the news of the sudden death of DSP Alamasieyiegha and regretted the circumstances surrounding it.It noted in the statement signed by one Prof. Julius Eteli that Alamayiesiegha's death was curious given the fact that he regularly received medical treatment abroad, adding that the former Governor-General of the Ijaw nation had actually returned from such medical trips in Dubai believed to have been facilitated by the Bayelsa State Government."From available reports, the Bayelsa State Government has always been of assistance to him, taking care of his medical bills and upkeep. The question is: how can a man who had just returned from Dubai having been

BAYELSA APC CRISIS DEEPEND,FACTION DRUMS SUPPORT FOR DICKSON

Efforts to reconcile aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Bayelsa State by the leadership of the party have continued to proved abortive.Already, a faction led by the state chairman of the party, Tiwe Oruminige, hasi threatened to mobilise support and ensure that his members vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for December, 5 2015.The faction had last week in Yenagoa, protested against the choice of a retired Permanent Secretary, Ogiri as a running mate to ex-governor Timipre Sylva.In the protest that lasted for several hours at the APC secretariat along Mbiama/Yenagoa Road, they pulled down Sylva’s billboard, chanting war songs and calling for immediate replacement of Sylva’s running mate which was said to have been ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. To further press home their demands, placards with various inscriptions were displayed during the protest.Sensing the danger ahead, the NWC summoned a meeting in Abuja to address the issue but it was deadlocked as the two groups were not ready to shift ground.A source at the meeting stated that representatives of the Tiwe led group accused Sylva of betraying his followers, adding that they supported him on his promise that he would pick Tiwe as his running mate. The agreement was sealed before the APC primaries in Yenagoa.Other governorship aspirants suffered similar fate as Sylva promised them governorship ticket before joining the party only for him to renege on the agreement.A member of the group said that they have opened talks with the leadership of the PDP Bayelsa state.He said, "We are not ashamed of making what I will describe as progressive U-turn to the PDP. This is politics and it is all about interest. As at the time that we are leaving PDP, we thought of better treatment in APC but it is the other way round."We are going to vote enmasse for the PDP even as members of APC. We are going to pay Sylva back in his own coin."Some of us have planned to make appearance at Governor Dickson campaign flag off on Saturday and there is no going back.APC and Sylva have failed us and we are saying no to impostor."

BAYELSA NASS CAUCUS KICKS AGAINST ALAMIEYESIEGHA’S EXTRADICTION NOTICE.....SYLVA FINGERED BEHIND THE PLOT

Chairman of the Bayelsa State caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Foster Ogola, has condemned fresh moves to have former governor Diepreye Alamieyesiegha, extradited to Britain.While speaking at a function where Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, was endorsed for a second term by several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the collective of the civil society in Yenagoa, the state capital yesterday, Senator Ogala raised posers on the rationale for the extradition notice by Britain.According to him, the latest moves were suspicious, noting that Alamieyesiegha had gone through a legal process, prosecuted by a competent court of jurisdiction, indicted, sentenced and was granted presidential pardon.He asked:” What is the basis of this new extradition having gone through all legal process culminating in a presidential pardon?”Ogola, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues in the National Assembly therefore called for restraint on the extradition moves in the interest of justice.Lending his voice to Ogola’s position, Bayelsa State

GOV POLL: APC CRISIS PORTENDS DANGER FOR BAYELSA, SAYS DICKSON

Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson on Tuesday said that the ongoing crisis in the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) portends grave danger to the democratic fortunes already established in the state. Governor Dickson stated this during the inauguration of of 8 new Special Advisers and the General Manager of the Bayelsa State Transport Company, Hon. Emomotimi Fanama in Yenagoa.The new Special Advisers are Deacon James Dugo, Chief Bernard Agai, Chief Patrick Osunu, Hon. Agatha Goma, Hon. Ayobegha James, Mr. Alex Dumbo, Chief Kienyosuote Degi and Henry Orumieyefa. According to him, the inability of the APC to properly coordinate its activities has confirmed his earlier position that those opposing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP do not have the interest of the people at heart. Dickson, who restated his call on those who defected from the PDP to return, maintained that, the PDP would serve their interests better rather than remain in a party to be treated as strangers.While congratulating the new appointees, he described them as high caliber people, who have been tried and tested in various political capacities.Dickson urged them to strengthen their contacts with the people, especially as the gubernatorial election approaches.He re-assured Bayelsans of the restoration government’s commitment to working for the greater peace, stability and sustainable development of the State.   

PHOTO SPEAK: GOV DICKSON SWEARS-IN PERMANENT SECRETARY, 8 SPECIAL ADVISERS

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (2nd L), his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd) (L), newly sworn-in Special Advisers; Hon. James Dugo (2nd R), and Mrs Agatha Goma (R), shortly after the swearing-in ceremony of the 8 Special Advisers, at the Banquet hall, Government House, Yenagoa.

BAYELSA: APC CRISIS DEPEENS AS CHAIRMAN, EX-MILITANT LEADER ATTACK SYLVA IN ABUJA.....BATTLE OVER CHOICE OF DEPUTY

The crisis of confidence bedeviling the Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) deepened yesterday when the fuss over choice of running mate to the governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, shifted to his Abuja palatial home leading to hot exchanges. In the process, Sylva was said to have got a hot slap on his cheeks for what said to be a result of his “deception and betrayal”.Both the state chairman of APC, Chief Tiwe Oruminigbe and an ex-militant leader, General Africa, were involved in the fracas.Since the APC primary where the former governor emerged as candidate, there have been a relentless battle over who becomes his deputy as the jostle for the slot kept shifting from one supposedly anointed person to the other.Sources privy to the development reliably told our reporter that Sylva had all along promised no fewer than six persons who would be picked as his running mate but none of them has so far been named. APC state chairman, Tiwe Orumingbe, was one of those initially favoured as Sylva was said to have repeatedly

DICKSON CALLS ON PDP DEFECTORS TO RETURN, SAYS ELECTION NOT ABOUT HIM

Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has called on all former leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the party without further delay and join him in his re-election for the development of the state.His call came yesterday in the light of what he felt were the” humiliation and betrayal” meted to them by the APC leadership in the state, which had rendered them onlookers in the quest for political participation and relevance.He also noted that, the opposition party did not represent any viable alternative to peace, unity and development of the state, reminding them that the APC leadership in the state only had a repressive and retrogressive past, which will not serve any better purpose in this dispensation.While stressing that the forthcoming election was not about him, but for the greater good of Bayelsa State, Dickson urged all PDP defectors to put their grievances behind them and join hands with him to uphold the interest of the state and the Ijaw nation above personal interest, adding that none of them could afford to allow the state slid into the dark days of the past.
“We may have had our differences, but in the light of current realities, it is only desirable that all our former members return to the PDP and join hands with me for greater development of Bayelsa State. Certainly we cannot afford a return to the dark days of our past and allow the state slid into anarchy, killings, maiming, kidnappings, cultism and state-sponsored terrorism directed at political opponents.The harrowing experiences of many Bayelsans, who fled into exile in neighbouring states and far-flung places, under the APC candidate when he held sway as governor for five years remain vivid and should not be allowed to be repeated. This is why we have to reason together and make amends”, he said.He charged Bayelsans not to be afraid or be intimidated, but come out en-mass and exercise their civic duty on election day, assuring them that, adequate security will be provided to ensure voting takes place all across the state in a peaceful atmosphere.He allayed the fears of rigging, saying nobody can rig the election, adding that the votes of every Bayelsan will count and results will be declared in every polling unit.He stated: “Let me assure you all Bayelsans that the fear of rigging in this election, reasonable as it sounds, will not be possible. Nobody can rig this election, because the whole world will be in Bayelsa to monitor the process. Your votes will count. When you vote on election day, wait and be a monitor yourself. There will be adequate security and all key federal institutions that will be saddled with the task of conducting the election such as INEC and law enforcement agencies will be fully on ground to ensure there are no hitches or give room for manipulation in favour of a particular candidate. Your votes will count”.

BAYELSA RANKS 4TH IN 2014/2015 SSSCE…AS DICKSON INVESTS N25BN IN 3 YEARS IN EDUCATION SECTOR

It has been revealed that, Bayelsa State was ranked 4^th in the federation in the last Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, (SSSCE). This has put paid to the efforts of the present administration at re-positioning the education sector.According to the report released by the West African Examination Council, (WAEC), the six leading states are, Anambra 65.92%, Abia 58.52%, Edo 57.82%, Bayelsa 52.83%, Rivers 52.73% and Enugu 51.91%.Prior to this period, Bayelsa State always lead the table from the rear as this was attributable to poor management and bad educational policies.Governor Seriake Dickson on assumption of office three and half years ago, expressed dismay over the standard of education in the state, especially the unimpressive position of Bayelsa among the comity of states.He said, “the development necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in the sector and the government has invested N25 billion, so far in the last 3 and half years to revamp the sector"Speaking during the 2015 Teachers Day Celebration held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, Hon. Dickson enjoined the teachers to always strive to put in their best, stating that, his administration will continually address their welfare as well as improve the infrastructure in the sector.Governor Dickson, who applauded teachers for their contribution to the growth and development of society, assured that in the next 2 weeks, the Teachers Training Academy would be inaugurated to train and re-train teachers to excel in their profession.Describing the teaching profession as crucial in nation-building, the Governor warned school Principals in the state against extortion of students under the guise of collection of NECO and WAEC fees, stressing that, the government has been picking the bills for such fees to alleviate the plight of parents and wards.Responding, the state secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Okoroafor Okechukwu expressed gratitude to the state government for the prompt payment of salaries to workers, despite the austere times.Comrade Okechukwu, who was full of praises for the government’s approval for the payment of the arrears of N18,000 minimum wage, pledged the union’s total support for Governor Dickson’s second term re-election bid to enable the restoration government consolidate on its achievements.

DICKSON CALLS ON PDP DEFECTORS TO RETURN, SAYS ELECTION NOT ABOUT HIM

Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has called on all former leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the party without further delay and join him in his re-election for the development of the state. His call came yesterday in the light of what he felt were the” humiliation and betrayal” meted to them by the APC leadership in the state, which had rendered them onlookers in the quest for political participation and relevance.He also noted that, the opposition party did not represent any viable alternative to peace, unity and development of the state, reminding them that the APC leadership in the state only had a repressive and retrogressive past, which will not serve any better purpose in this dispensation.While stressing that the forthcoming election was not about him, but for the greater good of Bayelsa State, Dickson urged all PDP defectors to put their grievances behind them and join hands with him to uphold the interest of the state and the Ijaw nation above personal interest, adding that none of them could afford to allow the state slid into the dark days of the past.“We may have had our differences, but in the light of current realities,

BAYELSA: CHOICE OF SYLVA’S DEPUTY TEARS APC APART.....MASS DEFECTION LOOMS

Fresh crisis is believed to be tearing apart the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State as the choice of who becomes the deputy to the the governorship candiadate, Timipre Sylva, is causing unease among party leaders and the nucleus of the campaign organization.Sylva had earlier promised in his address after emerging as candidate to name his running mate by last Saturday but it never materialized.Impeccable source within the top echelon of the APC in the state who pleaded anonymity confided in our correspondent weekend that the matter had become so worrisome that if care was not taken, it could lead to breakaway ahead of the December 5 governorship election.“It is now a fight to finish”, the source said.It was gathered that the trouble with the choice of deputy governorship candidate was caused by Sylva himself who, it was said, had promised too many political associates in order to elicit their support to clinch the gubernatorial ticket during the primary election.Having got the ticket, however, redeeming his promise became a problem. No fewer than six persons were said to have got Sylva’s nod to become his deputy and who are all jostling for the slot now. This is why it had been a herculean task for Sylva and the party’s leadership to wade through since the primary was concluded.The source informed that

MANGROVE BOYS’ DEBUNKS GOVT. BACKING, INSISTS ON PROTEST OCTOBER 14

 
The ‘Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa’, a body gradually becoming a pressure group in Bayelsa State, has debunked claims that its planned 10,000-man protest against the candidacy of former governor Timipre Sylva was being sponsored by the state government. Rather, the protest now scheduled to hold in Yenagoa, the state capital, on October 14, it said, was a non-partisan, non-violent, civic action to drive home its conviction that the second coming of Sylva would spell doom for the people of the state.Sylva’s campaign organization had in a statement at the weekend said the group’s impending protest was being sponsored by the Bayelsa State Government and a manifestation of fear about the emergence of Sylva by the government and the Peoples Democratic Party.But in a statement by the spokesman, Bernnard Legite, on Sunday, the ‘Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa’ refuted this position, insisting that the 10,000-man march was a responsible step driven by the need to call the attention of the public to “the atrocities and evil perpetrated” by Sylva in his five years reign as governor of the state.While reaffirming its belief in public protest as a civilized conduct ina democracy,

PDP FLAGS OFF CAMPAIGNS OCT 17,AS GOV DICKSON TASK FG,AGENCIES ON FAIR,FREE AND CREDIBLE GUBER POLLS

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State over the weekend announced the 17th of this month as the flag off date for the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Governorship campaign in the state.Governor Dickson, who stated this at a meeting he held with political appointees and party leaders at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yenagoa, said his landmark achievements across the state would speak and campaign for him.Citing the on going Sagbama-Ekeremor road as one of the big ticket projects being embarked upon by his administration, the Governor stressed that, the opposition party does not stand a chance in the forthcoming election as it cannot boast of any political structure in the state.He called on the Federal Government and its agencies to ensure a credible, free and fair election in the December 5 polls, just as the PDP-led government under the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan established the institutions that made President Muhammadu Buhari a major beneficiary.His words: “I believe that the security agencies will do their jobs. I believe

PHOTO: BAYELSA @ 19 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (4th R), his wife, Dr(Mrs) Rachael Dickson (3rd R), Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd)(4th L), guest speaker, Hon. Justice Francis Tabai (Rtd) (R), the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Kate Abiri (2nd R), Acting State PDP Chairman, Chief Serena Dokubo Spiff (L), his wife, Mrs Dokubo Spiff (2nd L), and a former Deputy Governor in the state, Peremobowei Ebebi (3rd L), cuts the Anniversary Cake, to commemorate Nigeria’s 55th Independence/ Bayelsa @19 Anniversary, during a State Dinner, at the Banquet hall, Government House, Yenagoa.

SYLVA NOT ELECTABLE, SAYS BAYELSA PDP

Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the emergence of Timipre Sylva as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the December 5 election is an indication that the opposition party was not ready to compete, saying the former governor was not electable.State Secretary of Bayelsa PDP, Keku Godspower, who made this assertion in a statement in Yenagoa, the state capital, yesterday said it was a shame and insult to the collective sensibilities of Bayelsans that of all their members, Sylva was the best they could put forward as candidate.Keku, who frowned at the choice of Sylva, said what the party’s decision meant was that the APC was not prepared for any serious outing at the election because as he noted “everybody in Bayelsa knows that Sylva is not electable”.He, however, hinted that since Sylva’s emergence, there are palpable fear, tension and apprehensions among Bayelsans which he attributed to the spate of violent incidents during the recent APC governorship primaries in the state.He also alleged that Sylva has a record of violence and that his second coming will not be different.He alleged that since the primaries, the state had witnessed the influx of cultists and militants which he also claimed had created palpable fears and tension among the people.He added that this development, if not checked, could lead to relapse of violence in the state and the entire Niger Delta region.Keku, however, was confident that possible violence would be contained, assuring the people that security agencies in the state will deal with anyone caught breaching the peace or molesting anyone.He accordingly advised Bayelsans to go about their lawful businesses without fear of intimidation, urging them to report any suspicious character to the security agents.While asking the people to vote for the PDP during the December election, Keku also called on the Federal Government to direct its security agencies to take urgent steps to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.“With the December 5 governorship election around the corner, we duly call on the people to outrightly reject Sylva’s candidacy and his APC-led politics of violence and intimidation which has become a well- known trademark”, he stated.