Wednesday 26 January 2011
Six persons have been arrested in Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa for diverting direct data capture (DDC) machines meant for some registration units in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told newsmen on Wednesday.
The resident Electoral Commissioner, Edwin Nwatarala who briefed newsmen on the development said the six persons including two youth corps members were arrested Tuesday following a tip off as they were carrying out voters’ registration in authorized areas.
Last week, INEC had disclosed that two DDC machines meant for registration units 24 and 33 in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state had been stolen and warned that the data collected could not be programmed into the INEC data base.
The suspects are Ige Emmanuel Muyiwa, a youth corps member with registration number, BY/10A/0349, Kenneth Bonny, Ayaware Gesi, Igwe Nnamdi who hails from Imo state also a youth corps member, Cecilia Brigidi the present speaker of Southern Ijaw Local Government legislative arm and one prominent Chief in the state .
However, the REC did not disclose the name of the sixth suspect who is believed to be an influential chief with strings in high places.
Nwatarala disclosed that Ige was arrested at one Jarius Job’s compound in Kpansia axis of Yenagoa while the remaining four suspects were caught with two DDC machines at the premises of a one time member of the National Assembly, David Brigidi.
The complete DDC machine discovered at Jarius Job’s compound in Kpansia was meant for the Ingbele Compound of Enewari town, East Bomo Ward 1 in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.
According to Nwatarala, the said chief and the other suspects have been handed over to operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) for investigations.
He reiterated that the diversion of DDC machines outside the authorized places were exercises in futility as any data collected could not be programmed into the INEC data base and warned that anybody caught would be made to face the full wrath of law.
Monday 24 January 2011
Ofoni Williams who is eyeing the Bayelsa west Federal constituency seat in a text massges told BOF that the former presidential aide on Niger Delta matters do not strike as a politician who will be influence to contest an election.
He made it clear that the former NDDC boss who dumped the ruling party in order to realize his governorship project on the platform of the Labour Party should forget the April guber race considering the fact that it will elude him.
The House of Reps hopeful was optimistic that President Goodluck Jonathan cannot afford to subject his home State to such ridiculous scenario to encourage the Labour party capture the guber race.
Ofoni Williams maintained that incumbent Governor Timipre Sylva led People’s Democratic Party will emerge victorious at the end of the April general elections to run the affairs of the state in the next four years.
On the on-going Registration exercise, the former member of the House of Assembly enjoined Bayelsans to accord the exercise priority attention so that the forth coming election can be a realistic venture for the state.
He appealed to indigenes of the state to visit their respective communities and get registered to enable them cast their votes for candidates of their choice to sustain the democratic dispensation in the interest of peace.
On his chances in the April polls, Ofoni Williams implored those who lost at the party primaries to accept the outcome considering the fact that his mission to the National Assembly is divine.
Sunday 23 January 2011
As its principal officially emerged the flag-bearer of the Labour Party for the 2011 elections in Bayelsa State, the Timi Alaibe Campaign Organisation has boasted that the LP will win the governorship election in Bayelsa State.
It said the LP will win the election because the ruling People’s Democratic Party-led government in the state has been unleashing misery and poverty on the citizens since the past four years and they could no longer bear it.
Alaibe was returned unopposed in the party’s governorship primary election held at the LP Secretariat in Yenizue-Gene, Yenagoa.
Condemning the chocking atmosphere the Governor Timipre Sylva administration had imposed on the citizens in the state; Alaibe said “every well-meaning Bayelsan feels some shame when he or she thinks of how the state has been misgoverned.”
Bayelsa, he said, was now being suffocated with a debt burden of over N100billion, adding that he would ensure the state was rescued from the shackles of retrogression when he emerges Governor on 29 May, 2011.
The LP governorship candidate said his economic programme for the state would focus security, social harmony, education and skill acquisition as well as health care, among others for the rapid development of the state.
Already, Alaibe has constituted the structure of his campaign organisation with one-time Secretary to the State Government of old Rivers State , Senator Inatimi Rufus-Spiff as Director of Campaigns while a former Commissioner in the state, Fyneman Wilson is the Chairman, State Caucus.
Others in the team are Deputy Director of Campaigns, Talford Ongolo, Director of Mobilization, Bernard Agai, Director of Finance, Stan Abali, Director of Transportation, Okuro James, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Pogoyo Bomoyo, Director of Legal Matters, Famous Panowei and Director of Media and Publicity, Douye Diri.
Diri, who announced the constitution of the campaign structure to journalists at Opokuma in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, said that although Bayelsa had earned huge allocations from the federation account in the past few years, the present administration had squandered the revenues on frivolities in the name of governance.
Diri noted with regrets that Bayelsa was at the lowest ebb among the comity of states, submitting that the people were tired of the downward slide and were ready to make a change through the ballot box in April.
Expressing belief that the campaign structure would deliver on its mandate, Diri said Alaibe had all it takes to cause the needed change in the state.
Diri said by this development, the campaign organization would henceforth cease to operate from Opokuma and begin operations from its secretariat in the old PDP Secretariat building at Yenizue-Gene, a suburb of the state capital.
Speaking, the Director of Campaigns, Inatimi Rufus-Spiff said the state was adrift because it was governed by a purposeless administration, adding that the soul of the state was weeping for change.
“That’s why we have accepted to work with Timi Alaibe to effect a change. Go through the streets of Yenagoa, you’ll see the people crying for change. Bayelsa State has been reduced to a mere local government area. If you see what they are doing in Government House, Yenagoa, you’ll weep. We don’t deserve it, Inatimi added.
He said he was grateful to God that a rescue team was now here to pull the state out of the woods and called on the people of the state to line up behind Alaibe to transform the state.
Meanwhile, the Timi Alaibe Campaign Organization has received a letter from the state chapter of Congress for Progressive Change adopting Alaibe’s candidature for the election.
“For us, it has added more feathers to the cap of our credible candidate for the election”, said Diri who announced it to journalists in Opokuma.
Giving reasons for the move, the state Chairman of CPC, Akpos Whyte, said the party pledged unalloyed support to the LP candidate because he was credible and eminently qualified.
Akpos said the decision was arrived at after wide consultations which culminated in a meeting involving the state executive committee, local government and ward officials of the CPC.
According to him, Bayelsa was in shambles and required a man of Alaibe’s status to rescue it from the path of underdevelopment.
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Ahead of the April general elections, crisis has enveloped the Bayelsa campaign secretariat of Jonathan/Sambo presidency following the emergence of the deputy governor of the state, Hon. Werinipre Seiparugu as a director of campaign in the secretariat.
Incidentally, Chief George Allen Fente, former Special adviser to the governor on political Affairs has been over-seeing the Jonathan/Sambo campaign secretariat in the past few months prior to the presidential primaries in Abuja.
There are reports that the emergence of the deputy governor at the campaign secretariat to spear-head the April general election was due to the recent incidents between the former government aide and a former commissioner in the state.
The former special adviser was said to have manhandled the former commissioner in the state as a result of the fallout of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for the House of Assembly and National Assembly.
The state government considered the unfortunate incident as a serious embarrassment to the image of the administration and promptly sent the former commissioner abroad for proper medical attention to rectify the situation.
It appears the deputy governor who hails from Gbarain/Ekpetiama area of Yenagoa in Bayelsa Central zone was drafted into the campaign secretariat to avert imminent crisis that may destabilize Jonathan/Sambo ticket.
It is obvious that George Allen Fente, a veteran politician from Nembe-Bassambiri will find it difficult establishing a cordial relationship with the deputy governor to ensure a successful outing in April polls.
The Image maker of Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Preye Wariowei told BOF on Tuesday that his principal has a specific responsibility to discharge which will not contradict the duties of Allen Fente.
Incidentally, Chief George Allen Fente, former Special adviser to the governor on political Affairs has been over-seeing the Jonathan/Sambo campaign secretariat in the past few months prior to the presidential primaries in Abuja.
There are reports that the emergence of the deputy governor at the campaign secretariat to spear-head the April general election was due to the recent incidents between the former government aide and a former commissioner in the state.
The former special adviser was said to have manhandled the former commissioner in the state as a result of the fallout of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for the House of Assembly and National Assembly.
The state government considered the unfortunate incident as a serious embarrassment to the image of the administration and promptly sent the former commissioner abroad for proper medical attention to rectify the situation.
It appears the deputy governor who hails from Gbarain/Ekpetiama area of Yenagoa in Bayelsa Central zone was drafted into the campaign secretariat to avert imminent crisis that may destabilize Jonathan/Sambo ticket.
It is obvious that George Allen Fente, a veteran politician from Nembe-Bassambiri will find it difficult establishing a cordial relationship with the deputy governor to ensure a successful outing in April polls.
The Image maker of Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Preye Wariowei told BOF on Tuesday that his principal has a specific responsibility to discharge which will not contradict the duties of Allen Fente.
There are reports that the suspension and counter suspension of councilors of Sagbama Local Government legislative arm may be an orchestrated plot to sack the chairman of the council, chief Peres Peretu ahead of the April general election.
The Sagbama legislative arm recently suspended five councilors namely Victoria Clement , Napoleon Akoso, Igoniwaori Tonkumor, Ebi Tou-Aregha and lovely Aguov as a result the power play within the council.
A statement by the leader of the Grassroot legislative arm, Mr. Gesiye Abidde and the deputy clerk, Mr. Preye Okorieye says the suspension takes immediate effect, an indication that the House in divided.
Since the emergence of Peres Pertu as chairman of Sagbama council after the April 2010 local government polls in Bayelsa State, the council especially the legislative arm has been enveloped in crisis.
There are indications that the plot to oust the council chairman from office may be as a result of his closeness to Chief Timi Alaibe who recently emerged the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party to confront incumbent Governor Timipre Sylva.
In 2006, the council chairman was the state organizing secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Chief Fred Agbedi whose emergence was due to the influence of the former presidential aide on Niger Delta Affairs.
It was gathered that a former deputy chairman of the PDP in the state and former commissioner in Governor Sylva administration who hail from Sagbama town has been lobbying the council boss to support Alaibe’s gubar project.
The former deputy chairman who in 2003 led the People’s Democratic Party to destabilize Timi Alaibe’s attempt to unseat Chief Diepreye Alamieyesiegha’s administration in currently the arrow- head of Alaibe’s guber project.
The Sagbama legislative arm recently suspended five councilors namely Victoria Clement , Napoleon Akoso, Igoniwaori Tonkumor, Ebi Tou-Aregha and lovely Aguov as a result the power play within the council.
A statement by the leader of the Grassroot legislative arm, Mr. Gesiye Abidde and the deputy clerk, Mr. Preye Okorieye says the suspension takes immediate effect, an indication that the House in divided.
Since the emergence of Peres Pertu as chairman of Sagbama council after the April 2010 local government polls in Bayelsa State, the council especially the legislative arm has been enveloped in crisis.
There are indications that the plot to oust the council chairman from office may be as a result of his closeness to Chief Timi Alaibe who recently emerged the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party to confront incumbent Governor Timipre Sylva.
In 2006, the council chairman was the state organizing secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Chief Fred Agbedi whose emergence was due to the influence of the former presidential aide on Niger Delta Affairs.
It was gathered that a former deputy chairman of the PDP in the state and former commissioner in Governor Sylva administration who hail from Sagbama town has been lobbying the council boss to support Alaibe’s gubar project.
The former deputy chairman who in 2003 led the People’s Democratic Party to destabilize Timi Alaibe’s attempt to unseat Chief Diepreye Alamieyesiegha’s administration in currently the arrow- head of Alaibe’s guber project.
There are strong indications that Bayelsa leading politicians may have concluded all necessary arrangement in hiring political thugs that will help them in achieving their political ambition come April general elections.
BOF investigation weekend in Bayelsa state shows that there have been the presence of stern look young men, particularly in the capital Yenagoa, who are now in capital.
Already, thongs have started wagging that leading politicians in the state are already recruiting these political thugs and offering them as much as N 1 million per thug in other to help them in achieving their political ambition come April.
A source who simply identified himself as Ebi, informed BOF in Yenagoa, that political thugs are in high demand in Bayelsa, particularly with the amnesty progremme in place , the boys in the creeks are now in the amnesty camps.
Ebi further said that the two leading political gladiators in the state are involved in the scrabble for political thugs.
He further said that both are offering as much as N 1 million per thugs for the duration of the campaign and a decent hotel accommodation, feeding and among other things.
He disclosed that one of the governorship candidate from an opposition party have already secured the services of about 1.6,000 political thugs at N 1 million each totaling about N 1.6,billion.
The source further disclosed that the man from the opposition party is hell bent in wresting power from the from the incumbent Governor Sylva, whom many analyst regarded as not to have performed , having wasted four yours without anything to show for the huge allocations coming on only basises to the state.
Already, most of the aspirants who felt shortchanged during the just concluded PDP primaries have all deflected to Labour Party, while some of the governorship aspirants in PDP that lost to Governor Timipre Sylva in the primaries have all moved to join hands with Mr. Timi Alaibe in Labour Party and have all vowed to win in all eight local government areas.
So far, it is alleged that some of the thugs are already recruited and lodged in different hotels and that most of them are being used to register some Bayelans, by using some of the missing direct data capture machine of INEC.
Some of the prominent politicians in the state that have abandoned PDP to Labour Party includes Hon. Fred Agbadi, former PDP chairman in Bayelsa State, who also contested and lost to Sylva, Bishop Beimo Rufus-Spiff, who also contested the governorship position with Sylva, it was at his campaign rally in Opolo Yenagoa that twin bomb blast exploded, the impeached Deputy Governor, Hon Peremobowei Ebebi, who is in Labour Party is contesting against incumbent, senator Heineken Lokpobiri, are all big names in the Alaibe political camp.
Meanwhile security agents are already monitoring movements, it is also alleged that those involved in this wicked act are some of the official of the state government and top aides of a top politicians, who is contesting on the platform of another party.
efforts at speaking to Hon. Nathan Egba, the commissioner for information and Hon Douye Diri, director of publicity, Alaibe campaign organization proved abortive as all their telephone lines are unavailable as at the press time
while police public relation officer for Bayelsa state command, Mr. Eguavon Emokpae said that anybody that breaches the law, no matter how highly placed will be prosecuted, according to him police have earlier warned all politicians in the state to desist from thuggery, maintaining that his men have already been trained towards the April general elections and that they are on top of any incident during the period of the elections
BOF investigation weekend in Bayelsa state shows that there have been the presence of stern look young men, particularly in the capital Yenagoa, who are now in capital.
Already, thongs have started wagging that leading politicians in the state are already recruiting these political thugs and offering them as much as N 1 million per thug in other to help them in achieving their political ambition come April.
A source who simply identified himself as Ebi, informed BOF in Yenagoa, that political thugs are in high demand in Bayelsa, particularly with the amnesty progremme in place , the boys in the creeks are now in the amnesty camps.
Ebi further said that the two leading political gladiators in the state are involved in the scrabble for political thugs.
He further said that both are offering as much as N 1 million per thugs for the duration of the campaign and a decent hotel accommodation, feeding and among other things.
He disclosed that one of the governorship candidate from an opposition party have already secured the services of about 1.6,000 political thugs at N 1 million each totaling about N 1.6,billion.
The source further disclosed that the man from the opposition party is hell bent in wresting power from the from the incumbent Governor Sylva, whom many analyst regarded as not to have performed , having wasted four yours without anything to show for the huge allocations coming on only basises to the state.
Already, most of the aspirants who felt shortchanged during the just concluded PDP primaries have all deflected to Labour Party, while some of the governorship aspirants in PDP that lost to Governor Timipre Sylva in the primaries have all moved to join hands with Mr. Timi Alaibe in Labour Party and have all vowed to win in all eight local government areas.
So far, it is alleged that some of the thugs are already recruited and lodged in different hotels and that most of them are being used to register some Bayelans, by using some of the missing direct data capture machine of INEC.
Some of the prominent politicians in the state that have abandoned PDP to Labour Party includes Hon. Fred Agbadi, former PDP chairman in Bayelsa State, who also contested and lost to Sylva, Bishop Beimo Rufus-Spiff, who also contested the governorship position with Sylva, it was at his campaign rally in Opolo Yenagoa that twin bomb blast exploded, the impeached Deputy Governor, Hon Peremobowei Ebebi, who is in Labour Party is contesting against incumbent, senator Heineken Lokpobiri, are all big names in the Alaibe political camp.
Meanwhile security agents are already monitoring movements, it is also alleged that those involved in this wicked act are some of the official of the state government and top aides of a top politicians, who is contesting on the platform of another party.
efforts at speaking to Hon. Nathan Egba, the commissioner for information and Hon Douye Diri, director of publicity, Alaibe campaign organization proved abortive as all their telephone lines are unavailable as at the press time
while police public relation officer for Bayelsa state command, Mr. Eguavon Emokpae said that anybody that breaches the law, no matter how highly placed will be prosecuted, according to him police have earlier warned all politicians in the state to desist from thuggery, maintaining that his men have already been trained towards the April general elections and that they are on top of any incident during the period of the elections
Saturday 15 January 2011
There are reports that six persons were killed at Opokuma, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government area of Bayelsa State when Chief Timi Alaibe, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Labour Party had a mini flag off in his country home.
Alaibe, former special Adviser to the presidency on Niger Delta Affairs who dumped the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) last year to actualize his guber ambition had arrived his country home from Abuja when he was attacked by opposition elements.
The political machine of incumbent governor Timipre Sylva has been thrown into confusion in the past three months following reports that the Opokuma born politician had indicated interest to contest the 2011 guber race in the state.
It is obvious that the attackers of the former presidential aide had trailed his convoy from the Port Harcourt International airport to his country home where the labor Party guber hosted a mini campaign for 2011 race.
There are reports that several governorship aspirants on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) especially those from Bayelsa West senatorial zone who are desperate for power accompanied the former NDDC boss.
However, Bayelans have mixed feelings over the seriousness of the former presidential aide to the guber project considering the fact that Alaibe had in the past contested the governorship election but had to step down due to pressures from his “godfathers”
Timi Alaibe was reported to have rejected proposals for a counter attack against those perceived to the responsible for the mayhem that was designed to destabilize his political structure for the polls.
The Chairman of Labor Party in the state, Mr. Atari Bobou-Adou told BOF on telephone that he had been in hiding due to series of threats to his life and was not at Opokuma when the incident occurred.
Bobou-Adou explained that the guber hopeful had to abort a scheduled visit to the party secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital when the attackers stormed his Opokuma residence in a bid to destabilize Aliabe.
However, the state police command claims only two persons were killed during the crisis while several other persons sustained injuries thus sending conflicting signals on the incident.
Alaibe, former special Adviser to the presidency on Niger Delta Affairs who dumped the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) last year to actualize his guber ambition had arrived his country home from Abuja when he was attacked by opposition elements.
The political machine of incumbent governor Timipre Sylva has been thrown into confusion in the past three months following reports that the Opokuma born politician had indicated interest to contest the 2011 guber race in the state.
It is obvious that the attackers of the former presidential aide had trailed his convoy from the Port Harcourt International airport to his country home where the labor Party guber hosted a mini campaign for 2011 race.
There are reports that several governorship aspirants on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) especially those from Bayelsa West senatorial zone who are desperate for power accompanied the former NDDC boss.
However, Bayelans have mixed feelings over the seriousness of the former presidential aide to the guber project considering the fact that Alaibe had in the past contested the governorship election but had to step down due to pressures from his “godfathers”
Timi Alaibe was reported to have rejected proposals for a counter attack against those perceived to the responsible for the mayhem that was designed to destabilize his political structure for the polls.
The Chairman of Labor Party in the state, Mr. Atari Bobou-Adou told BOF on telephone that he had been in hiding due to series of threats to his life and was not at Opokuma when the incident occurred.
Bobou-Adou explained that the guber hopeful had to abort a scheduled visit to the party secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital when the attackers stormed his Opokuma residence in a bid to destabilize Aliabe.
However, the state police command claims only two persons were killed during the crisis while several other persons sustained injuries thus sending conflicting signals on the incident.
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