Labour Party Will Win In Bayelsa State

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.

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BAYELSA: CRISIS LOOMS IN JONATHAN/SAMBO CAMPAIGN SECRETARIAT

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.

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SAGBAMA SUSPENDS 5 COUNCILORS

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.

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BAYELSA POLITICIANS BUDGETS N 1M PER THUG FOR APRIL ELECTION

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

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6 KILLED OVER ALAIBE’S GUBER BID

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.

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AYAKOROMO MASSACRE THE TRUE STORY

We have invited you to this press conference to share with you the pains visited on our peace-loving community by the Joint Task Force (JTF), a special military task force in the Niger Delta on the 1st of December, 2010.
Following reports of a full-scale military invasion of Ayakoromo, a federated community along River Forcados in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, we dispatched three separate teams to the community in company with respected International human right bodies and the media to ascertain the truth.

Ayakoromo, an autonomous city-state is about 25 nautical miles from the oil city of Warri. By the 1991 population census, Ayakoromo recorded a head count of 41,204 persons. The community occupies a stretch of the Forcados River and part of its estuary.

These high population and geographical expanse confer on Ayakoromo, the melting pot of commercial and socio-political activities; and a high-way of contact among communities in the Western Niger Delta. Her citizens have attained a high- level of professional strength and exposure in various fields of human endeavour.

The indigenes who speak the Ijaw language engage in productive activities such as fishing, farming, canoe carving, masonry, trading and local gin distillery. Ayakoromo is the home of the Catholic Faith in Ijawland. Besides, its huge catholic population, it has produced the highest number of catholic priests among Ijaw communities in Nigeria. The people are sociable and hospitable.

In 2004, some misguided youths led by one John Togo terrorized the community and its neighbours. He was consequently outlawed and ostracized by Ayakoromo community. Later that year, John Togo was arrested in Port Harcourt and detained at the David Ejoor Barracks, Warri. But for reasons best known to the authorities, John Togo without trial after more than 2 years in detention was freed.

He subsequently became part of the militancy in the Niger Delta. John Togo accepted amnesty offered by Late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2009. The post-amnesty programme transformed most of the militants into emperors, among who was John Togo. He suddenly became a close ally of the Federal Government and it’s Military.

This was displayed in John Togo’s farm-camp; about 3 miles from Ayakoromo town where military officers dined and wined daily with him. With this you can easily decipher why the harmless and defenseless citizens cannot challenge the now heavily-armed militant called John Togo.
Why John Togo recently backed out from the amnesty programme is a secret between the Federal Government, its military and the man himself. On several occasions, the community leaders provided the military with information at the David Ejoor Barracks, yet the military did not act decisively.

This was also confirmed by the JTF Commander, Major-General Charles Omoregie in his interviews with the press. (eg The Nation of Sunday December 5th 2010 and Sun Rise Daily programme of Channels TV of Tuesday 7th December, 2010.)

Ladies and gentlemen, what placed Ayakoromo community in the anvil for hammering on that fateful 1st December, 2010 was spine-chilling to say the least. Although, for days, speculations were rife of an imminent invasion of the community by the military in search of John Togo; many never believed it would happen because John Togo neither had a camp nor a living house in the town.

John Togo for over two years never lived in the town. The military knows where John Togo’s camps are – they are far away from the community. JOHN TOGO OR HIS FOLLOWERS NEVER FLED INTO AYAKOROMO OR USED IT AS A SHIELD THAT VERY DAY OF THE ATTACK.

At about 12noon that day, soldiers in more than 10 gun boats started shooting indiscriminately from the western fringe of the town. In less than 20 minutes after the gun boats were seen, 4 jet- fighters from the Warri axis emerged and started shelling the community. From the eastern end of the community landed heavy artillery with grenade launchers and other sophisticated weapons.

It was a thoroughly-planned and mobilized punitive expedition that is only intended to achieve a genocidal purpose! At the end of the day about 51 persons were confirmed dead. Over 500 persons sustained injuries of various degrees. What was left of the community after the bombardments were corpses in their pool of blood and ashes: Over 200 buildings in the community also went down in rubbles!

Not done! The following day, 2nd December, 2010 the soldiers came back, looting, raping, and burning down every house in the community especially in the Community Reserved Area (CRA). After looting, each house was set ablaze. WERE ALL THESE REALLY IN SEARCH OF A RENEGADE MILITANT WHO WAS NEVER NEAR THE TOWN?

By our last count, 15 children, 11 women and 25 men have been confirmed dead. Over 100 persons have been declared missing. And over 10,000 persons have been displaced. They have become refugees in Ughelli, Warri, Ogbe-Ijoh, Bomadi, Burutu, Gbekebor, Obotebe and some communities in Bayelsa State while some are held hostage in Ngbilebiri Primary School compound in Ayakoromo. In anticipation of the visit by human rights bodies, the soldiers hurriedly forced the hostages to dig mass graves at different locations in the community and buried some of the corpses while some were carried to a waiting gun boat and taken away. Among these lot were Pa Yeigagha; a 72-year old blind and retired headmaster who could not run was roasted alive in his own house; Mama Alina Emolade, 97-year old; in a bid to escape from the invasion, got trapped and paralyzed in both legs in the swampy forest. She was later found and carried to a hospital in Warri but died the next day. The ‘Amaokosuowei’ (the oldest man in Ayakoromo), Pa Emone Tuedon, 119-year old, was shot in the leg by soldiers and is currently recuperating in a hospital in Warri. Some casualties are still in coma in various hospitals in Warri. Some may face permanent disabilities, while others might eventually be sent to their early graves.

Surely, we are at a loss finding a correlation between searching for criminals and the heartless massacre of defenseless and harmless children, women and men by a supposedly-responsible government. No civilized military in the world will invade its own territory, kill, maim indigenes and raze down houses of innocent citizens under the guise of arresting a criminal.

Every professional army with the awesome intelligence at its disposal, even in war-torn territories will not take to this barbarity because every military expedition is guided by operational directives or rules of engagement e.g the protection of the life of the innocent. In this case, it is heart-rending to note that a military that committed such enormous tragedy rushed to the press in order to mislead the public and the presidency; and prevented the media from getting on-the-scene reports. It is spurious and laughable for the JTF to claim that all the children, old women and men of over 70 years casualties were militants; even the oldest man in the community. Is the house of the father of a Texas-based Rev. Fr. Mathias Selemobiri a militant camp? What about the houses of Late (Pa) T. O. Onduku (JP) and Mr. S. K. Kokole (a retired head of personnel management in Delta State), were these militant camps or were they on the coast line? What about the Customary Court, the Post Office, the Health Centre, were they all militant camps? The issue that all of them were burnt down begs for answers! If we believe in the omniscience of God, we shall one day face the consequences of our treachery! Governance has really failed in Nigeria. How do we build the faith of our growing children in the Nigerian project when lies have become our national watchword! It is on record that Obasanjo burnt down Odi and Odioma; Yar’Adua burnt down Gbaramatu Kingdom and now, President Goodluck Jonathan is making history with Ayakoromo community.

We hold the Federal Government of Nigeria and particularly the National Security Agency (NSA) under President Goodluck Jonathan and National Security Adviser, General Owoeye Azazi (rtd) respectively, responsible for the tragedy that has befallen Ayakoromo community. Our generation and generations yet unborn will not forget or forgive them. This is because we thought the prejudice demonstrated against the Niger Delta people has gone for good with this dispensation. The policy of suppression, exploitation and oppression of the weak Niger Delta people has been defined by race and power. Power really has blinded even our brothers! It has been the collective dream of every Ijaw man for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to be the next elected President of Nigeria, but by allowing the JTF to trespass his executive responsibility as Commander-in-Chief and his attendant ominous silence after the massacre, he has betrayed us. We are truly disappointed in Mr. President’s silence over the massacre. We assure him, Mr. President and General Azazi that they may rule as long as God permits but AYAKOROMO COMMUNITY WILL RISE AGAIN AND OUTLIVE THEM!

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PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS STONED IN BAYELSA

Plans to disrupt the Congress for Progressive Change’s Presidential Rally in Bayelsa State failed, as loyalist of the party contained the unruly behavior of some hired thugs, who hauled bottles, stones and other missile on the former president, Muhammadu Buhari and his entourage from Abuja.

The campaign held at the popular Amarata football field was hijacked by the thugs, which led to injuries sustained by mostly women and few men before it was contained by the loyalist of the Congress for Progressive Change.

Though there was a heavy presence of the police at the rally, but they were unable to handle the situation until loyalist of the CPC governorship candidate, Famous Daunemighan marched the thugs and over power them to ensure the continuation of the programme.
The leader of the thugs was thoroughly beaten up before he was handed over to the police.

Unconfirmed sources averred that the planned attack to disrupt the rally by the thugs could be traced to some politicians in the state.
The CPC Presidential candidate, Buhari was unperturbed by the action of the thugs, but he and his entourage, as well as the governorship candidate were calm, as they sat at the extreme end of the campaign ground.

In his address, Buhari said he was impressed by the turn out of party supporters; and charged them to register when the Independent National Electoral Commission begins registration exercise in the country.

“Ensure your votes count. All our slogans towards positive change in the country would not materialize unless we do these things,” he said.

He said the CPC was aware of the problems of confronting the country and would bring a positive change, whereby security of all Nigerian would be enthrone to enable the citizenry pursue their legal business.

The former president who did not refer to the attack that had briefly disrupted the rally, said he would tackle indiscipline and corruption
Buhari averred that if voted as president, he would ensure that jobs are created for Nigerians, revamp the railway, airport and the shipping line operation, as well as evolve a scheme that would provide housing for the masses.

He, however, handed the party registration card to Daunemigha, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party and special adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on mobilization, to formally welcome him to the CPC.

Responding, Daunemigha averred that he and his supporters would not be scared or intimidated, as they have mapped out and inroad for the overall development and positive change that would promote human and physical growth and prosperity of the state.

Meanwhile, The Bayelsa Government has condemned the action carried out by the miscreant to that almost disrupt the rally, but for the intervention of the CPC loyalist, even as they regretted that the governor, being the chief security officer of the state should be in the know of the rally.

The statement reads: We condemn this act with every force at our command; we are at a loss as to why neither Buhari nor his managers thought it fit to inform the State Government of his campaign visit to Bayelsa. As a former Head of State, protocol demands that the State Government be in the know.

The government expressed displeasure that Governor Timipre Sylva was only informed about General Buhari’s visit only after the unfortunate incident at the rally ground.

“We consider this improper. Irrespective of differences in political party affiliation, the general and his party have to acknowledge the fact that there is a sitting governor in the state”.

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