NATIONAL VIBES

Posted By Tony Okechukwu Members of various non-governmental organisations and civil society groups in Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest over the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in some parts of the state. Comrade Toitoi Newton of the Grassroots For Development, who led the protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission office in Yenagoa, told journalists that the CSOs demand a cancellation of the purported results from Constituency 4 in Southern Ijaw council and Nembe-Bassambiri in Nembe council where election materials were carted away. According to Comrade Newton, elections did not hold in the seven wards of Nembe-Bassambiri due to the violence orchestrated by political thugs aided by security personnel deployed in the community. He said the people were disenfranchisised as they were chased away from their communities on the day of the election. Comrade Stephen Seleke of the Advocacy for Peace also said an...

Posted by Tony Okechukwu The people of Twon-Brass have called on the Acting Inspector General of Police to swiftly commence the investigation of the assault on the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal SARS, Kola Okunola, by APC thugs in Twon-Brass which occurred on Saturday 23rd February 2019, and bring the perpetrators to book. The leadership of the community who registered their dissatisfaction, gross displeasure and regret at this heinous act stated that the officer was not seen with, neither was he carting away with electoral materials as alleged by some media reports. Elections were already over in Twon Brass, Brass LGA at the time the police officer, the Military officer and some Officials arrived. The Police Officer did not even leave the jetty area on his arrival where he was attacked. The attackers are all known. They are all boys from Twon Brass, APC members and followers of former governor Timipre Sylva and Hon. Sunny Israel-Goli( AKA Adi). The fake...

...As Police, Soldiers Clas over Fake Results in Brass Posted By Tony Okechukwu Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal SARS, Kola Okunola, has been taken hostage by thugs loyal to Chief Timipre Sylva and the member representing Brass Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House òf Assembly, Israel Sunny-Goli. The Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Kemela Okara, said that the thugs led by Sunny Goli and backed by the military are mounting pressure on the Deputy Commissioner òf Police to accept fake results from Brass. He added that the Deputy Commissioner of police refusal to sign the fake result caused a disagreement between the police officer and a Major of the Nigerian Army and his men. According to him, the  DCP who insisted on submitting the right results to INEC was token hostage in the waters and stripped naked by the thugs. The situation has caused serious tension in Brass. He lamented that the Nigerian Army seemed to have  taken cha...

Posted By Tony Okechukwu Nigeria’s Former President and Chairman of The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated  Governor Henry Seriake Dickson and the people of Bayelsa State over the completion of the Bayelsa International Airport and the event of the maiden flight to the airport.  In a congratulatory letter to the Governor, Dr. Jonathan stated that the it was a thing of joy that the project which was conceived by late Diepreye  Almesesigha’s administration came to fruition under Mr. Dickson’s tenure. He noted that the project signified the fulfillment of  the  collective dream of the People of Bayelsa State in this regard,  adding that it would enhance the socio-economic prospects of the State and the Niger Delta. The former President said: "Your commitment towards transforming our State through key infrastructural development, such as this, is commendable."  He further commended Governor Dickson on the la...

...Says Ruling Party Showing Insensitivity and Disregards for the Feelings of Niger Delta. Posted By Tony Okechukwu Pan Ijaw Socio-cultiral organization, Ijaw National Congress, (INC) on Thursday President Muhammadu Buhari over his non commitment to the development of the Niger Delta region. The organization said unlike other Presidential aspirants, the President has no plan to restructure Nigeria, adding that he is only paying a lip service to the calls by eminent Nigerians. This was made known at the end of its meeting which had in attendance eminent Ijaw sons and daughters in Yenagoa on Thursday. The meeting which was chaired by its Chairman, Steering committee, Prof. Joseph Ajierika stressed the need for restructuring the Country for the purpose of peace, harmony, equity, fairness and Justice. The APC, according to the organization has made very scant comments with regards to the question of restructuring throughout it's campaign even when the party's com...

Posted By Tony Okechukwu President Muhammadu Buhari and the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday joined other candidates to sign the second 2019 National Peace Accord in Abuja. The Presidential election comes up on Saturday 16th of February, 2019. Buhari and Atiku urged for free, fair and non-violent elections. While stressing that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies have given their words in readiness to conduct free and fair elections, he urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used for violence. Noting that there is fear towards the election just like any other elections, he urged Nigerians to pray for Nigeria as it goes into the elections. The President also said that the only real party is Nigeria and that elections are only important to the extent to which they make Nigeria strong. Atiku again appealed to INEC and the security agencies to ensure free, fair elections. ...

 Posted By Tony Okechukwu Sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court presided over by Justice Jude Okeke ordered his detention after the commission arraigned him yesterday alongside three others, Hamidu David Lawal, a director of Rholavision Engineering Limited; an employee of the company, Sulaiman Abubakar, and the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh John, on a 10-count charge bordering on corruption. The accused were said to have committed the offences contrary to Section 26(1)(C) of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 12 of same law. When the charges were read yesterday, the ex-scribe pleaded not guilty while his counsel, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), applied for bail. The court ruled that he should be remanded while his bail appl...

Posted by Tony Okechukwu The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday said he would fulfil all his electoral promises to Nigerians if elected. He gave the assurance in Lagos while speaking at the party’s presidential rally. The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Atiku‘s running -mate, Mr Peter Obi; the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, were some of the prominent personalities at the rally. Former governor of Ekiti, Mr Ayo Fayose; former Ogun governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Sen. Ben-Bruce, a former presidential spokesman, Chief Doyin Okupe; were also at the rally. Atiku and his entourage were welcome to the state by a former Deputy-National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George and the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje and a mammoth crowd of party faithful. Atiku emphasised that he would not renege on his promise to restructure the country to fast track development. The PDP candidate said h...

By Tony Okechukwu The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the immediate-past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal. The former SGF, who was picked up by operatives of the agency, is expected to be arraigned today following a charge of conspiracy and fraud levelled against him by the anti-graft agency. Lawal will be docked before an FCT High Court in Maitama to be presided over by Justice Jude Okeke. The EFCC had filed a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud against him and Hamidu David Lawal, Suleiman Abubakar and two companies, Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd. In the charge filed on January 30 by Offem Uket for the commission, Lawal was alleged to have conspired with Hamidu, a director in Rholavision and Abubakar, a staff in the same company, to fraudulently acquire a property and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other ...

Posted By Tony Okechukwu As part of effort to ensure that registered voters are not disenfranchised in the forthcoming elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) scheduled to end today to Monday. The electoral body has also revealed that the collection of PVCs would now take place from 9am to 6pm daily, including Saturday and Sunday. The chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this Friday at the regular meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The meeting, he said, was convened essentially in order to have a final review of preparations. Yakubu noted, “At this meeting, we will undertake a comprehensive review of our preparations. Overall, the Commission is ready for the elections. Nevertheless, we are ever ready to fine-tune processes and procedures in order to serve Nigerians better. “ In the last couple of days...

Posted By Tony Okechukwu Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has again expressed concern that some persons are playing politics with the security of the country ahead of the elections, which commence on February 16. He emphatically stated that there is a general concern about the state of law, order and security during the elections and that the signs were worrisome. Governor Dickson spoke on Sunday night at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos after receiving the Silverbird Group's Extraordinary Achievement Award, on a day former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, poured encomiums on him for his developmental strides in Bayelsa. His Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that there were expectations and concerns about the elections but that the signs were not too good. He said people expect that there should be fair ...

Posted By Tony  Okechukwu  The people Aghoro 1 community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa has kicked against the alleged breach of oil spill procedures in the leak that occurred in the area on May 17, 2018. It would be recalled that a leak on the Trans Ramos Pipeline that ruptured spilled about 1,114 barrels of crude oil into the environment. The oil spill which occurred at an oilfield operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) had impacted and polluted an estimated area of 113.03 hectares. A joint Investigation Visit (JIV) report of the incident had concluded that the leaks on the pipeline at three spots were caused by equipment failure. According to the community SPDC was frustrating the community efforts to get redress following established templates of computing spill compensation rate based on volume of spill and damage assessment. In a letter to the Managing Director of SPDC by the consultants to the community, Mr Furoebi Akene, Principa...

…Says APC is a Den of Thieves and Looters Posted By Tony Okechukwu The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describes as laughable, infantile and diversionary, reports being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that there are disagreements in the PDP over the handling of our Presidential campaign funds. The party says for the APC and agents of the Buhari Campaign to descend to the level of fabricating stories to create a non existent scenario shows that the ruling party and the Buhari Presidency have finally come to their wits end and are now suffering a pre-defeat trauma. The PDP is aware that the Buhari Presidency and the APC have become so frustrated over their dwindled electoral fortune in the face of the soaring popularity of the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that they are now attempting to inject crisis into the PDP campaign in order to divert public attention from their own failures and rejection. For President Buhari’s information, the Atiku Abubakar ca...