Environmentalists seek joint investigation of fire incident at Conoil fields in Bayelsa

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has called for a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to ascertain the cause of a fire incident at Conoil’s field at Koluama, Bayelsa on May 26.

The fire which started on Saturday morning engulfed an oil rig owned by Depthwize Nigeria an oil services firm working at the oil block operated by Conoil. .

The 232 feet rig named Majestic  located at the Atlantic coastline, Koluama community in Southern Ijaw  Local Government Area of Bayelsa has capacity for 120 men.

 ERA/FoEN, made the call in its field report on the fire incident signed by Mr Alagoa Morris, Head of Field Operations at the Non Government Organisation (NGO).

We are in dialogue with IPOB to embrace peaceful methods of engagement –Ohanaeze Youth Wing

Chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, Coordinator of Ohanaeze Youth Wing in South South says the group was persuading Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to adopt peaceful means and embrace dialogue.

Arthur-Ugwa who spoke in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Yenagoa said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership was worried about the stigma resulting from the activities of IPOB.

According to the youth leader, IPOB had attempted to disrupt the may 21 rally on restructuring organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Awka despite pledges made by IPOB when Ohanaeze youth leadership met IPOB before the rally.

Military confirms fire incident at Conoil fields in Bayelsa

THE RIG MAJESTIC

The Joint military force deployed to protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta has confirmed a fire incident at an oilfield operated by Conoil in Koluama Southern Ijaw Local Government in Bayelsa.

The fire which started on Saturday morning engulfed an oil rig owned by Depthwize Nigeria an oil services firm working at the oil block operated by Conoil. .

The rig is located within Nigerian territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off Koluama community in Southern Ijaw area of Bayelsa.

Environmental rights group trains volunteers, oil community, media on reporting pollution

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) at the weekend conducted a one-day training on environmental field monitoring and reporting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa .

Participants at the seminar included media and oil-producing communities' representatives and environmental rights activists.

They were drawn from Delta,  Bayelsa and Rivers..

JOHESU Strike : We are not seeking pay parity with Doctors-- Health workers

A cross section of medical professionals who belong to the Joint Health Sector Unions have faulted the erroneous impression created by Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and described it as a blackmail.

Some of the health workers, including Pharmacists, Nurses, Medical Laboratory Scientists, Physitherapists said that the ongoing strike doesnot have anything to do with rivalry with doctors but about abject neglect of welfare of their members.

Ihuoma Jeffry, a health worker at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa said that there was a wide gap between the pay of medical doctors and other healthcare professionals in the sector and they wanted the gap to be narrowed.

Boro’s 50th Memorial: Ohanaze youths back Ijaw youths on restructuring

Ohanaeze Youth Wing on Friday expressed solidarity with Ijaw youths in the ongoing activities to commemorate the 50^th memorial of late Ijaw icon Jasper Boro and call for restructuring the federation.

Chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa Coordinator of Ohanaeze Youth Wing in South South newsmen  in Yenagoa that the group had enjoyed a harmonious relationship with Ijaw people in Niger Delta.

He said that Ohanaeze youths were participating in the week long activities including  processions, public lectures exhibitions lined up for the 50^th anniversary of Boro’s demise.

Group backs ongoing public service reforms in Bayelsa

A political support group, the Bayelsa Restoration Caucus (BRC)  has endorsed ongoing public service reforms and dismissed pockets of protests against job losses in the reforms as ill advised and diversionary.

Workers affected by the reforms mostly non-academic staff of the state-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma, had on Tuesday protested their disengagement from the university.

The casket-bearing protesters had carried a mock coffin  during the demonstration which locked down Amassoma - the university town.

The BRC, in a statement issued in Yenagoa on Saturday and signed by Chief Francis Doukpola condemned the protest  and urged the government to carry the reforms to its logical conclusion.

Bayelsa NSCDC arrests child trafficking syndicate rescues two victims trafficked for prostitution in Ghana

The Bayelsa Command of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Saturday said that it has arrested a girl child trafficking syndicate and freed two victims in Bayelsa.

Mr Godwin Nwachukwu, State Commandant of NSCDC in Bayelsa said during a press conference at the Command’s headquarters in Yenagoa that the raid was sequel to a report by a civil society group.

He said that Bayelsa chapter of  Association for Awareness Against Anti-Social Behaviour (AFAAAB) had informed the NSCDC to the activities of the suspected human traffic syndicate in Igbogene area of Yenagoa.

Isaac Boroh’s 50 Momorial:Ijaws demand two states to achieve their political aspiration

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on Tuesday called for the creation of two additional states in the Niger Delta to give the Ijaw people space to achiev their aspirations in the Nigerian federation

The President of the IYC, Eric Omare made the call at Kaiama, home town of Late Major Adaka Boro in Kolokuma/Opukuma Local Government Area of Baylesa  during  the golden anniversary celebration of demise of the icon.

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 According to the IYC leader, 50 years after Boro died while fighting for the freedom of his people, the political fortune of the Ijaw people have not changed drastically.

He noted that Ijaws are still balkanized into six different states mainly as minorities and subjected to all sorts of politically suppression and oppression.

Agip says peaceful operating environment in Niger Delta has stabilised oil production

The Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) on Saturday says the boost in crude Nigeria’s oil production to about 25 million barrels per day is due to improvements in security in the Niger Delta region in the past two years.

The oil firm applauded the Joint military force deployed to the Niger Delta for curbing restiveness and providing a peaceful atmosphere for uninterrupted oil production.

Outgoing General Manager. Port Harcourt District of NAOC Marco Rondo gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the joint force christened Operation Delta Safe in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

Rondo said that the operations of the joint force against militancy and oil theft had stabilised the operations of the oil firm and reduced incidents of oil theft across its operations in Rivers and Bayelsa.

Bayelsa Health Insurance scheme enrolment hits 80,000 -Executive Secretary

Dr Zuoboemi Agadah, executive Secretary, Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme has registered over 80,000 public sector enrolees less than one year after it commenced operations.

Bayelsa government started a health insurance scheme for its workforce in June 2017 with a plan to extend the scheme to cover the informal sector in due course.

Agadah gave the figures on Wednesday in Yenagoa while signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a Health Maintenance Organisation, United Healthcare International for technical support for the scheme.

Army, NSCDC clash over seizure of two petrol laden trucks in Bayelsa

The !6 Brigade of Nigerian Army in Yenagoa and Bayesa command of Nigerian Security and Civil Corps (NSCDC) are currently engaged in rivalry over two tankers conveying suspected diverted petrol.

NSCDC had on Friday impounded the trucks along Ogbia-Nembe road and was taking them to its command headquarters when soldiers of 16 Brigade intercepted and took the truck to 16 brigade premises in Yenagoa.

The clash resulted to the soldiers who outnumbered the civil defence personnel to take possession of the truck and compelled the NSCDC personnel to take to their heels.

While officials of NSCDC maintained that it was their mandate under the law to handle oil theft, check diversion of petroleum products, the soldiers claimed that the NSCDC operation was suspicious.

Ikarama community in Bayelsa demands construction of 2 km access road to Agip’s oilfield

Residents of Ikarama, in Yenagoa local government, Bayelsa on Monday requested construction of a two kilometre access to an oilfield operated by Nigeria Agip Oil Company in the area.

Hundreds of members of the community who sang solidarity songs and danced round the riverside settlement made the demand during an advocacy rally at Ikarama.

Speaking at the event, Chief Herbertson Alfred bemoaned a scenario where officials of Agip pass through neighbouring communities in Rivers state to get access to Ikarama fields a distance of approximately 16 kilometers.

Nigeria’s oil output hits 2.5 m bpd –Defence Spokesman

BRIG-GEN JOHN AGIM , LEFTACTING DIRECTOR DEFENSE INFORMATION ADDRESSING A NEWS  CONFERENCE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE JOINT TASK FORCE IN THE NIGER DELTA AT HEADQUARTERS OF THE JOINT TASK FORCE IN THE NIGER DELTA IN YENAGOA WHILE BRIG-GEN KEVIN ALIGBE, LAND COMPONENT COMMANDER OF THE JOINT FORCE CODE NAMED OPERATION DELTA SAFE LOOKS ON

Brig-Gen John Agim , Acting Director, Defence Information on Thursday said that oil production has risen to an average of 2.5 million barrels per day

The Defence Spokesman attributed the rise in oil output to the strategic approach of the joint military force deployed to the Niger Delta region.

Agim spoke at a news conference at the headquarters of the joint force christened Operation Delta Safe.