Ex-Militant applauds appointment of T.Y. Danjuma’s son as Coordinator for Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programe

Ex-Militant applauds appointment of  T.Y. Danjuma’s son as Coordinator for Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programe


Mr Ramsey Mukoro, an Ex-Niger Delta militant on Monday applauded the appointment of a Warri based businessman as Coordinator for the Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme.

The establishment of the coastal areas protection programme is part of Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to stem renewed youths restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

A statement by Marshall Gundu Director Press, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs announced the appointment of Mr Tikari TY Danjuma as the Coordinator of Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme on Friday.

Mukoro, a beneficiary of the Presidential Amnesty Programme said that appointment was timely and would speedily restore peace to the region as he was eminently qualified and had the requisite contacts.

He noted that Danjuma had the capacity to ensure that the renewed hostilities in the region were stemmed.

“Tikari Danjuma’s mother is an Ijaw woman and he is an experienced businessman in Warri, he knows the terrain very well and is eminently qualified to provide leadership to this laudable federal government initiative.

“I urge our Niger Delta people to support him to ensure that our communities are protected and returned to peace,” Mukoro said.

Mukoro noted that the return of peace to the region would provide an enabling environment for improve oil output crucial to meeting the budgetary expectations of the country.

Bayelsa public schools to resume2016/2017 session on Monday as NUT suspends strike

Bayelsa public schools to resume2016/2017 session on Monday as NUT suspends strike

Government owned primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa will resume the 2016/2017 academic session on Monday following a directive from Nigerian Union of Teachers to striking teachers.

Public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa have yet to resume for the new session four weeks behind schedule following the failure of the state government to settle eight months salary backlog owed teachers.

The union resorted to strike as the dtate government had reneged on an earlier agreement reached in May to pay half salaries to its workers pending improvements in the finances of the state.

Mr Kalaama Toinpre, Chairman of Bayelsa chapter of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) said on Sunday that the teachers resolved to suspend the strike at the weekend.

The union leader said that the decision has been communicated to members who were directed to resume work immediately.

“The state working committee of the NUT at the weekend resolved that we should suspend the ongoing strike and return to the classroom following series of negotiations with the state government.

“We have secured some agreements from the state government in writing that a the end of this month October, two months half salary of the outstanding be  cleared in addition to the two months half salary already paid.

“Haven secured the commitment of the state government to commence clearing the backlog, we shifted grounds and decided to suspend the strike and return to work.

“We at the state executive of the union are grateful for the solidarity of teachers who resisted ploys to sabotage the struggle for the welfare of teachers and  to factionalize teachers in Bayelsa, we shall remain united,” . Toinpre

Mr Markson Fefegha, the State Commissioner of Education,had in a statement said that the government would from Tuesday Oct 18 commence monitoring of the compliance by teaching and non-teaching staff at public schools.

According to Fefegha, a team of inspectors from the Ministry of Education would be sent to monitor the resumption of schools across the states.

He reiterated that the NUT directive makes it mandatory for all teaching and non teaching staff to resume work from Monday, October, 17 2016.

He warned that, all staff who willfully absent themselves from duty would be declared ‘ghost workers’ and replaced immediately.

The Commissioner advised all Headmasters and Principals to ensure strict compliance and cooperate with the team of inspectors.

                       

Soldiers disperse Ex-Niger Delta militants protesting nonpayment of stipends arrears

Soldiers disperse Ex-Niger Delta militants protesting nonpayment of stipends arrears

A detachment of troops of the joint military force deployed to the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe on Tuesday morning dispersed hundreds of ex-militants who had blocked the East-West road.

The ex-militants under the tree phases of the amnesty scheme blocked the Mbiama axis of the East-West road to motorists at about 6.30 am.

Respite however came to the trapped motorists when armed troops of the joint task force arrived in two patrol vans to remove the blockade and open the road to the public at around 7.30 am.

The soldiers fired several warning shots into the air which compelled the protesters to scamper to several directions to safety.

Mr Elliot Seimiebo, an ex-militant who is on the phase 1 of the amnesty scheme said on Tuesday morning that the soldiers had used the firearms to disperse the peaceful protest aimed at drawing the attention to the neglect of their welfare.

“We had renounced violence and remain peaceful in all our approaches, our intention was to draw attention to the nonpayment of our stipends for four months.

“We were not armed but the soldiers turned their weapons on us and there was confusion as people ran for their lives, one of the protesters was hit by stray bullet and got injured on his leg,” Seimiebo said.

When Contacted, Lt.-Cdr. Thomas Otuji, Spokesman of Operation Delta Safe said that the claims that protesters were shot was untrue.

“Our troops were sent to the scene to ensure free flow of traffic and they went there to clear the blockade on the East-West road and there is no such report at my disposal as we speak,the ex-militants were professionally dispersed ” Otuji said by phone.

Also Mr Piriye Kirayamo, Liason Officerat the Amnesty Office in Yenagoa sais that the office was aware of the liability to the militants but assured that efforts were underway to clear the backlog of stipends.

“We have been in discussions with the ex-agitators and have been appealing to them to remain calm, the office is doing everything to ensure that their stipends are paid,” Kiyaramo said 

FG dialogue with Niger Delta militants on course — Kachikwu

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has said that it is not true that the Federal Government is working against the people of the Niger Delta region.

He also said that the dialogue between the Federal Government and the people of the region to find lasting solutions to the lingering violence and pipeline vandalism in the region was on-going.

The minister made the clarification on Saturday in an interview at the end of the 2016 Convocation  Ceremony of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta.

He said the president was very supportive of the project of ensuring that government reached an agreement with the people through dialogue by ensuring that the old model which failed was restructured.

“The dialogue with the militants has not collapsed, I have laid that process and the president is very supporting of that process.

“But what the president does not want to do is to put in place same model that failed after four months and militants are back to the creeks.

“We are looking at a long term model and I have presented to Mr President a road-map and it encompasses short, long term solutions, engagement and inclusiveness of the communities.

“We absolutely believe that the Niger Delta is key to the country, they have contributed so much in very many ways but the society has failed them

“And I use the word, society, not necessarily government because if you look at what has been provided over the years, it’s a lot and some of them have not got it right for certain reasons like corruption at different levels.

“We need to begin to look on how these benefits will get to them;  so, let everybody be calm, destruction doesn’t lead you anywhere.

“I am from here and every money that the state loses because of militancy is lack of development in the state.

“I went to the creeks and I talked with some of the militants and we dialogued and some of the results you are seeing today are the results of those dialogues.

“But I do agree that we must have a robust, permanent, aggressive, inclusive dialogue on the table,” he said.

Kachikwu said  PTI and its management team were the right answer to bridging the gap in producing the local manpower in the oil and gas industry.

He said that government would do all it could to expand the role of PTI in providing needed facilities in the sector as a means of cutting cost in the sector.

He said that Nigeria imported fuel from any country, including Ghana, to meet its daily needs, adding that it was cheaper to import from closer countries.

“But the reality is that the quantity we import from Ghana is small, the closer they are around us the cheaper, so we mop everything around us before we look outside.

“But we are the one powering Ghana, all the gas we produce is used in Ghana but we are reengineering our facilities and soon we shall take over the production of petroleum products.

He said that government was presently looking on how to cut cost, find other financing models and improve infrastructure in the oil and refining sector to produce for domestic consumption.

He said the hard times in the country were temporary and appealed for the understanding of Nigerians.

He, however, said that solutions to the present challenges could take some time.

World Teachers’ Day: Bayelsa teachers lament non-resumption of schools

 World Teachers’ Day: Bayelsa teachers lament non-resumption of schools

 Teachers in Bayelsa on Wednesday decried continued closure of public schools due to eight months salary backlog owed teachers in public schools.

 The teachers who made their position known at World Teachers Day in Yenagoa also lamented marginalisation of the educational sector in the state.

The teachers commemorated the day at the auditorium of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital.

Mr. Kalama John-Tonpre, State Chairman, NUJ said Bayelsa was faced with crises in the education sector.

John-Tonpre highlighted the problems confronting teachers in the state to include non-payment of salaries for about eight months; non-implementation of teachers promotion over the years and non-payment of annual increments.

Other problems, according to the state chairman, are shifting of the responsibility of managing primary schools and funding of teachers' salaries to councils alone and dismissal of teachers employed in 2008 and 2009.

He said that also shortage of teachers without recruitment in the school system and non-provision of instructional materials, among others.

"Some protracted but unattended issues in the sector are over populated classrooms, poor standard of education resulting from poor funding, inconsistency and non-implementation of education policies.

"Also, there is frequent disruption of the school system, moral decadence of the youth and eventually the underdevelopment of the state." John-Tonpre said,

He posited that the problems inherent in the nationhood were direct consequences of many years of marginalization of the Nigerian teachers.

He said the current problems of the society, disease, poverty, unemployment, kidnapping, militancy,  injustice, lawlessness, greed for political powers and lack of conscience for humanity were all traced to the agonies of teachers.

John-Tonpre,  therefore, urged the state government to urgently address the genuine demands of the teachers to enable them to perform their task of advancing education for the benefit of the underprivileged in the state.

"Currently, so many teachers have retired and about a good number of teachers were dismissed from the school system with no recruitment of new ones to replace them.

"Consequently,  some primary schools in Bayelsa have no single teachers to teach the children. 

“The issue deserves urgent attention as it portends danger at the foundation level of the education system." He said.

He called on the state government to urgently reinstate the dismissed teachers and recruit more teachers to fill the vacancies created.
John-Tonpre further called on Governor Seriake Dickson to  sustain the role of augmenting the funding of primary school teachers' salaries, saying the councils alone could not carry such responsibility. 

 

 

Medical experts from FMC Yenagoa benefit from training by Italian medical team

 Medical experts from FMC Yenagoa benefit from training by Italian medical team

Some 30 medical professionals from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa on Tuesday commenced a three day training on Advanced Life Saving Scheme..

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital Dr Dennis Alagoa noted that the capacity building exercise was to update the skills of its workforce.

He said that the training is being provided by an Italian medical humanitarian organisatin ONG POBIC-ONLUS.

The  CMD who was represented by the Director of Clinical Services Dr Pre-Preye Numbere noted that the collaboration between the hospital and medical charity dated back to 2014 when they signed a Memorandumof Undersanding.

He urged the beneficiaries drawn from various units of the hospital to utilie the training opportunities to update their knowledge to improve service delivery to their patients.

Also speaking, Mr Paolo Novelin, President of POBIC-ONLUS who spoke through an interpreter noted that the exercise was a follow up to an earlier one on Basic Life Saving Scheme conducted at the hospital in 2015.

According to Novelin the organization has facilitated 17 free open heart surgeries to indigent children below 15 year in Italy adding that plans are underway to open a unit with FMC to carry out the surgeries in Nigeria.

He said that continous training was critical to quality healthcare delivery and urged the participants to avail themselves of the training scheme and upgrade their skills.

Niger Delta Avengers: Bayelsa Derivation revenue crashes from N 3billion to N1 billion

The derivation revenue accruable to Bayelsa government witnessed a sharp drop from N3 billion in July 2016 to N1 billion in August 2016 according to figures released by the state government.

Several attacks  by militants in the months of May and June reduced oil production from oilfields in Bayelsa as Shell and Agip had shut down crude production and export.

Niger Delta Avengers had on May 28, and 29 2016, blown up the Nember Creek Trunk line and the Brass Terminal crude line, the two pipelines that convey crude produced by Shell and Agip.

Investigations revealed that the attacks which had grounded oil export from the state was responsible for the revenue drop as the derivation principle is proportionate  to the volume of oil produced from the states with oil deposit.

The derivation revenue which is 13 per cent of crude sales from the state for the month of August was N1 billion less while proceeds from July stood at N3 billion.

It was further gathered that the August oil revenue disbursed at the last Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) was for crude oil sales proceeds for May 2016 oil production.

Retired Rear Admiral John Jonah, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa had on Friday presented the financial status of the state to newsmen at the Government House Yenagoa.

He declared a deficit balance of N1.9 billion, said N1.4 billion was spent on bank loans, civil servants’ salaries N2.1 billion, capital payment of N3.2 billion, recurrent payment N1.4 billion.

While that of political appointees came up to N472million, thereby bringing the total outflows to N8.9 billion.

Jonah, had announced a gross inflow of N8.7 billion.