Gov Diri of Bayelsa appoints Oredipe, Head Social Media Team

Gov Douye Diri, has appointed Mr. Kola Oredipe, Manager, News and Current Affairs, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), as his Co-ordinator, Social Media. 

Oredipe, a versatile reporter, has traversed the length and breadth of the Niger Delta covering events in more than 7 states in the region in the last 20 years.

He began his journalism career in 2000 with the now rested South South Express Newspaper in Port Harcourt, later joined Port Harcourt-based Dolphins Newspaper and then switched to Radio Nigeria in 2004.

Shell’s under-reporting of spilled oil from Well 13 in Angiama, Bayelsa delaying JIV report

The disparity in the volume of oil spill from Shell’s fieldl at Angiama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in Bayelsa has cause disagreement amongst parties investigating the incident.

Although the March incident has been traced to equipment failure, by corrosion, investigations indicate that the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) report has not been signed off.

Checks at Shell Petroleum Development Company’s oil spills website revealed no record of the  March 17 incident at Angiama while other leak incidents were reported on the portal

Okoroma, Bayelsa Community decries neglect demands renewal of lapsed MoU with Agip

The people of Okoroma Clan in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa on Monday demanded that a lapsed agreement with Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) be renewed with 14 days.

 The residents regretted that jobs reserved for members of the oil firm in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which expired in 2011 was being diverted.

The therefore advised NAOC to refrain from awarding contracts meant for them to others in the state or consider shutting down their operations in the area.

Ijaw Youths Council seeks transparency in NDDC under Interim Management

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) on Monday said that the opaque style adopted by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was not in the interest of the Niger Delta region.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government had on Feb, 20, 2020 appointed a five-man Interim Management Committee to run the NDDC before the inauguration of the newly constituted board of the Commision.

The youths noted that the Interim Management Committee was running the interventionist agency set up to accelerate development of the region without the participation of supposed beneficiaries.

Bayelsa gets COVID-19 index case, Task Force assures on preparedness

Bayelsa gets COVID-19 index case, Task Force assures on preparedness

Dr Inodu, Akpoku, Chairman Bayelsa COVID-19 Task Force implementation Committee says Bayelsa has recorded its first confirmed case of COVID-19.

Akpoku who confirmed the development in a telephone interview on Monday assured that there was no cause for alarm as the state was adequately prepared to handle the situation.

He said that the index case, a woman has been quarantined at one of the several isolation centres put in place by Bayelsa government to tackle the corona virus outbreak.

He said that the government was preparing a detailed statement which would be made public shortly.

Environmentalist links dead fishes to toxic chemicals from Shell, urges NOSDRA to sit up

 Environmentalist links dead fishes to toxic chemicals from Shell, urges NOSDRA to sit up

Mr Furoebi Akene, an Environment on Sunday attributed the dead fishes littering the Niger Delta coastline to discharge of toxic chemicals from Shell’s operations at Forcados oil export terminal.

Akene who spoke in Yenagoa in reaction to NOSDRA’s position that it found no oil spills linking the massive death of fishes floating near the Atlantic coastline in Delta,Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.

He said that while he agrees that the dead fishes were not caused by oil leakage as found out by NOSDRA, the disclosure was capable of misleading conclusions as the investigation results were being awaited by stakeholders.

Akene, Chairman, Board of trustees of the Centre for Environmental Preservation and Development (CEPAD) alleged that Shell Petroleum Development Company discharged toxic materials in the Atlantic off Delta coastline at Ogulagha.

Dead fishes on Atlantic coastline: Bayelsa communities outlaw ‘Croaker’ fish

Following reports of massive number of dead fishes littering the Niger Delta coastline, Bayelsa coastal settlements have outlawed the catching, eating and selling of the ‘croaker’ fish species.

Mr Leghemo Ebrasin, a youth leader, said on Friday that the traditional leadership had met and passed a resolution that henceforth it was a taboo to have any dealing with the dead fishes.

The youth leader said that Chief Patrick Tobin Ekubo, Chairman, Community Development Committee of Koluama 2 conveyed the decision of the traditional leadership to the people.