By future,NBF NEWS,24th April,2012.

BAYELSA COMMUNITY UP IN ARMS AGAINST AGIP OVER UNEMPLOYMENT OF INDIGENES

In Bayelsa State regarded as the hub of the Niger Delta region, one recurring issue centres on brewing tension between the oil companies and host companies. While the issue of environmental degradation through the activities of oil companies occupies the front burner, that of non-employment of qualified indigenes of the communities is vexed matter.

Indeed one community that cannot allow the issue of the non-employment of its people remains unattended to is the Ogboinbiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Having played host to Nigeria Agip Oil Company for 26 years with its eleven oil wells, the community have served notice that they would not take things lightly with Agip.

Recently the people of the community staged a peaceful protest to press home their demands for the people of the community to also be employed as staff of the oil company.
The community which claimed that it has over 200 qualified indigenes that can employed in Agip, noted that the employment of just two indigenes of the community several years ago should have been followed with subsequent employment for all other people.

The Chairman of the Community Development Committee, Elder Captain Edugo said the community has included its demands in the recent Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) it signed with the community. According to him, efforts to persuade the management of Agip which has over eleven oil wells in the Community and currently embarking on a gas gathering plant have been in vain.
He said: “Since 1986 till date, Agip has not employed any of the indigenes as a permanent staff of the company. The management has turned deaf ears to our demands informed the peaceful protest being embarked upon by members of the community.

Even the ongoing gas gathering project known as ‘Agip oil and Gas Flow Station up grade project, which has commenced in the last three years have no single indigene as a staff in spite of the availability of qualified man power among the indigenes of the host community”

In tandem with Edugo was the Secretary General of the CDC, Mr. Tari Daniel who appealed that government should prevail on the authorities of Agip to employ and embark on human capital development of indigenes of the host community.
Daniel recalled that over the years, members of the community have been protecting the Agip facility but it never dawned on the company to employ any of them as permanent staff.

“Since 1994 when NISCO commissioned Agip , we have been protecting this facility but Agip has not taken us seriously”, noted Daniel who pointed out that the community is also suffering environmental impact of the company’s activities.
Daniel said: “In its EIA report, lots of impacts have been discovered in the course of the project. Gone were the days when Agip will give excuses of no qualified personnel in the community for employment. Today we are proud to say that we have over 200 qualified graduates in our community, Agip as the company operating in the community should employ them”.
Mr. Chris Brown, the Youth Leader of the CDC who shed more light on the  rationale behind the peaceful protest said the gas gathering project  which is nearing completion have not seen any of the indigenes employed.
He expressed disgust over the security agents’ attitude   for labeling them miscreants even though they were carrying out peaceful and genuine protests.

“Now the project is almost completed and yet no indigene has been given permanent employment. We have for long been appealing to them to employ our people but they refused, and this informed our peaceful protest to draw the attention of government, we won’t be violent, but Agip should recognize our importance,” he added.
Ms. Helen Diefa, the woman leader of the community lamented that Agip has not cared to embark on micro credit facilities for women in the area whose farmlands have been polluted.
Her words: “Our mothers are suffering as they can’t even go to their farms because the waters have been polluted by the company’s activities. We need employment and credit facilities such as loans. No toilets and pipe born water, we need all these”

An ex-militant in the community, Mr. Eliot Erepamo, who say he is retired but not tired noted that the  Niger Delta and the oil companies need peace to operate, and advised Agip to live up to the demands of the host community to make permanent employment for the  qualified indigenes.
Sources said the management of Agip had intervened and have appealed to the community to suspend further protests which has been lined as the company is ready to engaged them in dialogue to resolve the matter.

By Andrew Agbese, Daily Trust,24th April,2012.

Supreme Court judgment on Sylva and party internal democracy

This  analysis takes a look at last week’s judgment on the case of former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Syliva challenging his exclusion from the gubernatorial primaries in Bayelsa and the implication on party internal democracy.

For a long time, the manner political parties in Nigeria run their affairs has been a source of worry, as many observe that what transpires at the party level is anything but democratic.

From the way decisions are taken, to choosing party officials and candidates, many political parties have jettisoned the popular wish of the people to settle for the wish of those who either finance the parties or hold certain key public offices.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos hinted at this when he told ACN leader Bola Tinubu, that there was lack of fairness in the way things are done, confirming suspicion that key decisions within the party are made by Tinubu and not the majority of party members.

To show the extent of the drift, Tinubu did little to hide how his decisions override that of party members when he retorted that, “if there is no partiality, you (Fashola) cannot be governor of Lagos State. I have no regrets about my decision on you, Fayemi in Ekiti, Aregbesola and my pursuing of Oyo with Ajimobi.”

But even as criticisms have trailed such practices and many of the parties try to cover up, there is hope that with the observations being raised, there would be reformations to make the parties respect democratic tenets while conducting their businesses.

But the Supreme Court ruling in the appeal by former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, on how he was excluded from participating in the gubernatorial primaries of his state has raised fresh concern if details of the judgment would be in the interest of democracy in the country.

Sylva had contested and won the PDP guber primaries in January 2011 ahead of a general election fixed for April 2011 but the general election was cancelled due to an appeal court ruling that his term had not expired and fresh primaries were later fixed but he was not allowed to contest.

Sylva ran to the courts to challenge what he felt was an injustice and pursued the case right to the Supreme Court asking the court to issue an order stopping his party from conducting a scheduled primary election from which the candidate of the party for the state’s governorship election will emerge, arguing that he was validly elected the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in an earlier primary election.

In a ruling handed down last Friday morning, the SC dismissed the case saying the fielding of candidates for elections is an intra-party affair in which courts cannot interfere.

“Courts in Nigeria do not have jurisdiction to question the nomination and sponsorship of a candidate for election,” the court said.

The court maintained that the primaries that Sylva won in 2011 fades into insignificance since the elections for which the said primaries were conducted were cancelled.

To many, aware of what transpires at the party level where candidates for the party and exco officials are selected by senior members of the party not minding the view of majority of the members, this comes as an official imprimatur to lawlessness that erodes even the semblance of democratic practices that had existed within the parties.

There are fears that the parties could, based on this ruling, decide to continue in that direction since it would be classified as an internal affair of the party.

Doifie Ola, media aide to Chief Timipre Sylva who was the first to react, said in a statement that the decision of the apex court comes as a dark day for democracy and justice in Nigeria, adding that neither history nor God condones impunity.

Governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, commenting on the judgment, praised the Judiciary for being the last hope of the common man.

“By this judgment the Judiciary has once again demonstrated its relevance as the pillar of democracy. We commend the judiciary for upholding the essence of justice, equity and fairness without which democracy and the political system would be in danger. Indeed, today’s judgment is victory for democracy, the good people of Bayelsa State and Ijaw nation.

But looking beyond the immediate impact for the parties involved, there are indeed fears that the parties may be completely hijacked and all processes of decision making through democratic process scuttled right from the national to the state and local government levels.

OSA OKHOMINA, Leadership,24th 2012.

Gov Dickson: Between Rule Of Law And Party Loyalty

The PDP in Bayelsa State is not new to crisis but the emergence of parallel council Chairmen in three local government areas through the ruling of the court on the rightful party candidates for the 2010 local council election has thrown the party into confusion. Osa Okhomina examines the crisis and the burden on Governor Seriake Dickson.

Unlike some states in the country, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dominated the political landscape of Bayelsa State since 1999. However, like in most states of the Federation where the party rules, it has roped itself into one controversy or the other.

Even the emergence of the former Governor of the State, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as the Vice President and President of Nigeria has not stopped the party from being enmeshed in controversy. The recent controversy rocking the state is the sudden emergence of two parallel Local Government Chairmen in three local Government Councils of the state including Sagbama home council of the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson.

The crisis as to the rightful flag bearer of the party in 2010 Local Government Council election started during the administration of Timipre Sylva when the Leadership of the Party under the Former Chairman, Rufus Abadi issued certificate of return to Five candidates of the Party for the Chairmanship polls and another set of Flag Bearer were issued certificate by the Secretary of the Party, Chief James Angaye under the strict instruction of the Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva.

Though it was during the battle of wits between the followers of the then Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to control the leadership of the PDP in the state, the deed has come back to haunt the party under the administration of Hon. Seriake Dickson. The legal implication is not lost on the camp of the progressives in the state.

At the height of the claims and counter claims over the party candidature, the five candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the April Local Government council election dragged the members of the State Executive Committee of the party to court over duplication of the presentation of certificate of Returns to thirteen candidates of the party in the state.

They claim that the presentation of certificates to eight PDP candidates by the Governor’s faction came after another set of Certificates of Return were presented to eight others by the Chairman of the Party, Chief Rufus Abadi based on the harmonized position of the leaders of the party including the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

The State Secretary, Mr. James Angai had told party supporters present at the presentation ceremony held at the Party Secretariat that the National Secretariat of the party is aware of the existence and nullity of the previous presentations of Certificate done by the embattled Party Chairman, stating “I have supported us to issue the new certificate to the genuine party candidates that won the party primaries held in the state.”

But the aggrieved candidates, including Chief Koku Gariga (Sagbama), Chief Ineye Igbaifegha (Kolokuma/Opokuma),Beneth Igbani (Ogbia),Selekebina Sabor (Ekeremor) and Prince Okolobaowei Seikumoh (Yenagoa), are asking the court to interpret the relevant sections of the Party constitution on which of the executive member signature is needed by on the certificate of return as issued by the Party.

Also sought from the Court is the determination of the issue of fresh screening by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) after the party had screened and certified that they were the candidates of the Party. Announcing the decision of the five candidates of the Bayelsa PDP in the April polls to seek legal redress, their counsel, Chief Joseph Afekoro, confirmed the filing of the suit at the State High Court and the need for the court to address the two basic prayers being sought by his clients.

In the originating summon obtained from the court with suit number YHC/12/2010, also joined in the suit were the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), the eight candidates of the party presented with Certificate of Return by the faction of the Party loyal to the State Governor, the Deputy Chairman of the Party, Chief Dairus Obiene, the Secretary of the Party, Mr. James Angari and the Chairman of the Party, Chief Rufus Abadi.

After two years of legal battles, two out of the five Chieftains of the Party laid claims to the candidature of the PDP for the 2010 Local Government poll stepped down. But the trio of Koku Gariga (Sagbama),Selekebina Saboh(Ekeremor) and Ineye Igbaifegha (Kolokuma/Opokuma) pursued their cases before the State High Court and the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They secured victories and met a brick wall in the continued silence of the present Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson on the issue.

However, the issue has continued to generate tension in the affected councils of Ekeremor, Sagbama and Kolokuma/Opokuma following repeated failure by the council chairmen to assume offices despite the judgement of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the court had on February 16th declared Mr. Koku Gariga, Sagbama, Mr. Selekebina Saboh, Ekeremor and Mr. Ineye Igbaifegha, Kolokuma/Opokuma, the rightful Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates for the April 2010 local government election in the state. The presiding Justice, M.D. Muhammed, in a copy of the ruling obtained by our correspondent in Yenagoa, ordered the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission to accept the appellants as the party’s candidates.

Muhammed by the judgment sacked Mr. Julius Idie, Mr. Ebikitim Diagoli and Mr. Pere Peretus who hitherto occupied the chairmanship positions of Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama local government areas respectively after the election.

Further investigations revealed that the state’s electoral commission had on April 2 in obedience to the court order issued certificates of return to the winners of the case. The commission in the letter which was signed by its administrative secretary and obtained by our correspondent said it released the certificates to the winners because it “had not been served any stay of execution order from any court”.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the parallel Chairmen-elect had satisfied all the conditions for their inaugurations including getting clearance from the Code of Conduct Bureau. Following the silence of the State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson and the alleged refusal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri, to obey the order, the aggrieved chairmen-elect were said to have approached the Customary Court for their inaugurations.

But trouble was said to have started on Sunday when the state government through the Chief Registrar, High Court of Justice, Mr. Ibraham Uzakah, issued a statement declaring the inaugurations of the chairmen-elect as unlawful. A copy of the statement which was made available to our correspondent insisted that the power to inaugurate chairmen of local councils was vested on the chief judge by virtue of Section 22 of the Local Government Law of Bayelsa State.

The government was said to have ordered the police to arrest the chairmen and one Andrew Jonathan who administered the oaths of office on them. But the chairmen have vowed to resume their offices and to resist attempts by the former chairmen of the councils to stop them. The attempt has grounded work at the Council headquarters.

Gariga blamed the development on allegations by Dickson that they did not support him during the February 11 governorship election in the state. He accused Dickson of frustrating a court order and appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene and stop the looming violence in the state. He stated “This is an indication that our state does not respect the rule of law. They are just dribbling us. This is wrong. We have been sworn-in and resumed as council chairmen and anybody who does not like it should go to court”.

When contacted, the Dickson’s Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson denied the allegations by the chairmen-elect and said the governor was committed to the rule of law and legal process.

He said, “The governor is a firm believer in the rule of law and judicial process. As a lawyer by profession, the governor cannot frustrate the execution of a court order. It will be mischievous for anybody to link the governor to this matter. The persons involved in this matter are advised to maintain the peace and stick to the legal process in solving their problems”.

By Oluwole Ige, Tribune,24th April,2012.

My Husband Was Celebrating Over His New Car, Then DPO Shot Him Dead’

If Erezedoh Ugoh, an inspector with the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Bayelsa State Command had known that his decision to celebrate the acquisition of a Tokunbo Mazda 626 model car last Sunday at a relaxation joint, few metres from his residence, in company with his colleagues along Nikton area, in Yenagoa would eventually lead to his death, perhaps he may not have tinkered with the idea.

The incident, which threw the entire neighbourhood of Wisdom Estate, Kpansia, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital into mourning, was sparked off when one of the victim’s colleagues, who came to felicitate with him out of sheer joy and excitement allegedly fired several shots into the air in the spirit of celebration.

Saturday Tribune authoritatively gathered that the reverberating sound of the gunshots made some people in the area, identified as one of the black spots in the state capital, to make distress calls to the police out of suspicion that hoodlums had stormed the estate.

Policemen from Ekeki Divisional Police Headquarters, led by the DPO indentified as Nemi Iwo, swiftly moved to the area in about four Hilux Patrol vans around 3.40p.m with a view to salvage the situation, more so as the scene of the incident was few metres away from the private resident of President Goodluck Jonathan, who incidentally was in Bayelsa State over the weekend.

The situation went awry when the policemen requested the colleague of Ugoh, who allegedly fired the shots into the air, to surrender his service rifle, a development he vehemently resisted, culminating in a fierce struggle between him and a policeman over the gun.

According to an eyewitness, who gave her name as Eseimokumoh Anthonite, “Ugoh, who sensed danger, managed to remove the magazine from the rifle and quickly took it inside his apartment. But suddenly we just heard a shot and the next thing we saw was Ugoh falling down and blood gushed out from his upper rib region.”

Sources informed our correspondent that the victim, aged 30, who hailed from Sabagreigha, in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa met his untimely death shortly after returning from a burial ceremony held at Aguloma village.

Another witness, living close to the victim’s residence, who pleaded anonymity said: “what happened was that some of his colleagues, who are also officers of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), visited him. Even, when I was going out, he (Ugoh) called me to join them to drink. Not too long after the gunshots, the police approached us, saying that they heard gunshots and that we should identify ourselves. The DPO led two other policemen and later there was reinforcement and they demanded to know the owner of the gun and who authorised him to shoot.”

Continuing, he stated that “The DPO said the colleague of the victim should drop the gun and follow them to the station to identify himself. So, in the process of recovering the gun, one of the policemen fired a warning shot in the air, but the man kept struggling not to relinquish the rifle. Later, the deceased went inside to put on a T-shirt with the plan to follow the policemen along with his colleagues to the station. Suddenly, as he was coming back to the scene, another shot fired by one corporal, who accompanied the DPO, hit Ugoh and he fell.”

Ikpoidenigha, wife of the deceased

Meanwhile, the accounts of the incident given by the widow of the victim, identified as Ikpoidenigha Ugoh, who is 25 years old, slightly differed from those given by some other witnesses.

Narrating her experience amidst wailing and sobbing, the woman, who is also an officer of the NPS with the rank PA3, lamented that her husband was shot in her presence and his 6-year-old daughter.

Said Ikpoidenigha, “I saw my husband falling after he had been shot by the DPO and  I begged the policemen to assist in taking him to the hospital so that he could be saved from dying, but they did not budge and one of them even threatened to slap me. At my early age, I am now a widow. My husband was killed in the presence of my little daughter. My daughter was telling me that mummy, policeman had shot my daddy. She was asking me, ‘how is my daddy; is my daddy okay?’  I managed to tell her that her father was okay.”

While lamenting the death of her husband, the widow, who was being calmed down by sympathisers, who thronged her residence on Monday, demanded for justice, saying that “the killer of my husband must be brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law.”

“I can never find any other man who will love me as much as my husband did. That is the only man that made me happy. I married him almost 10 years ago after I left secondary school. So my husband is dead, lying down at the mortuary. I tried to find the keys to his newly bought vehicle so that I can take him to the hospital shortly after he was shot, but I could not find the keys,” Ikpoidenigha stated.

“For the first time in my life, I was carrying a dead body and it was the corpse of my husband. I have never been to a morgue before, but I entered the place today because of my husband,” she further lamented.

Speaking further, she recalled that “I managed with the help of some neighbours to rush him to Glory Land Clinic, where he was confirmed dead. He just returned from a burial ceremony on Sunday morning and I was playing with him; saying that every morning he was fond of washing his car and he replied that I was jealous. I told him to rest and later I went inside to sleep. Shortly after, he came to inform me that police had come to arrest them and I told him that he should explain to them that he is an officer.”

Reacting, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, said his command had already launched an investigation into the matter, saying that his men responded to distress calls along Nikton road only to discover that some men later identified as officers of the NPS were firing gunshots into the air to celebrate the purchase of a car, a development which created panic in the area.