Thursday 27 February 2014

BAYELSAN JOURNALISTS REMEMBER PAST GOVERNMENTS

It is now a period of sober reflection for practicing journalists in Bayelsa State, now that the noble profession seems to be under the influence of some 'we don't care' personnel  in the media sector of the Chief Seriake Dickson  administration.
At the creation of Bayelsa State out of Rivers State, October 1st 1996 the bifurcation revealed that the Ijaws in Old Rivers benefited nothing as there was no infrastructure on ground, the only structures on ground were the NRC and SDP party secretariats that served, one as Government House and the other as  Command  Headquarters of the Police in the state.
It was like building from scratch, where key government officials like Permanent Secretaries, Directors and other key officers including judges, doctors,etc had no place even to sleep And was the time the State media also began, with great challenges ahead to inform, educate and enlighten the populace in line with their Constitutional role.
Kudos to the first elected governor of Bayelsa State, Chief D.S.P. Alamieseigha, who took the bull by the horn when he had a dialogue with the Press to partner government for progress, with emphasis that no nation develops effectively without the role of the Press.
Chief Alamieyeseigha was press friendly and his Media managers were proactive,took media practitioners along in governance to the extent that media practitioners: Publishers and Correspondent of accredited Newspapers were given Government House Identity cards to enable them attend Government House functions. In fact that time the State Government had a dream to encourage the indigenous press to attain national status, a dream that administration was pursuing, which Dr. Goodluck Jonathan continued, he released money for the establishment of the Bayelsa Independent Publishers Association [BIPA] Printing Press, to state Publishers from going to Port Harcourt to print their Newspapers
Chief Sylva came on board and also tried his best to relate with the Press by reasons of Press briefings which gave opportunity for Journalists to express themselves and to know the direction of government on any issue that bordered on the development of the state.This relationship between the State government and the Press opened up the State by way of exposure due engagements in state activities including tours.
During Chief Alamieyeseigha's tenure Press briefings was not exclusive to the governor but it was the policy of government for every ministry to also brief the press on monthly basis, and the government was liberal, having the knowledge that publicity was cost intensive.
During Alamieyeseigha and Goodluck Jonathan administrations sponsored Publishers and Correspondents to cover events outside the state in Abuja and outside the Country. The Commissioning of Izon Wari was a typical example. Sylva also sponsored the state media to cover major events within and outside Nigeria.
The irony of it is that since Dickson came, there has been no Press briefing, what is on, is Monthly Transparency briefing, where the governor announces the income and expenditure of state's funds, which is like the parliament of the state where the functions of the journalists is hijacked, consequently Bayelsa based journalists no longer ask questions.
One very sad development that is questionable, is that during such transparency briefings, the state government import journalists from outside to usurp the rights of those in the state, those they accommodate, feed, empowers and transport with state funds, while leaving those in the state to roast. And on the other hand the Dickson administration had sponsored no journalist to attend any national or international event. National Conventions, South/South Conventions and Conferences and now the Centenary Celebration in Abuja, no Bayelsan Journalist is sponsored or accredited to cover the historic event. 
This shows that the media managers of the administration have not briefed the governor enough of the importance of the benefit of carrying the state media along. The Information Commissioner, Deacon Markson Fefegha and the Chief Press Secretary should rise up and reposition the Bayelsa Press.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

BAYELSA GOV. FACES CHALLENGE TO SPREAD AMENETIES


The People of Bayelsa went agog with celebrations as the state government rolled out carpet and set the stage for an historic 2nd anniversary of Restoration Government which policy on public finance is Probity and Accountability.
Governor Dickson who from inception of his administration on February 14th Valentin's Day assured of rapid development in both infrastructural and human resources had consistently engaged the state on what he calls Monthly Transparency briefing.
Though the journey of the administration had not a smooth sail to Dickson in his first year in office due to the challenges of the flood that ravaged the state, which the government told Bayelsans affected the development of the state. But this year the Governor has come out with smiles on his 2nd anniversary in office with commissioning of projects executed so far.
It was however observed that the projects commissioned were lopsided,  favoring mainly the governor's home Town and Sagbama, his Local government Area and part of the state capital, Yenagoa.
To cover this secret of lopsided project execution of the Restoration government, media managers were said to have done abracadabra with some Journalist from outside  lodged in hotels, coming out with reports that were half truth.
Speaking to Golden Pen in Yenagoa, Mr.Lagos Timidi said that though the Governor, had tried to improve the state, most of the projects were done in his own area, leaving out most of the local government areas in the development process, which according to him need to be changed. Mr. Timidi further stated that Hon. Dickson is not the governor of only his LGA and the State capital and urged him to read the Bibles of Commander A.P Diete Spiff and Chief Melford Okilo on spread of amenities in governance.
Also commenting on the commissioned projects Mr. Inetimi David observed that most of the Local Government areas in the Riverine areas were not even visited not to talk of commissioning any project, and described the development as unprecedented. Hear him:-
"Since Bayelsa was created I had not seen a governor concentrating about 80% of the projects earmarked for development sited in his own area without minding consequences. When the governor embarked on his tour to LGAs it was sweet talks in every community with promises for all round development, but today most LGAs have nothing to show for their support to the admini

Wednesday 5 February 2014

BUHARI: A SPENT HORSE POLITICIAN, NIGERIA DON'T NEED

Gen. M. Buhari
One would not want to go the direction of historians who hardly miss dates and events concerning prominent people and nations. Otherwise the activities of Buhari a former military dictator whose administration was overthrown by reasons of maladministration and incompetence could have been openly condemned. In our dear country Nigeria from Independence to date, the nation had been blessed with countless Military Officers who were more brilliant than Buhari in the Military and also performed better than him in countless ways in office as Military Head of State.
Amongst the Military officers that were privileged to lead Nigeria, General Buhari was the worst none performer Head of State, who also disappointed his fellow officers and was so disgracefully thrown out of office, thank God it was a bloodless coup. And it is like the parable of the dancer or performing artist who does not see his back, Mr. Buhari had been going around Nigeria that he must be made President or there will be no more Nigeria. This attitude of Buhari played our in the 2011 presidential election, which he lost to President Jonathan. The fact is that Buhari is not more than the least man in Nigeria and should stop parading himself as a leader of this nation, because he is the most disqualified Presidential aspirant who had been like replay in a football match.
In fact the All Progressive Congress as a political Party cannot make a head way with Buhari as its Presidential flag bearer and none in that party without manifesto is to be compared with the God fearing, kind hearted, patriotic and development oriented Goodluck Jonathan. Buahari and his political spent horses should find other jobs to do and leave the political space for selfless nationalists , Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his likes. 

Sunday 2 February 2014

AUSTRALIAN MAN MARRIES HIS OWN DOG

Mr. Joe Guiso and his dog wife
This may sound unbelievable, but it is not a lie, it is true that an Australian man has gone ahead to marry his beloved dog.as his wife
The man whose name was given as, Joe Guiso was said to have taken his 5 years old dog bride to a Cross bearing priest  to conduct an historic man/dog marriage in the broad day light, full glare of friends and family of the bridegroom. But the bride, family was not sufficiently represented probably because of lack of communication.
In the Colonial era when Africans were taken as slaves to countries like Australia some mischievous Australians and other white nations derided the slaves calling them derogatory names such as "black monkey" or persons from the swamp. But thank God there was no such a debasing story of man marrying a dog.
This Australian man Joe Guiso could not be the only one in man dog relationships in that country . It is very sad to hear of Gay and Lesbianism on one side and now another chapter of animal and man becoming husband and wife in Australia,  And as husband and wife, it is most likely that Joe Guiso and his beloved dog wife will raise a family of man and dog children to make the Australian nation greater than it is today. And as the Australian law allows  this, it is hoped that in the near future, most Australians may either be husbands or wives to every animal of choice, fish, reptile etc. What Australia should do is to build a community for the animal families. Let Australia also do the world a favour to list the men and women that are married to animals and don't allow them out of their country because of their special status.

Saturday 1 February 2014

SAYING NO! TO GAY MARRIAGES , GREAT ACHIEVEMENT OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN

If there are a number of things Nigerians will have to count as major achievements of the Dr. Jonathan Presidency, I can say, putting his signature against the Gay or SAME SEX MARRIAGE  is unbeatable. He deserves commendation for being a worthy leader, for preserving the sanctity of the Nigerian people and the African people before God and the human race.  On this great achievement, Mr. President receive the biggest CONGRATULATION!

IS AMAECHI A FOOL?

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
When Amaechi regained his lost mandate from Celestine Omehia by the grace of the supreme court, most of Nigeria's pro democracy activists at home and abroad including myself, Chief  Evans Tubonoh welcomed the change and Congratulated the Ikwerre born politician. And in fairness to him, he started well by putting paid to terrorism and cultism that parvaded the atmosphere in the state and for putting the state in the fast lane of development.
Amaechi who was two time Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly be came Chairman of the Nigeria Governor's Forum (NGF). His rise to the top of the ladder was also welcomed to the South-South, the Niger Delta, because it was reasoned that Governor Rotimi Amaechi was going to work in unity with President Jonathan to bring the expected dividends of democracy, but this is not the case.
Because of one's being outside politics, does not mean that politicians could dance naked in our streets and not called to order.
For some time now, the Governor of Rivrrs State, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has been dancing naked in the streets of not only his own State Rivers but everywhere he went.
Amaechi's stock in trade were his distorted comments and baseless accusations made against the person of Mr. President and the people of Bayelsa on the issue of Oluasiri/Soku oil fields.
Mr. Amaechi should have known even before he became governor that there was a boundary dispute between the Nembe of Bayelsa and the Kalabari of Rivers on some oil fields. He should have known too that in old Rivers State, many years before Bayelsa was created there was a crisis in which speed boats of Brass and Nembe were killed by Kalabari  including a Chief and two Radio Rivers Nembe News translators,  Mr. Teteiyai Wapa and Mrs Inara Omieh in the creeks near Nembe in an ambush.
Amaechi ought to know also that, in a reprissal attack, Nembe sacked, Ogboma community and other Kalabari villages including Diaba, which gave birth to the Justice Akiri Commission of Enquiry on the boundary dispute between the Nembe and Kalabari and which brought about the issue of saving monnies acruing from the disputed oil wells in an
 escrow accounts which is being refered to by Amaechi himself. And he could not claim ignoranance to the fact that, Governor Peter Odili his predecessor and Chief Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State were on, to resolve the matter before the National Boundary Commission, and only a fool could claim ignorance. Is Amaechi a fool?