IYC EXCUCUTIVE COUNCIL FLUSHED OUT

Comrade Udengs Eradiri

The Executive Committee of the Ijaw Youth Council has been dissolved. The dissolution which was at the instance of some Ijaw elders who critically looked at the controversies that surrounded the Comrade Udengs Eradiri led Youth body of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality  which had been in crisis months ago.
Report has it that, foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clarke, presided at the meeting were other prominent Ijaw sons, Chief Tonye Graham Douglas and former NDDC top-shot, Timi Alaibe were in attendance. The meeting was said to have critically examined the unprecedented bad blood generated by the most controversial election of the IYC held in the Bayelsa State Capital Yenagoa on the 28th of October 2013.
It will be recalled that, that election, provoked a strong protest that took the aggrieved majority to a protest in the State capital, Yenagoa which spread like wildfire and engulfed Mbiama Town and  barricade of the East West road by the protesters.
The protest was midwifed by a groundswell allegations that there was the hand of the state government in the affairs of the Ijaw Youth body, which they said led to the emergence of four elected presidents of the IYC, with Udengs Eradiri been paraded as the recognized victor by the Restoration government led by Chief Seriake Dickson, while other contestants also paraded themselves as elected. Media report on the election has this to say:
 " Although the. Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Comrade Sunny Dilitolofari in a news conference after the election declared, comrade 'Udenz' Eradiri winner of the controversial presidential election, Comrade Elvis Donkemezuo, Comrade Jonathan Lokpobiri and Nengi Ikiba who also contested the election claimed to have been elected the president of the council."  
The election was widely condemned by both members of the body and the general public not only in Yenagoa but all over the world The media continued to give the true picture of what transpired, read this:
 "A member of the Electoral Committee of the just concluded Ijaw Youth Council,IYC, worldwide national convention  Nengi James, has distanced himself from the outcome of the poll, saying that it was faulty and didn't follow due process."
While that was happening, they went ahead with the news in defiance to the popular opinion of irregularities and upheld the imposition of the ousted Udengs Eradiri who allegedly had a strong backing by the brick house in Yenagoa.
And it was the tension generated from that election that made the President of the Ijaw National Congress Senator Tari Selibo [late] to visit Bayelsa State to meet with Governor Dickson to find answers to the boiling IYC before his sudden death in Yenagoa. That was also reported:
 "Sekibo and other members of the INC Exco were scheduled to meet Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson at  3.00pm...over the lingering crisis that has 'continue' to trail the October 28 Ijaw Youth Council [IYC], elections.
The Ijaw National Congress is the Umbrella body of all Izon, and the IYC is the youth wing created out of the parent body which according to the principles of due process must conduct affairs in line with the ideals of Peace and Unity which were the pillars of the founding fathers of the Izon Ethnic Nationality.
The Ijaw leaders have announced that a caretaker Committee will soon be constituted to hold brief for the IYC that will work a new date for elections.

GOV DICKSON PLEDGES SPONSORSHIP OF PILGRIMS TO HOLY LAND, ISRAEL

Chief Seriake Dickson

The governor of Bcaayelsa State, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson has announced that his administration will not relent in her efforts at sponsoring Christian Pilgrimages to the Holy Land Israel.

Chief Dickson stated this, while addressing Clergy men and women in  the Bayelsa state capital, Yenagoa  who were in government House to felicitate with him, on the occasion of his 48th birthday.

According to him, his Restoration government was impressed with the Clergy for their continued support to the Federal and State governments through their tireless work of prayers.

The Governor used the medium to call on the people of the state to rally round the President, Dr, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, especially now that the nation was moving closer to the 2015 elections.

To this end, he said, Clergy men and women of the state across the eight local government areas will be sponsored to the Holy Land Israel this year. to pray for the peace  and progress of Bayelsa State and Nigeria in the 2014 Pilgrims exercise.

Earlier in his speech, the spokesman of the group and General Overseer of the Royal House of Grace, Apostle Zilly Aggrey, gave kodos to the governor for his development strides, and wish him and his wife more fruitful years ahead with assurances that the Clergy will continue to pray for the state and the Federal governments.  

It will be recalled  that last Year, 2013,  the governor, Chief Dickson told the Executive Secretary National Pilgrims Commission, Mr. John F. Kennedy Opara,  that his administration was going to withdraw from sponsoring  Pilgrimages, to the Holy Land,  He, however reluctantly sponsored an insignificant number of Pilgrims, despite the fact that, a Christian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was the one to lead  a Nigerian Delegation to the Holy Land, yet the number of Bayelsan Pilgrims was the least across the nation.

Meanwhile, the governor has been appreciated for the laudable idea, but called upon to consider and include some Journalists and other professionals   who are Christians to partake in this year's Spiritual exercise.

AS BAYELSA DICKSON HIS CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY LOW KEYED

Gov. S.S Dickson

The governor of Bayelsa, Hon. Seriake Dickson had celebrated his 58th birthday  in Yenagoa with a call on his perceived friends and well wishers not to send congratulatory messages in his honour.A press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the govrrnor directed those who wanted to felicitate with Dickson to instead use their monies to provide for the poor on his behalf at the ophanages and every other welfare centres.

This pronouncement gave the Restoration governor the face of a leader who wants  to put smile on the faces of his peolpe 

This shows that Dickson may not have  been responsible for the ravaging poverty in the state, caused by the non revalidation and payment of genuine approvals inherited as liability from the immediate past administration is going to two years in the state treasury. From tbis compassionte heart we would love to see the governor looking in that direction to see that justice is done  to all.

THE FORGOTTEN NIGER DELTA OF PRESIDENTVJONATHAN

The relationship between the Federal Government and Nigeria had remained as that of master and slave. The Federal Government as master, continue to labour the Niger Delta of her soil, rivers and creeks by extracting crude oil and gas with all the means available without minding the pains and health condition of the region.
It was expected that, the ugly situation of neglect suffered by the Region was going to be a thing of the past , with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But this expectation had been like a "far cry in the wilderness" to this day.
People of the Region are lamenting neglect becsuse of the lopsided appointments that the Dr. Jonathan administration had done from inception whereby, the people of the Niger Delta Region were glaringly sidelined and or delibrately excluded from the scheme of things.
This situation is now a great concern to many people. Speaking to the Golden Pen in Yenagoa, Mr Justus Ikpobi, a public affairs analyst, spoke on the neglect of the Region by the Federal Government under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan; especially, Bayelsa State, the home state of Mr. President. Mr. Ikpobi noted with concern that importants projects, such as an International Airport started  by the late President, Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar'Adua has been a lukewarm, Federal Secretariat for Bayelsa which is the second popular Federal Government project in the state since Bayelsa was created is said to be under construction, some few offices of the federal government, like, the Nigeria Loacl Content Board, the Mobility Command Nigeria Air Force, the Nigerian Navy, Imigration and other few Federal offices in the state,  have no secretariat, but just percing around under the wings of the state government. Mr. Ikpobi observed with concern.
Mr Osare Okpovwe, of Delta State said his worry is that the Federal Government had not completed the East West Road, the only road that connect the Niger Delta to the rest of the country, and the world. He went further to say that what the people want President Jonathan to do right now, is to turn his face to the Niger Delta in the areas of infrastructural development, juicy political appointments , "before it is too late." he emphasized.l

WHY EVERY HOMOSEXUAL INTEREST SHOULD LEAVE NIGERIA ALONE-CHIEF EVANS TUBONAH

Anbassador James Entwistle

The Federal Government of Nigeria led by Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has its own foundation deeply rooted in the Constitution of the Country, which is operated fully in accordance and in agreement with the will of the people. And every Nigerian know their natural rights against abuses of immorality.
The issue of Gay marriages or Same Sex marriages are an abomination to the people of Nigeria, which has no place in both their traditions and cultures. And this an area where they all speak in one voice unto this day.
His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan has done the right thing, he had spoken in our voices by signing the against the Gay or same sex marriages Act: in our God given, God blessed Country, Nigeria.
It is however unbelievable that some Countries have raised eyebrows to protest against the right of the Nigerian president to decide on any issue according to his heart in agreement with the Laws and Principles of God and the nation he represents. One cannot understand what our friends from outside wants Nigeria to be; for it is a bad sign that a visitor or a friend in someone's house begins to query the host, where and how he keeps his keys or how he runs the affairs of his family. And it is even a more serious thing, where such a visitor friend go to the extent of protesting the harmless decisions he takes in the family.
That is why when the news came that some Countries were protesting against Nigeria, I began to wonder, what is really happening, I asked myself. I did not believe that, respected Ambassadors of Countries serving in Nigeria will go so low to raise eye brows to say or protest that if Nigeria does not approve of same sex marriage they will do this or that gives the impression that some of them must have defiled themselves or are on a mission to defile Nigeria and by extension Africa.
When it came to my attention that the US Ambassador for Nigeria, His Excellency, Mr. James Entwistle had also spoken on the issue against the presidential signature against Gay, same sex marriages then I said this is no longer a little matter. I reasoned so because America today is seen as a shinning light that other nations aught to follow. Vanguard On-Line reported with very imposing Headline and the report  thus: "GAY-MARRIAGE LAW; US THREATENS TO SANCTION NIGERIA."
"Abuja-Leading western countries piled pressure on the federal government,..following President Jonathan's singing of the same sex prohibition Act 24. The latest country is the United States of America, whose Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr.James Entwistle threatened that the United State will scale down its support for HIV/AIDS and anti-malaria programmes in response in response to the Federal government's position on the right of gay rights issue." 
It baffled me to hear that it was the man representing President Barak  Obama in the White House of America that spoke and I begin to reason whether truly their Constitution allows same sex marriages and their men use  their rods to penetrate to abuse one another anus? And that is true, I further imagined, does it mean that some of our Ambassadors like that, or have have been abusing some men with their rods or allowing other men to abuse them inserting their rods into their anus? If not, what is behind their protest over Mr. President's signature against  same sex marriages in our Country?
Or is it another story of Balam and Balak, to conquer Nigeria, the People must be cursed and to be cursed the must first be abused? If not so why are other nations worried more the Nigerians, "weeping more than the bereaved.?
Nigeria is a nation owned and ruled by God and His Laws are in His Book the Holy Bible and the Nigerian Constitution respects the Laws of God, and one of the laws is against same sex marriages or Homosexuality
See Leviticus 18:22 reads:- "Thou Shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is an abomination.". 
The book of Leviticus also said in Chapter 20 :13 thus:- "If a man also lieth with mankind as he with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
And in  Nigeria we must obey God rather than men, so please leave Nigeria alone.
By Chief O.G.Evans Tubonah

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IS BAYELSA'S FORMER GOVERNOR, CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA GOD?

The political situation in Bayelsa, is that the former Governor of the State, Chief Timipre Sylva js believed to be the cause of everything that had happened to Bayelsa during his tenure of office and even now that he is not in office. The situation is so surprising that some seemingly responsible persons in the state often mention the name of Sylva where there was no evidence to believe he was the cause of what happened in their offices or families.

Pages of Newspapers almost on daily basis, come out with publications that must portray the former governor in a bad light. And anybody who had any issue with government in the state were attributed to being Sylva's men or women. Those who fail to be in the choral band of singing praises to high offices; but dare to raise their voices to offer suggestions to the Restoration administration were considered as opposition from Sylva.

From inception of the Dickson administration, during what the government calls transparency briefing, Sylva's name often  find  space either at the beginning of presentations, in the middle or at the end of it; especially in a derogatory way. His name must be mentioned on either  bank loans and or bond collected by the former governor, that were allegedly paid at source where the name Sylva must be mentioned emotionally and graphically presenting him like a prodigal person. They hardly talk about the Sylva administration, but just Sylva himself giving the impression that it was Sylva that did everything in Bayelsa State from the day he became governor to date.

When someone published information he had in the internet, in the publisher's Facebook, instead of addressing the matter in its own merit, the State government announced that it was Sylva's man that published. How Tonye Okio became Sylva's man presupposes that anyone who had dealings with him, the former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva,  becomes his own property or Sylva's person. This is glaringly absurd, and in fact, unimaginable.

The most recent Sylva news that was on the pages of Newspapers was that, Sylva was now in APC and was behind that party's move to have their state Secretariat opened in Yenagoa, the state capital. Because the Chairman of that party, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh was a former Special Adviser to the Sylva's administration, Sylva's name was quickly brought in to the scene to be abused and ridiculed.

The art work being done or being painted by some "artists" is that of making Sylva to look ugly and Dickson to look beautiful. Amongst all the former governors, none has been so persecuted like, Chief Sylva who was forced out of office by Politics, and hunted by privileged politicians in the corridors of power. The ridiculous aspect of it is that, the state government itself with its information management committee and avowed policy of stemming down rumors in the state, has been in the forefront of dishing out the Sylva has done this, Sylva has done that propaganda.

When the story of APC opening two secretariat came to public attention, the mystery of it was that, nobody actually knew who opened the office at the former PDP secretariat.  It was rather being speculated and of-course suspected that it must have been sponsored by some "midnight meetings political interest" or in other words "self seeking political investors" with clandestine motives to heat up the polity in the state, so as to discredit the incoming party, the APC in the state. And the name of  was also dragged in for mention as being behind one of the factions; especially, the Chief Perekeme Kpodoh led faction. 

Most Bayelsans have become disenchanted with the politics of name calling and character assassination against Chief Sylva, his name being dragged into the mud on matters he had no hands on. No day passes on without Chief Sylva been either reported in the pages of newspaper to have been responsible for one blameable event or the other that concerns Bayelsa in or outside the state. Pained by this situation, the former Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP}, in the State, Mr. Sunday Oputu has to come out to tell the world that Sylva was being falsely accused of what he does not know. Mr. Oputu's views was published in the Vanguard Newspaper of 21st January 2014, captioned; "Leave Sylva Out Of Bayelsa APC Crisis-ex-CNPP Chair" reads;

"Yenagoa-A former Chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties , CNPP, in Bayelsa state, Mr. Sunday Oputu , weekend described as false; claims that those involved in the leadership crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state have the mandate of the former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva."

"Frank Oputu a close friend of the former governor, said though those involved in the leadership tussle battle over the structure and leadership of the interim Committee of the APC served under the administration of Sylva, their actions and decisions to open parallel APC secretariat was a nullity as Sylva has not openly or officially applied for the membership of APC in the state" The Vanguard Reported. 

The truth is that Sunday Oputu is not the only one, displeased with those going about with the anti- Sylva propaganda in the state. What has been on since Sylva was forced out of office, almost every challenging situation was attributed to have been caused by him, when he was in office or even now. Anyone in government who fails to meet up certain challenges would say it was Sylva that caused his/her inability to meet that challenge.

The way things are happening, is like the former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva is GOD who has the power to make things happen without being there. For instance a man dried his clothes outside and if the rain comes suddenly upon it, then instead of talking about the rain, he says, it was Sylva that caused it. A careless woman may leave her pot of soup on fire and if it got burnt, then instead of her blaming her carelessness, she turns to say must have been Sylva that caused her to forget her pot. If a politician fails to be popular then instead of talking about his/ unpopularity, he goes on to blame Sylva as the cause of his unpopularity. This is the position of our state and the Sylva stories.

Then this question becomes relevant or most appropriate: IS THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF BAYELSA STATE, CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA GOD? 

 

THE IGNORANCE OF DAVID WEST ON THE OLUASIRI/SOKU OIL WELLS MATTER, HIS ARROGANT COMMENTS AGAINSTJONATHAN CONDEMNED

It was unbelievable when I saw the post by Tam David West, a Virolgist Professor of the kingdom of Kalabari of River State, which  came to public attention on the above subject matter. As one of the illustrious sons of Opu Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State, I, Chief O. G Evans Tubonah had observed that the posting was a total display of ignorant by the Prof. on the boundary dispute between the Nembe of Bayelsa and the Kalabari of Rivers State.

In a posting targeted at insulting the President of Nigeria and the people of Bayelsa, David  West wrote with a heading:"SOKU OIL WELLS TAM DAVID WEST WARNS JONATHAN". It is sad that David West was talking about a case that passed through due process of adjudication and finally decided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in accordance to the findings of the National boundary Commission.
David West noised that he will "fight the president to any level...." and that he made the remark at the Rivers State Govrrnment House, when he and some Kalabari people according to him visited Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to pledge loyalty to him in person and to the government of Rivers State. But his ignorant talk  meant nothing to the people of Oluasiri, Nembe and the Government of Bayelsa State.
However, it is not out of place to inform and enlighten the former oil minister, David West that, neithser the people of Nembe nor Bayelsa State will covet what rightly belong to Kalabari or Rivers State. This is not a lie because the orientation of the people is embedded in divine principles, which may not permit them to take what belongs to others.
I, therefore want to urge,  David West and his group of fortune seekers to adhere strictly to what God said in the book of Proverb 22:28 reads:'-
"Remove not the ancient boundary which your fathers have set." The book of Deutronomy chapter 19:17 also reads:-
Do not remove your neighbour's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess."
 Nembe as a people and Bayelsa as a State are very much aware of this everlasting Commandment of the Almighty and will never be attracted to take an inch of land of the Kalabari as a people and Rivers State as a government. We cannot and will not contend over what is not ours, because we know the consequencies of that as in the book of Deutronomy  Chapter 27:17 reads:-
"Cursed be anyone who remove their neighbours boundary stone."
We as a people don't want a curse from God because of the boundary between Nembe and Kalabari and will not, I repeat, will not take an inch of Kalabari land; neither will our people allow Kalabari or Rivers State to take an inch of Nembe land of Bayelsa State.Our highly respected Professor Tam David West should have picked his words carefully and speak with understanding the true picture in the path of righteousness, instead of calling Mr. President names, insulting him and the entire Ijaw nation, and threatening fire and brimestone against him.
What I want Governor Amaechi and Prof. David West to know is that God is watching, and will judge us accordingly on this matter and we must be very careful.

By Chief Otonye Godman Evans Tubonah