MATTHEW 27:55

RAIN FLOODS PARTS OF YENAGOA

A torrential rain had fallen in the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa leading to flooding some major streets in Opolo market and its environ. Golden Pen was in Opolo when the rain began to fall. The weather was too foggy to the extent that motor drivers had no alternative than to quietly park and wait for the rain to subside. This is like giving support to the meteorological assertion that this year will be rainy to flood point. A resident in the  of Biogbolo who spoke on the heavy rains in the state capital Mr. Ayebalayefa Evans has observed that a good drainage work need be done to minimize the flood and called on the people clear their gutters.

BAYELSA SET FOR LGA ELECTION

The Bayelsa State government that just celebrated her 1st Anniversary in office is taking a bold step to conduct the Local Government election, that is due to hold now. The governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson is said to have released substantial amount of money for the State Independent Electoral Commission to be above board by way of conducting a hitch free exercise in the eight Local government areas of the state. 

Briefing the Press on the level of SIEC'S preparedness, the Chairman of the commission, Chief Blessing Izagara said the Commission  had worked round the clock to conduct not only free and fair polls but also a transparent one. 

Distant Local Government Areas as Southern/Ijaw, Ekeremor, Nembe and Brass Local Government needed more attention in terms of movement of people and materials to achieve desired result and the Commission is said to have mobilized in full force to achieve that. 

 

Fielding questions the chairman further said that contrary to the views by some politicians who are not sure of the

BAYELSA HOLDS LGA ELECTIONS TODAY

Bayelsa State today, holds another Local Government elections to choose credible leaders to pilot the  affairs of the third tier administrative system. The governor of Bayelsa State Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson  had constituted the State Electoral Commission with a team believed to be of impeccable character worthy of being good umpire. Dickson's choice of Chief Blessing Ipigansi Ijagara as Chairman of the Commission with the rest of the appointees is a major challenge upon the shoulders of Commission that will be played out today.
The Commission's Chairman, Chief Ijagara had on Thursday during a press briefing  assured the people of the State of preparedness to conduct a credible, free and fair polls. He charged political parties and the electorate to be law abiding during the exercise emphasizing that distribution of materials will get to their destinations in the 8 Local Government Areas on Schedule.
To that end the secretariat of the State Independent Electoral Commission{SIEC}Friday was a beehive of activities with Chairmanship and Councilor ship Candidates and some party faithfuls jostling for space and cross checking their names in the list of candidates.
The Security arrangement was tight as stern looking policemen and other mufti security officers at the background made the gate area very orderly. The office was busy into the night and observers have expressed the thoroughness in the arrangement as unprecedented with a very high expectationof a truly credible polls.
 Analyst are of the opinion that the exercise is just a mere window dressing that has nothing to do with transparency, nor sincerity, and that those to hold the various positions have been selected ahead of the election  only waiting to be announced.. 

   

WE DON'T NEED LOCAL MEDIA, BAYELSA EAST SENATOR'S AID

Wonders shall not end is the best description to what happened in Kolo town in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. It was on Saturday the 16th of March 2013 when the news went round town that the Senator representing the Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mr. Clever Marcus Ikisikpo was in town to honor God in a thanksgiving service  at the New Demonstrate Ministry's Land of Living Testimonies and Transformation.
Knowing Ikisikpo as one of the honorable embers  of the first and second Assembly in the State before his journey to the National Assembly first as member House of representative and now as Senator. Counting on him as one of our own, Golden Pen had to drive down to see Ikisikpo to both discuss coverage of the upcoming event and to possibly have a interview with him on some important issues concerning his senatorial district.

The time around 4.30pm and people were going in and out in their drove, when Golden Pen  arrived at the gate. A security man ordered him  politely to park his car outside and he did, but as he went in,  little did he know that he was going to meet some thugs in there. One tallish man was on phone for over five minutes who claimed to be a director in the Ikisikpo's political group flanked with a group of boys flanking. He asked Golden Pen why do you want to see the Senator and as that question was being answered, suddenly Senator Ikisikpo appeared and when he saw Golden Pen said: " ha this man I have not seen you for long' and they were exchanging pleasantries when the ferocious thuggery aid prevented Ikisikpo from talk with Golden Pen, Hear what he said: You are a local newspaper, we don't need any local paper because they don't get to Abuja. I have just gone to pay some national papers and television...' and when Golden Pen told him that some of the local papers were also read outside the state, and that it was not the best to condemn  since the Senator himself was raised from the same locality.
At that time the Senator was standing a few meters away looking at the drama without calling his thuggery aid to order. It was a big embarrassment for the thuggery aid to be so authoritative as to  control the Senator. Though Senator Ikisikpo did not say something some observers who spoke with Golden Pen on the matter noted that Senator Ikisikpo represents the great people of Bayelsa East comprising, Brass, Nembe and  Ogbia Local Government Areas including the president, and called on the Senator not to allow thugs or miscreants to dent his image or political career which he had built over the years.
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SENATOR IKISIKPO HONORS GOD IN KOLO

The   Senator representing the

SEA PIRATES ATTACK IN SOUTHERN IJAW

Reports from Ogboinbiri in Amassoma area of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has it that, a gang of sea pirates operating in the creeks and water ways of the state had attacked a 12 sitter Yamaha 75 horse powered engine boat and carted away a sum of estimated at millions of naira including the speed boat.
The incident occurred at the Igbugbene territory where the pirates were said to have forcefully dispossessed their victims of valuable items; such as hand sets, cash. One of the victims who spoke to Golden Pen on a strict condition of anonymity for security reasons said the total sum of four hundred and twenty thousand Naira {N420,000} and a cheque of five hundred thousand naira {500,000}, the other eleven commuters including men and market were beating and various amounts of monies collected before they were driven to the swamp and the new boat carted away with various items.

Meanwhile a man who gave his name simply as Thomson Friday has called on the Federal and State governments to deploy the Nigerian Navy to police the water way and creeks in the state to avoid re- occurrence of such dastardly acts. According to Mr. Friday, only the Navy is capable of checkmating or handling the menace.
He explained that another incident of sea piracy was reported penultimate week in the axis of Egbemo Angalabiri to Bomordi where 5 speed boats were collected at gunpoint from different communities of which, Mr. said the state government is aware of, and urged the government not to delay action..