WORLD TOURISM DAY

Pastor Akpe pledged the commitment of the Legislature towards the development of tourism at the Bayelsa Hospitality Industry Forum, in Yenagoa as part of activities marking the World Tourism Day in the State. He stated that Bayelsa is blessed with a lot of potentials that can make the state a heaven for tourists, he further stressed the enlightenment of the porpulace on the importance of Tourism to the development of the society. Chief Egba Ologo as a pioneer of the State Tourism Development and Publicity Bureau, and the stride the bureau is making to develop tourism and backed the current Director General, Mr. McAulay Jokori to succeed. Presenting a welcome address, Mr. McAulay Jokori thanked all present at the occasion stating that the Bureau needs the support of all and Sundry to succeed.

SYLVA HONOURED IN GENEVA, HINGES GLOBAL PEACE ON DEVELOPMENT

For nations and peoples across the globe to exist in peace and harmony, citizens must be empowered through freedom, knowledge and development, Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has said

The governor explained during the conferment of an honorary doctorate degree in International Relations on him by the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS), Geneva, Switzerland, that his administration has rigorously pursued peace “with the weapon of development.”

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Doifie Ola, quoted the university as saying Sylva was picked for the honour because he has “demonstrated, to date, outstanding commitment to elevating educational standards of Nigerian youth of Bayelsa State by providing scholarships and grants for enrolment in study and training programmes”.

Sylva was decorated and presented with the honorary degree at an impressive ceremony in Geneva on Thursday by the Dean of UBIS Roberto Bonino, and President UBIS Board Patrick Faniel. Present at the occasion were several dignitaries and captains of industry, including the Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Ambassador U. H. Orjiako; CEO of India House, Manmoh Makhni; CEO of Indigo Group, Johnnie Quaicoe; CEO Drakker Luxury Products, Urquliart Sturt; and representatives from several United Nations Organisations; MLCapital; Procter & Gamble; The Global Fund and others.

The governor explained that his acceptance of the award is accentuated by the significance of the country it is coming from, and the area of study chosen.

“Switzerland as a country has come to be known internationally as a bastion of peace. International Relations as a course of study is concerned with how to foster peace and harmony among nations. And, I happen to be a man who believes in peace, peace as a key ingredient in development,” he stated in his acceptance speech, entitled: “We Have a Common Humanity”.

With reference to the peace now prevailing in Bayelsa State, hitherto the hot-bed of youth restiveness, he said: “We waged peace with the weapon of development and opened a window of social rehabilitation that provided a framework for the Federal Government of Nigeria’s amnesty programme for the hitherto militant youths of the Niger Delta.”

“Today, the amnesty programme has moved beyond the level of just laying down arms by the ex-militants. It has progressed to a level where the ex-militants are being trained in various fields to equip them with skills to enable them earn a decent living.

“This is in recognition of the fact that to achieve peace on a sustainable basis, citizens must be provided with unimpeded access to a means of livelihood. And in these days of knowledge economy, education remains one of the avenues for arming our people with the requisite knowledge for creating and growing businesses in order to expand the vistas of opportunity to earn a living for our people.”

Explaining the why his administration has concentrated much efforts on education, Sylva pointed out : “ We  realised that our tragedy today is the general inability to develop ourselves enough to conquer our environment ,  discover and utilise the enormous treasures Mother Nature has concealed there for our sustenance. We realised that we must learn and teach ourselves that the basest of all things is to be without education and invariably be at the mercy of those that have it.”

He continued that in the pursuit of peace, “we have also embarked on an extensive scholarship system aimed at funding the education and training of those who would otherwise have remained in darkness outside of the civilizing light that literacy and education alone can give as a result of lack of funds.

“This set of people would ordinarily constitute a threat to peace if their energies are not properly channeled and harnessed.”

On global harmony, the governor noted that “No matter the part of the world we come from, we share a common humanity. We share a common aspiration to further our happiness and try to avoid suffering. We share the same essential human needs and concerns. We share a common desire for freedom, right and ability to fulfill our destinies.”

Sylva expressed delight that the award, coming from an institution reputed for academic excellence right in the heart of a country regarded as the global headquarters of peace, has provided another platform for him to propagate peace through education.

 

 

DOIFIE OLA

Chief Press secretary to the Governor

25/09/2011

GOVERNOR SYLVA RECIEVES A DOCTORATE DEGREE FROM UBIS SWITZERLAND

G-THIRTY-TWO COUNCILS

The Commissioner for Local Government and Rural Development, Chief Godknows Powell has reiterated his commitment to work with treasurers and Heads of Personnel Management (HPM) of the G-thirty-two councils to achieve set goals. In his welcome address, Chairman of the G-thirty-two, Comrade Gowon Toruyouye lauded Governor Timipre Sylva for the choice of Chief Godknows Powell.

GOVERNOR’S AIDE CONDEMNS KILLINGS BY CULTISTS IN BAYELSA

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Youth Conflict Management, Hon. Mike Wenibowei has condemned the recent spate of killings by suspected cult groups in the state. He made the condemnation while addressing newsmen in Yenagoa the state capital. According to him, the insecurity due to activities of the cultists is capable of scaring away investors for which the governor had worked hard to achieve. Hon. Wenibowei called on the leadership on the Debam and the Greenlanders to immediately sheath their swords and reach a truce. “Government has also called the two groups before to admonish them to desist from their nefarious activities, but we are surprised that the two groups would engage themselves in a battle to intimate the innocent public” he added. He called all security agencies to be alive to their responsibility to arrest and prosecute those involved in the act of lawlessness in the state as government will not compromise the hard earned peace in the state.

GOVERNOR SYLVA RECIEVES A HONORARY PhD DEGREE IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND TODAY.

His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, Governor of Bayelsa State will be receiving an honorary degree in International Relations from the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS) based in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to UBIS, it is in view of Chief Sylva’s outstanding commitment to elevating educational standards of Nigerian youths of Bayelsa State by providing scholarships and grants for enrollment in study and training programs, that its Board and staff decided to award him the degree.

Chief Timipre Sylva will be receiving the award later today in Geneva, Switzerland.

GOV. SYLVA FLAGS OFF NATIONAL 2010 UBE COMMUNITY INITIATED SELF-HELP PROJECTS

Bayelsa State Government says it will pay its quota of the counterpart funding for communities in the state for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) community initiated self-help project.

Governor Timipre Sylva stated this at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, while speaking at the national flag-off of the 2010 UBE Community Initiated Self-help Projects and disbursement of support funds to four thousand one hundred and nine beneficiary communities.  

Chief Sylva stated that the payment of the funds was to demonstrate government’s total support to the educational sector as it was critical for national transformation and development.

He noted that the idea of involving communities in the administration of the educational system was a laudable one, pointing out that one of the ways to ensure sustainability in the sector was to make communities part-owners of such educational projects in their domain.

Chief Sylva, who underscored the need to accord priority attention to the educational system attributed security challenges in the country to the decay in the sector and expressed appreciation to the federal government for giving education the prominence it deserves.

Speaking, the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike said the 2010 phase of the programme was being flagged off through the disbursement of funds to over four thousand beneficiary communities across the country as a way of demonstrating educational partnership between government and local communities.

Chief Wike expressed optimism that the increased funding profile for each project would spur local communities and empower them to achieve greater quality and sustainable best practices through the self help initiatives.

Also speaking, Chairman of the UBEC Governing Board, Professor Tunde Adeniran pointed out that the drive towards re-engineering the process of private-public partnership in basic education has become imperative in view of the fact that government alone cannot carry the burden and challenges of education.

Represented by Mrs. Ebiye Ahmed-Fari, Professor Adeniran stressed that while government provides the enabling opportunities for individuals and groups to make valid contributions to the development of education, it behoves the communities to show commitment to partnering with government.

In his address, the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Ahmed Modibo-Mohammed said the nine year UBE programme was designed to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty with the cardinal goal of stimulating and accelerating national development.

Dr. Modibo-Mohammed emphasized that the community initiated self-help project introduced by the world bank in 1990 was adopted by the UBE as a strategy for reaching educationally disadvantaged communities with a view to addressing the educational imbalance within and among states and local government areas in the country.

The State Commissioner for Education, Professor Tuemi Asuka said it was heart-warming that the state was chosen for the launch of the national 2010 UBE Community Initiated Self-Help Project.

Professor Asuka noted that the ceremony should be seen as the beginning of a journey of self-recovery and self-assertion to succeed, assuring that the ministry of Education would spare no effort in translating government’s vision for the overall transformation of the state.

Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of Letters of Allocation to one hundred and twenty-five schools.

The minister of state for Education had earlier paid a courtesy visit to Governor Sylva in Government House.

 

 

Chris Odi

For: Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

 

 

COMMUNITIES ADVISED TO CO-OPERATE WITH CONTRACTORS

Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva has called on the fourteen benefiting communities of the proposed Ogbia Central Water Scheme to co-operate with the contractor handling the project to ensure its completion on schedule.

Chief Sylva, who spoke during the flag-off of the rehabilitation and expansion of the water project at Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area, said the call has become imperative in view of the importance government attaches to the project as well as to discourage the current trend where communities make all sorts of demands on contractors.

He specifically told the people to avoid anything that will disrupt the smooth operations of the contracting firm as the contractor has a deadline to complete its assignment.

Citing the on-going regional water schemes at Oloibiri and Nembe, Yenagoa reticulation phase one and two, upgrading of the Yenagoa Main Water works at Okaka, and inauguration of 13 rural water schemes among others, the Governor noted that his administration has made some appreciable progress in the water   sector.

While thanking the Federal Government for coming to the aid of the state government in the area of water supply, Governor Sylva called on the Ministry of Water Resources and other stakeholders in the project to take the communities into partnership in the management of the project to ensure its sustainability.

The State Chief Executive also made a strong appeal to the federal government to resuscitate the Peremabiri Rice Farm Project, adding that Bayelsa State has vast swamp lands suitable for commercial rice production.

In her remarks, Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe said the project, which would be executed by an Israeli company, NAIRDA Limited at the total cost of 4.5 billion naira, is expected to be completed in 18 months.

She said the ministry engaged the services of an indigenous group to handle the design of the project.

According to the Minister, the project when completed will supply about 15 million litres of water per day.

Mrs. Ochekpe further said “studies conducted in the area and through interactions with both officials of your state and the communities, we discovered that the surface water from the nearby rivers contain pollutants due to industrial activities.  That is why the present project will concentrate on getting water from underground source.”

The Minister urged the state government to appoint a competent representative who will work closely with the ministry and other stakeholders in the project to ensure compliance to specification.

Mrs. Ochekpe also disclosed that her ministry is already working in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to reclaim 200 hectares each, of farmland in Peremabiri and Ogbia areas of Bayelsa State as part of Federal Government’s current efforts at boosting rice cultivation in the country.

Giving further insight into the scope of the project, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Dr. Godknows Igali, explained that the main pumping station, which is sited at Otuoke, comprises large diameter boreholes complete with submersible pumps and accessories.

According to him, the project also has water treatment plant with aerators for iron removal, sedimentation and filtration systems, surface clean water tank (900m³), Braithwaite overhead tank (900m³), power supply from PHCN and standby generators, among others.

Dr. Igali added that the project will have booster stations in three different locations to service the adjourning communities.

Earlier in his welcome address, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Kurokigha Francis, observed that implementation of a sustainable water supply programme is capital-intensive and would require significant levels of funding from the state and federal governments as well as other interventionist development partners.

He commended the federal government for responding to the state government’s request for intervention in the water sector, pointing out that “the synergy as already demonstrated will ensure an effective coordination and avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and dissipation of energy and resources”.

Speaking on behalf of the contractor, Mr. Guy Pelek promised to apply international standards in the execution of the project and complete it on schedule.

He said the company (NAIRDA) was ready to partner with the beneficiary communities and train some of their youths in water management and allied areas as part of their corporate social responsibilities.

Also speaking, the Paramount Ruler of Otuoke Community, HRH Lot Ogiasa, represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Otazi, thanked the Federal Government for siting the project in his domain and called for its replication in other parts of the state.

He however appealed to government not to pay lip service to the project so that it will not suffer this same fate with other abandoned projects initiated by the Federal Government in the area such as the much-talked about Oloibiri Oil Museum.

 

Chris Odi

For: Chief Press Secretary to the Governor