BENEFITIARIES OF THE 2011 LOAN SCHEME

The State Chairman of RIFAN , Sir Ezekiel Simeon Ogbianko noted that about four hundred cooperative societies in the Rice Farmers Association of Nigerial will benefit from the twenty eleven loan scheme for rice farmers in the state.

The state Chairman of RIFAN announced the visit of the national officers of the body stating that RIFAN has secured more than five hundred thousand hectares of Land in the state for rice cultivation. Consequently, the RIFAN executive in the state has constituted a five man committee to plan and coordinate the National officers and officers of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture that will visit the state.

The committee is chaired bu Mrs. Chris Itonyo, while Mr. Talent Fresh secretary, other members are Mr. Newman Isaiah,  Rev. Preye Isibo and Rev. Pamela Egbe.

The committee is inviting all registered members and intending members of RIFAN cooperative to a meeting at the RIFAN headquarters holding opposite car wash, Okaka, on Thursday dis week by 10 am prompt.

BAYELSA PATRIOTIC FOUNDATION

Chairman of a body known as the Bayelsa Patriotic Foundation, Akpowei Kemelayefa has urged Bayelsans to embrace the Federal Government policy of one man one vote and shun electoral malpractices.

The Chairman also explained that the group among other things will pomote good governance, sensitize youths against electoral violence and support all developmental efforts.

CONDOLENCE MESSAGE TO IBRU FAMILY

Governor Timipre Sylva has sent condolence message to the Ibru family on the death of the publisher of the Guardian newspaper, Chief Alex Ibru. The Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Doifie Ola on behalf of Governor Timipre Sylva described the late publisher as a patriotic Nigerian who founded the first intellectual newspaper in the country, a business man ands employer of labour who had invested in the Nigerian people with outstanding contributions.

Governor Sylva extolled his public record as unparalleled, noting that he was a man who believed in the ideas of liberalism and fought for democracy, justice and equity for all Nigerians. He will be greatly missed by all, lovers of democracy and freedom. Governor Sylva noted that the ideas and principles he stood for should be emulated by all Nigerians.

BAYELSA SHALL WITNESS DAYBREAK

In response to media reports in which the Acting National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, was quoted as alleging that the Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, had been told the reasons he was excluded from the governorship primary and that such “sins” would be made public in due course, the governor challenges Baraje to come clean on these “sins”, perhaps, for necessary “atonement”.

For the avoidance of doubt, Sylva says at no time did Baraje discuss the so-called sins with him. We are aware that the PDP national chairman has been giving different “reasons” to different people on the illegal exclusion of the governor. But at last, Baraje has exposed the fact that there was no reason known to law and commonsense for the exclusion of the governor. 

With Baraje’s tone of voice, we fear that after having excluded Governor Sylva without any justification, there is now a desperate attempt to cook up reasons, how ever untenable and tenuous, as an afterthought.

Governor Sylva feels it is saddening that PDP is descending to this level and believes they are up to something sinister.

Sylva has served the PDP and the people of Bayelsa State creditably well. So, it is for the people of Bayelsa State to reject him at the poll if they do not want him as their governor anymore. It is illegal and unjust for PDP to exclude the governor from contesting without any cogent reason.

Baraje also alleged in the report that Sylva’s case is not the first time a sitting governor would be disqualified by PDP, saying it had happened in the case of the former Anambra State governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

We wish to refresh the memory of Baraje, if he does not know or has forgotten, that Mabadinuju was never disqualified by PDP. He contested the party primary and was rigged out. But in the case of Bayelsa State, Sylva is not even given the opportunity to compete with whosoever has been “anointed”.

We feel sad that instead of drawing useful lessons from the Anambra debacle, the current leadership of the party, under Baraje, is celebrating it. Not only did PDP lose the state, so many lives were lost and a lot of odium was brought on the party because of power. None of those losses has been recovered till date. We do not wish this to happen in Bayelsa State.

Baraje’s behaviour reminds us of the former Communist Russia, where when the leader of the party did not want even a mere football match to hold, he would instruct the local commissar to lock up the football field. And the local commissar will never be able to give any reason for that course of action. But when the people persist and demand reason why the football match should not hold, he would simply retort that the football field is “sick”.

We challenge Baraje to come out with the reason why Sylva was illegally excluded from the contest.

Governor Sylva notes with grave disappointment the charade and odium that were orchestrated in Bayelsa State on Saturday in the name of PDP governorship primary. He calls the exercise a ridiculous imitation of democracy that insults not only Bayelsa State but also the Nigerian nation. He says the exercise cannot stand because, one, Mr. President and all the statutory delegates – seven members of the National Assembly from the state, all 22 members of the House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP, and all the eight local government chairmen – were not present.

He wonders the sort of primary that took place without 98 per cent of party members and party representatives.

The governor wishes to reiterate that he and his supporters are still in the PDP and he is still in the gubernatorial race. He thanks the Bayelsa people for the keeping peace despite the provocation. He also salutes the state’s statutory delegates who refused to lend their dignified presence to Saturday’s charade.

Sylva is in touch with his lawyers and they have assured him that the illegal primary cannot stand. The governor will not allow those who resorted to self-help to get away with their evil. The governor is a democrat and is committed to pursuing this matter through democratic means until justice is done and the ills of the last few days are undone.

The governor assures all Bayelsans and other Nigerians that their state would soon reclaim its democratic identity and emerge even stronger. As Ngugi wa Thiong’o says, “There is no night so long that it does not end in daybreak.”

Bayelsa shall witness daybreak.



DOIFIE OLA
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
20 November, 2011.

POLITICAL ANXIETY IN BAYELSA STATE

The Governor of Bayelsa State, H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva, expresses deep concern over the massive deployment of police and security personnel in Yenagoa.

As governor and chief security officer of the state, Chief Sylva considers the troop deployment as uncalled for and capable of endangering the people’s fundamental human rights.

Governor Sylva calls on the people of the state to refuse to be intimidated or provoked into any form of violence over the needless troop deployment. He urges all residents of the state to remain calm and go about their normal businesses, trusting in the ability of our democratic institutions to address the existing political anxiety in Bayelsa State.

The Governor says our democratic institutions have demonstrated the ability to resolve issues arising from the contest for power at all levels

Governor Sylva thanks the people of the state for their continued support, maturity and patriotism. He advises all parties in the political contest to bear in mind that what is most important now is the interest of Bayelsa State, not the ambition of any individual or group of individuals.

DOIFIE OLA
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor


18 November 2011

ABSOLUTE SUPPORT FOR GOVERNOR SYLVA

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Propaganda and Rumour Management, Mr. Olu Orubo has urged Bayelsans to dismiss rumours making the rounds that some top government functionaries have resigned following political development in the state.

 He further stated that there is no iota of truth that the Secretary to State Government, Alabo Gideon Ekeuwei and the Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ambassador Emmanuel have resigned.

 According to Mr. Orubo, the SSG and SA on political matters are integral parts and core loyalists of Chief Timipre Sylva’s administration and will not contemplate such.

The SSA appealed to Bayelsans to remain resolute in their support for Governor Sylva while awaiting future political developments in the state.

BAYELSA PEOPLE SHALL PREVAIL

The attention of H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva, Governor of Bayelsa State, has been drawn to a statement by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disallowing him from participating in the Bayelsa State PDP gubernatorial primaries scheduled for Saturday, 19 November 2011.

Governor Sylva considers it disturbing that his full membership of the PDP is being abridged. In particular, his fundamental right to vote and be voted for has been trampled upon by his own party, a party he has contributed so much in building. Consequently, Governor Sylva and his supporters are reviewing the NWC decision.

Governor Sylva notes that the NWC decision does not annul his membership of the PDP. As Governor of Bayelsa State under the platform of the PDP, Sylva remains the leader of the party in the state. As a loyal party person, he will participate in all party activities.

Similarly, Governor Sylva wishes to bring to the attention of the public reports alleging that there are attempts to arrest him on trumped-up treasonable felony charges. The story is that there is a tape in which he threatened to kill President Goodluck Jonathan. This is completely false. At no time did Sylva threaten to kill President Jonathan. He has no reason whatsoever to wish the president or any other person dead.
Governor Sylva enjoins the people of Bayelsa State, especially his numerous supporters to remain calm, law-abiding and hopeful.

The people of Bayelsa State shall prevail.


DOIFIE OLA
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

13 November 2011