₦airaland Forum

Covid-19 is politicized in Nigeria. Na so my governor (Douye Diri of Bayelsa) go carry one woman wey don sick for years put for isolation centre say she get corona, come add d nurses n health officials join n report to the world say bayelsa get 5 confirmed cases.

I'm not saying corona is not real, but it's been deeply politicized in Nigeria. We have more ghost patients than the real ones in many states, just like the politicians created ghost workers in the civil service to earn more income.

Op needs covid lessons. In south South, there are no cases of covid 19 in bayelsa n Cross river states, much more covid 19 free states in the South East.



No come dey give us anyhow info here o

Below is the breakdown of yearly budgets of the administration of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under four different Presidents.

Under the PDP, we had Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled for 8 years, Yar'Adua spent 3 years, while Dr. Goodluck Jonathan spent 5 years making it a total of 16 years.

On the other hand, President Muhammadu Buhari, of the APC who has completed his first four years and currently in his second term which will terminate in 2023, has passed through a six budget cycle, latest being the 2020 budget recently passed by the National Assembly.

Below is the breakdown year by year

PDP budget for sixteen years

1. 1999 - 299bn

2. 2000 - 702bn

3. 2001 - 896bn

4. 2002 - 1.06tr

5. 2003 - 1.45tr

6. 2004 - 1.19tr

7. 2005 - 1.6tr

8. 2006 - 1.88tr

9. 2007 - 1.237bn

10. 2008 - 2.74tr

11. 2009 - 3.05tr

12. 2010 - 4.4tr

13. 2011 - 4.7tr

14. 2012 - 4.9tr

15. 2013 - 4.99tr

16. 2014 - 4.96tr

Total = N41.22tr

APC budgets for 6 cycles.

1. 2015 - 4.4tr

2. 2016 - 6.6tr

3. 2017 - 7.4tr

4. 2018 - 9.12tr

5. 2019 - 8. 92tr

6. 2020 - 10.33tr

Total = N40.17tr

In your opinion, which of the two administrations the budget had direct impact on the economy and the people?

Arsenal all the way.

Chelsea that cannot win their last match

It's a good one, there is no place like home.

As a way giving back to his home based fans, popular musician and the CEO of Dem Mama Records, Timaya has chosen January 1st to celebrate with fans, friends and family at Ox-bow Lake in yenagoa.

It will pain Gov. Dickson to see this two leaving his camp just exactly when he needed them most. He did so much(including open shootings) to impeach Tonye Isenah to make this guy a speaker few weeks back, and to see him leave is really terrible.


For me, Dickson deserves even worse. It seems Tinubu hasn't revealed all to Dickson how to become a demigod in a state.

Barely six days to the Bayelsa governorship election, the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Monday Obolo Bobou and his supporters as well as the Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council. Hon Nigeria Kia has dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The new entrants to the APC are all from Southern Ijaw, the home council of APC governorship candidate, David Lyon.

They were led by the former Special Adviser to Governor Dickson on Waterways Security, Hon Tony Oki, who said their decision to join the APC is premised on the strong indication that Bayelsans are tired of the PDP government, even as he said the APC candidate has a better programme for Bayelsa.

Receiving the new members at different rallies at Olugbobiri, Peremabiri, Ekowe and Oporoma all in Southern Ijaw local government area, Lyon reiterated that APC would defeat the PDP through the ballot and clear the mess that has been heaped on Bayelsans since 2012.

He said if elected, that his administration will ensure the provision of social amenities and ensure that Peremabiri Rice farm receives adequate attention not only for food provision but also for providing gainful employment to the people.


https://www.sunnewsonline.com/bayelsa-speaker-lg-chairman-dump-pdp-for-apc/amp/

Ben Murray Bruce celebrates his mom on Facebook as she marks her 93rd birthday.

icedbreez:
Let me school you bro.

1. Zero experience? David Lyon was Local Givt chairman of Apoi Olodiam RDA.
2. Addressing the Public? Where were u at his unveiling? Never mind he is coming to officially open his campaign office today with HE Timipre Sylva, bring along your microphone and hear him address the mammoth crowd that is sure to turn up.
3. Alamco era of share the money? On this point I feel for you because the Administration of Alamco was the best period of our fledgling state where the populist and people friendly policies of Alamco made people build houses, buy cars and hundreds of bayelsans were sent abroad on government scholarships. Cars were called pure water on the streets of yenagoa and corpers were lobbying to come and serve in bayelsa. All that ended with your tight fisted and kill joy Dickson who doesn't want anybody to be smiling...commissioners and civil servants salaries were slashed, no promotion and those already gotten were not implemented, just yesterday Friday pensioners who were crying for no payment and protesting at the govt house were roundly beaten up by the restoration goons. Honestly I can go on and on but I won't. I just for l sad for people like u who are suffering and yet smiling.
4. Douye is not the best? Yea we all know that. In fact we also know he's more tight fisted than Dickson who refused all pressure to field Ayawei because DNA will make him appeared bad so he forced in someone worse than himself.
5. Speaker resigning. Well, this more than anything confirm my assertion that PDP is bleeding out. Members are decamping everyday so you are calculating to give to speaker to obolo to stem the tide of defections, it's southern ijaw politics we are talking about bro and you know what's up. All the big players who own the river are David Lyon's boys. So don't go there,
Let me just stop. The game is up for PDP in bayelsa, Dickson killed PDP. Even GEJ don't bother to show up for meetings anymore.

In as much as Timi Alaibe, DNA, Osaisai, Keniebi Okoko, Reuben Okoya et al who expended so much resources and yet lose the ticket has not decamped, I see no reason to worry about decamping! After all, decamping was inevitable after the primaries in every political setting. People like Joshua Maciver who promised to decamp if the ticket is not given to him will not be seen as loss to the party. I'm not a member of PDP, but I have a strong conviction that the so called APC candidate is not ready for governance, he has no plans and economic blueprint. My preferred person was Alaibe, but since he is no longer available I have to support d best among the two almost equally bad candidates. Talking about GEJ, his political influence and popularity in bayelsa is near zero.......

icedbreez:
Am a bayelsan, PDP is bleeding out and dying a slow death. bad governance + bad candidate

and your standard of measurement for a sellable and competent governorship aspirant is one who has zero experience in public administration, one who can't address public, one who will return us to the alamco era of share the money, one who will be there as a figure and be ruled by another??


Douye is not the best, but he is better than Lyon.

Are u aware that Tonye Isenah has finally decided to concede the house of assembly speakership to someone from southern ijaw? That's how Dickson will force his way into all key members of the party n compel them to work for the party.

NgeneUkwenu:
Propaganda by the Useless ipob party called PDP .....

PDP is dead in Bayelsa State.... waiting for cremation.m

How? The most annoying thing about you guys is that, u are not bayelsans neither do you resident there. Only on the internet u know the geographical area named bayelsa, yet u won't go a day without writing about bayelsa. Who killed PDP in bayelsa? A state with with one of the best political master planners in Nigeria as governor, with over 20 PDP assembly members, and high profile politicians supporting the party. For me, there is nothing new about APC to give it a leverage in the election. Timi Alaibe+ Heineken Lokpobiri+ Timipre Sylva among others still failed in 2015. In 2019, it's minus Timi Alaibe and the bitterly cheated former minister, Heineken Lokpobiri.

Sonnobax15:
As an urhobo,i'm so happy this is happening to the ijaws...what happened to their amnesty...omo agege carry on my brother jare....

And I'm happy u are enjoying this. As an ijaw, I hope this happiness last longer fo you.

Lucky4real28:
To be honest ijaw people complain too
Much, if an ijaw man from Bayelsa occupies that same post, those from delta will still complain. But I do understand their point of argument about the rotation thing. The itshekiri or isoko should be the ones complaining as ijaw have Vice President and a senator.

Is Osinbajo an ijaw man. When did advocating for equity becomes a crime in Nigeria.

Cyoung4real:
Stop misinforming people, don't let your hatred for Buhari kill you.
Rice is now N20,900 not N21,000 as you claimed.

u be fool o, #100 difference is a big deal to you abi.

When d leaders are mistakes, the citizens becomes the mistaken results. I pity for u

denjjy:
Henry Onyekuru joined Monaco from Galatassary not Everton

little knowledge is very dangerous brother. He was on loan in galatasaray from Everton until the day he left for Monaco. That simply means, he moved from Everton to Monaco

Guzel:
He wil work for Apc

I strongly doubt that, unless he wants to get appointment from Buhari.

Timi Alaibe really had good plans for Bayelsa, but somehow Dickson has stopped him from experimenting them. Never give man, you will win someday.

FORMER Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and an aspirant in the just concluded People’s Democratic Party, PDP governorship primaries, Timi Alaibe has urged his supporters and delegates who stood by him in spite of the noticeable flaws in the processes leading to the primaries of the party to remain firm.

Bayelsa, Alaibe
Alaibe
Alaibe in a statement titled “We Must Move On” said “the delegates—whether coercively or voluntarily—have spoken even if their voices do not represent the voice of the people.”



He said: “As we are all aware, the election to determine the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the November 16 governorship race in Bayelsa State has been conducted. Even with all the inarguable inherent flaws bordering on crass disrespect for legal procedures and party guidelines, a winner has been declared.

“My decision to seek election as Governor of Bayelsa State was based both on the collective opinion of respected stakeholders of our beloved state and a personal conviction that I have what it takes to make the difference in the economic development of our state. Having travelled the same route more than once, I took time to pray, plan my strategies and carry out wider consultations more than I had ever done in the past.



“My sincere desire was to bring into governance my experiences and exposures both in the public and private sectors—spanning more than three decades. I came with a mission and a vision clearly articulated and made public. I was thrilled to see the Blue Economy Concept and Project Dolphin becoming household chants, especially among our vibrant youths.

“When we finally picked the Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms, we chose to run idea-based campaign. We envisioned a state where electricity will run 24/7 in less than 18 months through planned utilisation of abundant but wasted gas resource. We looked forward to creating a permanent distance between our youth and violence by applying the same method we did in the Presidential Amnesty Programme—disarming, demobilising, rehabilitating and reintegrating them. We articulated programmes that would produce intellectual militants in place of violent militants.

“We thought of a booming economy based on sea-side industrialisation that would create jobs for our people. We thought of extensive road networks and bridges, functional health facilities, among others. Drawing from my modest experience at the Niger Delta Development Commission, my vision was to assemble a team of experts that would conceive and execute a 25-Year Development Plan for Bayelsa State—a plan that would outlive my administration—for the good of our people. From all indications, these lofty plans may have to be put on hold because the opportunity to execute them has been put on hold.

“We chose to run a decent campaign in line with the Constitution of our party, the PDP and the laws of Nigeria. We vowed never to engage or respond to acts of violence and abuse from any quarter. We did not envisage that the process would be smooth and easy, but we also could not believe the depth of desperation and deadly manoeuvring that we encountered along the way. We were called unprintable names and even labelled with criminal tags. But we were too focused to be distracted.

“To my supporters and friends, let it be known that no one could have been more disappointed with the outcome of our governorship primary that held on Tuesday, September 3 than me. I know you are awfully disappointed too. But our disappointment is certainly not that the outcome was against our wish to obtain the mandate of our great party, but because of the obviously flawed process that led to the primary.

“We all know that the basis of our party is the Constitution in addition to the rules and regulations that we set for ourselves from inception in 1998, and the fact our party has become reformed. Consequently, for anything to be legitimate it must derive authority from our Constitution. Unfortunately, certain aspects of the processes of the just concluded primary election rudely violated the provisions of our Party Constitution.

“For instance, by the provisions of Section 50(1) of the Party Constitution, the authority to formulate guidelines for all matters relating to the governorship primary is vested in the NEC of the PDP. The election of Ad-Hoc delegates is one of such matters. Strangely, the panel set up to undertake this exercise simply imposed on us a list of electoral and returning officers prepared by the state officers of the party who are avowed members of the orchestrated Restoration Team. Thus, the process was deliberately handed over to the Restoration Team. Our protest was ignored.

“This issue of election of local council chairmen and councillors that were allowed to participate in the primary despite a court order was another setback. You would recall that we protested to the appropriate organs of the party. As it turned out, the national leadership of the party would seem not to have been persuaded by the strength of our argument for obedience to the supreme law of our great party. Even the powers that be in state unsuccessfully challenged the superiority of our position in court.

“While we must put on record our disappointment with this wilful disregard to our Constitution, we must take no further steps that would merely equalize the disregard for the same Constitution. In the circumstances, we express our serious reservations about the process that led to the primary for its unconstitutionality and its outcome completely unacceptable because of its illegitimacy.

“However; we must move on. At the beginning of this contest, we made our objective very clear, that we are out to take the levers of power in order to use them to galvanise the economy of the state for the benefits of our people—who have been kept down for too long. We believe this could only be realised on the platform of this great party.

“For us, therefore, this is simply a setback. We will remain focussed, believing that very soon we would be able to realise our aspiration.

“We thank our great supporters, especially our delegates that backed us up to this point and ask them not to despair but stand firm in the belief that sooner than later, our just cause would prevail as the struggle continues.” Alaibe concluded.

Teerach:
David Lyon lives in Igbogene Bayelsa state. He's been a philanthropist since I know him. He's done so much for that community n beyond. He carries everyone along including widows every December. He's the man for the job. Mind u Douye Diri is stingy to the teeth. Las las, I'm not APC or PDP supporter. I want what's best for my state

For your information, Bayelsa needs a Governor who can me prudent with her limited resources, not some wasters who will throw it away to charity with Sylva. Dickson has virtually ended the begging mentality of bayelsans, the positive effects are there for all to see. Everyone now hustles, begi begi don get full stop



Douye Diri for continuity

jrusky:
Pls what kind of names are these nah haba na wetin sef.

He look fake his name sound fake because how can a village parent name their child *Lyon* or *PSG* or Marseille* Which kain nonsense be this nah Lyon my foot. Sorry I'm not against his choice as winner but that name is fake it pissed me off.

Foooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

Earthquake1:
The fights are real but the winner is known

No fight can be real when one person has been selected to win before the event starts.

David Lyon

Professor Ongoebi Maureen

Engr. Preye Aganaba

Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri

1. Heineken Lokpobiri

Heineken Lokpobiri is the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development. He was a two-term senator for Bayelsa West between 2007 and 2015 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his party before he decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and was appointed minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.



PREMIUM TIMES on August 15 obtained a video showing Mr Lokpobiri telling the potential delegates to vote for him in exchange for money in the coming primaries of the party. He is a strong advocate of an indirect primary for selecting the party’s candidate for the election.

2. Preye Aganaba Steven


Preye Aganaba Steven is an engineer and one of the founding members of the APC in Bayelsa.

Mr Aganaba, a close ally of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, contested for the Bayelsa Central Senatorial election in 2015 but lost to Emmanuel Paulker of the PDP.

He is one of the aspirants that expressed a preference for indirect primary.



3. ONGOEBI ETEBU

Maureen Etebu was appointed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okorenkoko, Delta State, in 2015, by the then President, Goodluck Jonathan.

She is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and arguably the most certified aspirant in the race for the party ticket. She has three PhD degrees.


Professor Ongoebi Maureen Etebu
Professor Ongoebi Maureen Etebu

The former Commissioner for Special Duties under the late Governor Diepreye Alamiesiagba administration is one of two women in the race for the ticket.



4. EBITIMI AMGBARE

Ebitimi Amgbare contested as the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now APC, in 2007. He was considered then as the main contender to the current Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who emerged as the winner under the platform of PDP in Bayelsa State.


Mr Amgbare successfully challenged the election tribunal’s decision that upheld Mr Sylva’s victory at the Appeal Court in Port-Harcourt, leading to the appointment of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly as interim governor until a new poll on May 24, 2008, restored Mr Sylva as governor.

Mr Amgbare is a kinsman of the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, from Sagbama Local Government iArea and was a commissioner for youth and sports in the state.



5. DISEYE POWEIGHA

Diseye Nsirim-Poweigba is a retired police commissioner and the second female aspirant cleared by the party NWC on Tuesday. Her campaign promises hinge on national security and employment creation.

She was born in the Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State in the 1950s.

Ms Diseye joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Officer in 1979 and rose through the ranks to be appointed as the Commissioner of Police in Niger State in 2012. She served in the state till her retirement in September 2014.



6. DAVID LYON PEREWORIMINI

Lyon Perewonrimini is the CEO of Darlon Security and Guard, a private security firm in Bayelsa State. He was born into the Olodiana clan of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Pereworimini contested under the platform of PDP as an aspirant to represent the Southern Ijaw Constituency IV in 2011. He defected from the party in 2015 to join the ruling APC.

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Douye Diri, a senator representing Bayelsa Central, is one of the 21 governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State.

It is just two days to the PDP primary, and there are signs that Mr Diri is Governor Seriake Dickson's preferred candidate.



The PDP primary holds this Tuesday, while the general election is on November 16.

The party's governorship aspirants include the deputy governor of the state, Gboribiogha Jonah; the chief of staff to Governor Dickson, Talford Ongolo; and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kemela Okara.



A former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, is also in the race for the PDP ticket and looks very much like the candidate to beat in a free and fair contest.

Mr Dickson at the beginning acted as though he subscribed to a free and fair contest for all the aspirants. He even caused the state government to organise a prayer and fasting programme for the people of the state to seek God's guidance in the search for the right man for the job.

However, the governor, later insisted his successor must come from a small clique of allies in a group called the Restoration Team, within the PDP, and went ahead to constrict the size of the aspirants, unofficially though, to three - the SSG, Mr Okara; the governor's chief of staff, Mr Ongolo; and Mr Diri.

Last week, the number was scaled down to two, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Mr Dickson's plan of producing a successor has pitted him against Mr Alaibe, who is said to enjoy the backing of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

"They have failed this time around because no degree of intrigues, no amount of manipulation and propaganda can push me out of this race. Nothing will change my decision to lift the lot of our people through purposeful leadership. I am here to stay and together we will win.

"While winning to us is not a do or die affair, the process of choosing the party flag bearer should be made unquestionably transparent such that in the end, the outcome would be acceptable to all so that we could stand as one to face the real opponent," Mr Alaibe had said, while protesting the conduct of the PDP ward congress in the state last week.

Governor Dickson had, however, accused Mr Alaibe of trying to blackmail him.

The governor said he has the right to support any of the aspirants.

"It is important to stress that the governor's decision not to reward disloyalty with the candidacy of the party is an informed decision of conviction," Mr Dickson said in a statement from his media aide, Fidelis Soriwei.

Governor Dickson's team begins campaign for Diri

Besides the fact that Mr Diri's name has been mentioned as one of the last two aspirants standing in Governor Dickson's Restoration Team, the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah, over the weekend, led other PDP chieftains to endorse the senator as the "sole aspirant" in Kolokuma/Okpokuma Local Government Area.

Both Messrs Diri and Alaibe are from the local government area.

The significance of this development is that the speaker, Mr Isenah, heads the governorship campaign of Mr Dickson's Restoration Team.

The campaign team, which is well-funded, has structures in all the wards in the state.

The chairman, Kolokuma/Okpokuma Local Government Area, Deinye Obaragu, and a former chairman of the council, Wisdom Fafi, who represents the area in the Bayelsa State House òf Assembly, were present at the event where Mr Diri was endorsed as the "sole candidate".

Senator Douye Diri

The state ministry of information on its Facebook page celebrated the event as "a serious blow" to Mr Alaibe's aspiration.

"That's not PDP, so leave them on that story. We'll go to the field," Mr Alaibe shrugged off when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him Sunday morning.

All the other aspirants in the PDP have vowed to remain in the race for the PDP ticket irrespective of Mr Dickson's endorsement of Mr Diri, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Mr Diri, 60, before his election in 2019 as a senator, served as a member of the House of Representatives.

He had been a commissioner for youth and sports in the state, when the former president, Mr Jonathan, was governor of Bayelsa.

Apart from politics, Mr Diri has been a teacher and a businessman.

"Let me state clearly that I do not have any inordinate ambition. I was only motivated into joining the governorship race in order to build on the monumental achievements of Dickson.

"For me, it has been service all my life; service to the Ijaw ethnic nationality; service to my state; service to humanity," the senator said while declaring his interest for the governorship of the state.

"Please let me put this very clear; I don't know of anybody called a kingmaker in the state. PDP in the state is one under the leadership of the governor," he said further.

mansakhalifa:
OP, are you still asking this sort of question in 2019?

Personally, I've since stopped watching that charade called WWE wrestling. I am fed up with watching scripted movies in the name of wrestling.

If it ain't real, then forget it. I ain't watching. Besides, my tolerance for any sort of sport outside of football or rugby is almost non-existent. To make it worse, the WWE thing is more of an entertainment activity than sport. All acting and nothing more.

Unlike me and you, some believe it's real and won't go a day without watching it. For instance, one of my uncle and his wife love it like the way girls love Zeeworld, and for them, it's as real as death. Recently in a film hall where we watch football match, the argument came up. While 2/3 argued it's fake, the rest 1/3 opposed strongly that it's real.

Joshmodest:
As real as "game of thrones " and " gladiator" !!

and Spartacus is more real than WWE fights

Nbote:
D fights are scripted and acted out though moves are real jus like stuntmen recreating stunt scenes for movies so dey go through some of d pain as well.. D wrestlers have to "sell" d beatings pain and injuries to d audience to make it look real.. D drama, winners and feuds are all scripted and played out b d wrestlers..

Exactly what I think