Youths groups from from Sagbama Local Government Area in Bayelsa West Senatorial District have expressed gratitude to Senator Henry Seriake Dickson for the establishment of the multi billion Naira Cassava Processing Plant in the area.

The youth leaders are from Sagbama, Tarakiri and Ebedebiri, which are the host communities to the important facility.

The plant which is located at Ebedebiri, Sagbama Local Government Area, has 240 tons input and 60 tons output per day processing capacity.

The youth groups from the Sagbama LGA said that Dickson was able to complete the gigantic project by January 2020 because of his exemplary dedication to strategic issues of development in the area and indeed the state.

They recalled that the facility was scheduled for commissioning at the twilight of his administration but was put on hold for the incoming PDP Government to inaugurate following the verdict of the Supreme Court in favour of the PDP on the Bayelsa Gubernatorial election.

The Chairman of the influential Tarakiri Youth Presidents Forum, Mr. Ebimobowei Perekeme, recalled that the Restoration Government led by Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, built the world-class modern cassava and Starch processing factory from foundation to completion at Ebedebiri Community, fully furnished with all necessary modern equipment to function effectively with the aim of solving the challenges of cassava processing by farmers in the rural areas in Bayelsa State, the entire South South and beyond.

He said that Dickson also established a modern poultry farm at Ebedebiri Community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, in order to solve the challenge of frozen foods in the rural areas and beyond.

The youth leader said that the former Governor should be commended for his exemplary performance as Governor of Bayelsa State who placed emphasis on development of the state.

Similarly, the youths of Ebedebiri, the host community to the multi
Billion Naira project, under the aegis of Concerned Youths commended Dickson for the effective execution of the project in the community which has the capacity to impact the entire community and the state economically.

The Chairman of the Ebedebiri Youths Forum, Hon. Ebipadei Oyinkuro, described the cassava processing Folake as the first one to be established in the whole of the Niger Delta region.

“The project is the first of its kind in the whole Niger Delta region which has the capacity to gainfully employ thousands of Bayelsans, Niger Deltans and Nigerians at large.

He said that Dickson deserves to be commended for the privilege extended to the community as the host to the critical agricultural facility.

He also commended Governor Douye Diri, for commencing efforts to commission and in order to actualize its expected utilization in the interest of the state and indeed the country.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Sagbama One Youth Forum, Ayeke Ekio, commended the former governor for sitting such life changing project in the constituency and Ebedebiri specifically and pledged the support of all to work with the operators to maximize its benefits to all.

Dream Nigeria Initiative, an Abuja-based civil society organisation, has lamented that the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has been a victim of judicial rascality orchestrated by Governor Nyesom Wike.

The group's Acting Executive Director, Mr. Dike Aguonye made this known in a statement sent to journalists on Wednesday.

According to him, the recent ruling of the Supreme Court has vindicated Amaechi.

The Supreme Court had last Friday dismissed Amaechi’s appeal to stop his probe over an alleged N96 billion fraud.

The apex court, however, stated that although all the prayers of the former minister were dismissed, the 6th one was determined.

Dr Agunoye said: “Among the several issues for determination, Amaechi asked the court to determine whether the judicial commission of inquiry can competently investigate and probe him.

“But in their decision, the respected seven-member apex court panel held that the two lower courts were right in their pronouncement that the commission of inquiry has the right to investigate and probe the appellant.

“The court noted, however, that the panel is not an adjudicatory body and so does not try or determine disputes as to any rights or obligations of liabilities.

The Supreme Court said a commission of inquiry is a fact-finding or information-seeking body. It carries out its fact-finding or information seeking by the process of impartial investigation to find out certain facts or information about the subject of the inquiry.

“Although the Judicial Commission by Governor Wike principally questioned the procedural regularity of some government transactions under the administration of Amaechi, the commission did not invite relevant persons whose job functions made them gatekeepers during the period such as the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, the Commissioner for Finance, Commissioner for Finance and Director General of Rivers State Bureau for Public Procurement.

“The Supreme Court also made these findings in its judgement delivered that there was nothing to show that the appellant (Amaechi) or anybody was going to be tried by the commission, and there was nothing to show that he was served any notice to attend the hearing when the proceedings of the commission commenced.

“So indirectly, the court judgment said Amaechi did not sell any gas turbine as alleged or any other valuable asset of Rivers state in the report. Rather, it was found that the Government of Rivers State owned a company called First Independent Power Limited through which the state developed and operated four gas-powered plants in Afam, Eleme, Omoku, and Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt. The gas turbines reportedly sold are integral parts of gas-powered plants.

''It was also discovered that for operational efficiency, the government under the administration of Rt. Hon. Amaechi, decided to sell controlling shares in First Independent Power Limited to an operator. This was the transaction mischievously misrepresented as sale of gas turbines by the judicial panel who ought to investigate but decided to indict without any known law to back their operations.

“On the alleged withdrawals from the US dollar account belonging to government, leading to the allegation of N96 billion Naira fraud, the Wike government deliberately withheld part of the information in order to deceive the unsuspecting public.

“While the government has shown the state’s US dollar account where money was withdrawn from, the government mischievously refused to report that there was a corresponding naira account belonging to the State Government where the proceeds of the foreign currency withdrawn was exchanged and paid into.”

On the implications of the Omereji Panel Report and the Rivers Government White Paper on Amaechi, he said a similar matter from Ekiti State occurred in the past.

He added: “The Supreme Court in April 2019 in a case relying on the Report of the Oyewole Panel established that the indictment of Fayemi by the Oyewole Panel could not constitute a trial or bar him from participating in an election.

''The case decided that only a conviction by a competent court of law can bar any aspirant from participating in a primary or a general election but not a mere indictment by a panel.

''The Supreme Court also reemphasized this position in the Amaechi case that a commission of Inquiry is a fact-finding body, and its purpose is investigation to find or gather facts on any subject of inquiry. In doing so, it is not trying Rt. Hon. Amaechi or any person of any misconduct or crime, it does not engage in the trial of any person for anything.”