Author: Preye Okah

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, presented the 2024 budget of N480.99 billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration and passage. Presenting the appropriation bill christened, “Budget of Sustainable and Shared Prosperity,” Governor Diri recalled that in October 2023, the assembly approved the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF and FSP) for the state. He explained that the budget proposal was predicated on the assumptions contained in the approval of the assembly. His word,: “Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the 2024 budget estimates to the House. We are guided by the desire to prepare…

The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in the just concluded Governorship Election in Bayelsa State Udengs Eradiri has called on the acting factional chairman of the party, Eneyi Zidougha, to leave him out of the crisis rocking the leadership of the party in the state. Eradiri advised members of the public to disregard Zidougha’s recent claims that he had expelled him from the LP saying the Constitution of the party did not confer such powers on him. He stated that Zidougha lacked the powers to flagrantly suspend any member of the party much more, the governorship candidate. Speaking recently in Yenagoa,…

Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, on Monday, took his campaign against the threats of ocean surge, coastal erosion, environmental pollution and their related impacts to the global stage. Speaking during the United Nations Convention for Conserving River Deltas (UN-CCRD) unveiling session of the ongoing Climate Change Summit (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Governor Diri solicited global concerted efforts to address the effects of oceanification and climate change on Bayelsa coastal communities. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that in the past few years, no fewer than 20 coastal communities in…

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has said that certain fundamental things must be put in place before Nigerians can appreciate democracy. Bishop Kukah, a tireless advocate for justice, democracy and human development, said that it was not as if democracy cannot work in Nigeria but that deliberate effort has to be made to resolve and address the problems. Delivering the keynote of the 3rd annual national public lecture of the First News on Friday in Yenagoa, Kukah said even those who are responsible for Nigeria’s problems are not safe. The theme of the lecture was:…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday declared Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State the winner of the state Off-Circle Election which took place on Saturday November 11, 2023. Declaring him winner of the election, the chief returning officer, Farouk Kuta Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Minna, stated that Diri polled 175,196 votes to defeat THE APC Candidate, Timipre Sylva who polled 110,108 votes. In his acceptance speech, Governor Diri thanked Bayelsans for bestowing upon him the honour of serving as their governor stating that the victory would not have been possible without the mighty hand and grace…

The Bayelsa State Chapter of All Progressives Congress has described the judgement of Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja Tuesday reversing the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 11, 2023 Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Election, Chief Timipre Sylva as a big win for democracy and a victory for Bayelsa State. A statement by the Bayelsa State Publicity Secretary of the party, Doifie Buokoribo, read “The Appeal Court by its ruling has given the people of Bayelsa State a choice on November 11. “A choice between light and darkness. A choice between moving to the mountain top…

Although culture and tradition seem to be gradually fading away because of Christianity influence, ethnic groups and communities still celebrate their tradition which has been there even before the advent of Christianity. By and large, people still celebrate festivals like the New Yam Festival, Eyo Masquerade, and other forms of festivals no matter the multitude of churches around, a way of keeping and sustaining the African tradition. In Bayelsa State, most of these traditional festivals are still being celebrated. One of them is the Okolode New Yam Festival that is annually celebrated by the people of great Ekpetiama Kingdom in…

As campaign for the Bayelsa State governorship election heats up, accusations and counter accusations are going on as the immediate past deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd) has accused Timipre Sylva, the APC governorship candidate of allowing the state-owned oil field licence to be revoked and then diverting the oil field it to a private firm when he was minister of state for Petroleum Resources. Speaking on Wednesday, when the PDP Campaign trail visited the Nembe axis, Gboribiogha stated that with that and other things, Governor Diri stood a better chance to win in Nembe because…

Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and Prof Patrick Lumumba have canvassed strong institutions to protect African democracy from recession and political instability. They made the call in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State at the annual Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue, tagged, ‘Breaking New Grounds in the Democracy -Development Nexus in Africa’. The leaders said the coup d’etat, poor election management, and poverty have derailed the continent’s democracy. They therefore, called for a re-jig of the continent’s democracy. Jonathan, who was the chairman of the occasion, in his remarks, noted that adhering to the…

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has declared as unjust and discriminatory, the purported move by the Federal Government of Nigeria to promote and legalise artisanal solid minerals mining in the country while clamping down on artisanal petroleum refineries in the Niger Delta. In a statement issued by the PANDEF and signed by its national publicity secretary, Mr. Ken Robinson, the organisation noted with displeasure, the efforts by the Federal Government to promote the solid minerals sector while suppressing artisanal refineries. “We have followed the various policy pronouncements on the intention of the government to legalize the activities of all…