Author: Preye Okah

A few weeks ago, there was outrage in the media over the story of a four-year-old girl that was married out to a 54-year-old man in Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. National Point visited the community to follow developments and capture the mood of the people following the widespread reports about the issue. One of the first people to speak to National Point on the issue, Mr. Dominic Matthias, the Chairman of the community’s development committee. “The girl in question is very healthy now and she is moving around the community without any problem. Since…

DO Foundation, a Child Rights Advocacy groups in Bayelsa State has kicked against a marriage between a four years old girl and a 54 years old man which took place on the 26th of December 2023, at Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the State. The group described the marriage as illegal, criminal which it said is against the constitution and the Child Rights Act. DO Foundation, in statement signed by Elvis Mannie Esq.Chairperson, confirmed the development, insisting that the foundation has launched an investigation into the development with the hope of saving the child. According to Barr.…

Bayelsa State Government has faulted the report by some non-governmental organizations which declared that Bayelsa State is not economically viable, insisting that the report rated the state out of context. The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai, who responded to the report rather asked that the Federal Government should allow the state to access its 13 percent derivation funds directly instead of releasing whatever they want without the state knowing how much accrued to it on a monthly basis. Ebibai on Thursday in Yenagoa during a transparency briefing on the income and expenditure of the state for August, September and…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has called on the media to investigate its activities since its inception and tell the public its achievements and failings so far. This call came as the board disclosed that it had successfully handled 545 local content policy issues since the inception of the board, saying that by 2027, it would have achieved up to 70 percent local content in the country. Speaking on behalf of the board during a capacity building workshop organized for media stakeholders from the South South on Tuesday in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Esueme Dan Kikile, Manager,…

Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has revealed that by 2024, three more Modular refineries will start operation in the country, as one has already started production. Speaking in Yenagoa during the opening of this year’s edition of practical Nigerian Content Forum with the theme, Deepening Nigerian Content Amidst Divestment, Domestication and Decarbonization, the Executive Secretary of the board, Simbi Wabote added that the board had already partnered with a local refinery known as Waltersmith to establish a 5,000bpd modular refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State. He also disclosed that this year alone, the refinery has produced and sold over…

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…