Diri sworn in for second term, declares 10-year economic plan.

Diri sworn in for second term, declares 10-year economic plan.

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, and his deputy, Lawrence Ehwrudjakpo were on Wednesday inaugurated for their second tenure in office.

Diri and Ehwrudjakpo took fresh oaths of office and allegiance administered by the state Chief Judge, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, inside the stadium at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa.

The governor and his deputy won reelection on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party at the November 11, 2023 governorship poll.

They received their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission on November 17.

In his acceptance speech, Diri said that his administration would implement a 10-year comprehensive economic plan laced with strategies and initiatives for the development of Bayelsa in his second term.

He highlighted the achievements of his administration in his first tenure in various sectors including road infrastructure, agriculture, education, health, youth and women empowerment, security and public institutions, among others.

The governor stated that in his second tenure, the government would focus on addressing the challenge of the lack of access to potable water by residents of the state.

He said, “With this vision in mind, we have developed a comprehensive and ambitious 10-year economic plan for the state. This plan outlines our strategies and initiatives to diversify and strengthen our economy, create jobs, attract investments, and improve the standard of living for all Bayelsans.

“To kick start the implementation of this economic plan and to engage stakeholders, we are excited to announce the upcoming Bayelsa State Economic Development Summit in Yenagoa, the state capital. This summit will serve as a platform for sharing ideas, discussing opportunities, and forging partnerships to accelerate the economic growth of our state.

“We shall focus attention on areas with comparative advantage, including agriculture, rice, cassava and oil palm production, seeking new partnerships and investors along the way.”

He added that in his second tenure, citizens of the state would have a more active and direct role in shaping and participating in the economy, stressing that “from small business owners and entrepreneurs to industry leaders and investors, everyone has a part to play in driving economic growth and prosperity.”

Diri announced the dissolution of the state executive council and congratulated the political appointees for their “sacrifices and industry as our first term in office officially ended today.”

He called for unity and togetherness toward overcoming obstacles, achieving a great feat and building a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Bayelsa State.

Dignitaries at the second-term swearing-in ceremony of Diri and Ehwrudjakpo were the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima; his Liberian counterpart, Jeremiah Kounang; former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patient; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; former senate president, Bukola Saraki; national chairman of PDP, Adolphus Wabara; his predecessor, Iyorchia Ayu; former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson; Senator Ben Murray-Bruce.

Also present were Governors Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Umaru Bago (Niger), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa).

Local Content Bureau to positively impact Ekiti Economy – Ijidale.

Local Content Bureau to positively impact Ekiti Economy – Ijidale.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji created the Bureau of Local Content and Citizenship to build the local economy and stop the exodus of professionals to other cities, its Director General, Hon. Olalekan Ijidale, has said.

Making this clarification to newsmen during an interview in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, the DG said the governor really has the interest of the people of the state at heart and wants to build a viable and vibrant Ekiti economy.

He disclosed; "We have about a hundred billion for capital projects this year. The skilled workers and vendors in Ekiti are being patronized to ensure that at the end of the day,  money is retained in Ekiti to improve the economy to an extent. This will also reduce insecurity as people will be gainfully engaged, thereby  avoiding illegal activities.

"With regards to infrastructure, there will be local development to limit rural-urban migration. When there is development and government presence in the local areas and people are living comfortably with every amenities available, there won't be unnecessary migration to the city".

According to him, the target is to tackle the greatest challenges in the state, such that people can graduate or serve and still remain in Ekiti through gainful engagement engendered by the local content policy put in place.

“The mandate of this office is to enforce the use of local content in which people from Ekiti State will be engaged to execute projects. Towards this end, we are registering local and non-indigenous contractors and artisans in our data base.

“Only contractors and sub-contractors that have the requisite capacity will be engaged with strict compliance with local content policy of the government. Such company must pick its local content from our data base to encourage local development with resultant increase in revenue.

“No contractor will execute any job in Ekiti without making use of our people captured in our database and the flouting of the policy will attract stiff penalty which may include the withdrawal of such contract”, he said.

Hon. Ijidale disclosed that he had spoken to the staff of the bureau on the need to ensure transparency in examining any document without favouritism and warned that any staff that contravene the policy risks job loss and prosecution.

He said that through this policy, Ekiti graduates will have the opportunity to practice their professions and garner the necessary experience while in the state.

The Director General said the bureau intends to organize  three weeks’ training for graduates to get them ready for local content even as the building of 300 –capacity training centre is in the pipeline  to make the intention realistic.

FG moves to secure road projects nationwide.

FG moves to secure road projects nationwide.

The Federal government has kick started the process of securing road project sites across the country with the constitution of an Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Security of Highways Construction projects

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said it has become important for Nigerians to show patriotism by joining hands with security agencies to protect construction project sites across the country.   

The ad hoc committee comprises retired military and security personnel selected from the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

In a statement on Wednesday by the Ministry’s Director of Information, Olusola Abiola, the Minister emphasised the need for the move. 

He said: “We are concerned about the security of our sites during construction and we believe strongly that if we have experienced security personnel who understand the terrain, it would go a long way in ensuring the security of the sites”.

Umahi, during an interaction with members of the Committee in Abuja, who are all retired military and security personnel drawn from the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force, disclosed that the retired personnel were chosen by their different Service Chiefs based on their track record and experience. 

Saying that the work of the Committee was a national assignment and urging them not to fail the nation, the Minister noted, “ came up with this idea of having one retired military officer and police from each of the geopolitical zones because of the security challenges being faced by contractors in the course of their work.

“There are some projects that were awarded in the North East, North West and South East for which the contractors handling those projects left the sites over the issue of insecurity, this has become a concern to us in the Ministry.”

While he stressed that the Ministry was counting on them to bring security to various construction sites scattered all over the country, Umahi urged the members of the Committee to demonstrate patriotism as individuals and as a group by putting the interest of the nation first in the discharge of the onerous responsibility before them. 

On the nature of the task before the Committee and the reason for setting it up, Umahi emphasised that members are expected to work with the personnel of the Ministry at Zonal levels, pledging that all necessary assistance would be provided to ensure the success of their assignment.

He also appreciated the Service Chiefs for cooperating with the Ministry by responding promptly to the request of the Ministry leading to the establishment of the Committee.

The Permanent Secretary, Yakubu Kofarmata, expressed the appreciation of the Ministry to retired military personnel for offering themselves to serve their fatherland at this crucial time in the nation’s history. 

He urged them to give their best in the discharge of their task in the interest of national development.

Ogun begins N5bn palliatives for households, students, others.

Ogun begins N5bn palliatives for households, students, others.

Ogun State Government said it will embark on immediate N5bn worth of intervention to cushion the effects of the current economic hardship on residents. 

Governor Dapo Abiodun, who announced this on Wednesday evening during the emergency briefing of newsmen inside Chief Olusegun Osoba Press Centre at Oke Mosan Governor’s Office Abeokuta, said the intervention covers grants to indigent students, food palliative to vulnerable households, insurance cover for pregnant women and gradual offsetting outstanding deductions.

Breaking it down, Abiodun announced N50,000 grants will be given to each of the 27,600 students of Ogun indigene spread across the tertiary institutions in the country while N10,000 will be paid to each of the 100,000 pupils/students in public primary and secondary schools in addition to donation of five pieces of exercise books to the 850,000 students in public primary and secondary schools.

The Governor said garri, rice and other food items will be distributed to 300,000 households in the State while N500million will be committed monthly towards offsetting the outstanding and unremitted workers deduction.

Abiodun said: “Today, we come together in the face of the prevailing economic realities vis a viz: high inflation and currency devaluation in the country.As an Administration, we are not oblivious nor insensitive to these challenges being faced by our citizens.

” I therefore on behalf of this Government, want to appreciate the perseverance, patience and understanding of all the good people of Ogun State.Let me assure you that the present economic situation is just a transient phase that will soon pass.

“Whatever we experience now are just necessary sacrifices that we have to make towards ensuring a greater tomorrow. In a special way, we extend our appreciation to the President and Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for his continuous efforts in navigating the complexities of our nation’s economic landscape. His dedication to steering the ship through turbulent times has not gone unnoticed. Even the IMF and World Bank have commended these initiatives.It is this sincerity of purpose that is the main ingredient of the continued success of the “Renewed Hope” Agenda.

” The Federal Government is not only steadfast in its commitment towards creating a brighter future for all citizens, but is also trying hard to foster a society where prosperity and well-being of the entire citizens prevail.As a State, we identify with this beacon of “Renewed Hope” in these challenging times. Together, we shall overcome the adversities and build a stronger, more resilient nation.

“As our administration acknowledges the concerns raised by many of our citizens regarding the rising food prices and shortages, coupled with the depreciation of the Naira, we identify with you and are taking proactive measures to alleviate the impact of these challenges to guarantee the welfare, well-being and wellness of our citizens in this difficult time.In this direction and through targeted interventions, we aim to address these challenges by implementing a series of phased initiatives aimed at alleviating these burdens on all our citizens.

“The State has taken the following steps:Education Sector:Providing a minimum of 5 exercise books for all 850,000 students in our public primary and secondary schools. Providing a one-time N10,000 education support grant for at least 100,000 pupils in our public primary and secondary schools in the state.Providing all 27,600 indigent students in tertiary institutions nationwide with an education grant of N50,000 each.

“Health Sector:We will be providing insurance health cover for over 70,000 beneficiaries to include pregnant women, children, the elderly, market women and other members of the informal sector. More specifically, for pregnant women, under our Ibidero Scheme, we would be providing free pre-natal care, an additional N5,000 per birth and free post-natal care in our State Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centers across the State.

“Food Palliatives: Provision of food palliatives to include rice and other food items for about 300,000 households across the State. Civil Servants:The State Government will commence to offset the backlog of inherited deductions. To this end, we are immediately committing N500M monthly payment towards outstanding deductions. It is noteworthy that we have continued to pay N10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants for the last 8 moths.This brings our total immediate interventions as a responsible State Government to about N5Bn across all sectors of the State economy.

“Our primary responsibility as a government is to provide security of lives and properties to all residents in the State. I have met with the law enforcement agencies in our State and let me be clear, I will not allow anyone to test our will. Anyone who wants to test our will, will do so at their own peril. While the road ahead may be challenging, your patience, understanding and cooperation are crucial as we navigate these challenging times together.

“Together, we will work towards building a society that leaves no one behind which is also the essence of the successful implementation of our “Building our Future Together” Agenda & the “Renewed Hope.”

Gov Oyebanji Engages Finance Minister Wale Edun to Enhance Ekiti's Economic Growth.

Gov Oyebanji Engages Finance Minister Wale Edun to Enhance Ekiti's Economic Growth.

By Olamide Akinwumi. 

Ekiti State Governor, His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, engaged in a significant meeting on Wednesday, February 14th, with the Minister for Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja. The meeting, attended by the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akin Oyebode, centered on critical fiscal and economic matters, focusing on the economic development of the state.

The administration under Governor Oyebanji's leadership is leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of strategic partnerships aimed at fostering the economic growth of Ekiti State. The meeting with the Finance Minister is part of a series of engagements and collaborations with federal government agencies, development agencies, and private sector entities. These efforts are directed towards realizing the shared prosperity agenda of the government and driving sustainable development across the state.

The discussions underscored the commitment of the BAO administration to exploring avenues for economic advancement and leveraging partnerships to enhance the socioeconomic landscape of Ekiti State. Further details on specific outcomes from the meeting and actionable strategies for economic development are expected to emerge in the coming days.

Ekiti Govt Tightens Noose Against Criminals, Distributes Gadgets to Security Agencies.

Ekiti Govt Tightens Noose Against Criminals, Distributes Gadgets to Security Agencies.

....Says agencies must step up safety efforts.

Resolute to rid the State of criminals, the Ekiti State government, has distributed gadgets to security outfits operating in the state, calling for more decisive and spirited actions to totally rout marauding kidnappers and killers out of the state.

Describing the war against kidnappers and vampires as total, the government appealed to security agencies to redouble efforts to foster safety in Ekiti, saying no effort will be spared to halt senseless abduction and killing of citizens under any guise.

The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, said these in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, while distributing safety gadgets to heads of security agencies in the state.

Still smarting from the killings of two traditional rulers and abduction of school children by gunmen, Mrs Afuye, represented by the Permanent Secretary in her office, Mr. Abayomi Opeyemi, said the measure was part of the actions being taken by Governor Biodun Oyebanji to fortify the security agencies.

The Deputy Governor disclosed that the materials were provided by Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) in partnership with the Ekiti State Government to reinforce security and ward off criminals threatening the state.

Expressing that Governor Oyebanji is passionate about providing adequate security and alleviating the sufferings of victims of natural and man made disasters, Mrs Afuye, revealed that a staggering sum of N45 million was distributed to those who fell victim of such occurrences in 2023 .

"Action that Governor Oyebanji wants tight security in Ekiti was in display recently when he had to travel far and near for the release of the abducted pupils and their teachers as well as the arrest of some of the killers of two traditional rulers in Ekiti.

"However, in the fulfilment of this administration's promise to be responsive, Governor Oyebanji has approved over N45m to victims of fire and rainstorm disasters as collated and recommended by SEMA in year 2023.

"I want to appeal to our security agencies here today to step up their games and positively utilise the gadgets released to them to provide security cover that will be enough to safeguard the lives and property of our citizens.

"To us as a government, war against criminal elements is total and we shall pursue this with every constitutional means available to guarantee safety of our citizens".

In his submission, the General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Oludare Asaolu, applauded the federal government for partnering the state government for the distribution of cash gift and relief materials to victims of fire and rainstorm disasters in Ekiti. 

"You may recall that between January and February, 2024, school pupils and their teachers were kidnapped and two traditional rulers killed in our state. These ugly incidents led to the declaration of state of emergency on security by Governor Biodun Oyebanji. 

"The combined efforts of Governor Oyebanji and security agencies yielded positive results in the release of the pupils , their teachers and the arrest of some of the killers of the two traditional rulers.

"Let me appreciate the federal government for the release of the security gadgets to security agencies to boost the morale of our security officers who are fighting day and night to curb insecurity across the state.

"What you are getting today is a support from government to boost your morale and productivity in safeguarding lives and property of all Ekiti residents". 

After meeting with Service chiefs, Senate hopeful of better security.

After meeting with Service chiefs, Senate hopeful of better security.

For hours yesterday, the Senate was locked in a meeting with Service chiefs, Defence ministers and heads of the various security agencies.

Details of discussions at the meeting were not made known to reporters. But the Senate expressed confidence of a more secured environment.

It commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his determination to secure lives and property.

The Senate also passed a vote of confidence the Service chiefs and security outfits for their efforts so far.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the resolutions after a 10-hour meeting behind closed doors with the Security shiefs and minister.

The Red Chamber had last week summoned the security chiefs and relevant ministers to brief it on the rising spate of insecurity.

At the meeting were: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

Others are: National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Finance and Coordinating for the Economy Olawale Edun; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Police Affairs Ibrahim Geidam and Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

Akpabio said “The Senate thereafter commended Mr. President for his determination and focus for ensuring the security of lives and property.

“The Senate also commends the security chiefs for their efforts so far and particularly commend our men and women in uniform and the leaders of various communities who even in the face of difficulties pay supreme sacrifice in order to ensure that they keep their various communities safe.

“The Senate is hopeful that the suggestions made to the security chiefs and the interactions so far will help to bring about a better Nigeria and a more secured nation, a urges them to go with all the suggestions made here and the revelations received here and use them as template for future actions.

“On behalf of the entire Senate of the Federal Republicans of Nigeria, thank all the security chiefs and thank the ministers and the National Security Adviser an also commend all the security chiefs, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the ministers.

“It was particularly pointed out that if the Honourable Minister of Interior should implement the unified system of identification, where the NIN number, the BVN and the VIN can all can at a press of a button bring out all the particulars concerning anybody that it would be a better thing for Nigeria. It is quite revolutionary and we are quite impressed with the briefing we received.

“You also pointed out that is now easier to get the Nigerian passport outside the country. This is a major improvement.

“For the security chiefs we assure you of the continuous support of not just this Senate but the that of the National Assembly.

“Today, we have not only passed a vote of confidence in you but we have also expressed to you our readiness to work hand in hand with you in all you do.”