News
Full Speech as Gov. Diri Present 2025 Budget
By Admin
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri has presented the 2025 appropriation bill to the Bayelsa State House Assembly. Read the full text of Gov. Diri’s speech below:
“AN ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR DOUYE DIRI, GOVERNOR OF BAYELSA STATE ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2025 BUDGET TO THE BAYELSA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THURSDAY, 31ST OF OCTOBER, 2024.
“Mr. Speaker, Honourable members, once again, I am delighted to be in this hallowed chamber for the presentation of the 2025 Budget Estimates of our income projections and the associated expenditures, based on our development priorities and aspirations.
“Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, this presentation is in fulfillment of section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
“Let me therefore use this opportunity to commend you and Honourable members, for your mature disposition to duty, and unalloyed support to our government in the discharge of your duties. It is an expression of the spirit of team work, which we should abide with in our efforts to build the State of our dream.
“Mr. Speaker, on assumption of office in our first term, we christened our administration ‘The Prosperity Government’, which had been the guiding principle of the economic policies, programmes and development priorities.
“Undoubtedly, these initiatives and the resultant projects yielded good success, which explains the emphatic endorsement of our government for second term by people of the state.
“Following the gains and experiences of our First Tenure, we are committed to advancing the socio-economic and infrastructure development of our State.
Consequently, we have instituted a new mantra tagged the “ASSURED Agenda” with seven pillars to serve as beacon to enhance our economic growth, social development, infrastructure advancement, environmental sustainability, cultural preservation and good governance.
“As a responsive, transparent and inclusive government, we have continued to encourage citizens’ participation in our budgeting process through stakeholder engagement and public interactive sessions to fashion out our development priorities.
“I therefore wish to review some our activities in the outgoing year.
“OVERVIEW OF THE YEAR 2024 BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION
Mr. Speaker, in reviewing the year 2024 budget implementation, I wish to state that a total of ₦489,443,632,374.00 (Four Hundred and Eighty-Nine Billion, Four Hundred and Forty-Three Million, Six Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-Four Naira) and a supplementary budget of ₦270,800,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Seventy Billion, Eight Hundred Million Naira) was approved for the 2024 fiscal year.
“Let me state that in the course of the implementation of the 2024 budget, there were some extraneous moments triggered by global and national challenges on the economy. However, our performance is over 70% as at the third quarter of 2024. We have made significant strides in almost every sector of our economy.
“Permit me Mr. Speaker to highlight some very critical programmes and projects that we have executed
“Works and Infrastructure:
Our government has continued to demonstrate faithful devotion to roads and other critical infrastructure in the State. In tandem with our promise to connect all the LGA headquarters by road, we have continued with the construction of the Senatorial Roads.
“The 21km first phase of the Nembe-Brass Road with 10 bridges is progressing as planned and has reached an advanced stage. I am pleased to report that the 620m Angiama-Oporoma Bridge is over 50% completed. While waiting for the engineering timelines for the bridge, we have gone ahead with the construction work to Otuan and Oporoma across the River Nun.
“We have also started the Glory Drive Phase III that will link Imgbi Road with a bridge crossing the Epie Creek.
“Similarly, the Commissioners’ and Legislators’ quarters and connecting roads within the New Yenagoa City is near completion.
“Other ongoing roads and infrastructure projects include the Ogu–Ayama– Okodi Road; the Sabagreia – Polaku Road; Toru-Orua-Bolu-Orua-Kabeama- Ebeni Road among others.
“Furthermore, in this 2024 fiscal year, we have completed a number of internal roads in Yenagoa and its environs as part of our deliberate policy to give a facelift to our State capital. We are also constructing internal roads in our communities. There is at least one road in each of the State’s constituencies and several wards.
“Education
In the education sector, our government has consistently invested in infrastructure and human development. We have continued the building of technical colleges in the LGAs, and improved the facilities and amenities in the existing ones. Our goal is to increase students’ intake into technical, vocational and science-based schools, and reduce the over-reliance on paper qualification.
“In the year under review, we have completed and remodeled a number of new school buildings.
“In our efforts to improve on the standard of education in the state, we have strengthened the application of technology for our education delivery through the BayelsaPRIME project and also employed more staff (both teaching and non-teaching) to cover our manpower gaps in our primary and secondary schools.
“We have ensured that all programmes in our tertiary institutions are fully accredited. We have also increased grants to our tertiary institutions to meet with the existing realities.
“Mr. Speaker, it is worthy of note that the contractor for the NDU 10,000-seater convocation arena has been mobilized to site.
“Civil Service
We have continued to place the welfare of workers as top priority. In this outgoing year, we have also met the welfare obligation for serving and retired civil servants, and we shall not relent on it. A new minimum wage of N80,000 has been approved, effective November 1, 2024. We have also provided the sum of Seven Billion Naira for the payment of outstanding gratuities and also increased the monthly pensions forthwith.
“Agriculture
Our efforts at developing the agricultural sector of our economy is also worth mentioning here. Mr. Speaker, in the outgoing year, our government provided support in different dimensions to ensure that the agriculture potential of the State are harnessed, and benefits derived from it.
Consequently, we have continued the training of youths in various agricultural techniques and value chain activities within and outside the country.
“Furthermore, the State is in collaboration with the World Bank for the construction of 80km rural roads under the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) across the State. The designs for these projects have been completed by the State Government. The roads when completed will boost agricultural production/activities and enhance food security.
“Social and Economic Programmes
As part of our socio-economic development activities, our government in conjunction with development partners supported over 400,000 poor and vulnerable households through monthly cash transfers and grants in agriculture, micro, small and medium scale enterprises. We have also embarked on intervention projects in over 300 communities across the 105 wards of the State.
“Sports Development
Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes that our youths are full of energy, which should be put to proper use. Therefore, we have invested heavily in sports development. These investments have also been yielding the desired results.
“Mr. Speaker, as recounted above, our achievements in the outgoing year is an open book, which well-meaning Bayelsans have continued to applaud.
“The 2025 Budget Estimates
Mr. Speaker, Hon Members, permit me at this point to present to you the 2025 budget estimates christened: “Budget of ASSURED Prosperity.
“Let me begin by saying that implementing the 2025 budget will require some level of efficiency and synergy in government activities across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Importantly, the overall outcome of the 2025 budget will significantly depend on the level of fiscal and monetary policy coordination. Therefore, our team, particularly the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is charged to ensure fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability and proper coordination in our implementation processes.
“To kick start a properly coordinated development drive, the three-year Medium-Term rolling plan of the MDAs as expressed in the Medium-Term Sector Strategies are consistent with the philosophy and objectives of our ASSURED Agenda.
“Owing to our desire to pursue a robust development, as enunciated in the ASSURED Agenda, we have consciously crafted this 2025 budget in such a manner that we are mobilizing funds for human capital and infrastructural development initiatives, covering the seven broad areas of the ASSURED Agenda, which are: Agricultural Revolution and Blue Economy, Sports and Youth Development, Security and Peace, Urban Renewal and Rural Development, Robust Healthcare Delivery, Energy Generation, Economic Growth and Tourism, and Diversifying Education Towards Innovation and Technology, by ensuring that our recurrent expenditure is kept within limits.
“However, we have taken care to ensure that the personnel cost, by way of salaries, pensions and gratuity are met timely and fully.
“Following the Executive Retreat earlier this year, government has drawn up a comprehensive development Roadmap for the State, which will be a guide to all our socio-economic and infrastructural development activities.
“Details of the 2025 Budget Estimates
Mr. Speaker, Hon Members, I now wish to present to you a total Budget size of Six Hundred and Eighty-Nine Billion, Four Hundred and Forty Million, Three Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Thirty Kobo (₦689,440,348,916.30) only for the 2025 fiscal year.
“Therefore, the revenue breakdown is as follows:
“Opening Balance: 14,200,000,000
“Statutory Allocation: 17,000,000,000
“VAT 57,000,000,000
“13% Derivation + Refund: 138,804,511,503.72
“Refund on Excess Crude: 29,062,795,619.25
“Exchange Gains: 103,073,041,793.33
“IGR: 39,000,000,000
“Grants 39,400,000,000
“Other Capital Receipts
(Electronic Money Transfer,
Signature Bonus, Cash Calls, Loans etc): 141,400,000,000
“Total ₦689,440,348,916.30
“The Total expenditure for the year 2025 is therefore broken down as follows:
“Personnel Cost 91,961,743,951.04
“Pensions and Gratuity including Contributory Pension 19,324,076,910.66
“CRFC Transfers 3,346,460,935.00
“Total Personnel Cost 108,338,020,204.04 (13.3%)
“Overhead Cost 79,650,869,203.67 (11.55%)
“Grants, Contributions and Subsidies 9,147,130,796.33
“10% Contribution to SUBEB 2,500,000,000.00
“RDAs 4,500,000,000.00
“Public Debt Servicing 52,944,847,915.95
“Total Recurrent Expenditure 263,375,129,712.64 (38.2%)
“Capital Expenditure 404,761,958,243.47
“Planning Reserve 21,303,260,960.18
“Total Capital Expenditure 426,065,219,203.65 (61.8%)
“Mr. Speaker, in this 2025 fiscal year, we are laying the foundation of the ASSURED Agenda, and therefore pursue vigorously the Roadmaps to a prosperous Bayelsa State.
Consequently, our expenditure breakdown in some of the sectors is as follows:
“Works and Infrastructure
Construction of Nembe/Brass Road, Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie Road, Ogu–Ayama–Okodi Road, Sabagreia – Polaku Road, Toru-Orua-Bolu-Orua-Kabeama- Ebeni Road, internal roads, Ultra-Modern State Secretariat, among others. The sum of 178,761,088,407.32 is allocated.
“Education
The construction of additional science, technical and vocational colleges, construction of the NDU convocation arena, provision of school infrastructure, instructional materials, subventions to tertiary institutions and others. The sum of 47,111,696,194.40 is allocated.
“Sports
The construction of an ultra-modern stadium in Yenagoa, upgrading of stadia, competitions, athletes and talent development programmes. The sum of 37,850,000,000.00 is allocated.
“Urban & Housing Development
The construction of 1000 housing units across the eight LGAs. The sum of 13,680,000,000.00 is allocated.
“Energy/Power
Investment in gas systems, upgrade of various substations, provision of transformers, extension of feeders, 1mega watts pilot off-grid solar farms to complement power supply, distribution of network extensions. The sum of 14,450,000,000.00 is allocated.
“Agriculture 16,650,000,000.00
“Security19,000,000,000.00
“Healthcare 19,194,188,466.06
“Community Development10,200,000,000.00
“Mr. Speaker, in our efforts at improving the management of funds, we carefully crafted this budget in a manner of 61.8 to 38.2 per cent ratio between the capital and recurrent expenditures. This is to enable us achieve projected dividends as encapsulated in the ASSURED Agenda.
“Once again, I hereby direct the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to ensure strict adherence with the above ratio in the course of the implementation of this budget.
“Furthermore, I like to thank the good people of Bayelsa State for their peaceful disposition, which has made our State attractive to many.
The hopes and aspirations of our people rest on our prudent resource management and I urge this Honourable House to scrutinize this budget estimates with your characteristic diligence, not leaving out your statutory oversight functions.
The Governor concluded as follows; “Mr. Speaker, Hon Members, permit me now to lay before you the 2025 Budget of Assured Prosperity for your kind consideration and timely passage.”
His Excellency Gov. Douye Diri thanked the house for their time and audience.
News
Ajapa Field MOU: Ogulagha Stakeholders Call for Review, Transparency and Alignment with Current Realities
By Charity Ebi
OGULAGHA, DELTA STATE — Nearly two decades after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Britannia-U Nigeria Limited and Ogulagha Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area, stakeholders in the oil-bearing community are calling for a comprehensive review of the agreement to reflect present-day economic and industry realities.
The 2007 MOU, tied to operations at the Ajapa Marginal Field, was introduced as a framework for peace, development and mutual benefit. However, community representatives say that while the agreement may have appeared workable at inception, its fixed financial structure has been overtaken by inflation, rising oil revenues and evolving governance standards within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Addressing journalists on behalf of stakeholders, Mr. Jude Iyelagha stressed that the concerns being raised should not be misconstrued as an attack on the integrity of Ogulagha’s traditional or political leadership.
“This is not an attempt to indict or insult the credibility of our revered leaders,” Iyelagha clarified. “Rather, it is an encouragement for leaders to revisit the well-documented terms, review them in line with current realities, and ensure they are fully implemented for the benefit of our people.”
Modest Provisions, Expanding Industry
Under the MOU, provisions reportedly included annual allocations for community drugs, scholarships for secondary and tertiary students, training slots at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), allowances for trainees, incentives for science teachers and sitting allowances for kingdom committee meetings.
While these figures may have been considered reasonable in 2007, stakeholders argue that their real value has significantly diminished over time due to inflation. Crucially, the sums were fixed and not indexed to oil prices, production output or inflationary trends.
Using conservative production estimates common to marginal fields in the Niger Delta, observers note that annual gross revenues from such operations could run into tens of billions of naira. When juxtaposed with community allocations that reportedly totalled only a few million naira annually at inception, the proportional disparity becomes a central point of concern.
For residents, the issue is less about confrontation and more about fairness.
Development Expectations in a Resource-Rich Area
Ogulagha Kingdom remains one of the oil-producing hubs in Delta State. Yet stakeholders point to ongoing challenges including limited healthcare facilities, youth unemployment, fragile road networks, environmental vulnerability and constrained access to higher education funding.
Community leaders argue that development in oil-bearing areas should translate into tangible infrastructure such as modern health centres, shoreline protection projects, potable water systems, vocational training hubs and structured employment pipelines.
“The frustration is not hostility towards investment,” a stakeholder noted. “It is about proportionality and visible impact.”
Shareholding Claims and Transparency Concerns
Beyond the MOU, a more complex issue has emerged. Leaders within the kingdom assert that Ogulagha may not only be a host community but also a registered shareholder in the Ajapa Marginal Field structure, allegedly documented with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
If such shareholding exists, corporate law provides for certain rights, including access to audited financial statements, notice of Annual General Meetings and entitlement to dividends where declared.
Stakeholders claim that consistent access to production data, audited accounts and dividend clarity has not been fully established, raising questions about governance participation.
Again, Iyelagha emphasised that the intention is not to cast aspersions.
“We believe in dialogue and institutional engagement. What we are asking for is clarity, transparency and alignment with statutory expectations where applicable,” he said.
Petroleum Industry Act and Changing Standards
Analysts observe that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has introduced more structured host community frameworks and governance mechanisms. Agreements executed before the reform era, they argue, may require review to align with contemporary standards of transparency and proportionality.
Stakeholders maintain that revisiting the 2007 framework would not only protect the long-term interests of the kingdom but also strengthen investor-community relations.
Company Response Awaited
Efforts to obtain official comments from Britannia-U Nigeria Limited were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. The company’s response, when received, will be reflected in subsequent updates.
For now, the central appeal from Ogulagha stakeholders is measured and deliberate: a call for leaders to examine documented agreements, align them with present realities, and ensure that promises made translate into visible, sustainable benefits for the kingdom.
As one community voice put it, “Oil is finite, but our people and our future must endure.”
By Favour Bibaikefie
Historical medical records have revealed that indigenous surgeons in the Buganda Kingdom of present-day Uganda were successfully carrying out cesarean sections as early as 1879 — a period when the procedure was still considered highly risky in many parts of Europe.
The account was documented by British medical practitioner and explorer Robert William Felkin, who witnessed and later published details of the operation in the Edinburgh Medical Journal in 1884 under the title “Notes on Labour in Central Africa.”
According to Felkin’s observations, the procedure involved the use of banana wine as a cleansing agent, herbal preparations to manage pain, and cauterization with heated metal to control bleeding. Both mother and child reportedly survived the surgery — an outcome that drew significant attention from European medical circles at the time.
Felkin described the process as orderly and deliberate, noting that the practitioners demonstrated familiarity with anatomy, sterilization methods available to them, and post-operative care. The documentation challenged prevailing 19th-century assumptions that advanced surgical knowledge was absent in African societies before colonial contact.
Medical historians note that cesarean sections in Europe during the mid-1800s were often fatal due to infection and limited antiseptic knowledge. Antiseptic surgical techniques only became widely accepted in Europe toward the late 19th century following developments associated with figures such as Joseph Lister.
Scholars argue that the Buganda example illustrates a broader pattern of indigenous scientific knowledge that predated colonial rule. In his work, historian highlighted the complexity of African societies prior to European intervention, disputing narratives that framed the continent as lacking innovation or structured knowledge systems.
Experts say the 1879 account underscores the need for a more balanced historical perspective — one that acknowledges Africa’s contributions to medicine, technology, and empirical science long before formal Western medical institutions expanded into the continent.
The rediscovery and renewed discussion of such records continue to prompt debates about how global scientific history is written — and whose knowledge systems are recognized.
Source: African Echo
News
Otuaro Congratulates New IPF Leadership, Urges Confidence and Stronger Advocacy for Ijaw Nation
By Favour Bibaikefie
The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Chief (Dr.) Dennis Brutu Otuaro, has congratulated the newly inaugurated leadership of the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), led by Senior Comrade Austin Ozobo, urging them to remain confident and focused as they steer the affairs of the organisation.
Speaking through Mr. Prebor Presley, Coordinator of the PAP Delta/Edo State Office, Otuaro commended the IPF for consistently projecting the Ijaw and Niger Delta narrative from a rights-based standpoint. He stressed that strengthening indigenous media platforms such as the IPF should be a collective responsibility, given the body’s strategic relevance to the Ijaw nation, the Niger Delta, and Nigeria as a whole.
According to him, the emergence of the new executive comes at a crucial period when the region requires vibrant voices to intensify advocacy for the rights and interests of its people. He encouraged the leadership to consolidate on the achievements of their predecessors and remain steadfast in pursuing the forum’s mandate.
In his acceptance speech, IPF President, Comrade Austin Ozobo, unveiled an ambitious two-year agenda, including plans to establish a permanent secretariat, set up a printing press, and launch indigenous Ijaw radio and television stations. He called on Ijaw sons and daughters to rally behind the organisation in its quest for peace, unity, and development across the Niger Delta.
Highlighting the forum’s advocacy role, Ozobo declared: “Let every headline, every broadcast, every book, every post send one clear message: The Ijaw people will no longer be spectators in their own land.”
In a goodwill message, Princewill Binebai, spokesperson of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, congratulated the new executive while cautioning against internal discord. He warned that the Ijaw people must recognise external challenges and avoid becoming divided among themselves.
Also speaking, frontline Ijaw politician, , traced the roots of journalism in Nigeria to the Ijaw ethnic nationality. He expressed disappointment over the absence of some Ijaw political figures at the event, noting that he had hoped it would be more “ceremonious,” with Ijaws asserting their presence as the true owners of Warri.
Reaffirming his commitment, Ozobo pledged to uphold the values of “our great organization and work tirelessly to promote the interests of our organization, the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta at large.”
He further stated: “The IPF will continue to advocate for the rights and interests of the Ijaw people, and will continue to promote accurate reporting and storytelling about the over 50 million Ijaw people that are balkanized and marginalized in Nigeria. The Ijaw people have a rich cultural heritage, and it is our responsibility to preserve and promote it.
“We will work with stakeholders to promote peace, unity, and development in the Niger Delta region. We will also provide a platform for Ijaw journalists and publishers to advance and grow in the media profession.”
Calling for unity among leaders, the IPF President appealed: “Ijaw leaders to prioritize Ijaw Nation’s development; we should know where we are coming from. This is not the time for divisive governance, but rather a time for inclusive governance.
“Let us wake up from our slumber and stop doing things that will further divide us or underdevelop the Ijaw Nation.”
He concluded by appreciating stakeholders who have supported the forum and urged collective commitment moving forward. “All well-meaning Ijaw sons and daughters to join and support the organization (IPF) in this journey. Let us work together to build a stronger, more united Ijaw Nation where love, justice and peace will reign.”