News
BAYELSA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION AND THE NON-EXISTENT POUND OF FLESH.
By Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli.
As Bayelsans countdown to the 11th November, 2023 Governorship Election and preparations for formal commencement of campaigns intensifies, political players, pundits and watchers have beamed searchlight on the two leading Candidates, the incumbent Gov Douye Diri and Chief Timipre Sylva former Governor of Bayelsa State and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
Senator Douye Diri has spent less than four(4) in office as Governor while Chief Timipre Sylva spent five(5) years in office as the third Executive Governor of Bayelsa State and another four(4) as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. But despite the above, unbiased surveys by several organizations have put incumbent Gov Douye Diri far ahead of Chief Timipre Sylva the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in performance index and other areas including leadership responsibility and disposition.
One of the highest surveys is the one that was carried out by Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, the immediate past Member of the Federal House of Representatives that represented Brass-Nembe Constituency, the both Local Government Areas that Chief Timipre Sylva hail from.
Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli is not just an ordinary Bayelsan, he is a critical stakeholder in Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation by all standards and ramifications. But very significantly is the fact that he is the closest ally of Chief Timipre Sylva. He is often described by many as the First Political Son of Sylva and the most outstanding Field Commanders of Sylva’s Foot-soldiers.
Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli’s permutations and unbiased survey result that is widely circulated places incumbent Gov Douye far ahead of Chief Timipre Sylva in all the Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State.
Everyone that know Israel Sunny-Goli know that he meant everything that he said. Bayelsans know that he is not among political jobbers who will tell Sylva what he wants to hear because of their quest to get their share of the Petroleum Cake before abandoning him in the last minute and jumping ship to join performing Gov. Douye Diri who is the choice of majority of Bayelsans.
UNBIASED ASSESSMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF GOV. DOUYE DIRI AND CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA IN SOME KEY AREAS
At this point, it is pertinent to assess the administrations of Chief Timipre Sylva and incumbent Gov. Douye Diri in the areas of:
* ROAD CONSTRUCTION
* CIVIL SERVANTS WELFARE AND PENSION
* SECURITY
* PEACE AND UNITY
* POLITICAL STABILITY
* EDUCATION
* HEALTH
* AGRICULTURE, etc.
Road & Bridge Construction
While Sylva and his supporters are boasting about construction of sixty (60) internal roads that never lasted, supporters of incumbent Gov Douye Diri are not making noise about the Expressways and Highways with legendary Bridges that Gov. Douye Diri is building.
Gov. Douye Diri does not believe in playing politics with the development of Bayelsa State and that is one of the reasons he is not talking about the signature projects particularly the roads and bridges that he is building including the Nembe-Brass Road that Sylva had opportunity to build but said it was not economically viable.
The Sagbama-Ekeremor Road, the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road, the Glory Drive, Opolo-Elebele Road, the Igbedi Road, Nembe Unity Bridge, Imiringi Bridge, Elebele Bridge, etc are all Signature Projects.
Civil Servants Salary & Pension
Sylva administration did well in civil servants salary payment but Gov. Douye Diri is more committed to the above especially in the area of prompt payment of workers salaries and pensions.
Security
There was total collapse and near absence of security of life and property under the Sylva administration.
Operation Famuo-tagbe which was launched by Chief Timipre Sylva was a nightmare to Bayelsans and other residents.
Over one decade later, investigators, security experts and ordinary Bayelsans have not been able to get statistics of the number of persons that were unlawfully imprisoned, maimed and killed during the horror and dark infamous and inglorious years of Operation Famuo-tagbe.
That era may be likened to the Adolf Hitler Gustapo Nazi regime where perceived enemies were arrested, detained and even executed at will. Human rights was at its lowest ebb.
But under Gov Douye Diri Bayelsans and other residents are sleeping with two eyes closed because of adequate security.
There is no indiscriminate gunshots, maiming and killings like the Sylva administration where Bayelsa State was almost likened to a killing field. Innocent men who were arrested for trivial reasons were taken out in the dark of the night and executed.
Today, members of the opposition hold meetings and move around the state freely without any form of harassment or intimidation which was not the case during the Sylva administration.
Peace and Unity
Bayelsans were divided during the Sylva administration despite the fact that there was no strong opposition since opposition parties were near non-existent then but those who disagreed with policies and programmes of the Sylva administration were branded and tagged as Obote people ‘enemies’.
But under incumbent Gov Douye Diri, it is difficult to differentiate between members of the ruling PDP and the oppositions because the Governor has created a level play ground for all. He is running an all inclusive system where members of the opposition even have more say and privileges.
Gov. Douye Diri does not discriminate or segregate against any segment or section of the state. He detest the divisive, destructive and distractive concept of ‘Core Ijaw and Non Core Ijaw’ and that is the reason you no longer hear about it.
Gov. Douye Diri places so much premium on the Peace and Unity of Bayelsans and other residents.
Political Stability
Bayelsa State experienced unimaginable political instability during the Sylva administration, but the same is not the case under Gov Douye Diri administration where there is enormous political stability. It is a known fact that Bayelsa State is one of the most stable states in the country.
Education
Sylva grappling and struggled to fund NDU which was the main institution during the Sylva administration but Gov. Douye Diri is doing marvellously well in the adequate funding of all the universities and institutions in the State.
Health
The Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri and Diette-Koki Hospital were the major hospitals and health facilities in Bayelsa State but today beside adequate funding of the existing health facilities, Gov. Douye Diri has also built hospitals in the Headquarters of the eight(8) local government areas in the State.
Agriculture
Bayelsans remember the fishing trawlers and big political fish pounds that were dug everywhere in Yenagoa and it’s environ but no single fish was caught or sold by the Bayelsa State Seafood Company.
But under the Douye Diri administration Bayelsans have been given Agric Loans and most of the beneficiaries are doing very well despite the devastating negative impacts of the last year 2022 flood that destroyed many farms.
The government is also building Cassava Processing Plant and others to promote agriculture.
Generally, Bayelsans are very proud of Gov. Douye Diri who is laying a very solid foundation for the new Bayelsa State without making any noise.
On the other hand, they are querying the achievements and impacts of Sylva’s four(4) years as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under the immediate past administration where he had opportunity to make Billionaires, Multimillionaires and even give Employments to hundreds if not thousands of Bayelsans and other Ijaws but he rather choose to impoverished everybody around him and everyone that went close to him in accordance with his principle of impoverishing everyone to get their maximum submission, subjection and loyalty.
On the final analysis, Bayelsans have resolved to queue behind Miracle and Prosperity Gov Douye Diri who is doing marvellous work as against Chief Timipre Sylva who believe he has scores to settle and he wants a non-existent pound of flesh.
~~~ Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli aka Mirror and Conscience of Society.
* National President
Niger Delta Nonviolence Agitators Forum (NDNAF)
* Executive Director
Centre for Peace Advocacy and Social Rehabilitation (CPASR)
LATE CHIEF BETHLEHEM INGO,
Bebefiyewei of Grand Iduwini Kingdom,
“A Voice Lost Forever”
It’s been 21 years, yet the name Chief Bethlehem Ingo still echoes with respect and warmth.
We join in remembering a man whose legacy lives on through the voices of those who still say, “He was a good man.”
Iduwini people lost a voice in the demise of the Bebefiyewei that personified Spokesmanship.
Chief Ingo’s memory remains alive in the lives he touched, in the battles he worn, in the legacies he bequited.
🕊️ Rest on, the Great Chief Beth Ingo. You are missed by Odimodi, Iduwini, Ijaw nation — today.. always.
_From all of us at IduwiniVoice_
By Daire Pere-ebi
Things happen everyday, and some are terrifying. Tale of hardship, moshaps, joy, goodwill, etcetera. But what if you’re told that in a tale of extraordinary endurance and resilience, British couple Maurice and Maralyn Baily survived nearly four months adrift in the Pacific Ocean after their yacht was fatally struck by a whale in 1973.
The couple had set out on a dream journey across the Pacific, having sold their home in England to embrace a life of seafaring adventure. Their voyage aboard a 31-foot yacht, Auralyn, took a devastating turn in Mar h 1973 as they sailed westward from Panama, near the Galapagos Islands.
In the early morning hours, a sperms whale collided with yacht, tearing open the hull. Within minutes, the Auralyn was beyond saving. The Baileys escaped into a small inflatable raft and dinghy, managing to retrieve a few essential items – some canned food, fishing gear, a compass, and a solar still. With no radio or emergency beacon, they were cast into one of the most remote parts of the Pacific, with little hope of immediate rescue.
What followed was an unimaginable 118-day survival ordeal. The Baileys battled the searing tropical sun, saltwater scores, dehydration, and hunger. They relied on collected rainwater for hydration and fashioned rudimentary tools from safety pins and yacht remnants to catch fish, turtles, and even birds. Their bodies withered from malnutrition, their clothing deteriorated, and their nights were filed with uncertainty as distant ships passed them by, unaware of their desperate situation.
Despite the hardship, the couple remained committed to surviving together. Climbing to each other through frigid nights and burning days, they pushed through the extremes of isolation and physical suffering.
Salvation finally came on June 30, 1973, when a South Korean fishing vessel spotted them and pulled them aboard. The Baileys, frail and emaciated but alive, were taken to Hawaii for recovery.
Their harrowing experience, later detailed in their memoir 117 Days Adrift, drew international attention and became a symbol of unbreakable human spirit.
Remarkably, the trauma of their ordeal did not deter them from the sea—they returned to sailing, their passion unshaken by the vast ocean that once nearly claimed their lives.
The Baileys’ story remains one of the most compelling sagas of survival ever recorded, a testament to courage, love, and sheer willpower against the unforgiving forces of nature.
Credit: Weired, Wonder, and Amazing Things
By Favour Bibaikefie
Abuja, Nigeria – In a commendable display of appreciation, ‘Gen.’ Dennis Kpaidia, leader of the Tantita Odimodi Unit, has lauded the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro (PhD.), for his unwavering commitment to peacebuilding and leadership development in the Niger Delta.
This follows the commencement of a three-day day intensive training programme on Peacebuilding, Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation, organised by the PAP in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja.
The training, held in the Federal Capital Territory, brought together selected youth and community leaders from various communities across the Iger Delta. The initiative forms part of the reintegration phase of the Amnesty Programme, aimed at equipping key stakeholders with tools for the effective leadership, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict resolution in order to forestall imminent intercommunity crisis.
Speaking to IduwiniVoice, Kpaidia expressed profound gratitude to Dr. Otuaro over what he described as a “visionary leadership style that prioritizes the growth and peaceful coexistence of the region.”He noted that such training sessions are vital in deepening participants’ understanding of conflict dynamics and in strengthening local structures for sustainable peace.
“This training has opened our eyes to new methods of resolving disputes peacefully and building consensus in our communities. I thank Chief Dr. Otuaro for investing in our future of the Niger Delta youth and for giving us the tolls to lead rightly.” Kaidia State.
The peacebuilding programme is expected to continue over the next two days, with sessions facilitated by security and conflict resolution experts, mediators, and development professionals from both civil and military backgrounds.
As the region continues its journey towards lasting peace and sustainable development, initiatives like this stand out as evidence of the evolving impact of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dr. Otuaro’s stewardship.