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The Bayelsa State Government has directed immediate closure of all schools in the state as a precautionary measure to avoid loss of lives in the current flooding in the state. The decision was reached at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the State Governor, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, who also set up a special committee to facilitate prompt and effective response to the flood emergency in the state. The Commissioner for   Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said in a statement on Saturday that the highest decision making body in the state also directed the Ministry of Health to set up an emergency health response unit in the state to mitigate the effect of the flood on the people.   Iworiso Markson Iworiso-Markson said that the Emergency Health Response Unit   of the Ministry of Health was designed to monitor and prevent the outbreak of diseases like cholera during the period covered by flooding ...

The Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris has on Friday commended police personnel and other security agencies deployed to maintain peace in the just concluded Osun election, noting that there no official complaints of violence or injury to persons reported at any police stations. In a statement signed by JIMOH MOSHOOD , the force public relations officer, Idris urged members of the public to disregard any publication and claims that Security agencies intimidated Journalists, Election Observers and voters during the re-run.  His statement in Full:  INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE COMMENDS POLICE PERSONNEL AND OTHER SECURITY AND SAFETY AGENCIES DEPLOYED FOR ELECTION SECURITY IN THE JUST CONCLUDED OSUN STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION  There were no official complaints of violence or injury to persons reported at any Police Station/Division in all the Seven (7) Units where the re-run election was held on 27th September, 2018. Members of the public are...

The Controller-General of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Ja’afaru Ahmed, has approved the dismissal of three junior prison officers for smuggling prohibited items capable of compromising security into the prison yard. In a statement on Friday, Prisons’ spokesman, Francis Enobore, said those affected are IP Samaila Inusa, PA 11 Jonathan Ibrahim and PA 11 Adamu Jethro. He said their dismissal followed the recommendation of the Zonal Disciplinary Committee that found the officers guilty of  secretly passing illicit items such as Indian hemp (cannabis) and other intoxicants into the prison for inmates. “It should be noted that apart from fueling indiscipline and the health hazard on the inmates, access to cannabis and intoxicants has been implicated in a number of escapes and jailbreaks recorded in the past, thus jeopardizing security of life and property of innocent personnel and inmates including the larger society. “The Controller General has resolved to ensure that...

Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Seriake Dickson on Thursday sought the collaboration of the Nigerian Air Force to undertake emergency evacuation operations of flood victims, as most communities have already been submerged by flood in the state. Governor Dickson, who made the appeal when the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar and his entourage paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa, said Bayelsa is the worst hit state in the country, in view of the fact that, the entire State is below sea level. The Governor said in the next one month, more communities would be affected, stressing that, adequate preparations needed to be made by the state government, in partnership with the military and other relevant agencies, towards providing support and assuage the plight of those displaced by the flood disaster. His words: “Let me commend the Air Force for the way and manner your officers and men supported this state during the 2012 flood and let me...

Bayelsa State Governor, Honorable Seriake Dickson on Monday assented to the Bayelsa State Medical University, Yenagoa Establishment Bill to support the training of medical personnel in the state that will man the various health infrastructure the state government has put in place. Governor Dickson, who signed the bill alongside the Corporate Social Responsibility and New Yenagoa City Development Agency bills into law in Government House, Yenagoa, said the 350-bed Melford Okilo Memorial Hospital is to be transformed into a teaching hospital, to cater for the training needs of medical personnel both within and outside the state. He said plans are on to construct a classroom block, in addition to an administrative block to make it more befitting, noting that, the facility would be completed before the end of his tenure to address both primary and tertiary healthcare needs of the people. According to him, “The facility will now be used, not just as a hospital, but as ...

The Bayelsa State Government has announced the receipt of N24.16 billion from the Paris Club debt refund. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Markson Iworiso-Markson made the disclosure in a statement on Monday. He said that the State Governor, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson had directed immediate payment of two out of the outstanding three months salary arrears to workers and four out seven months pension arrears in the state. Iworiso-Markson described the recent N800 billion debt claim by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, as disgraceful and unexpected of a person occupying his exalted position. He said that it was queer and indeed sad that a Minister could quote wild debt figures with the intent to mislead the public and discredit the government. The commissioner said that while the state government got N21.94 billion, the local government areas received N2.22 billion. He stressed that the state govern...

                                                                       Matthew Seiyefa Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has commended the immediate past acting Director General of the Directorate of State Services (DSS), Mr. Matthew Seiyefa, for what he described as an exemplary national service. He said in recognition of his meritorious service to the nation, the state government will honour him at a grand reception soon. Mr. Seiyefa, who served as acting DG for a brief period after the sacking of Lawal Daura, was last week replaced by Yusuf Bichi, a retired director of the service. Governor Dickson in a press release by his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said Seiyefa, who hails from Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state, is a...