Celebrity World Magazine » Blog Archive » volume 1 no 31

Celebrity World Magazine » Blog Archive » volume 1 no 31

Defections galore from Bayelsa PDP - Jonathan’s former Campaign Director, others defect to Labour Party

Culled from: Vanguard Online Edition


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/01/jonathans-former-campaign-director-others-defect-to-labour-party/

Black Friday At Opokuma As Political Rally Is Attacked

Alaibe unharmed in the Attack

Friday, 07 January was a black Friday for Opokuma as political thuggery reared its ugly head at the rally organised to welcome home Ndutimi Alaibe from Abuja after his tour of national duty as the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Amnesty Affairs. Mr Alaibe hails from Igbainwari town, Opokuma in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Mr Alaibe had resigned his appointment only a week earlier to contest as Governor of Bayelsa in the forthcoming elections. Mr Alaibe had hoped to use the event to formally announce his intention to run and to seek the blessing of his kinsmen. A large motorcade of supporters had accompanied Alaibe to his country home and subsequently a mammoth crowd had gathered. Alaibe will be contesting the elections in April as the Labour Party Gubernatorial candidate for Bayelsa State.

Assailants suspected to be political thugs attacked the gathering, wielding guns, machetes and clubs and unleashed terror on the gathering. In the ensuing fracas, several persons were killed and injured. Some arrests have been made and the injured are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals. Timi Alaibe survived the attack unscathed. It will be recalled that his country home was attacked with bombs in November 2010 by unknown assailants and in that incident a member of his security detail, a Police constable, was killed.

In an election that President Jonathan has vowed would be free and fair, certain evil political elements seem to be hell-bent on terrorising aspiring contestants to submission.

Despite these brazen acts of political intimidation, the activities reconvened on Saturday and Mr Alaibe assured his teeming supporters of his unflinching resolve to contest on the platform of the Labour Party of Nigeria and that he has what it takes to make significant improvements on the lives of Bayelsans with the resources at the disposal of the State.

Links to related stories:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/01/group-raises-alarm-over-allege-plot-to-frame-up-alaibe/

http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?p=74208

Fourth Legislative Assembly of KOLGA Inaugurated

by Okpoitari Diongoli

The 4^th Legislative Assembly of the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Council has been inaugurated.

The KOLGA Legislative Assembly has Mr. Waripamowei Surubo as Leader of the Assembly, Miss Wariegberi Kakatei as Deputy Leader. The Leader of the Assembly is the analogous position to the Speaker of the House at this tier of government. Other principal officers include Mr. Daubiri Samba as Chief Whip, Woyengipreye Waribagha as Majority Leader while Mr. Ilaye Ayawari is the Minority leader.

The Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Ukiye Buruboyefi administered the oath of office and allegiance on the Leader of the House Mr. Surubo. Mr Surubo in turn administered the oath of office on the Deputy Leader Miss Kakatei and the nine other councillors of the wards.

Speaking shortly after taking the oath of office, the Leader promised that the House will enact bye-laws that will strengthen the Executive to move the area forward. Mr. Surubo pledged to make the council one of the best in the country and reiterated the commitment of the Councillors to the programmes and policies of the State and the local government.

Addressing the maiden session of the Legislative Assembly, the Chairman of the Council, Chief Ebikitin Diongoli espoused his vision to render quality service to the people.

House Leader Waripamowei Surubo

Miss Kakatei taking the oath of office

Councillors being sworn in

Chief Ebikitin Diongoli

KOLGA Press Corps at the Ceremony

DAY OF GLORY FOR OPOKUMA

Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa addressing the gathering

Commissioner Victoria Denenu and Commissioner Dudafa at the event

Chief Ebikitin Diongoli arriving at the event

Wellwishers celebrate the Chairman's victory

Chief Diongoli and Commissioner Dudafa appreciate some wellwishers

Press Release - Okpoitari Diongoli
-THE DAY KOLGA STOOD STILL.
It was a day of glory for Opokuma as the chiefs and people gathered in their numbers at the U.P.E. Playground of Opokuma South, to honour the newly sworn in chairman of the council Chief Ebikitin Diongoli. This is the first time an Opokuma indigene has emerged as the elected chairman of the Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Council since the creation of this Local Government Area. Colourfully dressed women groups from all the eleven wards in the area along with the live band and other traditional groups made the ceremony which took place a grand one.

Speaking at the occasion, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Waripamowei Dudafa said the policy thrust of the present administration is for the local government system to be participatory governance which will involve all stakeholders at the grassroots.

Mr Dudafa said it is imperative for chairmen of the various local government councils to operate from their headquarters to enable them appreciate the challenges and provide solutions to the critical needs of the people they are expected to serve.
The commissioner explained that as a proactive step, a legal framework is being put together by the State House of Assembly in partnership with his ministry to check the negative trend, emphasizing that any chairman who violates the law will be sanctioned appropriately.

According to Mr Dudafa, the paradigm shift is for local government administration to focus on human capacity development stating that the ministry has already issued a directive to the councils to anchor their budget for this year on education, primary health care and agriculture.He said the administration of Chief Timipre Sylva is laying emphasis on education because it is the key to attaining sustainable development adding that education will be pursued side by side with agriculture to boost the internally generated revenue base of the councils.

Also speaking the Environment Commissioner, Mrs Victoria Denenu charged the chairmen to concentrate on projects that will improve on the living standard of the people at the rural areas. Mrs Denenu, who is also an Opokuma indigene, called for total support from all stakeholders to enable the chairmen deliver on their mandate to provide meaningful development at the grassroots. She commended Mr Waripamowei Dudafa whom she described as the political leader of the area for his visionary and selfless leadership style that have place KOLGA at a vantage position in the comity of local government councils in the country.

The Amananaowei of Odi, King Shine Apere spoke in kind words about Chief Diongoli noting that as Care Taker Committee Chairman, he constructed what the king described as the most magnificent council secretariat in the south-south geo-political zone.
The king urged the chairman to sustain the tempo now that the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma have given him their sacred mandate.

Responding, the Executive Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Council, Chief Ebikitin Diongoli promised to justify the confidence reposed in him and pledged to accord priority to proper administrative structure, health, education as well as boost internally generated revenue. Chief Diongoli announced that a Kolokuma/Opokuma Investment Corporation will be established through which the local economy will be diversified to generate revenue for the council to reduce over dependence on dwindling federal allocation.

He said the council will partner with some foreign development agencies and engage in intensive agriculture as well as promote cottage industries and upgrade the existing markets to international standards like Ariara, Balogun and Alaba markets.

The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from all walks of life including women and youth groups as well as special advisers, senior special assistants, the newly elected councillors of the eleven wards and traditional rulers from all the twenty towns in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

Nigerian Embassy in Sweden honours the late King of Opokuma

L-R King Ogionwo's children, Anna, Dag, Joachim & Elsa

L-R, Cyprian (King Ogionwo's lawyer) Ambassador Igali, Izonebi Rodger Obubo, Timi Alaibe

Pastor Olushola delivering the sermon

Ambassador Igali eulogizes King Ogionwo

King Ogionwo's family in Sweden

The activities marking the funeral of King William Waripamo Ogionwo came to a close on Saturday March 27 2010 with a memorial service in his honour organised at the Fiskgjusen Hall of Hilton Hotel in Malmö, Sweden not far from Lund where he had begun his academic career about five decades ago. The service was attended by his family in Sweden with their friends and sympathisers, members of the Nigerian Community in Sweden led by the Nigerian Ambassador to Sweden-Denmark-Norway and Finland, Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali. After the service, guests were treated to a slide show of Opokuma, highlighting the coronation of the King William which took place only in August 2007.
Representatives of the King’s family in Igbainwari, Opokuma travelled from Nigeria and the Netherlands to Malmö to attend the service. The Gbaranbiri branch of the family was represented by Timi Alaibe, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria while the Gboluzigha branch was represented by Izonebi Rodger Obubo, Training Programmes Manager at the EU-ACP Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation in Wageningen, Netherlands and his wife Mairo and his son Julian.
Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Igali paid glowing tributes to the pioneering spirit of the late king. He recalled that the late king came to Lund in Sweden in 1961 at a time when the popular thing to do for most young Nigerians in search of the golden fleece was to go to the United Kingdom and the United States of America.. Young William thought differently and went to the uncharted waters in the University of Lund, the biggest academic institution in Sweden, where he made his mark and for which he will always be remembered. He was undeterred by the challenges and the obvious constraints that he faced in those unfamiliar circumstances. He was a courageous trail blazer and a very successful one at that. The ambassador concluded that King William’s achievements were an inspiration to many Nigerians
Also speaking at the occasion, Timi Alaibe formally reminded the late King’s children that they were princes and princesses of Opokuma in their own right and invited them to share in facing the development challenges at home in furtherance of their father’s legacy. They were invited to visit the family at home to get to know their relatives while they remain good ambassadors of Igbainwari in the Diaspora.
Founded in 1666, Lund is the second oldest Swedish university and one of the most prestigious. Lund also ranks as one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities. Having cut his teeth on such a solid academic background in Lund University, King William’s excellence in his professional life was guaranteed. It was therefore a befitting activity to remember the passing of the great man in Malmö, near the city of Lund, thus reemphasising his immense intellectual contribution to the academic world.
There were some emotional moments when the wife of his youth, Margarita and her two daughters, Anna and Elsa and his sons Dag and Joachim paid tributes to their famous dad they did not see enough of.
The service was conducted by Danford of the Redeemed Christian Church of God of the Nigerian Community in Denmark and Sweden. The sermon was delivered by Pastor Ade Olusola.

Follow this link to more photos of the memorial service.

King William Ogionwo's Funeral: Traditional Ceremonies End

Tuesday, March 16 marked the end of the traditional post-burial ceremonies in honour of the late King. In a sombre ceremony close relatives shaved off the hair on their heads as a last mark of love and respect to the King.