...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
African Examiner online
Newspapers
| Online media |
Custom Search
+THE GUARDIAN
+THE STAR
+THE PUNCH
+NIGERIA
TRIBUNE
+TIMES OF ZAMBIA
+THE SUN
+DAILY GRAPHICS
+THISDAY
+MAIL & GUARDIAN
+VANGUARD
+D/INDEPENDENT
+234next
+The nation
+Daily trust
+Ghana Times
+THE STAR
+THE PUNCH
+NIGERIA
TRIBUNE
+TIMES OF ZAMBIA
+THE SUN
+DAILY GRAPHICS
+THISDAY
+MAIL & GUARDIAN
+VANGUARD
+D/INDEPENDENT
+234next
+The nation
+Daily trust
+Ghana Times
| Please use the form below to send in your comment about this story. Make it clean. Our Editors will remove all vulgar and abusive languages (Note: valid e-mail is required but will not be published) |
Join us on
| Cartoon |
Sports | Business | Interviews Niger-Delta | Letters | Social Politics | Archives | Profile | Cartoons | Blog | Policy | Contact Us | About Us | Articles |
| Our Contents |
| Book Review |
| Short Story |
Séance: “The Tree of Life”
Azure sky romanced sweet soothing
Atlantic sea breeze whispering and
distilling through dancing palm and/
Azure sky romanced sweet soothing
Atlantic sea breeze whispering and
distilling through dancing palm and/
Join us on
| Copyrights 2007 All Rights Reserved African Examiner Online (www.africanexaminer.com.) P. O. Box 11582 Baltimore, MD, 21229, USA |
More on African Examiner
+ United Nations
+ UNESCO
+ World Bank
+ African Union
+ ECOWAS
+ EU
+ Freedom House
+ Cttee to protect Journalist
+ Transparency International
+ UNESCO
+ World Bank
+ African Union
+ ECOWAS
+ EU
+ Freedom House
+ Cttee to protect Journalist
+ Transparency International
+ Sports
+ Archives
+ Site Maps
+ Blog
+ Guest Book
+ Write 4 Us
+ News Tip
+ Archives
+ Site Maps
+ Blog
+ Guest Book
+ Write 4 Us
+ News Tip
| Int'l organisations |
Media Network
+ IRE
+ NABJ
+ NUJ -UK
+ NUJ -Nigeria
+ CPJ
+ IJNET
+Media
fellowship
+ NABJ
+ NUJ -UK
+ NUJ -Nigeria
+ CPJ
+ IJNET
+Media
fellowship
| Oludare Sunday Fase Publisher/Editor-in-chief editor@africanexaminer.com 443-904-1239 |
| _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
The African Examiner.com
+ NIDO (AGM)
+ Women conference
+ Bankole in Toronto
+ The Electoral Fraudsters
+ The Nigeria
+ StateLooters
+ Mess Made in Kenya
+ Dishonourable
+ African Beauty in Ireland
+ The birthday Lady
+ HUASA Fashion
+ Senegalese Night
+ Golden Eaglets
+ Women conference
+ Bankole in Toronto
+ The Electoral Fraudsters
+ The Nigeria
+ StateLooters
+ Mess Made in Kenya
+ Dishonourable
+ African Beauty in Ireland
+ The birthday Lady
+ HUASA Fashion
+ Senegalese Night
+ Golden Eaglets
African Examiner
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
AKANIMO SAMPSON August 08, 2010 (African Examiner)
Bayelsa: Police, Armed youths in Gun Battle
THE Police in Bayelsa State, on Friday night, engaged unidentified armed youths in a fierce
gun battle that lasted for over 30 minutes. The police, however, responded to a distress call
from an activist, Mr. Nengi James, who was under attack by unknown gunmen.
James, is a prominent pro-democracy and human rights activist who has been very
vociferous in calling on public functionaries at all levels in Bayelsa to account for their
stewardship.
AkanimoReports gathered from the human rights community in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state
capital, that the Friday night attack on Mr. James, came as community cell groups in Nembe
Local Government Area, are clamouring for their Council Chairman, Mr. Waribugo Sylva, to
account for a N30 million bank loan he took.
Grassroots activists in Bayelsa, one of the richest oil and gas-producing states in the Niger
Delta, are alleging that funds meant for grassroots development projects are being diverted
for personal gains.
The emerging agitation at the local government level is that citizens want to know what the
elected public officials have been doing with their monthly revenue allocations from Abuja,
the country's Federal Capital Territory.
The agitation took a new dimension last week, with a flurry of largely unheard calls on the
state Ministry of Finance to make public all funds so far collected by the local government
councils in the state.
The l0cal agitators however, noted that while some of the eight constitutionally recognised
local government councils have ''judiciously utilised'' their funds, ''others are looting their
treasury with impunity''.
Concerned political foot soldiers in Nembe, are claiming that the legislative arm of their local
government council gave approval for a loan deal of N20 million. How the loan profile rose
to N30 million, is a puzzle they are finding hard to resolve.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) might have cause in future to
wade into the financial deals of local government councils in Bayelsa.
In the mean time, the foiled attack on Nengi James in his Yenagoa resident took place at
around between 7.30 and 8.00pm.
An eye-witness account has it that the activist was relaxing in his parlour when he was
aroused by the intense barking of his security dogs. ''When he looked through the window,
he saw three unknown gunmen try to force themselves into his house, while about five
others took strategic positions to ensure that he did not escape alive'', the eye-witness said.
Apparently aware that his life was at stake, the activist put a distress call through to the
Ekeki Police Division. According to our source, ''the police responded very swiftly''.
Our correspondent reports that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ekeki, Mr. Nimi Iwo, a
Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), led his combat-ready men in a gun battle with the
suspected assassins which lasted for over 30 minutes.
Efforts to get the attacked activist on telephone were not successful as none of his three
mobile lines went through.
Meanwhile, the state Information Commissioner, Mr. Nathan Egba, told our correspondent
on phone on Saturday: ''Local government councils are by law autonomous, state
government liaise but cannot override what a council decides to do. Only the control
mechanisms can determine if there is accountability or not''.
On the growing insecurity in the state, the commissioner had earlier said that government
was rising to the challenge even as there is increased military and police presence on the
streets of Yenagoa. ENDS
.
Bayelsa: Police, Armed youths in Gun Battle
THE Police in Bayelsa State, on Friday night, engaged unidentified armed youths in a fierce
gun battle that lasted for over 30 minutes. The police, however, responded to a distress call
from an activist, Mr. Nengi James, who was under attack by unknown gunmen.
James, is a prominent pro-democracy and human rights activist who has been very
vociferous in calling on public functionaries at all levels in Bayelsa to account for their
stewardship.
AkanimoReports gathered from the human rights community in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state
capital, that the Friday night attack on Mr. James, came as community cell groups in Nembe
Local Government Area, are clamouring for their Council Chairman, Mr. Waribugo Sylva, to
account for a N30 million bank loan he took.
Grassroots activists in Bayelsa, one of the richest oil and gas-producing states in the Niger
Delta, are alleging that funds meant for grassroots development projects are being diverted
for personal gains.
The emerging agitation at the local government level is that citizens want to know what the
elected public officials have been doing with their monthly revenue allocations from Abuja,
the country's Federal Capital Territory.
The agitation took a new dimension last week, with a flurry of largely unheard calls on the
state Ministry of Finance to make public all funds so far collected by the local government
councils in the state.
The l0cal agitators however, noted that while some of the eight constitutionally recognised
local government councils have ''judiciously utilised'' their funds, ''others are looting their
treasury with impunity''.
Concerned political foot soldiers in Nembe, are claiming that the legislative arm of their local
government council gave approval for a loan deal of N20 million. How the loan profile rose
to N30 million, is a puzzle they are finding hard to resolve.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) might have cause in future to
wade into the financial deals of local government councils in Bayelsa.
In the mean time, the foiled attack on Nengi James in his Yenagoa resident took place at
around between 7.30 and 8.00pm.
An eye-witness account has it that the activist was relaxing in his parlour when he was
aroused by the intense barking of his security dogs. ''When he looked through the window,
he saw three unknown gunmen try to force themselves into his house, while about five
others took strategic positions to ensure that he did not escape alive'', the eye-witness said.
Apparently aware that his life was at stake, the activist put a distress call through to the
Ekeki Police Division. According to our source, ''the police responded very swiftly''.
Our correspondent reports that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ekeki, Mr. Nimi Iwo, a
Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), led his combat-ready men in a gun battle with the
suspected assassins which lasted for over 30 minutes.
Efforts to get the attacked activist on telephone were not successful as none of his three
mobile lines went through.
Meanwhile, the state Information Commissioner, Mr. Nathan Egba, told our correspondent
on phone on Saturday: ''Local government councils are by law autonomous, state
government liaise but cannot override what a council decides to do. Only the control
mechanisms can determine if there is accountability or not''.
On the growing insecurity in the state, the commissioner had earlier said that government
was rising to the challenge even as there is increased military and police presence on the
streets of Yenagoa. ENDS
.