…Resolves lingering inter-agency feud among MDAs

A former Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Government on Security Matters, High Chief Boma Spero-Jack, has emerged as the new Chairman of the Bayelsa State Elders Council (BSEC).

Spero-Jack was elected on Monday in Yenagoa alongside other members of the Executive Committee, including Prof. Alison Oguru as Vice Chairman; Chief Benedict Guembe, Secretary-General; and Dr. Ezonebi Opubo, Assistant Secretary;.

Other members of the foremost advisory council are High Chief Major Andrew Oputa, Treasurer; Madam Ela Douglas, Financial Secretary; Sir Mathias Otuogha, Publicity Secretary; Engr. Henry Domo-Spiff, Auditor and Hon. O.O. Osusu, as Legal Adviser.

Former Deputy Governor and the immediate past Chairman of the Council, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Retd) High Chief Austin Lugbenwei, Ex-Officio; Prof. Ebi Bio Owotua-Efebo, and Chief Douyi Naingba, are to serve as Ex-Officio members.

Speaking shortly after the inauguration in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, charged the new leadership to remain firm, objective and politically neutral in discharging its advisory responsibilities to the state.

According to Diri, the council’s wealth of experience places it in a unique position to advise government on critical issues affecting Bayelsa.

He stressed that the effectiveness of the council would depend on its ability to provide honest and independent counsel.

His words: “By way of reminder, you need to separate yourself from partisanship, not only in politics. But you need to be firm and objective as a council. You must hold onto these tenets to achieve true success.

“The Governor and his team hold you in high esteem because if you don’t have good elders around you, you can never learn from history. You are people that have seen it all. So, please continue to do the good work you are doing. We appreciate you.

“Your role is to majorly advise. If it is engineering, we have it amongst you. If it is governance, security, tradition and other fields of endeavour, we have it here. So where else do we look onto. So play your advisory role objectively.

On value reorientation, he expressed concern that Bayelsans were gradually abandoning farming, trading and fishing, leaving such economic activities increasingly to people from outside the state.

According to him, the trend could lead to more capital flight and affect the cultural and political space of the state if not checked now.

To this end, Senator Diri called on the council to advise the Bayelsa State Government on measures that would encourage Bayelsans, particularly youths, to return to productive activities and preserve societal values.

He disclosed that efforts were being made to institutionalise the Elders Council through legislation, noting that a proposed bill on community leadership and administration currently before the State House of Assembly could provide a framework for recognising the role of the elders’ council.

The governor, who congratulated the former and new executive committees, assured that issues raised in the handover report, including stipends, vehicles and land allocation, would receive government attention.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected Chairman, High Chief Dr. Spero-Jack, pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessor and focus on promoting government and private institutions for the benefit of Bayelsa youths.

Meanwhile, the State Government has resolved the long-standing operational disagreement among its revenue-generating ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) operating in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The resolution was reached at a meeting between the feuding MDAs and the Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, in Government House, Yenagoa, following the formal submission of a report by the Mr. Ikobho Howells-led “Committee on Resolution of Conflicting Functions of Environmental Health Officers in the Yenagoa Capital City,” on Tuesday.

Speaking after receiving the report, Dr. Akpe noted that the adoption of the recommendations in the report had laid to rest the protracted operational conflict among officials of the state Environmental Sanitation Authority, the Ministries of Health and Environment, as well as the Yenagoa Local Government Council.

According to him, the state capital has been demarcated into four operational zones, with each of the MDAs being assigned to a zone with a view to permanently forestalling the recurring clash of interest among them in the collection of revenue.

The Deputy Governor, while admonishing the MDAs to recognize the fact that they all belong to Bayelsa and working on behalf of government, urged them to hit the internally generated revenue (IGR) target assigned to them in their respective catchment areas of operation.

A breakdown of the report shows that Zone A which covers Amarata, Onopa, Yenagoa, Ovom, Azikoro, Agbura, Swali, and Famgbe axis, is assigned to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Health.

Zone B, covering Ekeki, Okaka, Yenizue-Epie, Okaka, Kpansia, Anyama Ijaw, Igeibiri and Obogoro, has been assigned to Ministry of Environment.

According to the report, Zone C has Yenizuegene, Biogbolo, Opolo, Okutukutu, Etegwe, Imiringi and Emeyal as its catchment and is assigned to the Yenagoa Local Government Council.

While Zone D which covers Edepie, Akenpai, Agudama-Epie, Akenfa, Yenegwe, Igbogene, Okolobiri, Obunugha, Tombia and Amassoma, is exclusively preserved for Bayelsa State Environmental Sanitation Authority for its revenue drive.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the meeting, the Head of Service, Dr. Wisdom Ebiye-Sawyer, pointed out that the MDAs had been engulfed in an operational stand-off for more than four years, leading to the intervention of the State Government.

Dr. Ebiye Sawyer, who appreciated government for taking the bull by the horn to resolve the impasse once for all, expressed optimism that the MDAs having been assigned clear-cut area of operation, would be better focused on their IGR targets without the usual inter-agency bickerings in and off the field.