BAYELSA AIRPORT: NDTV SHUT FOR TEST FLIGHTS

YENEGOA, Nigeria – The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson on Tuesday visited the Niger Delta Television (NDTV) to inspect the ongoing work on the station’s mast. The mast is being reduced to 300 feet in order to pave way for the commencement of test flight operations and the commissioning of the Bayelsa International Airport. During the inspection, the Commissioners said without the reduction of the mast, flights cannot operate as the NDTV is located at the gateway of the airport.

He explained that due to its importance, the government decided to temporarily suspend the operations of the NDTV and apologized to the station’s esteemed viewers. The Commissioner described the ongoing work as highly technical and encouraged the technical team to ensure they meet the deadline for the completion of the work.

“The mast from the report am getting from the team of engineers who are working on it, they are saying that at the end of this month it will come down to 300 feet.

“Hopefully, there will be test flight at the airport so airplane can land at the airport. The Mast at that time will not construe any kind of obstruction as we are hoping and believing that the engineers will not fail us as they have promised not to.We have to evacuate the staff of NDTV given the danger that it poses to our workers. It is part of our proactiveness to ensure that we do everything to safeguard the lives of people especially workers here.

“I want to ensure safety first. It will be a tragedy that anything happens to anybody here. Much as we want the mast to go down as quickly as possible, it is important to put safety first and we have taken measures to ensure that utmost priority is given to safeguard the lives of everyone here. That is the reason why it is taking us time for the mast to come down but the antenna has come down already and other items will follow”.

The Head of the technical team, Engr. Solomon Wongle, assured that they will do everything to meet the time frame, noting that they have also employed all safety measures in course of the work.

Warns youths against desperate politicians

With less than one year to the 2019 general elections, the Bayelsa State government has warned youths not to allow themselves to be used as instruments of destabilisation during the period. The government said the advise became necessary because some politicians would use the energy and resourcefulness of youths to win elections and thereafter abandon them till another four years.

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, made the call in Yenagoa when the executives of the National Union of Ogbia Students (NUOS) paid him a courtesy visit.

He therefore charged the Ogbia students not to fall for that usual gimmick but mobilise support for aspirants who have done creditable well for their people. The Commissioner told the students to peacefully conducted themselves during the elections, insisting that their “lives are more important to the ambition of a desperate politician”.

While commending them for the visit, Iworiso-Markson noted that one of his greatest interest in life is to see to the development of young Ogbia people, who will have the capacity to rule their world. Iworiso-Markson assured them of his support in their various programmes, particularly the campaign against social vices in Ogbia kingdom.

“Let me thank you for coming and for taking up the sensitization to curb the rampaging issue of Cultism, abuse of alcohol and drug addiction. It is imperative to curb these menace as well as proffer possible solutions needed.

“I endorse the program and affirm my total support. This is because the rate of cultism and other social vices in Ogbia is alarming. There is a general break down in the family and when you have a broken home, social vices are inevitable. So we will address the problem from the root because we don’t want any Ogbia child to die due to cultism again”.

Earlier, Comrade Damini Noel Patrick, Leader of the Ogbia Students Union commended the Restoration Government of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson for the development of Bayelsa State, especially Ogbia local government area.

He listed some of the projects to include the construction of Imiringi Bridge which is 90% completed and Opume bridge which is also 90% completed, internal roads, among others.

Comrade Damini also appreciated the commissioner for his enormous contributions towards the development of Ogbia kingdom and the youths in particular and prayed God to continue to bless him.

“The Ogbia students are really proud of you for piloting the affairs of the Restoration Government in this ministry gallantly. And we are strongly behind you. “We are here to talk about our upcoming program. There is a saying that if you want to harvest for a year then you should plant rice, if you want to harvest for 10 years you should plant tress but if you want to invest for hundred years then educate a child. And education to us is path to success.

“Dr. Goodluck Jonathan established a school in Otuoke because he knew that through education a better LG is assured. But recently in Ogbia kingdom, our youths are deviating from education and now indulge themself in cultism, alcoholism and drug addiction and so many other social vices.

“I and my executives came together and said we need to fight this, this is a collective effort and we came up with the theme; curbing social vices in Ogbia Kingdom. So we thought it wise to see you as our representative in the restoration government to assist us in this program”, he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Chief Damini Ebiwari and other directors of the ministry were present during the courtesy visit.