Leadership Nigeria

by Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

A midst pocket of protests by ex-militants and workers in the state over unpaid allowances, the Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva yesterday presented the N178.4billion 2010 budget to the House of Assembly.

The governor, whose presentation before the House of Assembly was delayed for over three hours under heavy security presence, ignored the pockets of protest and said the 2010 budget proposal is meant to encourage further rapid development in the state.
Before the presentation of the budget, fierce looking youths identified as ex-militant youths took over major streets in protest against the refusal of the Federal Government to pay their allowances and capitalised on the fear created to unleash mayhem on innocent inviduals in some areas of the state capital.
The Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House of Assembly was mobbed by the youths and attempts by the enraged youths to invade the State Assembly complex, before the arrival of the Speaker, Werinipre Seibarogu and the governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, caused panic and stampede as staff of the assembly ran for safety.
The situation was however brought under control by the combined team of the Joint Military Task Force and Mobile Police Force. Heavily armed soldiers and Mopol were stationed at commercial banks and along the roads close to the House of Assembly and the Government House.
Within the State Assembly complex, two JTF APC were positioned to scare away the angered youths. At the other side of the town, in the quarters inhabited by commissioners and other aides of the governor, security personnel attached to the complex locked in all residents including High Court judges over unpaid allowances and salary for six months.
But Speaking before the House during his presentation of the 2010 budget, Governor Sylva said the state would spend N178.4 billion based on the assumption that the nation's oil output would be 2.88million barrels of oil per day at an average of $50 per barrel.