Bayelsans are One-No discrimination!

Beauty in the midst of diversity

I have always wondered why 2 communities that live close by and have intermarried and existed interdependently from time immemorial become enemies at war. This has been the case in many countries in Africa and internationally. In Bayelsa, the Basambiri and Ogolomabiri communities in Nembe Local Government Area have been fighting non-stop. These communities are next to each other, and have been living together for many years. All of a sudden, the fights commenced and their  respective members cannot stand one another, to the extent they destroyed the bridge linking the communities.

We hate them,  destroy the bridge!

Some people say they are fighting for the position of "the communitiy that is the real Nembe". Some say the desire to hold the "most beneficial" government electoral and appointee positions is the reason behind the fight. Whatever the real reason, it is sad when people of the same family turn against each other so destructively. The CDA STARS team visited Nembe local government this week and I got a picture of this sad story. The Government through this CDA STARS project, amongst others, is taking steps to show that we are all Bayelsans regardless of community membership, as can been seen from the CDA STARS selection process. Members of these 2 warring communities need to follow suit and the Government needs to intensify reconciliation efforts between these communities to prevent the war from escalating and expanding to the smaller communities in the local government area.

Is my child's name on the list?

The CDA STARS team has visited 6 of the 8 local government areas in Bayelsa State. 3 schools in each local government area were selected by CDA partners-Columbia University and New Amercian Foundation-based on the Junior Secondary Scool (J.S.S.) Examination result in 2008 and 2009. Schools with results in various subjects that added to an average of above 70% were selected, they were 24 in number. The list of J.S.S 2 (year 8) students in these schools were fed into a computer software that selected the names of the participating students in the CDA STARS program. 1,000 students from the 24 schools were slected. This is how I have had to break it down to the students and their parents to explain why not all the J.S.S 2 students in some schools are part of the project and detonate any rumours of discrimination in this project. This has been a sticky issue, indeed. In one school, the parent was certain the principal of the school did not submit his son's name on the full list of the students that was fed into the computer because if he had, the computer would have chosen his son's name, for sure! I had to politely deny his request to see the full list of all the students in the J.S.S 2 class that the principal submitted to our project office. All parents have agreed that the selection process has ensured transparency in the project and they praise His Excellency, the Governor of Bayelsa State, for insisting we take this route to picking the CDA STARS . 

We salute you, Sir!

In Nembe local Government, we visisted B.J.S.S Ogolomabiri and Agrisaba. In Ogolomabiri, only 50 of the 60 students were slelected to participate in the project and the parents sent a message to His Excellency to expand the project to all the J.S.S2 students. In Agrisaba, there were only 9 students in J.S.S 2 class and all the students are CDA STARS. A new point arose in Ogolomabiri, when one of the parents questioned the N100,000 ceiling imposed by the government on the amount of funds saved in the individual CDA STARS account to be matched by the government over a period of 3 months. The parent, a fisherman said that during 3 months, it is possible for him to save over N100,000 in the account, as fishermen do have high financial periods. The government put the N100,000 ceiling to discourage parents from conniving to deposit high sums just to get the government to match these sums which they will try to withdraw for their personal use and not the use of the students (although the fact that no money can be withdrawn from the account until the CDA STAR student graduates from secondary school and has evidence of the next step in his education- except the student has a proven medical emergency prior to graudation- will deter such fraudulent palns). Since the project focuses on students in public schools who have low income earning parents, N100,000 seemed like a practical ceiling for these accounts. It was a surprise to hear the parent say he can save more than that sum in 3 months, meaning he would have made a lot more than that, having regard to excluded living expenses. Fishing is clearly a business to explore in Bayelsa State, imagine the returns if this parent were operating large scale fishing!

Fishermen clean out too, you know!

Bayelsans are certainly on the same boat

One good effect the project clearly has on parents and students is the desire to save to grab the Government's matching reward. Where the parents and their kids do save in these accounts, the project will be deemed successful and the saving culture would have been imbibed by these set of Bayelsa's youth and even their parents. The Government will then be ready to spread the project to all Bayelsan children, regardless of community membership or class. We are all Bayelsans, Basambiri and Ogolomabiri should stop the division.

Where are we in Nigeria today?

This is the question that has remained in my heart all week- "Where are we in Nigeria today?" We take a few steps forward, harbinging great things to come and then "gbosa" something happens that ushers in feelings of doom and despair. The suicide bombing in Abuja and attacks in Borno this week have overshadowed every forward step we took in the country this week.

Although this is a "waiting period" all over the country-with everyone holding their breaths for the various cabinet lists in the Federal and State Governments- there were a few sliver linings that kept us smiling. In my "Bayelsa development" world, there were no school visits as this is half term for Government schools. However, I was part of a team to host some foreigners interested in investing in Bayelsa State. For those who do not know, Bayelsa State is blessed with natural resources including crude oil. The State produces oil palm, rice, cassava, amongst other food crops, fish and other sea foods. With the sea as its neighbor, the State has great potential for tourism. The presence of oil makes the State a good location for businesses servicing the oil industry and those in the petrochemical industry. (This is my "invest in Bayelsa" pitch, for more details send me an email at tonbofa@gmail.com)

This team of investors, based in Europe, are interested in our oil palm industry. They visited the State owned oil palm factory and its environs. The meeting went well and we are moving on. Recently, the Bayelsa State Governor signed a MOU with Hyundia to establish a fabricating yard in the State to increase employment opportunities for our youth. These were indeed events that left us smiling and hopeful of more things to come.



Let me explain the reason why the visit of investors is a big deal to the State. I visited a community in Sagbama to meet with the CDA STARS  at 11 am and I noticed a group of young boys- about 15 in number-sitting down by the "water-side" (our local term for the jetty) just lounging. Upon realising that we were from the State Government, the group were very welcoming and tailed us to the school. They hung around during our visit and even participated when I met with the parents of the CDA STARS. They lauded the project and Chief Timipre Sylva (the Bayelsa State Governor) but asked me when a project to ensure their employment will be brought to them. I explained to them that due to the civil unrest arising from militancy, many businesses fled the State and have not returned. But with their co-operation with the State Government to reduce crime, these businesses will return and will create employment for them.You can imagine my joy at the influx of investors (phew- evidence that the co-operation to curb insecurity is yielding results).

Every celebration was however, wiped away when we saw the pictures of the aftermath of the  bombings in Abuja and Borno.  

Why can't all Nigerians co-operate with the various levels of  Government to ensure the direction of our nation's movement is forward? Why should groups with selfish interests hold back the nation, especially in such a harmful manner? This is not a time for trading blames or wishing another "type" of leader was at the helms of affairs, we have gone through the elections, voted in leaders of our choice, let us give them a chance to work.

All Nigerians should join hands with the Government to put an end to this type of violence that is suddenly the "fad" in the country. My heart goes out to all those who lost their loved ones or property and those who lie injured in the wake of these criminal acts. Really, where are we in Nigeria today? You can tweet you thoughts at @tonbofa.

School visits to resume next week. Till then....

Development Truths

Going into these schools in the rural areas in Bayelsa State has clarified the importance of  Nigeria's 3 tier government style. The federal and state government do not have long enough hands to cover every community in the State, hence the need for local governments who are directly linked to these rural communities. I now believe that the local government election is the most important for Nigeria's everyday people. Funny how we do not pay attention to it.

Our CDA Project Team visited Ebedebiri, Angalabiri and Kabeama communities in Sagbama Local Government, Bayelsa State. We accessed Ebedebiri by road but we had to take a boat to the other 2 communities. The boat rides were short this time around, good thing!

Are CDA STARS listening to me?

In the schools, I intimate the randomly selected students, who are now CDA STARS, (visit bayelsacdastars.com), on the project. These students are usally well behaved, they stand up to chorus good morning Ma", wait till they are told to sit down and wait patiently for me to start talking.




Some are extremely timid to answer my questions such as "what do you want to be when you grow up". I now understand how relieved teachers feel when a student lifts up his hand to answer. (Phewww I am communicating!)

Someone answers, finally!

In Angalabiri community, however, the students were more relaxed and bold. They joked with me and were eager to answer questions. I wonder if this is a function of how they are regarded in the community? Are they treated more like adults than in other communites? This is a point for further reasearch. One general physical trait amongst the students in all the schools we have visited so far, is the financial lack that shouts at you. Their uniforms are old and torn in some instances, revealing the lack of their parents. Another prevailing feature crossing the communities is the low moral standard. In some communities the parents complained that the students have no interest in studying and believe they do not need an education to succeed. In one community, the parents asked us to speak to the CDA STARS on the need to work hard, avoid bad deeds and- for the girls especially- keep oneself, so that they can collect the money the Bayelsa State Government is saving for them in the bank account under this project when they graduate from Secondary (High) School. The common social ills the parents complained of include teen pregnancy and truancy.

CDA STARS after school club work book

One of the teachers to participate in the CDA STARS after school club said that he has noticed a lot more enthusiasm for school work from the students since the after school club started. He said the students normally close school at 2pm and are left to their own devices from then. With the after school club to hold every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in a month, they remain in school till 4pm and practice what they are taught in the clubs subsequently. The curriculum of the CDA STARS after school club include:learning about your community, country, world; the need to work hard; all about money; all about saving.

Developmental projects should be all encompassing. In Bayelsa, there is a moral and attitude problem- which His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva has rightly identified- that needs to be changed. We need more projects like the CDA STARS project that will teach growing children the need to work hard and aim high. It is clear that young ones, especially in the rural areas, lack motivation and desperately need mentoring programs.

LEAVE US ALONE

The Federal and State Governments cannot do it all. We need to demand performance from our local government chairmen. There was an advert sponsored by one of the non-political groups during the 2011 elections campaign, where the people in a community drove out the incumbent Prado jeep driving, agbada wearing local government chairman, when he returned from his overseas residence, just to give them rice to vote him back as chairman. The people refused his rice, told him of the ills they had suffered whilst he sojourned abroad with the community's money and physically pushed him out of the community. The advert ended by showing the various development projects the newly elected local government chairman had implemented a few years after, which the people were enjoying. It is time for us to demand that our local government chairmen do their work so the rural communities can directly feel the hands of Government.



This solely sponsored Bayelsa State Governement project is the Bayelsa State Governor's laudable effort to touch the people directly, we need our local government chairmen to do more.

CDA STARS brings good news indeed!

Famous Five At Ekeremor

The CDA STARS project team (see www.bayelsacdastarswas in Ekeremor LGA this week. BJSS Aleibiri, Agbidiama, Ogbotobo were the schools we visited. The journey comprised a 2 hour drive to Bomadi LGA in Delta State from Yenagoa in Bayelsa State and then a boat ride to the 3 communities. All 3 communities are islands located in the hearts of creeks. We spent 2 hour 30 minutes in the boats going to Agbidiama and Ogbotobo communities each from Bomadi, it seemed like we were nearing the end of the world!

In fact we dedicated 1 day to Ogbotobo community and with each jump of the boat whenever the waves hit us, I was reminded of another rough journey to my village in Okpoama, Brass LGA of Bayelsa State during the 2011 elections. The trip to Okpoama was certainly a chapter from the Famous Five Adventures! We left the Ogbia jetty at 7pm under the shouts of soldiers who had been directed to close all jetties before the 10pm curfew time, to protect the peace for the next day elections. Our boat driver turned off his engine and allowed the boat to drift off shore under the cover of darkenss until we were far enough to put on the engine. Travelling at night on the sea, with a boat that had a torchlight for headlamps, was enough to make anyone's heart race. But we "original water people"- as my travel companion called us- were bantering and laughing. Good thing our representatives won their seats at the State House of Assembly and are being sworn in...TODAY!!

We arrived at the schools in Ekeremor to hearty welcomes and eloquent speeches. The communities clearly have organised structures, with the Chiefs and community chairmen taking charge of the welcome ceremony and making sure their people were clear on our mission. The children were dancing simply at the the fact that they were going to be proud bank account owners, not to mention their screams of joy when we told them the Bayelsa State Government will not only deposit N40,000 in each of their bank accounts but will double each sum the children deposit in these bank accounts.

2 widows in oil hosting Agbidiama community blessed Chief Timipre Sylva for approving this people oriented project whilst 1 community leader in far away, "no oil in their lands" Ogbotobo siad the people, who previously were anti Sylva, are now the Governor's supporters since he has shown that he remembers their poor community by bringing this project to them.

My hands still hurt from raising them each time we met the soldiers, in their house boats, guarding the Shell Petroleum oil producing sites, to signify our "coming in peace".  As peaceful as the creeks are now, the presence of the soldiers reminds one of the restive period Bayelsa State recentlyexited due to the activities of militants. The parents of the children to benefit from this Bayelsa State project confirmed that this project will encourage students to complete their secondary school education and compel them to start planning for their future to ensure they achieve their dreams. Where this project goal is achieved, Bayelsa State would have put to rest the possibility of our children of today holding the State to ransome as the militants did. All fingers are definitely crossed for this project to be successful and all thanks are to His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva for having the foresight to approve this project.

More to come next week....

Tonbofa

                                          No Jetty, so we jump off the boat to land

                                          Oh No Weed, you can't stop us!

                                          The Leaders get all the facts
                                      

                                            CDA -STARS