Bayelsa Bans Use Of Oil Firms Assets For Political Activities

The Bayelsa State Security Council has prohibited the use of assets, personnel and security operatives on attachment to surveillance contractors of oil and gas firms for political activities in the state.

The secretary to the state government, Mr Kemela Okara, said in a statement, on Thursday, that the security council also decided to restrict assets, personnel and security operatives deployed to oil firms to the oil and gas platforms, which are their designated areas of operation.

He said, “The Bayelsa State Security Council, at its meeting held on Thursday, 17th January, 2019, resolved, amongst others as follows:

“All assets, personnel and security operatives attached to surveillance contractors of oil and gas companies operating in the state shall be limited strictly to their designated areas of operations, and specifically within such oil and gas platforms or facilities.

“Further, that in no circumstance should assets, personnel of surveillance contractors be used or involved in any political activity or electioneering process.

“All security operatives attached to VIPs, political appointees, etc, shall, in no circumstance, be used or get involved in any election process in accordance with stipulated INEC guidelines.

“No security agency, acting by itself or by its servants or agents or by any person(s) or authority howsoever described shall henceforth arrest, detain, or restrict the personal liberty of any member, stalwart or leader of any political party in Bayelsa State without recourse to the due process of law and/or court order, between now and the general elections.

“In exceptional cases bordering on proven national security breaches or where a person is seen committing an offence in the presence of a member of any security service, he may be arrested and investigated, in which case the governor shall be notified immediately.”

He said that the decision of the Security Council was meant to assure the Bayelsa citizenry of the commitment of the security agencies to be neutral, apolitical and professional in the forthcoming election in accordance with their respective service regulations, ethics and values.

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