The Government of Bayelsa State has challenged citizens in the state. The Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration recently asked them to present a contrary view of its assertion that Dickson had fulfilled his campaign promises, a social contract he signed with them.
How was Bayelsa before Dickson assumed office six years ago? It was bereft of basic infrastructures. Many facilities especially roads and good schools were missing in the oil-rich state’s landscape. Has anything changed within the period of Dickson’s administration? Or has the governor done more of talking than action?
In fact, an infrastructural scorecard presented recently in the ongoing inter-ministerial briefings proved the legal parlance reps ipsa locutor (the facts speak for themselves) true. At the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, the state’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ewrujakpor, rolled up his sleeves and spent hours reeling out the achievements of Dickson in the sector. With PowerPoint presentation, his oral rendition was matched with pictorial evidence.
The list was endless. At a point it became boring as it dragged from one project to another. But the orator, who laced his presentation with a good dose of local proverbs and native intelligence kept the audience laughing and clapping intermittently. The sea of heads that filled the venue lost count of the number of projects.
But the commissioner assisted his audience, comprising members of Dickson’s executive council, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, traditional rulers and journalists. He said the administration initiated 104 projects in 2012. He explained that some of the projects were inherited as a going concern from the previous administration while the rest were built from the scratch.
The Commissioner who described Governor Dickson as a true patriot with penchant for development, transparency, accountability and single minded commitment to the public good, said posterity will be kind to the governor
In his presentation, the audience saw the quantum leap in the educational sector. Many schools had been built and renovated. Model schools with full and free boarding facilities had been completed. They were also convinced that the new university project, the University of Africa, was initiated by Dickson in the best interest of the state. Most of the people were also happy that the state for the first time in its history has boarding schools.
On road construction, the commissioner’s presentation, listed many many road projects in the state. Many of them had been completed while others are at different stages of completion.
But key among them are the three senatorial roads. Dickson made it possible for people to drive to Ekeremor through the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road in the Western Senatorial District. His efforts promoted the completion of Ogbia-Nembe road in the East. The Yenagoa-Oporoma road in the Centre has reached an advanced stage. The commissioner promised that Dickson would continue to pursue the completion of all the senatorial roads.
Ewrujakpor described the governor as the champion of health infrastructure. He reeled out all the completed hospitals such as the diagnostic centre, which he said had the best equipment in the country. He mentioned the specialist hospital and invited the audience to visit the places to access the quality of the facilities. He said general hospitals were being built in each of the eight local government areas.
The commissioner juxtaposed the old Governor’s office and the new office built by Dickson. It was obvious that there was a paradigm shift. He said the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, was amazed by the building when he visited the state.
“I thought I had a governor’s office until I visited the one built by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State”, he quoted Wike as saying. Beyond the office in Yenagoa, he said other local government areas had governor’s lodges springing up.
On the controversial five-star hotel, the Tower Hotel, the commissioner laid bare the impediments to the completion of the facility. He said the facility was being redesigned and restructured to become self-sustaining through efficient management. He said the government was shopping for high-class managers in the hospitality industry to take over the management of the hotel. According to him the project will be completed after such managers have been given the job.
He said: “For the Tower Hotel, we won’t continue building it without a concrete business plan. So we have to have a concrete plan before going into execution. Don’t expect us to sink N18 billion without a manager to run the hotel. The project was not conceived by us”.
After running though other projects like the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, the Odi Pavilion, Bayelsa Ecumenical Centre, Quality Control room, Helipad among many others, the commissioner spent time to answer questions bothering his audience.
In his remarks, while declaring the event open, the state’s Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah, said the administration also spent a lot of money on security infrastructure. He said such expenditure had paid off.
Jonah said: “When we came into government, the first thing that we pursued was security. We had no choice but to do so, knowing full well that without security, you cannot do any meaningful projects; without security, there will be inhibition of movements.
“The concept of security that has evolved over the years, the end point of security today is what we call the human security. You have to ensure that every human being is secured and this should permeate all areas and communities.
“So, we started by improving the security system in the state. Today, our security system is second to none in this country. A lot of investment was put into it and because I was in the security myself, I drove the system directly.
“At a point, after establishing the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, we went to Doo Akpo marine and conceptualised constructed boats. Most of the security boats used by security forces were conceptualised in the state.”
He, however, decried inequality in the country, saying that most parts of Nigeria were living in denial pretending that all was well. ”When we say that they should not use our derivation for something else, these are the things we are talking about. The challenges we have here are far more than what others have.
“So, whatever is legally ours should also be released to us and we know how to manage it. We are not stopping at infrastructural development, we are also talking about efficiency in government. That is the essence of public reforms we are doing. We need a system that is more efficient so that when you come to work, you earn your pay. “
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who initiated the inter-ministerial briefing, said the government conducted need assessment before deploying required resources. after need assessment, deployed the state resources of the state and the evidences were all over the place.
He said: “The last six years have been a watershed. No doubt it has been challenging, very challenging but the important thing is the resolve of our government’s focused leadership to make a difference, against all odds. Today, six years down the lane, history has been made.
“So we want to use this occasion to duly acknowledge and appreciate Governor Dickson for his sterling stewardship that has changed our collective story in Bayelsa State, making what may have been thought impossible in the past to now become possible and thereby giving our people a renewed hope for a brighter tomorrow.
“This is the power of leadership and vision. And in the true spirit of today’s event, therefore, I think everyone who has followed the remarkable turnaround in education, healthcare delivery, infrastructural development on all fronts, including the numerous successes recorded in virtually all sectors in the last six years, will agree with me that indeed, our six year journey as a government in the service of our people is really and truly a watershed”.
Iworiso-Markson insisted that the impact of the Restoration Government was real and could be seen in all the developmental projects. He said the administration was determined to build on its successes to finish strong at the end of its second term.
“The next foreseeable years will come with so much improvement in the quality of life for our people. That is when our people can better appreciate the true meaning and impact of the investment in education.
“We have built model boarding schools across the State with over 5,000 students on scholarship enjoying free nutritious three square meals daily, free uniforms, school sandals, school bags and free textbooks are all given to the students without a single kobo being paid by them or by their parents.
“This is in addition to the huge resources committed to building roads across the state in spite of the huge cost, building and equipping public hospitals, healthcare centres, solid empowerment to unleash the creative energy of our people in business and such innovative ideas of building an international airport with a 3.5 km runway with the singular objective of opening up our state to attract genuine investors and thereby expanding the economic base create alternative sources of wealth for our people”.
Declaring that the future of Bayelsa State was bright, he expressed his conviction and that the Restoration Government would go down in history as one of the very best with a track record of quality service delivery to the people.
“Bayelsa has been truly restored to its pride of place as the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation. In all of this, we have our leader and able governor to thank for his leadership and vision.
“Through thick and thin, he exhibited uncommon approach to governance. He is firm, resolute, pursuing, doggedly, his goal with vigour despite the many distractions and undue criticism. He surely knew where he’s heading and looking back now, he has made a distinct success of his mission.
