The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dickson

  • X-raying Dickson’s education tax in Bayelsa

    It is now compulsory for every taxable citizen residing in Bayelsa State to pay education tax. The new tax regime came into force following the signing of the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (BEDTF) bill 2017 into law by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    It was not only the EDTF that was signed by the governor. The Bayelsa State Higher Education Student Loan (BSHESL) bill 2017 also received the assent of the governor the same day. But the EDTF generated widespread concerns in the state.

    The concerns were mainly predicated on the funding provisions of the EDTF. While the law provides that the government should solely provide the funds for the BSHESL, it makes the EDTF the collective responsibility of all taxable citizens residing or doing business in the state.

    Dickson expatiated on the provisions of the new law. The tax is compulsory for everybody. No one is exempted. But the monthly deductions are based on the incomes and categories of workers in the state. The higher the income the higher the contributions. In fact, the burden of education levy is borne more by elected office holders and appointees of the governor.

    For instance, the governor is the highest contributor. He pays N100,000 into the fund monthly. His deputy is to cough up N50,000 monthly.  The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, N30,000; appointees of the governor, judges and the Chief judge will commit N25,000 monthly to the fund. The governor has also directed that five per cent of the monthly Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) should be deducted and paid into the trust fund. Also contractors and corporate organisations are mandated to pay certain percentage of their contractual sums and profits into the fund.

    But the governor said it would take little contributions from other Bayelsans, some as little as between N400 and N500 amounting to N6000 or less annually, adding that others would pay N1000 depending on their grades in the public service.

    Dickson said: “Every adult taxable person in Bayelsa is liable to pay the education development levy beginning with me the governor down the line to the least positioned public officer. We are starting from the public service to the private sector.

    “Anybody who has a shop in Bayelsa or is running a taxi, must pay this levy; nobody is exempted. If you are selling in a shop in the market, you must pay. It may be as low as N100 monthly but you must pay it so that everybody will have a sense of ownership”.

    The law also provides penalties for noncompliance. It is a criminal offense to evade the education tax as it attracts a jail term of about six months and five-time deductions from the offender’s salary.

    Such offender will also be deprived of some social and economic benefits like free medical service. For effective compliance, the state may demand receipts of the education tax before allowing an individual some economic and social benefits.

    The governor captured it in his explanation: “Very soon for  every public service, for you to access the hospitals we are building, for your children to have enrolment in schools,  we will ask for your receipt.

    “The only receipt we will ask for in this state for every official thing is education trust fund receipt because now we are in the period of emergency.  I believe it will be so for a number of years until we get out of it. Whoever the next governor will be will decide the next line of action.  I have made a determination that this is the right way to go”.

    Why the education trust fund?

    Investigations revealed that since the creation of Bayelsa, no government has made deliberate efforts and commitments to develop the educational sector especially at the secondary education level more than the present administration of Dickson.

    For over five years, Dickson has built new schools, rehabilitated many dilapidated school infrastructures and introduced some innovative policies to encourage and improve learning. The Ijaw National Academy (INA), a special school with compulsory boarding provisions will soon begin operation.

    A British and Cambridge-trained principal has been appointed for the school. Already, 1000 pioneer students selected from within Bayelsa with 100 from other Ijaw-speaking states have been given tuition-free admissions. The state will cater for them; their feeding, uniforms, sandals and other personal effects.

    The governor spoke glowingly of his investments in education. He said: “Government has spent over N50b building educational infrastructures. This does not include other recurrent investments in education. This is only the money spent in building infrastructure in all local government areas.

    “The level of investment we are making in education is next to none. Indeed I doubt if there is any state in Nigeria making this kind of investment in education. We are doing all of this in a time of recession.”

    Dickson regretted that his predecessors laid no solid foundation for education. He said on resumption of office, he discovered that the entire state had no single boarding school. He rationalized that it was the reason why most of the youths diverted their energy to criminality.

    “For me, that was criminal neglect and that explains why some local governments and across the state we have kidnappers and militants, criminals and cultists because the young people have not been given the opportunities to discover their potential and to contribute meaningfully to the society.

    “Now we have to break that cycle of criminality and unemployability, poverty and disease and ignorance  where people have lost the capacity to even analyze what they hear. It is so bad that you are building a road to someone’s community and they will say ‘Na road we go chop?’ The only weapon to fight this is investment in education”.

    Consequently, the governor believes that the EDTF would guarantee a sustainable platform to maintain his investments in education. Dickson does not want foreseeable disruptions of free academic activities, which could be caused by lack of funds, in any of the boarding schools.

    Collective funding of education will guarantee sustainability and excellence in the sector. Such system will also give every child irrespective of their financial backgrounds equal opportunity and access to qualitative education.

    Dickson explained further: “My parents were poor people. I did not go to top schools in Lagos or  Abuja or  Port Harcourt. I schooled in my village, in my local government and so I want the poor people who have the same background like my parents and their children who have the same background like me to have access to good education.

    “With what I have done, I am giving them the opportunities that children of elites have. Quality education is the best thing we can leave for children not these  big houses people steal money to build or the big cars and hotels civil servants will be stealing money to build”.

     

    How will the contributions be managed?

    Most people are afraid that revenue realized from the education tax can be mismanaged, diverted to private pockets or used for other purposes other than education. But their fears had been allayed by the law and the governor.

    The law provides that a board be established to manage the funds. The board is to be headed by a chairman. Already, Dickson has appointed Prof. Turner Isoun as the pioneer chairman of the board. Isoun was a minister of Science and Technology known for his giant strides in the field of science and technology. People are also watching to see the kind of persons Dickson will appoint to fill other vacant positions in the board.

    Speaking about Isoun’s personality, the governor said: “I have already appointed a very seasoned educationist, someone that is up there among the first 20 names you call in education in Nigeria and beyond the shores of Nigeria.

    “I have spoken with Prof. T.T Isoun, and he has graciously offered to serve once again even at his age. I thank him and express gratitude on behalf of the government and good people of the state. He has the knowledge, experience, passion, dedication, understands the issues and the role education can play as a tool for turning around the  Ijaw Nation.

    “With his experience and background, and integrity, and above all else it has been my honour to appoint him. I have since sent his name to the House of Assembly to chair  the education trust fund.”

     

    Labour kicks

    Organised labour in the state has yet to come to terms with the new tax policy on education. The state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and a non-governmental organisation, the Patriotic Citizens of Nigeria (PACON), have not bought the idea.

    PACON urged the state government to suspend the implementation of the policy, describing the education tax law as enslaving and anti-people.

    In a statement signed by its Arch-Convener, Ebikebuna Aluzu, PACON said, “We believe that the design of this law is against the people whose welfare, the government is supposed to make paramount.

    ”We also condemn the state House of Asembly for passing such sensitive bill without conducting public hearing to get the views of stakeholders.”

    The NLC Chairman, Mr. John Ndiomu, said that while the workers were in support of the education development of the state, they believed that the government had the capacity to finance it without resorting to imposing further taxes on them.

    Ndiomu appealed to the government to review the levy because workers were still grappling with how to survive the current recession. On his part, the TUC chairman in the state, Mr. Tari Dounana, described the levy as “an anti-people’s policy” by the executive and the legislature without any inputs from the stakeholders.

    Dounana said: “It is unfortunate that such a law that requires civil servants to make contributions about their salaries was passed and assented to without a public hearing for the stakeholders to make their views known

    “We have already agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance Policy into which workers will also make contributions. This is one deduction too many. We are opposed to it.”

     

    Youths back Dickson; Commissioner offers more explanations

    Youths in the state have thrown their weight behind the governor and his educational policies. The youngsters under the auspices of the Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP) said they were ready to collaborate with the governor.

    NDYPP in a statement by Pastor Olayinka Tiedor and Chief Henry Nabena, said they would sensitise the people on the need to contribute to the trust fund. They insisted that the educational programmes of the Dickson’s  administration were panacea for reversing the state’s backwardness.

    IYC Secretary Parkins Ogede said Dickson had taken the bull by the horns in tackling the educational disadvantage of the region by initiating the Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF). The organisation enjoined  other governors to emulate Dickson by paying attention to education.

    Offering further explanation to the education tax, The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said that the levy had noble intentions insisting that the state needed it to move its education forward.

    He said: ”We have built infrastructure and built boarding schools for which 16 of them will commence soon. We need to put up a system that can sustain them.’

  • Dickson, Labour meeting on levy ends in a stalemate

    Dickson, Labour meeting on levy ends in a stalemate

    The meeting between Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and Labour unions, over a compulsory education levy on civil servants, imposed by the government, has ended in a stalemate, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    It was learnt the Higher Education Students’ Loan and Education Development Trust Fund Law made it mandatory for workers in public and private sectors to contribute to the fund.

    The government will contribute 10 per cent of its internally generated revenue, while public servants are to pay between N500 and N100, 000 monthly, depending on their grade level, to the fund.

    The unions, however, opposed the levy after the governor signed the Law on March 29.

    Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) told NAN yesterday the meeting did not arrive at a consensus.

    Mr. John Ndiomu, the NLC chairman, said the union leaders would present details of the discussion to their members at a joint congress.

    He, however, said the government had approved pending promotions of workers.

    Mr. Tari Dounana, the TUC chairman, noted that the levy and the withdrawal of a 20 per cent tax waiver granted civil servants were additional burden on workers.

    He lamented that the imposition of the levy came at a time the government had failed to settle over six months backlog of salaries.

    The TUC chairman described the levy as “anti-people”, made without the input of stakeholders and the public.

    “It is unfortunate that such laws that will require civil servants to make contributions from their salaries were passed and assented to, without a public hearing for stakeholders.

    “Workers have made enough sacrifice, with between six to 13 months salary arrears and we agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance policy where workers will also make contributions. The latest is one deduction too many.

    “For them to formulate the policy without Labour’s input leaves much to be desired. We are opposed to it,” he said.

    Information Commissioner Mr. Jonathan Obuebite urged workers to refrain from politicising the policy.

    He said the government invested about N50billion in the education sector.

    “The government sees the welfare of its workforce as a priority. The policy is in the interest of the citizenry.

    “It is meant to give world-class education to every child in Bayelsa. We want people to make sacrifices,’’ Obuebite said.

     

  • Bayelsa youths support Dickson’s education levy

    Bayelsa youths support Dickson’s education levy

    The Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP) has hailed the educational policies of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the governor last Friday announced that he had signed the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund and Bayelsa Higher Education Trust Fund.

    The laws make it mandatory for every taxable adult, civil servants and corporate bodies to contribute on a monthly basis to the trust funds.

    The fund will be used to run secondary educational institutions and provide revolving loans to indigent students in tertiary institutions.

    NDYPP in a statement by Pastor Olayinka Tiedor and Chief Henry Nabena, acting national chairman and acting state chairman in Bayelsa,  pledged to collaborate with the government to sensitise the public to contribute to the trust funds.

    It noted that the educational programmes of the Dickson  administration were panacea for reversing the state’s backwardness.

    The group said the establishment of Ijaw National Academy, a model boarding secondary school providing scholarship for 1, 000 pupils  from the Niger Delta, was an ambitious effort worthy of support.

    “We support in totality, the educational development levy because of its importance in sustaining quality education at all levels.

    “This will also check youth restiveness by providing opportunity for youths to ensure self development.

    “This wake-up call to give education the priority it deserves is key to the speedy transformation of Bayelsa and indeed the Ijaw nation.

    “Therefore, all hands must be on deck to bring it to fruition irrespective of political party affiliation or tribe.

    “The NDYCPP, a coalition of youth groups across the Niger Delta, with structures in all the states and local governments of the region, remains a viable youth advocacy platform.”

    NDYCPP said it is committed to empowerment of 5, 000 youths in Bayelsa within the next one year.

    It said in collaboration with the Bayelsa Ministry of Agriculture, it had facilitated the participation of 200 youths in the CBN Anchor Borrowers Scheme for Fish/Cassava farmers.

    The body said the target of empowering 5,000 youths was feasible, considering its efforts in agriculture, entrepreneurship development, wealth creation and existing partnership with the three tiers of government and private sector

    It praised the plans of the  government to float Bayelsa Young Entrepreneurship Programme to provide soft loan for youths with viable business ideas capable of creating jobs to decongest the labour market.

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has urged governors in the Niger Delta to prioritise education and step up investment in education.

    The group was reacting to the foundation laying for Senate building of Niger Delta University by Governor  Dickson in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government.

    IYC Secretary Mr Parkins Ogede said the governor has taken the bull by the horns in tackling the educational disadvantage of the region by initiating the Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF).

    The organisation enjoined  other governors to emulate Dickson by paying attention to education.

    Ogede said IYC will not hesitate to call out under-performing governments in the region and in extension the Ijaw nation, to take steps to meet the expectations of the people to provide education to uplift the living standards of the people.

     

  • CBN stimulated Bayelsa’s economy -Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday hailed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for stimulating the state’s economy through its various economic and social interventions.

    Dickson called on other corporate organizations operating in Bayelsa to emulate the worthy example of CBN by fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities.

    The governor, who spoke when he received a six-member CBN team led by its Branch Controller in the state, Mr. Godwill Obiora, in Government House, Yenagoa, said the bank had contributed immensely to the development of small and medium scale enterprises in the state and the country.

    Dickson particularly commended the apex bank for its investments in the social sector, through the provision of health, educational and other amenities as part of its social responsibility.

    He enjoined the bank to explore other areas of collaboration with the state government to boost development.

    Dickson also applauded the Federal Government and the bank for the proposed establishment of a school at Swali area of the state capital,

    He directed the state Ministry of Education to liaise with the bank and support the project.

  • Dickson: I’m no tool in Sheriff’s hand

    Dickson: I’m no tool in Sheriff’s hand

    The lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has overstretched the stakeholders. The burden of finding solutions lies with the National Reconciliation Committee headed by Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson. In this interview with reporters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dickson speaks on the new template designed by his committee. YUSUF ALLI reports the encounter with the arbiter. 

    How far have you gone in finding solutions to the crisis in the PDP?

    Essentially, it is a self-inflicted crisis in the sense that everybody was told or warned. My position was very clear when people were bringing Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff. I never supported it, I have never been a fan of Modu Sheriff for any personal reason. There are a lot of reasons.

    My position was that the party after the unprecedented loss of presidential power and losing control in so many states needed a fresh start, and a new beginning. I thought we should have that opportunity to clean up the party, bring fresh faces for Nigerians to see and then formulate a fresh message and formulate new system of engaging the Nigerian people as opposed to the old PDP ways of doing things. I was a minority voice in the PDP Governors Forum. We were then 12 and the chairman came to regret why my position was not supported. I mean the out gone Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who was completely messed up because of the crisis.

    My position is we got to move forward. When I didn’t support Sheriff, there was nobody he didn’t send to talk to me but I am a politician of conviction, I am not a politician of convenience, I am not a typical Nigerian politician. I made my views known to him directly even before telling others. He was my guest in Yenagoa at my inauguration after some of my colleagues had already concluded on his choice  and informed me. And right there in Yenagoa as my guest I told him no. And when we came back I told my other colleagues and I gave reasons. Well, that did not stop him from coming here to engage me from time to time and so on.

    I had to intervene to broker peace for three (3) months tenure for him when he was eventually made the national chairman and crisis erupted. I spent three (3)weeks in Abuja talking to key stakeholders, making a case to prevent a division of the party. And because of those interventions we then all agreed to give him a three-month period of grace within which to conduct a convention and leave.

    Towards the conclusion of the  three months, the people who brought him again went and encourage him to re-contest that nothing will happen. They were more interested in being in control of a national chairman than in the structures of the party or  in rebuilding the party for whatever reasons.

    They planned, did all kind of things in our back, undermined the governors forum. The chairman of the forum didn’t know what they were doing, I too didn’t know what they were doing. All those who were not in support were cut off and they went and zoned things directly to him and again organized another convention.

    Could this be true?

    All these characters that are blackmailing Sheriff now, that are saying no to Sheriff, were all those who went to Port Harcourt twice to elect Sheriff and I stayed away. And like I said,  I take my political belief very seriously and they are not for sale and that was the situation. The conventions were inconclusive especially the first. And we have to come up with a novel concept known as the national caretaker committee and we went to court in Port Harcourt.

    The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt validated the appointment of Makarfi and the caretaker team and it was based on that validation that Makarfi was in a position to now act to lead the party, even though Sheriff and others were questioning the validity.

    Sheriff and others went to the Court of Appeal, Sheriff and we thought we were going to have judgment at the court. I and every other person, majority of us  of about 70-80% of members of the party have been with Makarfi. I was part of the convention that made Makarfi and since then we’ve been mobilizing support for Makarfi. In fact,  Makarfi appointed me to chair the congresses in Ondo State. We have been supporting the Makarfi group because of the essential opposition to Sheriff.

    So, what happened?

    Why that matter was pending at the Court of Appeal, different stakeholders had brokered different meetings. Gen. Aliyu Gusau led one team and brokered an agreement by which he told both of them and their teams to resign. Sheriff said bring the paper I will sign and resign but I won’t leave Makarfi behind because of my honour. Makarfi said he will not resign. So that settlement also collapsed.

    I have been interfacing discretely with teams on both sides even though I am essentially Makarfi. But because of the nature of my work, I have interacted with many leaders across the length and breadth of our country and I thanked them for the confidence they have in me and I also have confidence, respect and love for them too.

    I have also tried several times having a joint meeting with some people in Makarfi group and some people in Sheriff group to see how all can resign or at the very worst co-chair a national convention or a unity convention but all these were to no avail. And now we were sure that the Court of Appeal was going to give us judgment in Port Harcourt.

    Let me also add that I believe that the national convention of a political party as the supreme organ of the party has the capacity to sack everybody and take decisions that will re-position the party, which was what we attempted to do in Port Harcourt. But we are not the court; we have to respect the judiciary. As democrats and as politicians, people who derive our legitimacy from our constitution our first duty  is to respect the laws and the institutions of democracy.

    Is this what informed your new disposition to PDP crisis?

    The Court of Appeal against our expectations proclaimed Sheriff as the national chairman of the party, which means, whether we like it or not in the eyes of the law and in fact from that day of pronouncement, Makarfi and his caretaker team ceased to have legal authority to conduct PDP business any more. Whether we like it or not from that day Sheriff is the only one that can do so.

    As we speak since that day Sheriff has been acting, not only is he at the national secretariat, he is the one sending names of candidates in states that are doing elections even as we speak. If there were to be a bye-election in Kaduna, Makarfi State, Makarfi today is not in the position to send a name to INEC to accept. That is the political reality that everybody in the PDP needs to accept, whether you like Sheriff’s face or not. I don’t also support Sheriff and what he has done but I acknowledge that reality.

    The reconciliation committee which I have chaired for quite some time met to review our position in the light of the Court of Appeal judgment and we said look, let us formulate a realistic, practical and strategic response to that reality because in the end is it only about strategy. Yes we said you can go on appeal but without prejudice to the Supreme Court case let us intensify and even fast track the peace moves.

    Former President Goodluck  Jonathan also intervened. He called all the governors and we had a meeting and some of us spoke in support of a political solution. We resolved that we should adopt a political solution but political solution is vague. There must be templates to discuss; there must be proposals to criticize;  for people to make input and for responsibility to be assigned and time frame perhaps given.

    Are you recommending this same attitude to PDP?

    And I feel at this particular stage of the crisis in the PDP, the party has suffered enough hemorrhage. Prominent members, key leaders, elected officials are decamping by attributing it to the crisis. Leaders of the party must make sacrifices now, those who are in the position to intervene must intervene now and others who can make sacrifices must make it now so that we can move the peace process forward.

    I heard some people say over their dead body that it cannot be this particular person as national chairman. That is not the language of politics, that is the language of war and we are not in politics to kill or injure one another particularly in the same political party.

    So, I feel that the template that was generated can be improved upon; after all , three days ago, the northern caucus of the party met and expanded the template to say okay let all these people meet and more, about 150 or so even if we are 200. Let some leaders be selected and we  should lock up ourselves in a room and discuss and move forward; that is the attitude that we want to promote. So that is where we are.

    Unfortunately, Makarfi and those behind him have been sponsoring very vicious attacks against my person. Everyone knows that I am not a Sheriff man and all of them who are attacking me for submitting a report to Sheriff are the same people who brought Sheriff and who supported him.

    Can you tell us about this template you talked about. What exactly are you proposing?

    The template we are proposing is a template that will lead to a negotiated National Unity convention because the inability to hold a unity convention or a successful convention at all is at the heart of the crisis in PDP. And that was why when that failed to happened we appointed Makarfi caretaker, to midwife another convention, the second one too failed.

    And in that convention we are proposing and this is where the template comes in.  We want a situation where,  since Sheriff after the Court of Appeal  judgment has said he  will be prepared for quick national convention,  we will hold a unity convention. We thought  Sheriff’s position  was a victory for PDP. He has also said he will not contest at that convention that is victory for the PDP. But the challenge however is that a number of people said they cannot trust him. Well, I said that is valid but all you need to do is to engage more and ring fence the convention, how? This is when the template comes in.

    This convention committee should not be done like the other one. Our template says that people to be nominated should from the key institutions or organs of the party. And by the way,  all these key institutions are with Makarfi not Sheriff which is why I cannot understand what Makarfi’s problem is unless he sees himself and his role as either that of, not of a caretaker but a landlord or even an undertaker of PDP.

    Are you not back to square one since Sheriff accepted the template but Makarfi rejected it; you are consulting with leaders, what is the way out because there is still….

    Sheriff is writing to the organs. The organs are not really Makarfi. Makarfi is a former senator and a former governor. So, at least he is a member of the Governors Forum. So, Makarfi really does not determine whether we move forward, it would be nice to have his cooperation. And I think actually he should join me to lead this effort. It would be nice to do that.

    So you are going ahead without Makarfi?

    We are consulting and in the next couple of days and weeks it would be very clear. But let me also say there are issues before you have a convention, there are crisis, some developments in states and some zones; so what we expect is that various teams will go and resolve some of those issues before we move to the stage of the convention.

    In all these, are you taking cognizance of the decision of the Supreme Court?

    No, the Supreme Court will not rock the boat. What I and Makarfi are doing, what my committee is doing is that this template and this peace move is without prejudice to the Supreme Court.

    We are in the Makarfi group. We are not Sheriff. We said let us wait for the decision. But, if the Supreme Court decides earlier, if it is Makarfi that wins, we will still do a convention, if it is Sheriff we will still do a convention. If we push this convention idea fast enough then it will take care of Supreme Court case, so we lose nothing.

  • Makarfi accuses Dickson of taking sides in PDP crisis

    Makarfi accuses Dickson of taking sides in PDP crisis

    The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has accused the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, of taking sides in the party’s leadership crisis.

    Dickson, who led the PDP reconciliation committee, has called on Makarfi to resign and allow the party’s court backed chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, to conduct a convention.

    Makarfi, in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesman of the Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said for Dickson to accomplish the task of reconciliation, he must remain honest and impartial.

    “We are worried that Governor Dickson has seriously undermined the work of his committee by taking sides with Sheriff. We are even more concerned about his open declaration of war on the caretaker committee. Rather than reconciling, the party is being further pulled apart.

    “We are not amused by the urge for us to surrender the destiny of the party to Sheriff who brazenly and without any remorse, destroyed our chances in the Edo and Ondo State governorship elections.

    “Governor Dickson will recall all the efforts made by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and his good self to persuade Sheriff and his cohorts not to destroy the Ondo elections. Everything ended in futility. Those are the same people he wants us to trust with our destiny,” Makarfi said.

    Describing the call by Dickson on Makarfi and his team to resign as shocking and embarrassing, the statement said the caretaker committee enjoys the support of 80 percent of PDP members.

     

     

  • Sheriff won’t contest at PDP convention, says Dickson

    Sheriff won’t contest at PDP convention, says Dickson

    The Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Governor Seriake Dickson, yesterday said his committee had proposed a negotiated National Unity convention to hold next quarter.

    He also said court-backed National Chairman  Ali Modu Sheriff, had agreed not to seek election at the convention.

    He said members of the convention committee comprise seven governors, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, seven governors, past presiding officers at the National Assembly, Senators, ex-ministers and members of the Board of Trustees, among others.

    The Bayelsa State governor faulted Chairman of the Caretaker Committee Sen. Ahmed Makarfi for attacking him.

    Dickson, who unfolded the new peace template in Abuja, said the reconciliation committee had been consulting with all stakeholders.

    He said: The reconciliation committee met to review our position in the light of the court of appeal judgment and we said look, let us formulate a realistic, practical and strategic response to that reality because in the end it is only about strategy.

    “The template we are proposing will lead to a negotiated National Unity convention because the inability to hold a unity convention or a successful convention at all is at the heart of the crisis. And that was why when that failed to happen, we appointed Makarfi caretaker, to midwife another convention, the second one too failed.

    “We are consulting and in the next couple of days and weeks it would be very clear. But let me also say there are issues before you have a convention, there are crises, some developments in states and some zones; so what we expect is that various teams will go and resolve some of those issues before we move to the stage of the convention.”

    He  gave a breakdown of the proposed National  Unity Convention Committee.

    Dickson said: “This convention committee should not be done like the other one. Our template says that there should be seven governors, people to be nominated should be nominated from the key institutions of the party and by the way all these key institutions are with Makarfi not Sheriff. This is why I  cannot understand what Makarfi’s problem is, unless he sees himself and his role as either that of, not of a caretaker but a landlord or even an undertaker of PDP.

    “Otherwise all the people we have suggested in the template are all institutions working as we speak with Makarfi; of close to hundred he has almost 80  something. Because of that we then put 12 names to be nominated by Sheriff even that one we said with consultation with stakeholders because we thought Sheriff would say no. We actually expected Sheriff to say no, not Makarfi to shout. Sheriff has accepted all of them.

    “This is the convention committee members’ template; seven Governors, seven Senators led by the Deputy Senate President who is the head of the caucus;  12 House of Reps members led by the House Minority Leader. BoT is to nominate six members at one per zone;  former ministers to nominate six  at one per zone; and all former presiding officers of the National Assembly who are still with us to be automatic members and a number of them are with Makarfi. And the national vice chairmen of every zone of the party, all six of them and all these people are with Makarfi. And then we said the chapter chairmen, three of them per zone should be there, making 18 of them. And then we said six prominent women leaders, six prominent youth leaders and so on and so forth. All these institutions are with Makarfi.

    “So what we are designing was a ringed fence that Sheriff if we all work together will be unable to, so that his role will be in accordance with the laws of the party to convene and preside. After he makes his speech we move a motion to dissolve and with that dissolution all these arguments would have ended and then we go into the election. That is what we thought is the quickest way out of this crisis.

    “And when I consulted Makarfi, but I didn’t consult Sheriff; I left committee meetings to brief Makarfi that this is what the committee is doing, there is urgency now and I had intelligence about the time table that INEC was to release, that this is the time to put our party together. I am fast tracking this process, this is what I am proposing.

    “Makarfi drew my attention that some persons are saying that their tenure had not elapsed and they might take us to court. I say yes, thanks for drawing that to my attention, I will include it in the template that those people must resign, so that all offices must be vacant to give the party a fresh beginning and I included it in the template. Sheriff and his people have accepted it, everything.”

    Asked of the attitude of the two factional leaders of the party to the convention, Dickson added:  “As we speak we have a situation where Sheriff said a convention as soon as possible, a convention that he will not contest and we are waiting for these institutions to send in their names and Makarfi is the one now saying no. He wants PDP crisis to fester and playing one game or the other and attacking my person.”

    Dickson added: “Sheriff, after the Court of Appeal judgment  has said he would be prepared for quick national convention. We thought that was a victory for PDP. He has also said he will not contest at that convention; that is victory for the PDP.

    “But the challenge however is that a number of people said they cannot trust him; well I said that is valid but you need to engage more and ring fence the convention, how? This is when the template comes in.

    “I take exceptions to some of the public statements that Makarfi and some of his supporters have been making, I don’t want to join issues with anybody because I am for peace, I am for reconciliation.

    “ All I want to remind Makarfi and his supporters that whereas it is good for him Makarfi that in every state because of this crisis, you have a so-called Makarfi group and a Sheriff group, the party is polarized down the line, it may be good for him, he may be enjoying it but this party is big”

  • Dickson rallies 22 ‘state chairmen’ for Sheriff

    Dickson rallies 22 ‘state chairmen’ for Sheriff

    •They are dissidents, says Makarfi

    The leadership crisis plaguing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new twist, with the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson mobilising support for the party’s court-backed National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff.
    Apparently backed by Dickson, a designated group of 22 chairmen of state chapters of the PDP, met in Abuja Friday night to declare support for Sheriff.
    The group also endorsed the planned national convention to be superintended by Sheriff, as outlined in a report authored by a reconciliation committee chaired by the Bayelsa State governor.
    But in a swift reaction, the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee dismissed the purported endorsement as a ruse, describing participants at the meeting as “dissidents within the party.”
    Makarfi, in a statement on yesterday by the spokesman of the Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the meeting, held by the group was illegal.
    At the meeting, which was convened by the Bayelsa State chairman of the PDP, Mr. Moses Cleopas, the chairmen expressed concerns over prospects of the crisis jeopardising the future and stability of the party.
    In a communiqué read on behalf of the group by the chapter chairman of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Yunusa Suleiman, the party chiefs said their decision to back Sheriff was borne out of respect for the rule of law.
    According to them, the February 17 Court of Appeal judgment that affirmed Sheriff as the national chairman of the party remained sacrosanct and must be respected.
    They, however, added that their support for Sheriff was without prejudice to the appeal, filed by the Makarfi group and which is still pending before the Supreme Court.
    Describing political solution as the best way to resolve the crisis, the chairmen expressed fears that the PDP would continue to lose some of its key chieftains to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) if the crisis persists.
    The communiqué said, “The PDP chapter chairmen are very concerned about the crisis engulfing the party as it is degenerating into several defections from the party across the nation.
    “Bearing in mind the upcoming presidential election timeline recently announced by the INEC as well as other elections fast approaching, and as key political actors of the polity, we cannot sit back and allow our party degenerate to this level and have thus decided to come forward and proffer solutions to this crisis.
    “In line with the only template presented by the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of our party, headed by Henry Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa State, we wish to state that we support the recommendation that a political solution is the best and only solution to our crisis without prejudice to the ongoing judicial processes.
    “We are also in support of the committee’s recommendation for an all inclusive unity convention to be held as soon as possible.
    “We therefore suggest that every organ of the party, group or individuals that have anything to add to the aforementioned recommendations should present same for consideration and deliberations as we believe this will deepen our internal democracy and support an all inclusive regeneration of the party.”
    The statement added, “We call upon all party leaders and members to make the necessary sacrifices to ensure the survival of the party at this critical period of our history
    “We also call upon the National Chairman Senator Ali Modu Sherriff and the National Working Committee (NWC) to abide by the recommendations of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee for the sake of our great party.”
    The 22 states chairmen that signed the communique were those of Jigawa, Adamawa, Niger, Gombe, Taraba, Zamfara, Yobe and Kebbi.
    Others are Kwara, Bayelsa, Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Imo, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Kogi, Benue, Cross River and the FCT.
    But the Makarfi camp insisted that many of the participants at the meeting were not elected state chairmen of the PDP, saying a good number of them were “double dealers”.
    Makarfi continued, “We wish to state without ambiguity that the action of these elements is a ruse, lies from the pit of hell and a mere continuation of the impunity of Senator Sheriff and his dissident backers foisted on the party.
    “For the records, we wish to make it abundantly clear that many of those men are not elected state chairmen of our party, not at any time, even when Senator Sheriff was the recognised chairman of the party.
    “Many of those who attended the meeting and their sponsors are double dealers and in politics such as we play in Nigeria, it is not uncommon to find those who will run with the hare and at the same time hunt with the fox.
    “Nigerians should also be aware that since the Appeal Court judgment of Port Harcourt Division pronounced the May 21, 2016 convention held in the same city illegal, Senator Sherrif and his men have been making frantic efforts at causing more problems for the party by going round the states, disorganising the party at state levels by giving recognition to illegal persons as chairmen.

    “The continued parade of Dr Cairo Ojougboh as Deputy National Chairman and Bernard Mikko as Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP are acts of impunity and will be challenged in court.
    “We make bold to say that the National Caretaker Committee did not suggest the resignation of Senator Sheriff as panacea for peace but former President Goodluck Jonathan did.
    “The former President suggested the resignation of all NWC members returned by the Court of Appeal. By the same token, it was also suggested that the National Caretaker Committee members should also resign.
    “We wish to restate our commitment to the peace deal and suggestions by the former president at achieving it.”

    END

    PHOTO:
    Use Jonathan and Wike picture in PHOTO NEWS

  • Dickson to Makarfi: propaganda won’t help PDP

    Dickson to Makarfi: propaganda won’t help PDP

    BAYELSA State Governor and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Reconciliation Committee Seriake Dickson has described comments on the submission of his report to the National Executive of the party as mere propaganda.
    Dickson said rather than name-calling, resorting to propaganda and outright lies, it was high time the party came together in the interest of peace.
    The governor, who spoke in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said despite his sacrifices, it was unfortunate that some persons within the party, were making “uncharitable comments” on the report meant to salvage the party.
    He called on everyone who had any idea to take the party out of its crisis to proffer their own solutions, instead of seeking to pull down the little gains that had been made by the committee.
    Dickson said: “My attention has been drawn to series of half-truths and litany of lies being peddled by some leaders, stakeholders and members of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the recent submission of the report of the reconciliation committee, which I chaired.
    “In my usual character, I am not disposed to joining issues with anyone or group, especially on a matter that I think can be settled internally. More so, when some of the key actors are not sincerely committed to bringing an end to the festering crisis that has set us back as a party”.
    Dickson explained that he never supported the party’s court-declared chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
    He added that since the Appeal Court had recognised him as leader of the party, the laws had to be obeyed.
    He said: “First, let me state in clear terms that the ongoing blame game, name-calling and propaganda will not in any way help us. Rather, we are by such actions de-marketing ourselves and playing into the hands of the All Progressive Congress (APC), which appears to be the major beneficiary of the crisis rocking our party.
    “What we should be doing now is to look for an amicable solution to come out of where we are, rally round ourselves and form a bond like never before since INEC had released the timetable for the 2019 general elections.
    “Secondly, everyone, especially in the PDP Governors Forum can testify that I never supported Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman. I strongly canvassed against his choice because he was new to our party.
    “I felt that we needed a fresh face for a new beginning. But as a democrat, I believe in the plurality of opinions, which made me to tag along. Now with the Appeal Court judgment affirming him as the national chairman, it is only legal and strategic for all leaders of the party to engage him on a template such as what we have proposed.”
    He added: “Our conviction is that the recommendations of the report, chief of which is to hold a national unity convention, will finally put an end to the hydra-headed crisis. It is important to also state that our recommendations are not cast in stones but at the moment the most likely way to get us out of where we are.
    “I urge all party leaders and members who think they have a better solution outside what my committee has done to come forward with it for the interest of our great party. This is important and will help preserve the unity of the party”.
    The governor, who emphasised that there was still a lot of work to be done, noted that only the truth could save the party from further crisis.

  • Dickson: my report a template for peace, reconciliation

    Dickson: my report a template for peace, reconciliation

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has defended the report of his reconciliation committee as the best template for for the resolution of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    The committee last Tuesday submitted its report to National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff, with a proposal that convention should hold as soon as possible.
    The committee also stressed the need for a template that would culminate into a Unity National Convention.
    While submitting the report, Dickson said: “We hope that our party will have the opportunity to put behind us needless crisis which has engulfed it since last year. Many of our leaders are impatient to see us come back together and once again represent the people of Nigeria.”
    According to the report which is published as advertorial in this newspaper, the committee proposed that the Convention Planning Committee should have seven governors, seven Senators including the Deputy Senate President, 12 members of the House of Representatives, six members of PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and six National Vice Chairmen (one per zone).
    Others are three State Chairmen per Zone (18), six serving Speakers of the State Houses ofAssembly, six former Governors, former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly (who are still members of the party), six prominent Women Leaders, six PDP Youth Leaders, six former ministers of the Party and 12 others to be nominated by the National Chairman in consultation with stakeholders.
    The committee also resolved that the Convention Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the elections to all National Offices of the Party including the zoning of such offices.
    Dickson said: “As part of the sacrifice to be made in order to reposition the party, the committee is of the view that all national officers who may claim that their tenure still subsists beyond the proposed convention are hereby requested to relinquish their claim in the interest of the party.
    “For the purpose of the convention, all officers elected at the ward, local, state and zonal levels before the first Port Harcourt convention of May 21 2016 are deemed validly elected except for the election held in some states that were declared by NEC as inconclusive.
    “The proposed National Convention should hold as soon as possible and not later than June 30 2017. The committee shall continue to engage the party leadership and all relevant stakeholders with a view to having a hitch free convention and calls upon all and sundry to work towards the realisation of this objective.
    “The committee appreciates the efforts of the former President, Governors and other leaders of the party for their efforts at resolving the leadership crises in the party.
    “This proposal is our humble template for peace and reconciliation. We believe that litigation will not move us foreword. We believe that there is need to put away personal interest for the party’s interest. We believe on the need to rescue this country from the dictatorship of the opposition.
    “This committee is encouraged by your reconciliatory approach and statements that you are committed to holding a national convention. We have spoken with so many stakeholders, after consulting a wide range of stakeholders of the party.”
    Sheriff has since adopted fully the recommendations .