The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dickson

  • Dickson to Sylva: forget your governorship ambition

    Dickson to Sylva: forget your governorship ambition

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday urged a former governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, to forget his ambition to return to the Government House in 2016.

    Dickson described Sylva’s first term as the darkest days in the history of Bayelsa.

    In a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the governor urged Sylva to consider his ambition to return to the Government House as an illusion, “because the people of Bayelsa now know better”.

    Dickson was reacting to comments credited to Sylva, who accused him of governing Bayelsa by intimidation and fear.

    He said: “Sylva’s remarks epitomised those of a man who has lost focus, and is not in touch with the realities on the ground. It is heart-warming that he (Sylva) is not accusing me of multiple crimes and criminality, secret killings, cultism, large scale corruption and brigandage, which were the hallmarks of his tenure as governor of Bayelsa State.

    “Sylva’s era as governor of Bayelsa State was the darkest days in the history of the state. Bayelsans have become wiser and would not be cajoled or hoodwinked by his antics.

    “If Sylva is a wise man, he would have seen the handwriting on the wall, that Bayelsans have since rejected him by voting massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in all the recent elections.”

     

     

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  • Row in Bayelsa as Dickson, PDP expel Jonathan’s loyalists

    Row in Bayelsa as Dickson, PDP expel Jonathan’s loyalists

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday expelled nine President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists.

    Those affected were accused of anti-party activities and other related offences.

    The prominent party members were kicked out, following a report of the disciplinary committee, which investigated their alleged involvement in anti-party activities in the last general elections.

    The action, it was gathered, has deepened the internal crisis in the party.

    The suspended State Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd.), accused Governor Seriake Dickson of impunity and illegality.

    The domestic aide of the President, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa; Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange and former Acting Governor Nestor Binabo, are among key loyalists of Jonathan sent out of the party.

    Others are: former Deputy Governor Werinipre Seibarugu, Chamberlain Kren Ikidi, Osomkime Blankson, Emmanuel Okponipre, Ebikapade Dibiya and Joyce Fouyowei.

    PDP’s Acting Chairman Serena Dokubo Spiff said members of the party’s State Executive Committee (SEC) unanimously considered and adopted the recommendations of the disciplinary committee.

    He noted that some of the indicted members, who are in the National Assembly or holding appointments at the national level, would be referred to PDP’s national body for further disciplinary measures, in line with the party’s constitution.

    The acting chairman said the affected members are: Inokoba and Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

    According to him, Fiebai Gbeinbo was suspended for three months.

    But Spiff said Leghemo Kaiser and Denyabofa Dimaro are to apologise to PDP’s leadership while Dr. Godson Omubo-Dede and Dan Omubo-Dede were reprimanded.

    He said: “The State Working Committee (SEC) met after receiving the report and deliberated on it. The SEC took a unanimous voice vote, based on the gravity of the offences and the attitudes of the affected members. Some were expelled, others suspended while a few others were reprimanded and exonerated.

    “It is important to note that the committee acted responsibly, following due process. The committee amply publicised the activities and invitation to the affected persons, requesting them to turn and state their sides of the story. Some turned up but others were defiant and continued to treat our party with contempt. As a result, certain members were expelled.

    The acting party chairman explained that a Contact and Reconciliation Committee had been set up to examine genuine grievances of members and reconcile them back to the PDP fold.

    Dickson noted that, if indiscipline and disloyalty were not checked among party members, PDP’s survival would be jeopardised.

    The governor said the PDP would no longer condone a situation whereby its members campaigned openly for candidates of other parties.

    He lambasted members, who worked against the party’s interest in the last general elections and called for unity.

    Dickson hailed the acting chairman and the party for instilling discipline and ensuring respect for constituted authority.

    He said: “You cannot have a situation where party leaders sponsor candidates on the platform of other parties to contest for political power and space against our party.

    “And they do so with impunity; campaign openly while they are PDP members benefitting from the platform provided by our party. This can no longer be tolerated.

    “This is a PDP state. But our party’s strength will wane, if we do not maintain party discipline. We cannot tolerate a situation where a few people consider themselves above the party and do things with impunity without regard for the authority of the leadership of the party, just because they are in one leadership position or the other. By the way, those were positions they got through the instrumentality of the PDP.”

  • Bayelsa 2016: Dickson draws battle line with PDP opponents

    Bayelsa 2016: Dickson draws battle line with PDP opponents

    The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, at the weekend took the battle for his second term to his enemies’ camp in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Dickson at the transparency briefing in Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, revoked contracts awarded by his government to firms owned by the Presidential domestic aide, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa.

    He also terminated the job awarded to the Board Chairman, Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bekes Etifa.

    Dickson said Dudafa and Etifa who were given construction jobs at Kaiama, Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, had abandoned them.

    The duo are known allies of the First Lady, Patience Jonathan, whose camp has been at the vanguard of campaigns to deny Dickson a second term.

    Before terminating the contracts, the governor told his audience that persons fighting him within the PDP are main beneficiaries of his administration.

    “A number of them have big contracts which they have abandoned”, he said threatening to revoke more contracts awarded to his opponents.

    The governor said the PDP and his government would no longer tolerate characters who were allowed to operate in the state because of their closeness to the President Goodluck Jonathan.

    With the exit of Jonathan, Dickson vowed to be more ruthless in dealing with the enemies of his administration.

    “It is going to be eyeball to eyeball now”, he said adding that a new order has come to the state.

    He appealed to the people of the state not to fall to the antics of persons that they will call the shots in the state if the new Federal Government takes over.

    “They are deceiving you people because if a new President comes, he will work with me. We have formal ways we interact with the President”, he said.

    He noted that when PDP reigned at the centre, it did not stop other opposition governors from existing in their various states.

    Making scathing remarks on persons who left the PDP for the APC, the governor said those persons who moved hoping to get appointments in the new government would be disappointed.

    He said he was pained when one of them who hails from Kolo in Ogbia made a remark suggesting that he (Dickson) would soon move to the APC.

    He asked the lawmaker not to use his name and his image to build their party saying that their leader lacks the capacity to build a party.

    He said: “Our state belong to PDP and the results of elections have shown this. We have demonstrated our capability during the past elections where we won three seats of the senate, five for the House of Representatives and 20 out of 22 declared seats for the State House of Assembly.”

  • Dickson fires commissioner for losing to APGA

    Dickson fires commissioner for losing to APGA

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has sacked Sports Commissioner Ebikitin Doingoli, allegedly for losing his constituency to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last general elections.

    A statement relieving the commissioner of his appointment was announced yesterday on major radio stations in Yenagoa, the state capital.It was signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

    Though the terse statement contained no reason for the governor’s action, it was gathered that Diongoli was removed in the fallout of the House of Assembly election.

    The governor was said to be unhappy that the commissioner did not work hard to ensure that the APGA candidate, Ebiye Tarabina, was defeated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in his Kolokuma-Opokuma Constituency 2.

    Tarabina, who is believed to have been sponsored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs, Dr Waripamowei Dudafa, is also a cousin to Doingoli.

    It was gathered that Dickson was disturbed by the losses of the PDP in some of the constituencies.

    The governor, who reportedly blamed the development on the conspiracy of some PDP leaders, inaugurated a panel, headed by Deputy Governor John Jonah, to probe such suspected party leaders.

    Dickson was said to have held the view that the PDP lost the Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 2 because of disloyalty and anti-party activities of some PDP leaders.

    It was gathered that more members may be sacked from the party and the State Executive Council (Exco) at the conclusion of the probe.

    Doingoli confirmed that he heard about his sack on radio.

    The former aide said he had not committed any offence that could warrant his sack, adding that he had sent a message to Dickson for giving him an opportunity to serve the state.

    He said Tarabina is his cousin but cleared himself on the loss of the PDP at the poll.

    According to him, he tried in vain to persuade Tarabina to drop his political ambition.

    Doingoli said: “I heard the announcement of my sack on the radio, like every other Bayelsan. I have sent a message to the governor, thanking him for giving me the opportunity to serve the state.

    “I believe it has something to do with the House of Assembly election. The APGA candidate, who won in Kolokuma/Opokuma 2, Tarabina, is my cousin.

    “The governor sent me to tell him not to contest and I went to him severally to persuade him not to contest. But he insisted that he would contest under the platform of APGA.”

  • Dickson sacks Sports commissioner

    Dickson sacks Sports commissioner

    The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Chief Ebikitin Doingoli, has been sacked by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    The statement relieving the commissioner of his appointment was announced on Wednesday in major radio stations in Yenagoa.

    The statement was signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso- Markson.

    Though the terse statement contained no reason for the action, it was gathered that Diongoli’s removal was the fallout of the just-concluded state House of Assembly election.

    The governor was said to be unhappy that the commissioner watched helplessly as the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Ebiye Tarabina, defeated the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his Kolokuma-Opokuma Constituency 2.

    Tarabina, who is believed to have been sponsored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Waripamowei Dudafa, is also a cousin to Doingoli.

    The Nation gathered that Dickson was disturbed by the losses of PDP in some of the constituencies in the state.

    The governor, who blamed the development on the conspiracy of some PDP leaders, inaugurated a panel headed by the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), to probe such leaders.

    Dickson was said to have held the view that Kolokuma/ Opokuma constituency 2 was lost because of disloyalty and anti-party activities of some PDP leaders.

    It was gathered that more persons may be sacked from both the party and the governor’s cabinet after the probe by Jonah’s committee.

    Doingoli in an interview confirmed he heard his sacking on radio.

    The commissioner stated that he had not committed any offence to have warranted his sacking, adding that he had already sent a message to Dickson thanking him for giving him an opportunity to serve the state.

  • Parties accuse INEC of appointing Dickson’s brother as collation officer

    Parties accuse INEC of appointing Dickson’s brother as collation officer

    Political parties in Bayelsa State on Wednesday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of appointing the brother to the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, as a Collation Officer for the April 18 rescheduled elections.

    The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Baritor Kpagih, shifted the House of Assembly elections in eight constituencies citing insufficient electoral materials.

    But the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressive Congress (APC) and other parties in Yenagoa said INEC appointed Dickson’s brother and General Manager of the state’s Newspaper Corporation, Mr. Charles Tambo, as a collation officer.

    They specifically said that Tambo had been directed by INEC to be a collation officer for Kololuma-Opokuma Constituency 1.

    Speaking on behalf of other parties, Mr. Preye Ozoro and Mr. Ebire Tarabina, the candidates of APGA for Kolokuma-Opokuma 1 and 2 respectively, alleged that Tambo was appointed to enable the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hijack the results of the election.

    The candidates also accused the state government of a plot to arrest them and 15 strong supporters of the opposition parties before the Saturday’s elections.

    They named the opposition supporters penciled down for arrest by the government using security agencies as Kwesi Zikiye, Gesiye Isowo, Sylvanus Abila, Inemo Oruebimiekumo, Chamberlin Ikidi and Jackson Suokiri.

    Others are Inemotimi Angalapele, Ibarakumo Ikosomi, Pereowei Agura, Victor Vianana, Ebikeme Okoringa, Akpoegberi Ogidiga, Ikuro Igarando and Alex Oruebimiekumo.

    They recalled that the government had once arrested persons perceived to be opposed to the PDP and unlawfully detained them for two weeks in Yenagoa and Zone 6, Benin, Edo State.

    According to them, the candidates of APC for Kolokuma-Opokuma Constituency 1, Mr. Taripredou Aketi and APGA’s Yenagoa Constituency 1, Mr. Kingdom Blessing, suffered the same fate.

    “Emboldened by its operation-arrest- and-detain-our-opponent strategy, the Bayelsa State Government has perfected plans to visit the same fate upon us and our supporters in Kolokuma-Opokuma.

    “The Bayelsa State Government also plan to flood Kolokuma-Opokuma on the Election Day with thugs, fake military officers and policemen, essentially to cause violence and bloodbath with a view to generally intimidate our supporters from coming out to vote”, they said.

    The candidates appealed to INEC to withdraw Tambo and replace him with a university lecturer no associated with the state government.

    They also urged the commission not to release any essential electoral material for Kolokuma-Opokuma to the state government or its agents.

    They also appealed to the commission and security agencies to prevailed on the governor not to tour Kolokuma-Opokuma on the election day as it would instigate crisis in the area.

    But Kpagih acknowledged receiving a petition written by candidates of APGA over the appointment of Tambo, but said the name had been removed from the list of electoral officers.

    “I am barely three months old here. I don’t know anybody. So, when I received the petition, I went to check the list and discovered that Charles Tambo’s name was there. We quickly removed it. So, the name is no longer in the list,” he said.

    He advised parties with complaints to approach him instead of dissipating their energy writing petitions.

  • High Court Attack: Dickson, Lokpobiri trade words

    High Court Attack: Dickson, Lokpobiri trade words

    There was pandemonium on Capt. Amangala Street, Yenagoa Bayelsa state, on Monday following an invasion of the state’s division of the Federal High Court in the area by thugs.

    The thugs numbering over 100 were said to have stormed the court premises at about 10am chanting war songs.

    It was gathered that the judge was already seated when the thugs armed with different weapons attacked the court.

    They were said to have visited their wrath on the judge and lawyers including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Mr. Selekeowei Larry and Lucius Nwosu, who came for their various matters.

    The miscreants threw caution to the wind as they broke the doors, shattered the chairs and scattered legal documents.

    They were said to have shot sporadically during the attack.

    The judge was said to have dodged various weapons thrown at him by the thugs while he and the lawyers scampered for safety.

    Officials of the court took to hiding. The commotion lasted for about 30 minutes.

    The court which is located opposite the state office of the Department of the State Security (DSS) is also close to the state command of the Nigeria Police.

    A pregnant lawyer was caught up in the melee. The panic-stricken lawyer nursed her pains as she complained that her pregnancy was hit by the marauding thugs.

    The lawyers were said to have packed themselves like sardines in the office of the judge where they took refuge until the situation was brought under control.

    It was, however, gathered that the police watched helplessly as the hoodlums had a field day.

    The miscreants were said to have acted to stop the hearing and possible judgment on a suit filed by the incumbent Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, against the candidature of Mr. Foster Ogola.

    Senator Lokpobiri is asking the court to disqualify Ogola and declare him the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the senatorial district.

    While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had accepted Ogola as the winner of the senatorial primaries of the PDP in the district, Lokpobiri had continued to lay claims to the party’s ticket.

    Larry who led the team of Lokpobiri’s lawyers, accused the Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, of leading, sponsoring and directing thugs to desecrate the temple of justice.

    But Dickson in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, denied the allegation, but accused Lokpobiri of trying to secure the PDP ticket with misleading information and outright forgery of party documents.

    Larry, however, said on March 27 when the matter came up for hearing, hundreds of thugs barricade the court and prevented it from sitting.

    He said the matter was adjourned to Monday and was communicated to all the interested parties.

    He expressed shock at the mistreatment of judicial officials by the thugs and alleged that Dickson was shouting around the court premises that he would not allow the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan impose a candidate on the party.

    “While we were sitting in the court, I heard that the gate to the court which I had passed had been locked. We started hearing the voice of the governor who was there with his security details.

    “After sometimes, some senior police officers came but they didn’t ask the thugs to leave. The thugs invaded the court and started chasing all of us out of the court. It was the governor who supervised the sacking of the court.

    “Over ten lawyers including a pregnant woman and two SANs were chased and kicked by the thugs. The state Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was there and he has already sent a report to the national NBA,” he said.

    But Dickson said what happened in the court was a clash between the supporters of Lokpobiri and Ogola.

    He said his intervention prevented the development from turning bloody adding that  his government would deal decisively with anybody or group of persons, no matter how highly placed, that takes the law into their hands.

    He said: “Reports have it that, supporters of Evangelist Foster Ogola were irked, when the Judge, who had earlier been petitioned over his lopsided handling of the matter, went ahead to fix hearing and judgement for Monday, without proper notification to both parties, even as the matter has been moved away from his court”.

    Dickson said he visited the scene of the clash in the company of some heads of security agencies.

    He condemned the action of Senator Lokpobiri accusing him of trying to manipulate the judicial process for judgement to be passed in his favour, without the knowledge of the other party in the matter.

    He advised the judiciary not to allow itself to be used by desperate politicians to perpetrate injustice, capable of causing a breach of the peace, as was experienced today between the rival supporters.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Asinim Buswatt, confirmed the invasion but said no arrest was made.

    “Before we could get there, they took to their heels,” he said.

  • Bayelsa guber poll: Supreme Court dismisses Sylva’s appeal

    Bayelsa guber poll: Supreme Court dismisses Sylva’s appeal

    The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by a former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, challenging the choice of Governor Seriake Dickson as the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the 2012 governorship election held in the state.

    Sylva in the appeal argued that he and not Dickson should have been picked as the party’s candidate for the election.

    In a unanimous decision by a five-man bench, the apex court resolved the two issues raised for determination against the appellant, Sylva.

    Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the lead judgment on Friday, came down hard on the former governor for wasting the court’s time.

    He awarded, N500, 000 cost against Sylva, to be paid to Dickson (3rd respondent).

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP, who were listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, are to bear the cost.

    Sylva (then a serving governor) had won the primary election conducted by the party in January 2011 in anticipation that the governorship election will hold later that year.

    Before the election, for which he (Sylva) was to stand as the party’s candidate, could be held, he got a judgment of a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, extending his tenure.

    The Court of Appeal upheld the judgment and held that Sylva’s tenure would end on January 28, 2012.

    Following the development, INEC rescheduled the governorship election for February 2012.

    The PDP later conducted a fresh primary, for which Sylva bought form, got screened along with other candidates, but was disqualified by the party. The primary was won by Dickson.

     

  • Creek warriors hail Jonathan for endorsing Dickson

    Creek warriors hail Jonathan for endorsing Dickson

    A group of unrepentant militants from Bayelsa State has hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for publicly endorsing Governor Seriake Dickson during the presidential rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

    The group also said that its members had declared a full-scale war on the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and its leadership in the state.

    The group, under the aegis of the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa (MBB), recalled that before the rally, it warned First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan not to accompany her husband to the rally.

    But the group said the President saved its wrath against his wife through his public appreciation of the governor despite efforts by some persons to humiliate Dickson publicly.

    MBB, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr. Oluyemi Engobara, said prominent indigenes of the state mounted pressure on its leadership to shelve its initial plot against the First Lady.

    “We received persuasions from eminent Bayelsans, who pleaded with us to conduct ourselves peacefully, as any act from us will amount to the humiliation of the President at home, thereby making him unpopular in the eyes of Nigerians.

    “Having listened to the First Lady even though she never recognised our governor and his wife, she did not also make derogatory statement against our Ijaw Nation president that would warrant us to swiftly react”, he said.

  • Dickson: Bayelsa is fully behind Jonathan

    Dickson: Bayelsa is fully behind Jonathan

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson spoke with reporters in Yenogoa, the state capital, on a wide range of issues, including the challenges facing his administration, President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid and preparations for parliamentary elections in the state. MIKE ODIEGWU was there.

    What is the government doing to ensure victory for your party at the polls? 

    This state has less political challenges. We are far more stable politically than many other states around and the reason is obvious. First, because of our mature tolerance and approach to handling political issues. Secondly, the political calendar is such that the governorship election is not coming up right now and sometimes that is why we wonder why some people have started getting unduly excited. After all, there is no governorship election or nominations right now to take place in this state. All those who mean well for this state should be rallying round me as leader of the PDP, the President’s party, to solidify the home-base and then mobilise support for the President.

    But, unfortunately, you are aware of the deliberate acts of distraction that are going on. But, as I said, we are not distracted, we are committed to doing what is right and proper. I am a tolerant politician and a democrat. I have always believed in the fact that people should be encouraged to exercise their franchise freely and that has been demonstrated in so many ways, unlike the situation that existed before we came to power. People were attacked at political rallies even within the same political parties; thugs were after people.

    You know what happened, for example, when in 2011 Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, then the presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), visited Bayelsa. The government then was not disposed to his holding a rally in Yenogoa. So, the rally was disrupted. In contrast, you saw the steps my government took to ensure their safety and guarantee their right under the constitution. Any other outcome would have sent the wrong message to the outside world. Imagine what would have happened if there had been some violence here at the time of his campaign.

    That is why sometimes I say many of our people are yet to fully understand the quality of leadership that I am giving here. Human memory is very short; they have forgotten about what happened in the past when people who disagreed with the powers-that-be then would not be allowed entry into Baylesa. You can see how people who disagree with us are operating freely in the state and my only requirement is that they should do so within the confines of the law because there is a difference between opposition politics and subversion and even treason.

    So as a government, we will do everything to support the exercise of the free franchise of our people. There is no one who will tell you in this state, either within our party or the opposition elements that I have fail to protect and guarantee their lives. No one is running away from Bayelsa. Personally, I have faced a commission of enquiry in this state; I faced warrant of arrest. For two years, I came into Bayelsa secretly because of the prevailing climate.

    But the environment we have created is such that everybody comes around; it’s our state and that was why I said don’t banish anybody from any community. All those who couldn’t go to their communities in the past as a result of that disruptive politics as I came in I directed that they should return. So, we are committed as a government to support the fact that people should freely come out and cast their votes for candidates of their choice without intimidation and violence and we are working with the security agents to ensure that that happens.

    How are you preparing for the general elections?

    We have done far better than most other states in terms of the percentage of collection of permanent voters’ cards (PVCs). About 80 to 85 per cent of registered voters have collected their PVCs. Some local government areas have done better than others and I have spoken with the leaders of the Yenagoa Local Government Area to ensure that the capital does not lag behind other local government areas, particularly in the hinterland. I am confident that with the measures that we have put in place, with the support and encouragement we are getting from our leaders and other agencies, the people of Bayelsa will get their PVCs.

    I call on all those who have registered to please go and collect your PVC because that is your right and power; with that you can determine who becomes your leader at all levels. The number of registered voters ascribed to Bayelsa does not represent our true voting strength. But, that is the number recorded against Bayelsa. So, I want to encourage all of you to go and collect your PVCs, so that you can come out and vote en masse. I am talking as a partisan politician. Please come out and cast your votes for candidates of the PDP right from the President to the House of Assembly.

    Of course, you know that I have been leading the campaign in various strategic ways; you can see steps that we have been taking hosting different groups in the past couple of days. That is what I have been doing here; not to talk of the ones that I do in Abuja, working with friends across the country to ensure that the President gets the support of Nigerians. But, we in this state owe him all our votes, if only we all freely exercise our mandate. All the candidates of the PDP for the National Assembly and the ones for the State House of Assembly are much better than those of the other parties. You don’t see cult elements in candidates of our party. You don’t see people who have destroyed and killed people. You don’t see people who have committed different crimes against their people and their state as candidates of our party.

    The candidates of our party have been proved to be persons who deserve your support, and I strongly recommend them to you. For those elements in the PDP who are playing primitive politics of being a card carrying member of one party or even being a stakeholder of one party and supporting candidates of another party, I call on you to urgently retrace your steps because that is anti-party, and that is not the way we do politics. I call on you to close ranks, support the candidates of your party even if they are not the candidates that you would have wanted to see emerge in your party. That is the way the party game goes. Tomorrow it could be your choice. So, I want to say that the state is getting set for the election, and I want to call on all people to do it peacefully.

    When will the President visit your state to inaugurate some of your projects?

    We are just waiting for a convenient time since the President is engaged now with his campaign. After the elections we hope to invite our dear President to come on a state visit to commission these big projects that our government has completed. Most of you don’t know that the President and l are working closely together and he is fully supportive. There is nothing that l have proposed to him in the interest of the people that he has not supported. We are working closely together and we will continue to do so in the interest of the people.

    The truth is that the President has been telling me to give him a date inviting him to come. We wanted the Ebeni bridge to be completed because when l was in the executive council during the period Dr. Jonathan was the governor of the state, l saw how worried he was about commencing that bridge in 2006. I saw his passion about that particular bridge. I delayed his coming because l needed about a month or two to be able to finish the bridge because l wanted him to be the one to commission it. We also have many projects lined up for his commissioning and some of them have already been put to use without formal commissioning. For example, the Tombia-Amassoma and Azikoro roads, traditional rulers council complex and the Secretariat Annex Complex.

    What is your government doing about compensating those whose landed property was acquired to build public structures including the fruit market at Kpansia?

    We have a number of compensation matters. People don’t know what it takes to conceive of a project; funding it, to acquire the land. I know that there are a number of compensation matters where landowners have shown understanding and i want to thank them. Because of the several jobs that we are doing, we have not been able to meet a number of compensation claims.

    My plea is not just to you alone but to all such cases that you should have some understanding. These are projects that we have conceived are for your own benefit. For example, the Kpansia market is so important because every Saturday that road is closed down and that is not good for us particularly with the way we have dualized that road. By the time we finish the Isaac Boro road and fix the streetlights and plant flowers, it will be comparable to the streets in Dubai.

    We are also developing big fish farms at Ogbogoro in Yenagoa. The Israeli businessmen are ready with their equipment but which are lying there and because compensation has not been fully paid. The same goes for the biggest cassava processing factory at Ebedebiri. Most of these agricultural projects are what we need to be on ground to absorb our unemployed youths. We will try but we are battling to even pay salaries so i need understanding from these landlords. But we will pay their compensations. This year we have been trying to work on a date for a state visit by the President for him to commission most of these projects.

    Why has the Civil Service Commission not conducted promotion exercise from last year till date?

    Civil servants have lots of requests; a basketful of issues that we are trying to solve. The civil service commission is handling that. I am a system person and i set up institutions and i allow them to function but if there are issues, i am sure they will bring them to my attention.

    You have always said you want to turn Yenagoa to the new Dubai of Africa. How do you intend to do this without good internal roads and effective drainage system?

    When we came on board, we designed our master plan of the state along the lines of promoting security, development and prosperity. And because we wanted this place to be the new Dubai you can see the type of mega projects and they cost a lot of money. And most of these projects have a construction period of 3 years and some 3 and a half years; that is assuming we even have the funds because of the terrain and the technical requirements.