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  • 2019: Atiku seeks support of Dickson, Bayelsa PDP members

    •PDP aspirant to restructure Nigeria

    FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday took his 2019 presidential ambition to Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and members of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Abubakar, who arrived at the State Government House in Yenagoa at about 12pm, presented a document he developed on restructuring, titled: “Restructuring as a pathway to unity and development in Nigeria”, to Dickson.

    The ex-vice-President’s delegation includes a former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniels, the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godspower Orubebe among others.

    After a close-door meeting that lasted a few hours with the governor, Abubakar proceeded to the PDP secretariat, where a crowd of party supporters received him in a brief rally.

    Addressing the party faithful, he hailed Dickson for his developmental strides and thanked the people for allowing continuity and sticking with one party in the state.

    On continuity of governance, he said: “The last time I came here was several years ago. The changes l have seen in the state are monumental.

    “This is all because of you not because of one individual. You have been supporting this party since 1999 and what you are seeing today is as a result of your support and hard work.

    “Once you don’t change parties, you will see what is called good governance. Once you change from one party to another, this one will come, he will do this project and stop and another one will come and start another project and stop”.

    The former vice-president said he came back to the state to reconnect with the people and appealed to them to work with him to make the country like Bayelsa.

    Dickson described Atiku as a veteran in politics and insisted that the 2019 presidential election would be a referendum on restructuring.

    He called on PDP members nationwide to rise up to the challenge of taking power from the incumbent government.

    He said: “We have the challenge to take power from an incumbent administration and all of us know the nature and character of the government we are talking about.

    “I call for a rejection of a one-party dictatorship in the country. On behalf of our people, our position on restructuring, whether you call it true federalism etc. unless people want to be mischievous, they mean the same thing.

    In his remarks, Orubebe said Atiku would do for Ijaw and the Niger Delta what former President Goodluck Jonathan could not to do for them.

    Orubebe said Jonathan could not restructure the country in the interest of Ijaw and Niger Delta but that Atiku would undertake the task.

    He said the PDP was in need of a man like Atiku to win the election and advised the people to convince others to buy into the vision of Atiku.

     

     

  • 13% derivation not enough to develop Niger Delta, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday said the 13% derivation principle was a mockery of  the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.

    The governor said the 13 percent derivation was not enough to develop the Niger Delta region.

    A statement issued by Dickson ‘s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Francis Agbo said the governor spoke  on Tuesday during a live media chat in Ijaw language in Government House Yenagoa.

    The governor argued that only restructuring would guarantee sustainable peace, stability and development in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.

    He lamented that the people of the region particularly the Ijaws were being treated as second class citizens in the country, as their resources were  exploited by the Federal Government and its agencies.

    He said: “I have said it time and time again that the 13% derivation  they are giving to us can never be enough to tackle our development needs at the pace we want. And that, restructuring is the only veritable means to achieve sustainable peace, stability and prosperity not only in this our region but throughout the country.

    “For how long will the Federal Government and indeed all the supporters of this great injustice continue to treat us as slaves? What they call oil blocs are our ancestral lands but we are the people that are excluded from the ownership and use of this our God-given property.

    “Take Bayelsa, for instance, where the Federal Government is doing almost nothing to support our development effort. We are the ones building all our schools, hospitals, roads and bridges to link our communities in this state. Is that fair?

    “That is why I expect every right thinking Ijaw or Niger Delta person and true Nigerians to support our clamour for restructuring because that is the right thing to do so that every part of our country will have a sense of belonging.”

    On the ongoing state public service reforms, the governor restated the need for  Bayelsans to discountenance the propaganda and blackmail orchestrated by detractors, stressing that no genuine worker would be adversely affected.

    He said through continuous verification and other measures, his administration pruned down the over bloated wage bill of about N6bn  it inherited at inception of his government  to N3.8bn at the end of last month.

    Dickson who urged the people not to see civil service as the best occupation, assured them of government preparedness to assist them go into commerce and other private businesses, which he noted, are more lucrative.

    He called for more support and prayers for the success of the reforms and other programmes adding that he had directed the appropriate government officials to announce the commencement of the recruitment of 1000 graduates into the public service by next week.

    Dickso assured Bayelsans of fairness and transparency in the recruitment process.

    The governor asked the public to report any government official who indulges in nepotism and other sharp practices that would jeopardize his administration’s goal of leaving behind an efficient and result-oriented civil service.

     

  • Dickson, Fasanmi, Ita-Giwa, ex-MOSOP leader, others hail Buhari on June 12

    BAYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson; Second Republic senator, Chief Ayo Fasanmi; former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Mrs Florence Ita-Giwa; former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Comrade Ledum Mitee and labour leader Isa Aremu yesterday added their voices to the commendations that have trailed the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day.

    On different occasions yesterday, they commended the President not only for recognising the landmark that the June 12, 1993 presidential election represents for the country but also for honouring the acclaimed winner of the election, Chief MKO Abiola, with the highest national honour.

    In a statement issued in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital yesterday, Dickson commended President Muhammadu Buhari for immortalising Abiola, the winner of the presidential election.

    The governor said although the award was belated, the gesture would partly address the wrongs of the past and strengthen democracy, insisting that it was better late than never.

    But the governor called on President Buhari to declare Abiola as a President that was never sworn in and urgently sponsor an executive bill to the National Assembly in order to legitimise it.

    He said declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, giving national honour to Abiola’s running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, as well as giving posthumous national awards to Abiola and the late legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, were in order.

    The governor, however, called on Buhari to show the same political will and patriotism on the critical issue of restructuring Nigeria.  He said the President should ensure that Nigeria is restructured with power devolved from the centre to the federating units and fiscal federalism enthroned to guarantee balance, peace, prosperity and stability in the country.

    He said a restructured Nigeria would address the dysfunctional system, over concentration of power at the centre, pseudo-federalism and the expropriation of the resources of the Niger Delta.

    While stressing that, those championing the cause of restructuring were the real patriots, the governor believed Buhari would etch his name on the sands of time and become “a Nigerian hero of all times if he restructures the country.”

    The governor  also urged the President to honour the then Chairman of National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu with a national award for his uncommon courage and commitment to the conduct of transparent elections in June, 1993, stressing that what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander.

    On her part, Ita-Giwa said with the development, democracy has been strengthened and entrenched in the country.

    “I look at it from the point of view of honouring people who put in efforts and those who lost their lives in ensuring the sustainability of democracy,” she said.  She said it was also a relief, especially for the family of the late Abiola, who must have carried the burden and anger for many years.

    Ita-Giwa said the declaration will give them more confidence in Nigeria.   Reacting to insinuations that it was a political move, she said: “In democracy, in my many years of experience, people would apply politics to things that are done devoid of political thinking.

    “For me it is a good thing to happen to this country.” Expressing support for the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day, former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Comrade Ledum Mitee, said the decision was worthwhile.

    In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents yesterday, Mitee lauded the change but added: “Beyond the pronouncement, the Federal Government should ensure it upholds the values of June 12, as the 2019 general election is coming.

    “What made June 12 remarkable is not the month and number but the values MKO Abiola held for the return of democracy and for free, fair and credible election.”

    He challenged the government at all levels to replicate the credibility and fairness in the forthcoming elections.  Second Republic senator, Chief Ayo Fasanmi, said the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day was in order.

    He said: “What Mr. President did really made me happy because it is better late than never. “The 1993 presidential election was the best, freest and most transparent election in the history of Nigeria, and acknowledging that and declaring the day of the election as Democracy Day is worthwhile.”

    He said on the day of election, Nigerians from the North and South went ahead to do away with ethnic and religious sentiments and voted for Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and Baba Gana Kingigbe on Muslim-Muslim ticket.

    According to him, June 12 really brought all Nigerians together and the day that had provided a united front for the nation must be celebrated.  Labour leader, Comrade Issa Aremu, also hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for bestowing on the late Chief MKO Abiola Nigeria’s highest honour and making June 12 Democracy Day in place of May 29.

    Comrade Aremu who is a member of NLC NEC and General Secretary of the Textile Workers Union, said President Buhari has ensured democratic consolidation by posthumously honouring Chief Abiola, as long demanded by democratic forces.  Aremu added that by conferring Chief Abiola with GCFR, President Buhari had commendably rekindled faith in sustainability of democracy in Africa’s largest democracy.

    According to him, “The President gave the correct signal that never again would any group of people violate the mandate of Nigerian people through mandate annulment.

    He said: “President Buhari has brought integrity to governance by shunning the hypocrisy and shameless denials of past leaders of Nigeria that June 12 was truly a watershed in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria.

    “Labour agrees with the administration that June 12, 1993 was far more symbolic of democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29, as it was on June 12, 1993 that Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our independence.”

  • Buhari, Obasanjo, Saraki, Dickson mourn ex-Appeal Court president

    pRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo  Senate President Bukola Saraki and Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson have paid tribute to the late former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi.

     

    President: he was a man of enviable integrity

     

    Buhari described him as a man, whose greatest asset in life was his enviable integrity and incorruptibility.

    The President believed that Justice Akanbi would be long remembered for his enormous contributions in bringing credibility and respectability to the country’s judiciary.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that the death of the pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is a colossal loss to the Nigerian judiciary and the country as a whole.

    According to the President, “being respected by the people for your honesty and patriotism is the best legacy a man can leave behind.

    “In a country where corruption is perceived as fashionable, Akanbi stood out as a remarkable man who put personal integrity and selflessness before the desire for money outside his legitimate income.”

    The President affirmed that Justice Akanbi’s greatest achievement was leaving the public service with his integrity intact and untainted.

     

    ‘A paragon of rectitude is gone’

     

    Obasanjo  said the late ICPC was a man who radiated honesty and integrity.

    In a condolence letter to Akanbi’s eldest child, Akeem Akanbi and signed by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described the late  Akanbi as a distinguished Nigerian, an icon, a paragon of rightness and rectitude, who devoted his life to the service of Nigeria.

    The ex-President revealed that the demise of Akanbi has left him in a “sorrowful” state since it happened.

    The letter reads: “It is with a grieving heart, but with obedience to the will of the Almighty that I write to commiserate with you and other members of your family over the painful demise of your loving father, our most revered Hon. Justice Muhammad Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi.

    “News of his death today, Sunday, June 3, 2018, came to me as a jarring shock far away in Dubai.  But we mortals can never question the designs of the Almighty Allah.

    “In a country like ours, which is abundantly endowed with stars and frontiersmen, Justice Akanbi was one genuine patriot who radiated dominantly within our national space and beyond. He was a distinguished Nigerian, an icon, a paragon of rightness and rectitude, whose life is devoted entirely to the service of his nation. He was a role model and a nationalist.”

    Saraki says Akanbi was a honest, principled jurist

     

    Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the late Akanbi as an indefatigable, honest and principled jurist, who upheld the fine ethics of the judicial process till he breathed his last.

    “I am sad that Baba (Akanbi) has left us. He was fearless, courageous and spoke truth to power during his lifetime,” Saraki said.

    One of the finest justices is gone, says Dickson

     

    Dickson commiserated with the governments and people of Kwara State over the demise of Akanbi.

    The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, described Akanbi as one of the finest justices in Nigeria.

    Dickson said while on the bench, Akanbi dispensed justice without fear or favour.

    He said: “Justice Akanbi was a courageous judge who used the bench to dispense justice without fear or favour and rose to be President of Court of Appeal.  As Chairman of ICPC,  he fought corruption to a standstill for which we are grateful to him. His death is clearly an irredeemable loss to the country. ”

     

     

  • South-South governors reject Waterways Bill

    Six governors under the auspices of the South-South Governors’ Forum have rejected the Waterways Bill being promoted by the Federal Government in the National Assembly.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa State Governor, Francis Agbo, said the bill was unanimously rejected by the governors.

    The meeting was attended by the Governors of Rivers,  Akwa Ibom, Delta,  Bayelsa and the Deputy Governor of Edo State.

    The governors in a communique read on their behalf by Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, condemned the bill which empowers the federal government to own and control the waterways and their resources.

    They urged the government to embark on further consultations on the bill to get the people buy into it.

    The governors also resolved to unanimously work with like minds to ensure that the country is restructured and returned to true federalism with powers devolved from the centre to the federating units.

    The governors insisted that for Nigeria to be stable, peaceful and prosperous, it should be restructured.

     

     

  • Bayelsa group wants Okoya to succeed Dickson

    Campaign for Development and Democracy in Bayelsa (CDDB) yesterday said it chose a former Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Mr. Reuben Okoya to succeed Governor Seriake Dickson.

    CDDB is a non-governmental organisation interested in  deepening democracy and mobilising people to participate actively in the electoral process.

    The group in the statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Ekiyor Welson, said Okoya remained its undisputed choice for the 2019 Bayelsa governorship race.

    Okoya, who is a US-trained professional architect and environmental designer, is also a former Commissioner for Special Projects. He  hails from Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa Central Senatorial District.

    Welson said Okoya was unveiled following the conclusion of its “process of searching, finding and endorsing its preferred candidate for the office of Governor”.

    He said:  “Mr. Okoya was arrived at from a pool of three other people who sent in their curriculum vitae for scrutiny and vetting, a process that took four months to conclude”.

    Welson further explained that the CDDB in collaboration with The Rawls Centre came up with 10 criteria upon which the governorship aspirants were assessed.

    He identified the criteria as political connection, state and federal experience, origin of Yenagoa and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs, visible source of income, philanthropy and knowledge of the problems of Bayelsa and possible solutions and readiness to sign a charter with the people, among others.

    Weldon urged all political parties in the state to adopt Okoya as their candidate “if they wish to win the next governorship election as it is obvious that he has the complete and unalloyed support of the people of Bayelsa”.

    He also said the group had commenced its countdown to the Bayelsa State governorship election in 2019.

    He said the countdown involved the final push by the Bayelsa people to vote their preferred leader in the 2019 governorship polls.

    He said: “The countdown will take the form of sensitisation, mobilisation and education of the people on the precepts of participatory democracy, freedom and liberty, development and accountability.

    “Also, town hall meetings, rallies, seminars, conferences in addition to radio, television and outdoor publicity campaigns will all be employed to make the choice of the people count”.

     

  • Dickson to meet varsity community leaders

    BaYelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson will meet leaders of Amassoma, host community to the state’s Niger Delta University (NDU) following a protest that claimed lives and injured others in the area.

    Dickson, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Agbo, said the meeting followed the unfortunate destruction of property, breakdown of law and order, as well as deaths in Amassoma.

    He named some of those invited as the Ibenanaowei of Ogboin; Amananaowei of Amassoma; representatives of the Community Development Committee (CDC) and a leaders of Amassoma, including women and youths.

    The statement warned that latecomers would not be allowed into the venue of the parley holding on May 25 at the Government House.

    The Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress (APC) continued their fight.

    PDP accused the APC of plotting to destroy NDU.

    But APC, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, condemned as callous attempts by the PDP-led government to justify the killing of protesters by the police.

     

     

     

  • No stability without devolution of power, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday said the country was in dire need of restructuring and devolution of power.

    Without it, he said there would not be stability in the federation.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Stressing that there was a need to carry every section of the country along, he also said the government should urgently have a change in the approach to security management, especially in the Niger Delta region.

    He said he had a frank discussion with the President with regard to the ongoing debate on the country’s restructuring.

    The governor said: “I am here this afternoon to see the President and to confer with him on critical national issues and also on issues that are pertinent to the stability, security and development of Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region.

    “And we had a very fruitful discussion and I am grateful to the President for the opportunity he afforded me to intimate him on the challenges and also of the prospects.

    “You recall that since my re-election, this is the first time I would be here; I am not a regular visitor here. So, I thank the President for availing me the opportunity to share perspectives on very serious issues on security, stability and development of Bayelsa and the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

    “We talked about the need to revisit the Brass energy, we talked about the need for change in approach to security management in the Niger Delta, we talked about the challenges of stabilising the Niger Delta and the need for federal support.

    “We talked about a whole range of other issues including what we think should be the final response to the ongoing debate about devolution and I believe that we had a very fruitful interaction.”

    On the security situation in the country, he said: “I had a discussion with the President; he is the President and Commander-in-Chief. He is the leader of the country and these issues are beyond partisan politics and we had frank discussions.

    “He understands the issues because he served in that region during the war when he was a younger officer. He is familiar with the challenges that I have come to discuss with him and I look forward to collaborating and working with the President with the security officials to advance security in the region.

    “Governors of the Niger Delta region are doing a lot and as governors, we will continue to do our best, working with the security agencies. We should be apolitical in supporting constituted authorities in the states. We expect that this interaction will yield positive results.”

    On his meeting with Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, he said: “I was in Kaduna to confer with my brother friend and colleague the governor of Kaduna State. As you know, he chairs the All Progress Congress (APC) panel on restructuring or devolution. And that panel as far as I am concerned, did a good job.

    “What we need is what it agreed upon to expand the scope of consultation. My view is that all parts of Nigeria needs to be carried along and, especially the leadership of Northern Nigeria. It needs to be engaged and contacted for its buy-in and support. It is not only essential; it is indispensable to the success of the new Nigeria we are trying to carve.

    “Not only have I visited governor el-Rufai, in the next coming days and weeks, I will be visiting a lot of my colleagues in other parts of the country. I will be visiting and interacting with a lot of other opinion leaders and stakeholders.

    “We are talking about our country and every part of the country has to be carried along. We need to interact and know what their fears and concerns and perspectives are so that we can at the end craft a position that will represent the collective aspirations of all parts of our country because this country is in dire need of devolution, this country is in dire need of a return to the essential founding fathers ‘principles.

    “That is when you can have stability in the states and that is when we would have unleashed the huge potentials that exist in every part of the country.”

  • Nation building is a continuous work, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson said on Sunday in Kaduna that restructuring portends no doom or evil for Nigeria.

    Speaking after meeting with Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Dickson said: “By restructuring, we are talking about fundamental constitutional reforms, reforms or restructuring of our country to bring about a fairer and more stable and sustainable Nigeria and all of these within the context of united, indivisible Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “There is nothing human that is perfect. Nation building is work in progress and is actually not something that will finish by one leader, party or one government, or even by one generation. It is from one generation to another generation. Our leaders, our founding fathers gave of us this country but we cannot claim that the present structure is perfect.”

    “No nation is perfect, nation building therefore is continuous work in progress and that is great work and contributions of Governor El-Rufai’s committee, even though the committee of a political party and yet the recommendations are far-reaching and a number of us across party lines believe that we need to advance the conversations. If you ask me, what is restructuring? Restructuring simply means constitutional reforms, constitutional amendments, federalism or now we say devolution of power.”

    El-Rufai said: “We must all work together ; all hands must be on deck to make our country better. For me, the work of the APC committee on true federalism reflected that consensus among our party leaders and the APC National Executive Committee has adopted our report and set up a technical committee on the implementation. I hope the technical committee will soon report to the party so that they will send the recommendations to the government.”

  • Aso Villa Chapel presents Dickson ‘Legacy Bible’

    The Aso Rock Chapel yesterday in Abuja honoured Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson with a presentation of a “Legacy Bible”.

    The gesture was in appreciation of his propagation and deepening of the gospel not only in Bayelsa State but throughout the nation.

    The chapel praised the governor for making the word of God the foundation of his government and urged other leaders to emulate him.

    A statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo said the bible was presented at the Bayelsa State Governor’s lodge by the leader of the delegation and chaplain of the Villa Chapel, Pastor Seyi Malomo.

    The chaplain said as a Christian, Dickson has shown exemplary leadership in the service of God and man.

    Malomo also said Governor Dickson is investing in the kingdom through his monthly praise night, annual thanksgiving to God and construction of a magnificent 15, 000 -Seater Ecumenical Centre which has become a cynosure of all eyes.

    He said: “The Aso Villa Chapel has mandated us to present to you, this unique Bible called the Legacy Bible by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN).

    “This is presented to you specifically because of your Christian and spiritual activities towards the development of the gospel not only in Bayelsa State but in the entire nation.

    “There was a time the President said we should all pray for the nation and we are seeing your annual thanksgiving service and the sanctuaries of God you have built.

    “We are presenting this Bible to you as something that is befitting of such edifice and we pray that God will continue to bless Bayelsa and Nigeria.”

    Dickson pledged the readiness of Bayelsa State to continue to support the work of God and called on the clergy not to relent in praying for those at the helm of affairs.

    He described the “Legacy Bible” written in English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Efik as unique, stressing that no gift under the sun compares with the written word of God.