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Tag: Mr. Seriake Dickson

  • Bayelsa Assembly to swear-in three opposition members

    Bayelsa Assembly to swear-in three opposition members

    The Kombowei Benson-led Bayelsa State House of Assembly has bowed to pressure and opted to swear-in three lawmakers elected on the platforms of opposition political parties.

    The Speaker, Benson, has been under attacks from different groups for failing to inaugurate the lawmakers four months after they were declared winners of their constituencies.

    Benson has refused to administer oaths of office on Watson Belemote of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), representing Brass Constituency 2; Gibson Munalayefa of the Labour Party (LP) for Ogbia constituency 2 and Gabriel Ogbara of African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Ogbia constituency 3.

    They were declared winners of their various constituencies four months ago by the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The police, elders in the state under the aegis Bayelsa First Initiative (BFI) including the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had warned Benson of the consequences of not swearing-in the lawmakers.

    The Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, was also accused of being the unseen hand behind the travails of the lawmakers.

    But Dickson denied involvement.

    It was gathered Wednesday that Benson announced on the floor of the House that the members-elect would be sworn in Thursday.

    He reportedly blamed the delay in their inauguration to faulty processes saying the elected lawmakers did not furnish the House with requisite documents on time.

    He said as a law-making body, the House was under obligations to follow laid down procedure in swearing-in members and not to depend on petitions from lawyers.

     

  • Police warn Dickson over refusal to swear-in elected members

    Police warn Dickson over refusal to swear-in elected members

    The Bayelsa State Police Command, yesterday, warned the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, over the security implications of the refusal by the leadership of the state House of Assembly to swear-in three elected opposition members.
    The  Commissioner of Police, Peter Ogunyanwo, in a letter sent to the governor, dated April 11, said the action of the House led by its Speaker, Mr. Kombowei Benson, was capable of compounding the security threats in the state.
    Ogunyanwo’s concern was following a letter addressed to him by the affected three members-elect requesting for a police protection in a peaceful protest they planned to demand their immediate inauguration.
    Benson has refused to administer oaths of office on Watson Belemote of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), representing Brass Constituency 2; Gibson Munalayefa of the Labour Party for Ogbia constituency 2 and Gabriel Ogbara of African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Ogbia constituency 3.

    They were declared winners of their various constituencies four months ago by the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    But the leadership of the House dominated by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ignored them and rather quickly inaugurated their party members who won their rerun elections in March.

    In the letter addressed to the governor, the police boss said: “The members-elect, Alfred Belemote (APGA, Brass 2), ‎Gabriel Ogbara (ADC, Ogbia 2) and Gibson Munalayefa (Labour Party,Ogbia 2) stated they were successful candidates in the state House of Assembly election held on 6th of June, 2015 but the leadership of the State House of Assembly has refused to swear them into office for normal legislative duties.
    “The trio also alleged that one Hon. Benson Kombowei of the PDP, whose election was just conducted on March 11th, 2016, was sworn into office immediately after winning election,wheras the same House has continuously denied them this right since 2015.
    “In view of the aforesaid development,the Bayelsa Police Command is appealing to your Excellency to prevail on the Hon. Speaker and entire leadership of the State House of Assembly to swear into office,the three honorable members in the interest of peace and justoce.
    “This is to prevent fresh  security ‎threat to the existing ones in Bayelsa State.It would also act as well as a demonstration and confirmation of your excellency’s large and accommodating heart.”
    The aggrieved members-elect in the request letter to the commissioner said they had planned to stage a peaceful protest on Tuesday next week.
    They said the move became imperative following the outright refusal of the House leadership to swear them in.
    They drew the attention of the police boss to the photocopies of their respective certificates of return issued them by the Independent National Electoral Commission following their victories in the court.
    They said in the letter dated April 7: “All efforts to effect our successful swearing in has remained futile, hence, the resolution to employ this peaceful/lawful path of expressing our displeasure”.
  • Dickson behind crisis in our Party, says APC

    Dickson behind crisis in our Party, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State chapter on Monday accused the State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, of being the brains behind the crisis rocking the party in the state.

    APC in a statement signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Panebi Fortune, said there was an underhand dealing between the suspended Chairman of the party,  Chief Tiwe Oruminighe and Dickson.

    Oruminighe and few membes of the state Executive Committee have been directely attacking the state leader of the party, Chief Timipre Sylva, accusing him of selling appointments to his cronies.

    Dickson in the heat of the crisis released a statement purportedly supporting the faction of the APC Executive Committee led by Oruminighe.

    The party said: “It has become compelling for us to expose the under hand dealings between the governor, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson and the suspended state chairman of the APC, Chief Tiwei Oruminighe alongside two of his accomplices.

    “In the last few days, the state and indeed the entire nation has witnessed the outright misdemeanour on the part of the suspended party and two members of the state exco. As a party built on the principles of discipline, justice and fair play, 25 out of the 31 member state exco of the party supended Orunimigha and his co-travellers for gross indiscipline and misconduct.

    “However, our attention has been drawn to a statement laced with lies and outright misinformation purporting and insinuating financial dealings between two leading lights in our party, that is our leader, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Hon Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri prior to the appointment of the latter as minister. We find these lies very disgusting and ignoble, hence seen as the ranting of a bunch of misled ingrates.

    “But our curiosity is that the statement emanated from one Daniel Iworiso-Markson, chief press secretary to Governor Dickson. The question of who is behind the suspended chairman and his ‘boys’ does not need to be asked. What rather baffles us is the rationale behind this incredulous act of anti party and unconscionable desire for monetary gains in the name of politics.

    “We wish to state unequivocally that the entire membership of the ‎state exco aside the suspended trio of Oruminighe, Julius Eddy and Daniel Marlin is solidly behind our leader, Sylva as well as the minister of state. We call on the relevant security agencies to unravel the source of the attached email statement from Iworiso-Markson”.