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Tag: Seriake Dickson

  • Dickson, others harp on greater political unity in Bayelsa West

    Dickson, others harp on greater political unity in Bayelsa West

    • As Ewhrudjakpo urges leaders to invest more in human devt

    The Bayelsa State government has again stressed the need for government at all levels, the private sector and other development partners to invest more in developing human resources in the country.

    The state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the request just as did leaders of Bayelsa West Senatorial District including the former Governor of the state, Senator Seriake Dickson, and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Fyneman Wilson, harped on the need for greater unity and collaboration among the political class for sustained development of the district and the state in general.

    Senator Ewhrudjakpo laid the emphasis yesterday when the former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Seriake Dickson, led a delegation of his senatorial district to pay him a new year visit at Ofoni in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

    A statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, quoted the deputy governor as saying that society would develop faster and in a sustainable manner if its human capital is well groomed and harnessed.

    Describing human resources as the most important factor of production, he, however, clarified that mere acquisition of western education certificates without competence and innovation would not translate to societal development.

    Read Also: Tinubu deserves support to consolidate – APC

    He stated: “The most important thing some people don’t know is that, of all the resources in this world, human beings are the most important.

    “And so, all governments and development partners must continue to invest meaningfully to harness the potential in human capital to develop society.”

    Speaking further during the carnival-like visit, Senator Ewhrudjakpo who expressed excitement in traditional songs, thanked the leaders and people of Bayelsa West for their unwavering support over the years.

    He noted that the unity of Bayelsa West as a political bloc had been existing right from the days of old Rivers State and called for its sustenance to foster more development.

    Ewhrudjakpo, who said he was humbled by the volume of encomiums poured on him, expressed gratitude to Governor Douye Diri for giving him the opportunity to serve Bayelsans in his capacity as Deputy Governor.

    He added: “I am humbled by the encomiums poured on me for service to Bayelsa West. But I like to say that without fire there would be no smoke. It is because the Governor of our state, Senator Douye Diri, has been very supportive giving me all the enablement.

    “So, first of all, I want to transfer all these encomiums to him and thank him for giving me the privilege and opportunity to serve our people. You shouldn’t be surprised because he is also a son of our senatorial district.”

    Also speaking, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson underscored the need for the political leaders and followers in the senatorial district to continue to support leadership at all levels to move the area forward.

    Dickson, who described the Deputy Governor as a good ambassador of the senatorial district and the entire state, maintained that the performance of Governor Diri and Senator Ewhrudjakpo as Deputy Governor has proved that their choice was never a mistake.

    He said: “We the leaders and fathers of the senatorial district are not only with you and your boss and the Government of Bayelsa State but we are also praying for the success of the government.

    “I want to call on all our people in Sagbama and Ekeremor: Don’t allow divisive tendencies. Support the leadership; support the state government, and you can do this. Let us not play irresponsible and miscellaneous politics.”

    He thanked Hon. Fyneman Wilson and other political leaders in the district for the good work they had been doing to forge unity among the people, and called for greater collaboration to achieve more for the district and the state in general.

    In his remarks, Hon. Fyneman Wilson ascribed the much-improved unity being enjoyed in Bayelsa West to the openness and people-centric leadership style of the Deputy Governor.

    Wilson, who appreciated the Ofoni community for their traditional hospitality, assured that the entire senatorial district was behind their son, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, and promised to preserve the prevailing bond of unity.

    Welcoming the Bayelsa West delegation on behalf of the Ofoni Federated Community, Dr. O.O. Osusu, thanked them for the yearly visit and assured the political leaders and stakeholders of the community’s continued support for Senator Seriake Dickson at all times.

    Other prominent leaders that were part of the delegation include member representing Sagbama Constituency 1 in the State House of Assembly, Dr. Godbless Oyinke; former secretary to state government, Senator Felix Oboro, and former House of Reps Member, Hon. Christopher Enai.

    Others include the Commissioner for Special Duties (West), Hon. Michael Magbisa; Commissioner for Culture, Hon Godspower Keku; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Governor’s Office, Comrade Gowon Toruyouyei, and the Chairman of Sagbama LGA, Hon Alice Tangi-Allen, including RDA chairman of Opuokede, Ekeremor, Mein-Oyiakiri, amongst others.

    In a related development, the Deputy Governor, Senator

  • Face your party’s crisis, Lyon tells Bayelsa governor

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Chief David Lyon, has asked Governor Seriake Dickson to leave the APC alone and focus on the post-primary election crisis rocking his party.

    In a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, by his Media Adviser, Chief Gift Ebiki, the APC candidate wondered why Dickson was crying more than the bereaved on issues that have nothing to do with him.

    He said the governor was dissipating his energy and wasting his time on frivolous matters.

    The APC candidate was alluding to the governor’s claims in a live media chat that the main opposition in the state lacked a validly-elected and qualified candidate for the November 16 governorship poll in the state.

    “As a sitting governor,  Dickson should concentrate more on governance rather than turning himself into a mischief-maker and a busybody,” he said.

    Read Also: Dickson: APC not ready for poll

    Lyon added: “The statement credited to Dickson is unbecoming of a governor; it’s the highest mischief and derogatory of a sitting governor.

    “The APC indeed has a validly elected candidate and he is Chief David Lyon. Governor Dickson is not in a position to discuss APC matters; he should concern himself with the crisis tearing his party, the PDP.

    “It is only INEC that can talk of parties’ candidates being validly nominated or not. Indeed, Chief David Lyon is the Candidate of the APC.

    “This clearly shows that Governor Dickson hand is behind some failed APC aspirants’ desire to cause confussion in APC but they have failed woefully because bayelsains are more informed than they imagined.”

     

  • PDP will win Bayelsa by landslide, Dickson boasts

    BAYELSA State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has boasted that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win the November 16 governorship poll in the state by landslide.

    The governor alleged that the inability of the APC to produce a validly-nominated candidate boosted the chances of the PDP at the forthcoming election.

    A statement signed on Wednesday by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, said the governor spoke while inaugurating five new special advisers in Government House, Yenagoa.

    Dickson said no amount of propaganda, intimidation and financial inducement would stop majority of the people from voting for the PDP.

    He, however, said despite the traumatic post primary election crisis facing the main opposition in the state, his party would prepare very well for the coming poll.

    He said: “We are, preparing the ground to usher in the next administration, and make no mistake, the next administration is going to be a PDP-led administration in our state. Make no mistake, the Ijaw nation has no room for APC, this state is a PDP home.

    “We are the only party that has a validly-nominated candidate for the election. Mark my words validly nominated candidates, that’s what the law requires and the person must be qualified. As we speak, the other side, the APC, does not have a validly nominated candidate”.

    GDickson, who congratulated the new special advisers, described their appointments as a recognition of the important contributions they made in their previous assignments.

    He urged them to join other members of the Restoration Government to mobilize more support for right causes that would promote the continued stability, peace and development of the state.

    The Governor assured that more young people would be appointed into positions of trust in the coming days as part of efforts aimed at rewarding loyalty, dedication and hard work.

    Read Also: Bayelsa polls: Who succeeds Dickson?

    He said: “This swearing-in is just a tip of the iceberg. By tomorrow or next, more young people who have already been identified across the various local government areas and other stakeholders would be brought in as our way of broadening the base of our restoration government. It is also our way of identifying young people who needs to be given responsibility.

    “I implore You all to continue to do what you have been doing, mobilizing support and laying the foundation for a great and prosperous Bayelsa that we have all stood by the last 8 years. By tomorrow or before the end of the week a number of them that were identified will be brought in to be involved.”

    The special advisers are the former Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Sagbama Local Government Council, Michael Magbisa, and his Yenagoa counterpart, Austin Sambo.

    Others include the former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma,Tolumoye Bikikoro,  Pius Andabai-Wareyai and  Ebilade Ekerefe.

     

  • Dickson in romance with Sylva for soft-landing, says APC stalwart

    Ex-militant leader and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Eris Paul has alleged that Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, was in strange romance with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, to negotiate a soft landing for himself.

    Paul, who is fondly called Oguboss, in an open letter called on the APC leader to thread with caution in his dealings with Dickson accusing the governor of persecuting members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Addressing Sylva, the ex-militant leader said: “Your new friendship with Dickson is veined and not blue from the usual cool. Sealing my lips does not close my eyes, victories are not won by people on knees around you.

    “Peremabiri community is having a court case with Henry Dickson, our chiefs were forcefully arrested and taken to court in the night for not supporting him.

    “We vigilantly still stand threats from the almighty Dickson every day, when you think of soft landing for a man who never bears soft landing for his own state, please also consider the place of your followers.

    “13 persons were sacked in my family from the civil service, including my biological parents, my country home in Yenagoa was bombed. Attacks on my life have been ceaseless for over seve  years.

    “I am saying  that the scars of others should not be forgotten and teach us cautions. If we were not all loyal and forced to wear a bulletproof or distrust before now, we would have not been commanding so much respect from the people.

    “Your Excellency Chief Timipre Sylva Sir, can i ask for caution, or insist for some form of carefulness with Henry Sariake Dickson?  Henry Sariake Dickson visits you in your Abuja resident or has been on his knees begging for soft landing does not make him a loyalist or your friend

    ‘Having a normal knees would make life more easier for Dickson, but not like the knees of someone shedding crocodile tear.  Sariake Dickson is begging you but his supporters are pulling the hairs off your followers in Yenagoa.

    “Remember that some of us have left all the luxury of the state capital, including our families, to the village. Despite that Dickson is attacking us & our communities till date”.

    But the People’s Democratic Party Youth Network (PDPYN) described the claims of the ex-militant leader as untrue and called on Bayelsans to ignore the rumour peddled by unscrupulous characters.

    The Secretary-General of the PDPYN, Mr. James Oputin, urged Bayelsans to ignore the unfounded rumour which he described as a product of mischief.

    He said that the politicians behind the rumour were scared of the growing internal cohesion within the PDP ahead of the November 16 gubernatorial election in the state contrary to their expectations.

    Read Also: Dickson disengages special adviser

    Oputin also advised the members and supporters of the PDP to ignore the false story designed to malign the leadership of the party in Bayelsa.

    He said that the surreptitious design to put unnecessary doubts in the minds of well meaning supporters of the party in the state should be resisted.

    The PDPYN scribe said that Governor Dickson and the leadership of the PDP did not need any meeting with leaders of the All Progressives Congress to win the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

    He stated also while it was possible for Governor Dickson to host Chief Timipre Sylva in his capacity as the minister from Bayelsa in the Federal cabinet, it was sad that some APC members were peddling deliberate misinformation to deceive Bayelsans about a meeting that did not take place.

    Oputin stressed that the same set of people from the All Progressives Congress were behind the story that Sylva supported David Lyon because he wanted to give the governorship to the PDP.

    He advised the uninformed people behind the fake story to focus their attention on their electoral campaign rather than the failed attempt to plant discord within the PDP.

    Oputin noted that the PDP and its followers would not be distracted by disgruntled elements of the APC who are battling to divert attention from the challenge of marketing a gubernatorial misnomer as their candidate in Bayelsa.

    He insisted that Bayelsa is the stronghold of the PDP and would continue to remain so.

    He challenged those behind the rumour to prove the veracity of their story by providing photographic evidence of the said meeting to convince Bayelsans or remain silent.

     

  • Bayelsa: Dickson under pressure over zoning, other grievances in PDP

    As Peoples Democratic Party prepares for the November 16 Governorship Election, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that Governor Seriake Dickson is currently under severe pressure to resolve zoning and other disagreements in his party

    FOLLOWING some governorship aspirants’ open disagreement with the process that led to the emergence of Senator Douye Diri as the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the November 16, 2019 Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, Governor Seriake Dickson has moved to reconcile aggrieved members of his party.

    It would be recalled that one of the most influential governorship aspirants in the state on the ticket of PDP, Timi Alaibe, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), had challenged Diri’s emergence as PDP’s candidate in the state. He alleged that the PDP primary in the state was manipulated and held through a flawed process. Aside from Alaibe, some other aspirants and top stakeholders had not only protested the outcome of the primary election but have also reportedly defected to rival political parties.

    Insiders said Dickson, who seemed totally confident that no kind of disaffection or internal opposition would affect the chances of his party negatively, have seen the need to address aggrieved members. A source close to the governor said he has since reached out to the aggrieved members and is determined to keep PDP united during the November elections.

    For example, we learnt during the week that the governor is especially concerned with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s supporters, who are said to be so much aggrieved with the outcome of the primary elections in the party, particularly the choice of the candidate for the Deputy Governor’s seat, that it is being alleged they are ready to work against the party (PDP) in the governorship election.

    Perhaps of greater concern to the party and the governor is the fact that a lot of the active members of the Restoration Group, Governor Dickson’s inner political family, are also bitter over the process that led to Diri’s emergence and more recently the choice of the deputy governorship candidate. An informed observer, Comrade Wilfred Frank Ogbotobo, the Coordinator of South-South Legacy Forum, told The Nation during the week that “unless Dickson is sensitive enough to identify and address most of the aggrieved members of his group and the party at large, the party and his candidate may lose out as these aggrieved members may either frustrate him or be used against PDP’s candidate.”

    As he puts it, “Governor Dickson is sinking. He is now making frantic moves to reach out to stakeholders, having realised his blunders. But I don’t think he will get far. The die is cast. In fact, some of his closest aides have actually openly questioned the rationale for his latest desperate attempts at reconciliation, on the ground that he refused to do the same thing in the first place. Governor Dickson is alone and in panic mode.”

    Assessing the chances of PDP with Senator Diri as the flagbearer, Ogbotobo said; “Senator Douye Diri ticket can’t fly and Governor Dickson has seen the handwriting on the wall.

    “In the first place, Senator Diri’s candidature doesn’t have the full support of even the governor’s own group, the Restoration Group; and that is a major setback. Secondly, his choice of Senator Ewrujakpor as running mate is also a big disappointment to his own kitchen cabinet. This is because of the area of Bayelsa state he came from. And, it is an open secret that this senator Ewrujakpor is being used to facilitate the governor’s selfish agenda after leaving office.

    “So, I don’t think the issue of not conceding the deputy governorship slot to former President Goodluck Jonathan will be a major factor in the prospects of the PDP in the governorship election. In the first place, Jonathan has no solid political structure for those seeking refuge to launch any political ambition in Bayelsa PDP.

    “Moreover, even in his Ogbia Local Government Area, he couldn’t point to any tangible legacy to support his claim to any form of entitlement.

    Rather, PDP will lose the governorship election due to the abysmal failures of the Seriake Dickson administration and the wrong outcome of the candidates due to Dickson’s dictatorial decisions and actions,” he said.

    Tipping All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the election, Ogbotobo said: “As a party, APC is happy that Bayelsans have awakened to the truth about Dickson’s lies and unprecedented incompetence and failure.” He said APC’s is reaping from the development, pointing at the fact that the party has been welcoming top politicians from PDP defecting ‘in droves.’

    But recent actions of PDP leadership, both at the national level and within the state, have confirmed their acknowledgement of the ugly situation and their willingness to resolve the matter before the Election Day. For example, the PDP national leadership, last week, revealed that it has started reconciliation efforts in both Bayelsa State and Kogi State. It also said the efforts to reconcile aggrieved aspirants in the recently held governorship primaries in the two states had already yielded some positive results.

    Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, who made the declarations, said in a statement that “the party would not allow grievances to destroy its grassroots structures in both Bayelsa and Kogi states ahead of the elections.” He urged the members of the party not to be afraid. “The PDP assures that it is leaving no stones unturned to ensure that all aggrieved members are appeased so that our party faces the elections as a family,” he stated, adding, “members and supporters have nothing to fear as reconciliatory efforts in the aftermath of the governorship primary elections in the two states are yielding immense results and further strengthening its structures and formation as one big, united and formidable family.

    In Bayelsa in particular, it seems Governor Seriake Dickson and his party, the PDP, did not need to be told before commencing a reconciliatory process to resolve grievances that arose from the contentious primaries.

    A statement by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, had confirmed that some of the aspirants had held some crucial meetings with the governor after the election which produced Senator Douye Diri.

    Some of the aspirants, who are believed to have met with Dickson, include the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd); Keniebi Okoko, the Chief of Staff in the Government House, Talford Ongolo, among others.

    Zoning politics

    Although it is still an unwritten rule, zoning arrangement has become the political code in Bayelsa State since 1999 when the country returned to civil democracy. This explains why stakeholders have anchored some of their agitations on zoning in the forthcoming election. Interestingly, the two leading political parties, the ruling PDP and the main opposition, the APC, chose their governorship candidates from the same zone. Curiously, this has not totally rested the issue of zoning.

    As soon as the political whistle was blown for this year’s governorship election, the issue of which of the three senatorial zones should produce the next governor took a central position. It would be recalled that Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises of Brass, Nembe and Ogbia LGAs; Bayelsa Central Senatorial District has Yenagoa LGA, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs while Bayelsa West Senatorial District has Sagbama and Ekeremor.

    It is on record that it was Bayelsa Central that produced Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha as the first democratically elected governor of the state. He came from the Southern Ijaw LGA.

    It is also on record that D.S.P Alamieyeseigha’s Deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, hails from Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa East Senatorial District. Jonathan succeeded Alamieyeseigha as governor. Jonathan later emerged the Vice-President of the country before his election as President. When Jonathan left for the centre before the expiration of the zone’s tenure, the same Bayelsa East Senatorial District produced Chief Timipre Sylva who hails from Brass as governor in 2007.

    In 2012, the argument of where the governorship would be zoned was revived. While some argued then that Bayelsa West Senatorial District, comprising Sagbama and Ekeremor is the only zone that was yet to produce a governor, others said Bayelsa East is yet to exhaust its eight years tenure.

    Eventually, Henry Seriake Dickson, from Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa West Senatorial District, emerged the governor.

    Eight years after, the issue of where the governor should come from naturally became an issue. Even when PDP and APC got their governorship candidates from the same zone, it was gathered that zoning of the slot of the running mate became a big issue, especially in PDP.

    This explains why, as at the morning of Friday, barely three days the Independent National Electoral Commission’s PDP’s candidate was still not certain. On Wednesday, PDP candidate, Diri, who visited the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Yenagoa, evaded the question when reporters asked him the name of his running mate. All he could say was, “If you go to the INEC website, you will know who my running mate is.

    “I ran primaries; after the primaries, I ran under a platform which is my party, the PDP.

    “And the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers me to nominate a running mate.

    “And when I do that, I’m not doing that alone; I’m doing that through my party.

    “And my party has the responsibility of forwarding that name to INEC and it is only when INEC has published that he becomes my running mate.

    “And that’s why I’m referring you to INEC website.”

    Observers see this as a confirmation that the zoning intrigues may have remained unresolved in PDP. If this is true, it remains to be seen how it will affect the fortunes of the party.

     

  • How my successor will emerge, by Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor  Seriake Dickson has listed the qualities expected from his successor. He said the person should possess courage, focus, capacity and compassion to protect the collective interests of the Ijaw nation.

    The governor, who spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital, at the weekend, said owing to the challenges facing the state, Bayelsa could not afford to have what he described an establishment errand boy as governor.

    He also emphasised that the next governor should have a clear agenda and be God-fearing to serve the people with humility and compassion.

    He said: “The next governor of the Ijaw nation must be courageous. He must be ready to defend the Ijaw nation at all times. He must not be the errand boy of any ethnic group. I will be sad to see the governor òf Bayelsa playing just politics, without being able to take a decisive position on issues.”

    Dickson said he had raised the standard of governance in Bayelsa and promised to publish an audited account of his eight years stewardship, in line with his administration’s policy of accountability and transparency.

    He said: “The shoes I am leaving behind are very big. Posterity will judge.

    “Only very few of the people who come to talk to me have the interest of the state at heart. There is no free money to give anybody in Bayelsa. Don’t kill for anybody. None has the power to make you a billionaire.

    “Our people are oppressed. We have a lot of stories to tell Nigerians. When it comes to speak for the Ijaw nation, I have not been found wanting. I want that tradition to continue. I want my people to be safe.

    “More, than any other time, Bayelsa needs a governor with the requisite courage to lead the Ijaw nation. What is at stake is your destiny and survival. Our people are Balkanized into small units from Ondo State to many many other states.

    “In the Niger delta, the Ijaw voice must be heard. I hope those buying the forms are aware of the enormity of the responsibilities of being the governor of Bayelsa state.”

    Dickson attributed the peaceful atmosphere in state to the new culture of tolerance and maturity, promoted by his administration in the last seven and half years.

    He commended the political class for the peace in the state, in spite of the multiplicity of aspirants. The governor expressed the hope that all political parties and candidates would abide by the rules for the greater good of the state.

    He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has many governorship aspirants because it remained the only solid and robust platform that could win election in Bayelsa.

    He described the development as a testament to his democratic style of governance where people are allowed to pursue their ambitions without any form of interferance.

    Dickson said: “In spite of the multiplicity òf aspirants, we have a new political culture, there is no incidence of violence. I am happy that the state is growing politically.

    “I want to see more engagement, I want to see people talk about their dreams and visions, I want to see more of the issues being addressed. The fact that you have 21 or so aspirants gives the clarity that PDP is the only party that can guarantee success; the platform that can connect with our people.

    “It tells a lot about the capacity of the party and the leadership that I have provided to make it attractive”, he said.

    On the council poll, Dickson decried the desperation of some politicians, who according to him, did not mean well for the state.

    He said the election would hold as planned by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

    The governor also pointed out that the boycott of the council election by the main opposition party, APC would not in any way affect the credibility of the poll.

    He added: “What happened was unfortunate. It showed the desperation of some politicians in the state. I know people who are planning to forge identities of delegates. You can imagine how they can come within the party to frustrate local government election”.

  • PDP primary election: Dickson convenes meeting of party’s elders

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has convened a crucial meeting of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Elders Council ahead of the party’s governorship primary election.

    The Chairman of the Council, Air Vice-Marshal Larry Koinyan, in a statement at the weekend said that the meeting would hold on Tuesday at the Governor’s conference room, Government House, Yenagoa.

    Koinyan said former President Goodluck Jonathan and prominent PDP elders were expected to attend the meeting.

    Read Also: Why I want to succeed Dickson,by SSG

    He further called on all the statutory members of the council inaugurated in line with constitutional provisions to attend the meeting.

    He explained that the maiden meeting of the council would hold with the entire PDP State Executive Council led by its Chairman, Chief Moses Cleopas, in attendance.

    Koinyan said that matters concerning the September 3 primaries of the party would be discussed at the meeting.

     

     

  • Abubakar, Obasanjo, Jonathan, others for Dickson’ mother’s memorial cancer centre launch

    BAYELSA State Governor, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, is set to organise a memorial service in honour of his mother, Mrs. GoldCoast Dickson as well as the formal presentation of Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

    The late Mrs. Gold Coast died of Lung Cancer on August 8, 2018, at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas, United States of America seven months after being diagnosed of the ailments.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, said in a statement at the weekend that the memorial service scheduled to take place at the country home of the Dicksons, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area, would be followed by a formal presentation and launch of the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation.

    Soriwei said the event scheduled to hold under the chairmanship of former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, would have former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former President Goodluck Jonathan as Special Guests of honour.

    He said that HSD Foundation was being set up by the governor in fulfillment of his promise to raise a cancer awareness centre, the Goldcoast Dickson Cancer Centre, to tackle the cancer scourge in the Niger Delta communities and in other parts of the country.

    Read Also: Dickson’s headache in Bayelsa

    Soriwei said that the cancer centre would render the invaluable service of spearheading a well-coordinated action against the killer disease especially through early detection, treatment and dialysis.

    He said the Dickson family would also carry out a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the commencement of the construction of the cancer centre deliberately designed to be the most resourceful centre against the endemic nature of cancer in the society.

    He stated further that the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic, Prince Uche Secondus, his All Progressives Congress Counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum,  Dr. Kayode Fayemi and all governorsare expected at the event in which the Amayanabo of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diete Spiff and Hajia Maryam Abacha, would be father and mother of the day respectively.

  • Protest as Dickson unveils preferred governorship aspirants 

    BAYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson drew the ire of residents and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a statement containing names of his preferred aspirants for his party’s primary election ahead of the November governorship poll.

    Dickson’s political family, the Restoration Caucus of the PDP, in a statement by the governor’s Special Adviser, Feynman Wilson, named only three persons as members of the caucus that had indicated interest to pick the governorship forms.

    They are the Chief of Staff, Government House, Talford Ongolo, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Kemela Okara and the Senator representing the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Senator Douye Diri.

    But no sooner had the government released the names that residents took to their social media platforms to criticise and reject the governor’s choice.

    The residents, especially members of the PDP, described the three aspirants as unpopular and stingy, saying the party should be prepared to lose the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) if it settled for any of them.

    Most of the commentators, who said they would not allow any stingy person fly the PDP flag, added that it was inconceivable for the governor to contemplate any of the three names as his successor.

    They urged the governor to drop the idea or they would be forced to vote for the APC.

    One of them, Onitsha Miepanmo, wrote: “Dickson is a good man and has a golden heart for the Ijaw People. He cannot afford to see Bayeslans suffer after his successful two terms in office. But I was shocked to see an official statement regarding the coming governorship election.

    Read Also: Dickson employs 335 professionals

    “The announcement of three aspirants as preferred candidate among so many vibrant aspirants inside the PDP that will continue the good works started by the Restoration Administration is uncalled for. I believe Dickson doesn’t have hand in these so-called stingy preferred candidates.”

    Ibifaa Princewill said the governor would play into the hands of the opposition if he decided to work for any of the three aspirants to become the PDP candidate. Collins Baker described them as “worst aspirants”.

    A known leader of the PDP, Tokpo Coronation, said none of the persons mentioned in the statement could win an election.

    But Wilson said following the release of the statement, the restoration caucus had begun the process for selection of the party’s candidate for the November 16 governorship election.

    He said the decision was taken in a meeting under the leadership of Dickson, following the successful conclusion of the three-day fasting and prayer organised by the state to seek the face of God.

    Wilson, however, added that indication of interest by the three persons did not preclude other interested members of the Restoration Team from picking their forms.

    He explained that all such members interested in the governorship would be required to present themselves to the party and the caucus for necessary engagement.

    Wilson thanked members of the Restoration Team for their steadfastness, discipline, dedication and commitment to the affairs of the party and the administration over the years.

    He stressed that the team, which controls over 80 per cent of the PDP in Bayelsa, was the only group that had the cohesion, strength and capacity to win the next governorship election.

  • Nobody can take Bayelsa governorship by violence, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Saturday vowed that nobody would take over the state’s Government House by force at the forthcoming November gubernatorial election.

    Dickson further proclaimed that the people of the state would never elect a godless person as their next governor.

    He spoke at the conclusion of a three-day prayer and fasting programme organised by the state for the 2019 gubernatorial election at the Ecumenical Centre, Yenagoa.

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    The governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, said that the position of governor was not for those who were poised to grab it by violence but for a person who appreciated the place of God in human affairs.

    He said the state would never again experience governance by cult elements, crude and brutal human beings, whose aim is bloodletting, killings and violence.

    Dickson restated his call to the people of the state to resist cultists who could use the temptation of political offices to lure the youths in dangerous occult practices.