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Tag: Seriake Dickson

  • Dickson orders monarchs to sign peace pacts with candidates 

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has directed traditional rulers and chairmen of Community Development Committees (CDC) to hold peace meetings with political stakeholders and party candidates to ensure violence-free elections in the state.

    Dickson said the community leaders should sign peace pacts with the candidates and their parties to confine their activities within the outcome of the meetings.

    The governor in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, further called on the paramount rulers to be vigilant to ensure that strange faces were not harbored in their communities during the period of the election.

    Dickson stressed that the state would not allow the influx of strange faces brought in as political thugs to foment crisis during the election.

    He said: “Based on the outcome of the State Security Council meeting, all paramount rulers, CDC chairmen are directed to hold peace meetings with candidates and party leaders in their various communities, particularly those that normally have political violence. We don’t want violence in any community because of the elections in the state.

    “They should call the politicians in their areas, and candidates and then get binding undertakings from them. I am directing them to sensitize communities to reject any strange or unknown face brought in as thugs by any candidate or politician to disturb the peace of the communities.

    “The traditional rulers and CDC chairmen are directed to mobilize their communities to ensure that only those who are registered voters from their communities are harbored in their communities for purposes of this election; no unknown faces by any political party will be tolerated. We stand for peace, we must have a culture of voting peacefully.”

    Dickson also said that it was important for the people to recognise that election as a civilian operation that requires the police and civil forces to play their assigned responsibility while the military operates at the outer corridor.

    He explained that the military, who could be assigned the responsibility of escorting sensitive electoral materials because of the terrain, should neither handle electoral materials nor intimidate voters.

    “Our people should know that by the laws of this country, the duty of the military is to be at the outer corridor. Election is a civil operation, with the police and other civil forces playing their constitutional roles, while the military because of our terrain are given support services to escort materials. They are not to handle any material, they are not to intimidate anybody”.

  • Dickson orders monarchs to sign peace pacts with candidates

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has directed traditional rulers and chairmen of Community Development Committees (CDC) to hold peace meetings with political stakeholders and party candidates to ensure violence-free elections in the state.

    Dickson said the community leaders should sign peace pacts with the candidates and their parties to confine their activities within the outcome of the meetings.

    The governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, further called on the paramount rulers to be vigilant to ensure that strange faces were not harbored in their communities during the period of the election.

    Dickson stressed that the state would not allow the influx of strange faces brought in as political thugs to foment crisis during the election.

    He said: “Based on the outcome of the State Security Council meeting, all paramount rulers, CDC chairmen are directed to hold peace meetings with candidates and party leaders in their various communities, particularly those that normally have political violence. We don’t want violence in any community because of the elections in the state.

    “They should call the politicians in their areas, and candidates and then get binding undertakings from them.

    “I am directing them to sensitize communities to reject any strange or unknown face brought in as thugs by any candidate or politician to disturb the peace of the communities.

    Read Also: Jonathan’s kinsmen loyal to Dickson, PDP

    “The traditional rulers and CDC chairmen are directed to mobilize their communities to ensure that only those who are registered voters from their communities are harbored in their communities for purposes of this election; no unknown faces by any political party will be tolerated. We stand for peace, we must have a culture of voting peacefully.”

    Dickson also said that it was important for the people to recognize that election as a civilian operation requires the police and civil forces to play their assigned responsibility while the military operates at the outer corridor.

    He explained the military, who could be assigned the responsibility of escorting sensitive electoral materials because of the terrain should neither handle electoral materials nor intimidate voters.

    “Our people should know that by the laws of this country, the duty of the military is to be at the outer corridor.

    “Election is a civil operation, with the police and other civil forces playing their constitutional roles, while the military because of our terrain are given support services to escort materials.

    “They are not to handle any material, they are not to intimidate anybody”.

     

  • ‘Dickson’s airport ‘ll attract votes to Bayelsa PDP’

    A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Reuben Okoya, on Wednesday expressed optimism that projects embarked upon by Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson especially the airport project would attract votes to the party in the state.

    Okoya, a frontline PDP governorship aspirant in 2015, insisted that PDP had done very well in the state over the years and deserved victory in the forthcoming elections.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, Okoya said he was particularly happy that the governor made it possible for the first airplane to land in the state describing it as one of the greatest achievements of the PDP government.

    He said: “I am proud of the work that the governor had done to ensure that we get an airport in Bayelsa state, so we must commend him and the PDP for that achievement.

    Read Also: Polls: No life, property would be lost in C/River, Ayade assures

    “Generally, airports are federal projects but the state government led by Governor Dickson decided to take it upon himself to ensure that we have an airport.

    “The benefits of airports are immeasurable; some are intangible you can not feel them. Driving to Port Harcourt everyday you want to fly, is a tough thing to do.

    “So, those of us who fly to Abuja, Lagos consistently will be able to drive 30 to 20 minutes to our airport and fly. Let us commend the PDP. If for no other reason Bayelsa should vote for PDP just for this airport accomplishment”.

    Okoya said he went round the state to campaign for the candidates of the PDP and appealed to voters not to experiment with a new party in the coming elections.

    “PDP has done very well for Bayelsa state, so PDP needs to keep ruling and running Bayelsa state. The success of the party needs to be rewarded by people coming out to vote for PDP en masse.

    “The record of achievement is all over the state. You can see it everywhere, I don’t want to go into details. But I want to employ the people to please vote for PDP for continuity, for success.

    “Let’s not experiment the new parties because we don’t know them very well. Let’s take what we have and try to make it better because there is no family that is perfect. There are always issues, debates, disagreement but ultimately when family sit down together we can always come together and make progress and success”.

  • Dickson: Nigeria heading for constitutional crisis if…

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson on Monday warned of a looming major constitutional crisis if the elections failed to hold as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Dickson, who briefed journalists in Government House, Yenagoa, said there was a need for all stakeholders to work collectively to avert the crisis.

    To avert looming succession crisis, Dickson suggested President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately convened an expanded emergency meeting of the National Council of State.

    He said the meeting should have the service chiefs, INEC, political party leaders and their candidates and other major stakeholders in attendance.

    He said the stakeholders in the meeting should resolve on the new date for the postponed elections, adding that INEC was wrong to have unilaterally chosen next Saturday for the rescheduled poll.

    He cautioned leaders against name-calling, appealing to them to work in the interest of the country to avoid plunging Nigeria into avoidable succession crisis.

    He said it was unpatriotic for anyone to be calling for the removal of the INEC chairman, adding the country would be on a crossroad if two critical institutions of INEC and the Supreme Court were undergoing crisis at the same time.

    According to the governor: “This postponement belittled our country. It doesn’t show us as a serious country. Unless all stakeholders drop the habit of name-calling and claiming to be rights, we are moving close to a major constitutional crisis.

    “If anything should go wrong, we will have a full blown crisis; crisis of succession at a time the Supreme Court is also undergoing crisis.

    “We should not call for the removal of the INEC chairman. If INEC is in crisis and the Supreme Court is crisis I don’t know where we are headed.

    “I call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader of the country to convene an emergency meeting of the National Council of states to enable service chiefs and the INEC brief stakeholders on their preparations.

    “The meeting should involve the political party chairmen with the presidential candidates to examine the developing scenario which may plung our country into crisis. I believe that if we all sit down and know the circumstances, we should agree on a new date.

    “I disagree with INEC unilateral announcement of Saturday as a new date. I do not believe that all the challenges that INEC has can be resolved within six days.

    “A more sensible approach is needed. Our nation cannot afford another postponement”.

    The governor recalled that few hours to the postponed elections, Bayelsa did not have ballot papers for Presidential elections and stamps to authenticate votes.

    “Even now I am told there are issues of unserialised ballot papers”, he said adding that stakeholders expected customization of electoral materials.

    Read Also: Dickson: APC leaders don’t want me to receive Buhari

    The governor further commended Buhari for calling on security agencies to deal ruthlessly with troublemakers during the election.

    He said by such presidential directive, security agencies should no longer be encumbered from doing their jobs without fear or favour.

    He also disagreed with INEC on suspension of campaigns saying that his party would continue to engage the people in accordance with the established law of the land.

  • First aircraft lands in Bayelsa International Airport

    …..Governor Dickson says airport built with N65b

    ….Faults claim by Senator Heineken Logbobiri

    Twenty-three years after it was created the first aircraft on Thursday landed at the Bayelsa State International Airport.

    The 3.5 kilometer runway airport according to the Governor, Seriake Dickson was built at the cost of over N65 billion.

    Dickson said it is the first aircraft to land in any airport in Izon land, the heartland of the Ijaws.

    He said the clarification over the cost of the airport project had become imperative because of allegations peddled by Senator Heineken Logbobiri who said the project gulped between N120 to N150 billion.

    The senator had alleged that the airport was flooded.

    Speaking at the airport when an Air Peace Embraer Regional Jet that flew from Lagos landed at the runway, to the tumultuous welcome of Bayelsa indigenes, Dickson said the facility will open the state to the world; through attraction of investments; export of agricultural produce; tourism and other economic activities.

    Dickson said he was more than excited to receive the first aircraft into the airport as a Valentine gift to the good people of the state as well as a fitting achievement to commemorate the seven years anniversary of Bayelsa.

    He said the project was conceived, developed and built with scarce resources from Bayelsa State Government at austere times like this.

    He said its completion is part of the promise of his administration to accelerate the economic development of Bayelsa State, which deserves a better deal in the Nigerian project.

    He said the airport will resolve inconveniences associated with connecting flights by Bayelsans through neighboring states.

    Dickson said the Federal Government which promised to build an airport terminal in the state reneged in its promise, a development, he said pushed his administration to think out of the box to deliver the project.

    He said previous efforts by other governors to have done this did not materialize, hence the zeal and deterministic. By his administration to complete the airport in record time.

    Though the airport has not been officially commissioned, Dickson said a date will be fixed to celebrate the infrastructural revolution in Bayelsa State.

    Dickson said the airport will generate jobs for thousands of Bayelsa indigenes and others who are poised to contribute to the economic development of the state.

    He said though work in progress , some issues about the airport concerning compensation to host communities and contractors were yet to be resolved.

    He commended aviation agencies including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) for this cooperation and relevant approval for the project.

    Also speaking, the Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace, Mrs Toyin Olajide commended Bayelsa State Government for the feat assuring that the Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) signed with the state will facilitate regular flight services on the route.

    She urged people of the state to take advantage of the fight services to stimulate business for the state.

    She said the airline like the state government has scored many firsts by venturing into feats that have accelerated economic growth for Nigeria.

    Also speaking, Senator Ben Murray Bruce said Bayelsa International Airport will stimulate economic growth for the state ; attract investment opportunities and boost tourism.

  • Lokpobiri lied to Buhari on Bayelsa airport, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has debunked the claim by the Minister of State for Agriculture Senator Heineken Lokpobiri that the Bayelsa International Airport was built at N120bn.

    Dickson said that it was most unexpected of a person of the status of a Minister to feed the President and public with false information inspired by bitterness.

    Dickson, in a statement by his Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, explained the Bayelsa Airport was built at N60bn and not some imagined figures being dangled by Lokpobiri.

    He said the contract for the Airport was executed by Dantata and Sawoe, a Nigerian firm which could be contacted for the contractual sum.

    The governor said that while it would have been proper to ignore Lokpobiri and the imagined figures he dished out to the President and other Nigerians during the APC Presidential rally in Yenagoa, it was important to put the records straight and to spare the society from the mischief of misinformation.

    Dickson also faulted the claim by Lokpobiri the airport was a seasonal facility which was affected by the last flood in the country.

    He said that the airport equipped with the most standard and longest run away in the country was built with the 2012 flood which devastated parts of the country in mind.

    He said that the claim by Lokpobiri the airport was flooded last year was a failed attempt to discredit the achievements of the Restoration Government led by Dickson.

    Read Also: Dickson raises fresh security concerns ahead of polls

    He said: “The Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, told President Muhammadu Buhari and the Public that the Bayelsa International Airport was built at a cost of N120 billion.

    “The Minister went further to say that the airport is a seasonal airport which was affected by the flood that ravaged Bayelsa and other parts of Nigeria in 2018.

    “It would have been logical to ignore the claims of Lokpobiri as the rantings of a politician on a mission to cause mischief through misinformation but for the need to set the records straight in the interest of the discerning public.

    “For the records, the Bayelsa International Cargo Airport which is scheduled to have its inaugural flight on Thursday was built at a cost of N60 billion.

    “Lokpobiri’s claim that the Airport which was built with a high runway with the 2012 flood in mind, was flooded in 2018, is even more shocking and indeed gives insight into his brand of politics.

    “It is a fact beyond contestation that the Bayelsa International Airport was never flooded and therefore cannot be regarded as a seasonal airport as claimed by Lokpobiri.”

    “I call on Bayelsans and indeed all Nigerians to ignore the spurious claims being made by Lokpobiri about this celebrated feat in Bayelsa, the Ijaw nation and the nation’s aviation sector.”

  • Opposition leaders distributing arms in Bayelsa, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Saturday accused security agencies of aiding opposition leaders in the state to stockpile illegal arms ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

    Dickson, who was visibly angry while addressing the state in a live radio broadcast, said despite all intelligence and reports he tendered to security commanders, those involved in illegal arms were still allowed to work free.

    The governor, who mentioned specific names of opposition leaders, said the report available to him indicated that arms were being distributed to cultists to cause mayhem and unleash violence on innocent people at the poll.

    He mentioned Brass, Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor and Nembe local government areas as where such arms distribution were ongoing without any efforts of security agencies to investigate and arrest persons behind it.

    He said Nigeria would be qualified for a failed state if people were denied the opportunity to participate in a free and fair process of electing their leaders.

    “A nation where security agencies will collude with criminals and terrorists known for bringing arms to disrupt the election is a failed country”, he said adding that the same characters known for electoral violence since 1999 had continued to destabilise the state.

    Dickson said having managed the most trying period in the state’s and resisted intimidation from opposition leaders, he was worried about theatre of the state after his departure.

    Read Also: Sylva to Dickson: you have no fear of God

    He said after losing the last governorship election and failing at litigations, the opposition leaders took a decision to undermine his government and destabilise the state.

    The governor alleged that the opposition leaders with support from other external forces were planning to turn the state to the Sambisa Forest by tampering with the security architecture through frequent redeployment of security commanders.

    Dickson lamented that most of the opposition leaders were using their position as surveillance contractors to arm cultists for electoral purposes.

    The governor immediately inaugurated a committee of inquiry headed by retired Justice Margaret Akpomimieye with the mandate to investigate the activities of the surveillance contractors in the state and report to the government within 21 days.

    He said even if the security agencies failed to act on the expected report of the committee, he would file it in state’s archive for posterity.

    The governor appealed to the people of the state to reject the APC candidates and vote for the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The governor further asked the people to resist any form of intimidation and warned that election days were not designed for people to die.

    His words: “We have to be concerned about the safety of our voters first before anything else. It is the job of security agencies to guarantee the safety of voters. A country where lives and property are not protected is a failed state. That is a ‘shit hole’ country so nobody should blame President Donald Trump when he said, African countries are presiding over ‘shit hole’ countries.

    “In this country, we have had several instances where security men and women in uniform collude with criminal and terrorist in rigging elections and undermine the peace and stability of states like Bayelsa.

    “We now have partisan security officials who have become an armed wing of the ruling party. They are not interested in peace, law and order; their concern is more in political conquest than maintenance of law and order in this state.

    “They have undermined the security of this state in such a way that I have lost count of the number of Commissioner of Police redeployed  to the state within a space three months. This is the 10th CP they have sent.

    “I am a governor whose authority has been most undermined in the area of security management of this state. I have records where security officers in Abuja will be calling militants and cult leaders, and how they give cover to their nefarious activities under the pretext of carrying out surveillance contracts.

    “The new law is that if you are an APC members, you cannot be arrested when you kill. As an APC member, you can buy guns, get uniform, camp militia, kill and nothing happens.”

    When journalists visited the state secretariat of the APC to get reactions from the party since most names mentioned by Dickson are members of the party, the state Chairman, Jothan Amos, said he was too busy to speak on the matter.

     

  • Breaking: We have no presidential candidate- US

    The Consul General of the United State ( US ) to Nigeria, Ambassador John Bay on Thursday said the United States was only interested in free, fair and credible elections in the country.

    Bay, who restated the commitment of the US to violence-free electoral process, insisted the US was not supporting any candidate in the February 16 Presidential election in the election country.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor òf Bayelsa State on Media Relations Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the US Consul General to have made the comment while paying a courtesy call on the Governor at the Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday evening.

    He noted his delegation was on a tour to the southern states in the country to interface with civil society organisiations, traditional rulers and other political stakeholders on the need for peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections.

    He said: “The US does not have a candidate in this election. We are looking for a free, fair, credible and peaceful process, a process that allows the choice of the Nigerian citizens to come through.

    “So, we are going to spend some time with the governor and chat about different things we might be able to do to better the situation and anything we can do to help before leaving here for Port Harcourt tomorrow.”

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson commended the efforts of the International community to peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in the country.

    Dickson reiterated his call on the political class to respect the will of the people and make efforts that would renew their confidence in the unity and peaceful coexistence of the different ethnic nationalities.

    Describing Nigeria as a critical member of the international community, he cautioned politicians to be wary of utterances and conducts that could throw the country into avoidable crisis which could truncate the nation’s democracy.

    The governor commended the United States and other members of the international community for living up to expectations by taking proactive measures to forestall breakdown of law and order as well as strengthening the electoral process.

    “We want to thank the US Mission in Nigeria for your services, contributions and for the building of peace as well as promotion of our nation’s democracy.

    “We also want to thank you for always thinking of us and caring about what is going on here in the Niger Delta.

    “I have read about the statements made by your Mission and other international partners concerning the forthcoming general elections. For me and our state, we welcome these interventions. We believe that our country is and should be a responsible member of the international community.

    “As practicing politicians, all of us should conduct the politics and affairs of our country in such a way as to respect the due processes of the law and the elections so that in the end, what we do and say should continue to promote peace and stability in various communities across the country.

    “Nigeria is a critical member of the world community. It is the largest and most populous black nation in the world.

    “So what goes on in Nigeria should rightly be of interest to the rest of the world; and the world is right by not standing by to watch things go bad in Nigeria”.

  • ‘Only PDP candidates can attract development to Bayelsa’

    Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) on Tuesday told the people of Brass Local Government Area to elect candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to attract development to their area.

    Jonah insisted that only the candidates of the PDP had the experience and qualifications to develop the council.

    Jonah, who led members of the PDP to some communities in Brass, part of the East Senatorial District of the state Commissioner for Information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said there was a need to consolidate on the achievements of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    The deputy governor, who spoke on the achievements of the PDP-led government in the state said the party put forward persons known with the track records of performance.

    He described the elections as critical for the sustainance of the legacies of the Restoration Government.

    He enjoined the people not to fall for the antics of those who failed to bring development to them when they had the opportunity to do so.

    He stressed that the PDP was the only credible party with a plan to solve the current economic hardship, insecurity and gross underdevelopment in the country.

    Read Also: Bayelsa receives N10.7bn January allocation

    He noted that no party could rival the good work of the PDP saying that if elected, the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other candidates would truly make Nigeria to work again.

    On his part, the Director-General of the Bayelsa East Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite thanked the people for their support for the Dickson-led administration and the PDP in the state.

    Obuebite, who is also the Commissioner for Education said the people had always stood by the party and expressed optimism that they would do so on February 16 and March 2.

    The communities visited were Akassa, Liama, Egwema and Beletieama.

    Some of those on the campaign train were, Mrs. Remi Kuku,  Victor Sam-Ateki,  Victor Isaiah, Bello Bina, members of the State House of Assembly from the area and their State Executive Council counterpart, among others.

  • Dickson raises fresh security concerns ahead of polls

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at the weekend alleged that some persons were playing politics with the security of the country ahead of the general elections.

    The governor insisted that there was a general concern about the state of law, order and security ahead of the forthcoming elections describing the signs as worrisome.

    A statement signed by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said Dickson spoke in Lagos after receiving the Silverbird Group’s Extraordinary Achievement Award.

    The governor said people expected fair play and hoped on agencies and institutions of state to have the ability of doing their jobs.

    He said: “On the elections, we have expectations and we also have concerns. Expectation that there should be fair play and fair exercise of public power and authority and that the agencies and institutions of state are able to do their job. That the people are not intimidated and harassed during the elections.

    “Let me however alert that the signs are not too good. There are people playing politics with security – what I call the politics of insecurity and the insecurity of politics. It is unfortunate that sometimes people don’t have the courage to do what is right. We have political leaders who don’t give the right directives.

    “We are concerned about the state of law, order and security during the elections. There is also the general concern about the impartiality of the electoral umpires and their agents.”

    Dickson noted that his administration ensured maintenance of peace in Bayelsa and created an environment for development of the state.

    Read Also: Dickson hails Buhari for IG’s appointment

    He said: “Silverbird is another wonderful Bayelsa brand. We are very proud of what our brothers in the Murray-Bruce family have done for our state, our country, Africa and the world.

    “The way the awards have been coming, I feel great that our sacrifice and modest efforts are being appreciated. Political office is all about service and making impactful changes in the lives of the people. So when one is appreciated, you draw encouragement from it.

    “We will continue to invest in the stability and security of our state. I assure Bayelsans that we will not stop working until the last minutes of our tenure. There is still a lot of work ahead.

    “We have built roads, hospitals, bridges, our children are on scholarship and no fewer than 120,000 Bayelsans have been captured under our health insurance scheme. No state in Nigeria has such a robust scheme. Indeed, there is a revolution going on in Bayelsa,” he said.

    Dickson described the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’ Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who presented  the award plaque to him as the president-in-waiting.

    On his part, Atiku lauded Dickson for building quality infrastructure in Bayelsa and for rendering wonderful service to his people and the country.

    He said: “I have been to Bayelsa where I saw world class university, world class roads and infrastructure. Therefore, this award is a befitting one. For those of you who have not been to Bayelsa, seeing is believing. Governor Dickson has rendered wonderful service to people of his state and Nigeria in general”.

    The Silverbird award is the fourth bestowed on Governor Dickson in the last one month. In January, he was decorated by the Daily Asset Newspapers (Governor of the Year), Daily Independent Newspapers (Man of Year) and The Sun Newspapers (Outstanding Politician of the Year).