Tag Archives: dickson

Herdsmen Will Not Be Allowed To Intimidate Our People- Dickson

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Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State in this interview speaks on how he has been managing affairs of the state, the challenges he has faced and his plans to take the state to greater heights.

Excerpts:

Much has been said about the N14.5b given back to the state by the Federal Government. What is the nature of this payment?

The N14.5b is a refund of excess deductions on account of World Bank, Paris Club and other loans that the federal government took and repaid.

Our federation is a very wonderful one where as state governors you just wait and at the end of the month they come up with whatever figures and throw them at you at the FAAC.

It was discovered that most of what they did at that time were not proper, they repaid with states and Local Government funds, and governors came together to fight for what rightly belonged to their states. This N14.5b was not given to Bayelsa only but to almost all the states of the federation. We have put out the figure as a result of our transparency policy. The money belongs to the state, and we are only privileged to manage the resources.

The civil servants have been very understanding in the last one year when we had to manage a very tough situation concerning our revenues. In January we almost didn’t receive anything because of a combination of so many factors at the national level. For February, March, we were having between N1.5b to N2b for a state that has a wage bill of almost N5b not to talk of the Local Government level. The Local Government situation is very bad, and Bayelsa is one state that since we took over, we have not made any deduction from Local Government funds. We only receive it on their behalf from the joint account and sit in the JAAC with them, and the following day it is released. Local Governments have financial autonomy; it is left for the leaders and the people to hold them accountable.

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Dickson moves to rescue stranded scholarship students abroad.

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The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, is worried about the plight of state’s students studying abroad under his administration’s scholarship scheme.

The students were said to be having a tough time over non-payment of their fees with the schools threatening to expel them.

A human rights activist, Aluzu Augustine, particularly raised the issue of Bayelsa students stranded at the Kings University College, Ghana.

Aluzu raised the concern sequel to a letter addressed to the students by the Registrar of the school, Simion Peter Isekpo, threatening to expel the students if Dickson failed to pay their fees.

The letter said in part: “Management of the university wishes to inform all students being sponsored by the Bayelsa State Scholarship Board that should your outstanding and current fees not be paid by October 15, 2016 deadline, the university would have no choice but expel you from the university on October 16, 2016.

“Also affected undergraduate and postgraduate students who have completed their programme would not be allowed to participate in the forthcoming congregation in November 2016”.

Already, it was gathered that the Ghanaian school banned the affected students from participating in school activities, but had yet to issue a circular expelling them.

“We have been told that the governor is sending a delegation to our school. But for now we have been stopped from taking parts in school activities.

“Those of us in hostels had been asked to vacate. We are just hanging around waiting for the governor”, an affected student who spoke in confidence said.

But the governor was said to be handling the matter including a similar situation in the United Kingdom with urgency through his Senior Special Assistant on Students’ Welfare, Mr. Owoupele Jeremiah.

Jeremiah confirmed that Dickson had directed that funds should be released for the immediate payment of the students to enable them participate in examinations and access their certificates.

He said: “Today the governor told me he had graciously given approval and directive for release of funds to quickly address the payment issues for Kings College, Lincoln and universities in the UK whose certificates are pending.

“A well-structured payment plan has been established to be implemented phase by phase by the board .

“This will allow the government to address them so that their certificates can be released to enable them use same for their various endeavours.

“While some may find this development with skepticism it is intended to let the public know that the government is responsive and willing to deal with issues of development in human capital.

“The resources are lean but with a pyramid of preference the needs will be met eventually. The scholarship board will do the needful and the affected students will receive their privileges restored in the affected institutions”.

When contacted, Aluzu said: “We have been informed by a reliable source in Kings College that the students are aware of the impending visit of Bayelsa state Government to their institution and they are waiting for them. Nothing concrete so far

“We pray the Government truly do something this time around and not just another hokum talk like we witnessed in 2013 because education remains the bedrock of every society”.

Gov. Dickson hails judiciary as APC, Sylva lose at Appeal Court

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The Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has commended the judiciary for its steadfastness in protecting the sanctity of the ballot and upholding itself as the bastion of the nation’s democracy.

Dickson’s comment came on Thursday afternoon following the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the earlier judgement of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, in his favour.

Both the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal upheld the election of Dickson, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the governorship election in the State.

Former Governor of the State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Timipre Sylva, had petitioned the appellate court seeking to upturn the decision of the tribunal. But in its judgement in Abuja on Thursday, the Appeal Court, in a unanimous decision, dismissed Sylva’s petition as lacking in merit and affirmed Dickson’s election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It held that the APC failed to provide credible, cogent and convincing evidence for their appeal.

The five-man panel of justices, led by Justice Olukayode Bada, faulted Sylva on the various grounds of his petition, noting in particular that contrary to the petition, no credible election took place on December 6, 2016 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Sylva had premised his argument on the cancellation of election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area as the sole action of INEC, thereby contravening the law.

But both the tribunal and the Appeal Court thought otherwise.

Dickson, in the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has called on Sylva to stop the flagrant abuse of the judicial process and the needless distractions designed at overheating the polity.

He noted that the judgement indicated that the resolve of the people did not go in vain as he called for greater vigilance to protect democracy in the country.

Dickson, Bayelsa Doctors Meet To Avert Strike

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Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has met with officials of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in the state to avert impending strike by medical practitioners over backlog of five month salary arrears.

The NMA in Bayelsa had on June 6 issued a 21-day strike notice which lapsed on Monday.

The strike notice, dated June 6, was for the three affiliates of NMA in the state.

Dr Israel Jeremaih, the state Chairman of NMA, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Yenagoa that the association met with Dickson on Monday over the strike notice.

Jeremaih said that the NMA executives in Bayelsa had scheduled a congress at the association’s secretariat in Yenagoa to review the ‘offer’ made by the governor and take a decision on the strike.

“Yes, we (leadership) met with Bayelsa Governor on Monday and had discussions, and we shall table the deliberations before NMA congress which will decide on the next line of action,” Jeremaih said.

The NMA noted that the non-payment of salary in Bayelsa since January 2016 had taken a negative toll on the health sector as residents could no longer afford to seek medical attention and compelled to either patronise quacks or resort to self-medication.

Credit: Guardian

Bayelsa Workers Begin Strike Today Over Unpaid Salaries

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Civil servants in Bayelsa State will on Thursday (today) proceed on an indefinite strike over months of salary arrears owed by the state government.

This is just as the 21-day ultimatum issued by workers’ unions to the Bayelsa State Government to pay all outstanding salaries and allowances elapsed on Wednesday (yesterday).

The state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress had issued an ultimatum to the government on Thursday, April 28, 2016.

They had warned that at the end of the ultimatum, they would take an action against the government if it failed to comply with their demands.

State workers are currently owed four months’ salaries with pensioners being owed seven months’ arrears even as local government council workers are being owed 12 months’ unpaid salaries.

The NLC and the TUC, in a joint meeting on Wednesday at their council’s secretariat in Yenagoa, resolved that they could no longer guarantee the existing industrial harmony the state.

The unions said the decision to proceed on strike became imperative as government had refused to yield to their demands to relieve workers of the huge economic pains they were going through.

Bayelsa State NLC Chairman, Ndiomu John-Bipre, and the state TUC Chairman, Tari Dounana, said that the two labour groups in Bayelsa resolved to join the ongoing nationwide strike arising from the hike in the price of fuel and electricity.

A statement by the two groups said, “The council-in-session has also resolved that due to the inability of the state government to measure up to the demands of workers arising from the non-payment of salaries from January till date, workers are directed to proceed immediately on an indefinite strike, taking effect from Thursday, May 19, 2016.

“Workers are by this development advised to stay off their places of work and remain at home as long as the strike may last.”

Credit: Punch

Dickson Behind Crisis In Our Party- APC

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The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday accused Governor Seriake Dickson of being the behind the crisis rocking the party in the state. The Bayelsa APC in a statement signed by its 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 members of the state Executive Committee have been directly 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”.

Credit: vanguardngr

Wike, Fayose Hail Dickson’s Re-election

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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and his counterpart in Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, have declared that the re-election of the Bayelsa State Governor,  Hon. Seriake Dickson is a victory  for  democracy  in the face of unrelenting external forces.
In a congratulatory message to the Bayelsa State Governor, following  his re-election  at the conclusion  of  the  supplementary governorship  election,   Wike  said    the  will of the  people  of  Bayelsa State has prevailed as they have resolved  to remain with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A statement issued by  the governor’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu,  pointed out  that  the  people  of  Bayelsa State exhibited the true Niger Delta  spirit which abhors oppression and injustice.
He said  with the re-election  of Dickson,  a clear message  had been  sent to the dark forces of rigging  and electoral manipulation  that they will never find accommodation  in this geo-political zone.
Wike specifically  commended the good people  of  Bayelsa State for being vigilant all through  the governorship election process, saying  that their hard work and dedication  to  the  enthronement of democracy have been rewarded by the re-election  of a true Niger Delta  patriot.

The governor stated that the people of the Niger Delta remain dedicated  members of the PDP because  that is the only political  platform  that gives Niger Delta issues the priority they deserve,  while the others are only interested in the  pecuniary benefits  which flow from the area.
While rejoicing  with Governor Dickson,  the Rivers State governor expressed confidence  in  the  ability  of  the  Bayelsa Governor to consolidate  on the democracy dividends which he availed the Bayelsa people during his first term.
On his part, Fayose has hailed the re-election of the Dickson, describing it as a demonstration of the resolve of Bayelsa people to choose their own governor and resist imposition of a governor on them by the powers that be in Abuja.
The governor, who described the people of Bayelsa as “worthy heroes of democracy that stood their ground against agents of darkness that were prepared to short-change them by imposing a governor they do not want on them,” said Governor Dickson’s victory was another vindication of his prediction on 20 things to expect this year.

Credit: Thisday

Dickson Applauds Cancellation Of Poll in S’Ijaw, Commends Bayelsans For Their Support

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Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has applauded the cancellation of the last Sunday rescheduled governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government and commended Bayelsans for their resilience at ensuring that the truth prevailed.

Speaking with journalists in Government House, Yenagoa, the governor said had it been the electoral umpire heeded to his advice, it would have saved the nation from the avoidable waste of public funds.

He pointed out that the decision to hold the election on Sunday by INEC was ill advised, taking into consideration the security situation and peculiar nature of the local government area.

The governor expressed regret over the killings and abduction of INEC ad hoc staff and corps members in the area, assuring the people of the government’s commitment at ensuring that they are re-united with their families in no distant time.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to commend INEC at last for taking the right decision. Let me say that, it is regrettable that, if INEC and the relevant authorities had taken my advice, as Chief Security Officer of the state, the incident would have been avoided.

“They didn’t listen to the honest advice that I gave to them, otherwise, the decision to hold that election on Sunday was ill advised. Regrettably, a lot of people have suffered inconvenience, and a lot of public resources have been expended.
“As we speak, we are in the process of working with community leaders and other partners to identify and retrieve youth corps members, who were put in danger for no fault of theirs.”

Credit: ThisDay

PDP Super Delegates Endorse Dickson As Sole Candidate

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Ahead of the September 24 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa State, the party super delegates have endorsed Governor Seriake Dickson as the party’s sole candidate. According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the endorsement was made at a meeting of the super delegates and dinner held at the Yenagoa residence of the Chairman of the Restoration Campaign Advisory Council and former Governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

“The super delegates numbering over 250, include past and present leaders of the party, political office holders (elected and appointed), some members of the state Executive council and members of the state House of Assembly, PDP State working committee, and the leadership of the local government councils, based their support on Dickson’s impressive performance in office…”

Read More: vanguardngr

Don’t Call Buhari ‘Baba Go Slow’, Neither Was It Right For You To Have Called Jonathan ‘Clueless’, Governor Dickson Warns

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The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has warned Nigerians to desist from calling President Buhari ‘Baba Go Slow’ saying a man that occupies the number one seat in the country should not be addressed that way. He said he wonders what those calling him the name stands to achieve and wonders how they want the international community to look at him. He also condemned those who called ex-president Jonathan too clueless saying it was nothing but wrong.

Dickson made this statement yesterday during a news conference at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Hear him;

“What are you saying when you call President Buhari ‘Baba go slow?’ In what light are you putting the President before the international community? When you refer to someone as ‘clueless’, what do you mean?”

Dickson, Alamieyeseigha Not Sent Out Of Otuoke Meeting- PDP

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The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said Bayelsa governor, Seriake Dickson and former governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, were never sent out of PDP Fact Finding Committee meeting in Bayelsa.

This is contained in a statement signed by the PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South and Secretary, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, in Abuja on Wednesday.

It stated that the clarification was necessary following false media reports that the two politicians were sent out of the party’s peace meeting at Otuoke, Bayelsa, on Aug. 1. “I, Ojougboh on the instruction of Dr Haliru Bello, the Chairman Board of Trustee (BOT), who is also the Chairman of the committee, hereby affirm that at no time were these two great party men asked out of the meeting.

“The committee met with the governor and State Exco on one hand, the former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan and the aggrieved party members on the other hand separately,” Ojogboh said.

It stated that the committee had a very good outing which resulted in the recall of the suspended and expelled party members in Bayelsa.

“The recalled members were pleased to return to the party.”

“The party wishes to state that this misinformation is the hand work of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as they are afraid of the outcome of the reconciliation in the party.

“We, therefore, urge the PDP Bayelsa, to discountenance these mischief makers, bind and bond properly as we move to retain Bayelsa in the forthcoming gubernatorial election,” it stated.

Credit: NAN

Dickson, Alamieyeseigha Ordered Out Of PDP BoT Meeting Held In Otuoke With Jonathan

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The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) o Sunday held an emergency meeting at the country home of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Otuoke, Bayelsa State,  it wades into the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

At the meeting, both the state governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, and former governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, were ordered out of the venue by the party leadership.

At the meeting which looked into the recommendations of the National Peace Committee for the state, the acting Chairman of the party’s BoT, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, called on all feuding members and stakeholders of the party in the state to close ranks, while also upturning the decision of the state chapter of the party to expel some prominent members from the party.

President Jonathan was said to been scandalised by the action of the party at the state level, adding that the party cannot afford a major crisis less than five months to the governorship election.

At the meeting which was held at the Jonathan country home amid tight security, some uninvited prominent persons, including those who had already defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), were walked out of the venue. Reports gathered that attendance was based strictly on membership of the board and on invitation.

Those in attendance at the meeting included the BoT acting Chairman, Bello; the Secetary of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibril; the former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu; Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh and Senator Stella Omu.
While some loyalists of the expelled party leaders, including the embattled Chairman of the PDP in the state, Col. Sam Inokoba, claimed that the Chairman of the state reconciliation committee and first governor of the state, Alameiyeiseigha and other party members were barred from attending the meeting due to non-membership of the party BoT.

However, Inokoba and Senator Emmanuel Paulker were allowed into the meeting.

Read More: thisdaylive

Gov. Dickson Denies Plan To Defect To APC

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Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has denied that he was planning to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dickson said this in reaction to claim by Sen. Clever Ikisikpo who defected to the APC on Wednesday in Abuja and announced at the ceremony that the Bayelsa governor was ready to move over to the APC.

However, in a statement issued in Yenagoa by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Dickson described the assertion of Ikisikpo, who represents Bayelsa-East Senatoral District as “uncharitable”.

“Ikisikpo wants to dignify his perfidy and rope Gov. Dickson into his dubious defection scheme,” the statement said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“He is a man who rose from relative obscurity through the platform of the PDP from 1999 as House of Assembly member and later to the National Assembly.

“And, he is serving as a two-term member of the green chambers and from there rose through the shoulders of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate.

“He could not even, as a mark of honour and respect, wait for the president, his benefactor, kinsman and leader of a political party that gave him so much, to leave office before defecting to the APC.

“It shows the height of desperation, treachery, mischief and blackmail perpetrated by some of the so-called PDP leaders, who worked to deny the party victory at the polls even against one of their own.

“As a government, we are not surprised at the action of Ikisikpo and others like him. In fact, the public should expect many more defections in the days to come from those, who worked against the party.

“It is pertinent to state that, their leaving the party is of no consequence to the party’s fortunes. We want to assure them that posterity will be the judge.” Dickson said.

Group Accuses First Lady Of Hiring Thugs To Protest Against Dickson

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A socio-cultural group, Niger Delta Solidarity Forum, NDSF, has alleged that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and her godson and presidential aide, Mr. Waripomowei Dudufa, are planning to destabilise the peace and prevailing stable political atmosphere in Bayelsa State by engaging about 1,000 political thugs to protest against the state governor, Seriake Dickson on the streets of Yenogoa.

The NDSF however said it would “mobilize its members across the entire region and resist any planned street protests in Bayelsa State.”

In a statement issued on Thursday by its General Secretary, Nelson Ebebi, the group alleged that Mrs. Jonathan, along with Dudafa and two incumbent senators from the state intend to cause chaos and confusion by sponsoring street protests in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Read More: dailypost

Assembly Seat Loss: Dickson Fires Commisioner

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The Bayelsa state Commissioner for Sports, Chief Ebikitin Doingoli was yesterday sacked by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson.
Doingoli’s removal was announced on major radio stations in Bayelsa state through a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Iworiso- Markson.

Though no reason was given for his removal investigations revealed that it is unconnected to the State House of Assembly election in Kolokuma/ Opokuma Constituency 2 which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

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

Checks indicated that Dickson who was irked about the loss of PDP at the election believed that some party leaders in constituency contributed to the defeat of the party.

According to investigations Dickson is of the view that Kolokuma/ Opokuma constituency 2 was lost because of disloyalty and he has decided to deal with disloyal members in the party.

The sack of Doingoli is seen as just the beginning as more heads would roll after the deputy governor submits his committee report. Doingoli in an interview confirmed he heard his sack from an announcement by Mr Iworiso- Markson on Glory F.M.

While stating that he has not committed any offence to have warranted his sack, he said he has sent a message to Dickson thanking him for giving him an opportunity to serve the state.

Doingoli admitted that Tarabina is his cousin but exonerated himself from the loss of the PDP at the poll.

According to him he had tried to persuade Tarabina to drop his political ambition but he insisted in contesting on the platform of APGA.

He said “I heard the announcement of my sack on the radio like every other Bayelsans. I have sent a message to the Governor thanking him for giving me the opportunity to serve the state. I believe it has something to do with the House of Assembly election.

Read More: sunnewsonline

Why PDP Lost Power At The Centre – Gov. Dickson

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Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, yesterday, blamed the indiscipline and disloyalty of some party members for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s loss at the federal level.

Speaking in Yenagoa, at the inauguration of a special committee to examine the performance and conduct of the PDP leaders during the just concluded presidential, National and state Assembly elections, Dickson said those indicted by the committee would face dire consequences.

The committee, which is chaired by the state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jonah (rtd), was inaugurated in Government House, Yenagoa and has two weeks to submit an interim report to government.

The governor also tasked the committee with determination and recommendation of steps to be taken against those who worked contrary to the party’s interests during the general elections.

He warned that any member of the PDP, who engages in anti-party activities would be disciplined.

Don’t Come To Bayelsa For Presidential Campaign, Youths Issue Warning To Patience Jonathan

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Again, some Bayelsa State youths have issued a stern warning to the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan, not to visit the state during the Peoples Democratic Party presidential rally on February 5.

The youths from Bayelsa creeks, under the auspices of the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, warned on Tuesday that if the First Lady failed to heed their warning, she would be thoroughly disgraced and have herself to blame.

The warning came a few days after the Bayelsa Youth Vanguard issued a similar statement barring Patience from attending the proposed rally.

Reinforcing the position of the BYV, the creek youths asked Mrs. Jonathan to steer clear of the rally in her own interest.

The youths, in a statement by their President, Mr. Opuyo Engobara, and Secretary, Mr. Warrman Aderi, accused the First Lady of aiding his anointed governorship aspirant, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa, to recruit youths to boo and stone Governor Seriake Dickson, at the proposed rally.

They lamented President Goodluck Jonathan’s silence over the alleged excesses of his wife, wondering whether he intended to join in the stoning of the governor.

They said, “In her last visit to the state, Mrs. Jonathan came ahead of her husband, avoided the state Government Lodge and stayed at Otuoke for three days.

“During the time, she was busy sponsoring Dudafa’s recruitment drive with the intention to go against the governor by booing and stoning him at the planned rally to discredit his administration before the PDP National Executive Council.

“Is President Jonathan using this as a ploy to join Bayelsa youths to stone Governor Dickson as promised (by the President) during his presidential campaign in 2011 and subsequently to oust Dickson’s administration, since he could hardly rebuke his wife in several of her political atrocities?”

The creek agitators insisted that the presence of Patience at the proposed rally would cause tension and security breaches in the state.

They said Patience actions and pronouncement in recent times had allegedly been fuelling crisis in the state.

The youths listed eight sins of Patience and accused her of opening a new secretariat for the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria in the state with an intention to use the group to mobilise against the governor.