Seriake Dickson has just succeeded in overcoming an internal crisis with the ruling People's Democratic Party and getting elected as governor. Osa Okhomina, looks at the new challenges he now faces.
While the people had resolved to cue into the charge of President Goodluck Jonathan to vote for Hon. Seriake Dickson and wait a little before the Restoration agenda will unfold to change their lives, the Seriake Dickson and the numerous political stalwarts in the Restoration plan have discovered that the journey will not be easy.
The Restoration agenda which was based on four cardinal agenda of massive reforms in the education sector with construction of educational infrastructure, the construction of roads including the completion of the pending three senatorial roads in the state and other road network, the completion of the 500-bed hospital in the state capital and the completion of the abandoned hospital systems in the state, the completion of major infrastructures including the controversial Five star hotel, may have run into hitch before its take off.
Leadership SUNDAY check after the Wednesday inauguration of the administration of Hon. Seriake Dickson, showed that the account of the state was left in the red by the removed Timipre Sylva and the Acting Governor, Nestor Binabo. Sources revealed to Leadership that the last allocations of November and December 2011 collected by the Timipre Sylva led administration was allegedly squandered on settlement of legal fees and lobbying during his last days as a Governor.
When in the days leading to the election, the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson, alleged that the Federal Allocation of over N61billion accrued to the state was used for “Bazaar” by the removed Governor, Timipre Sylva, many though it was mere political battle talk meant to ridicule the perceived enemy.
In his claims, Hon. Seriake Dickson alerted the people of the state and the Presidency of a massive waste of state fund by the embattled Governor, Timipre Sylva. According to Dickson, Sylva mismanaged the State resources and destroyed the master plan for the development of the state.
He claimed Sylva stayed in Abuja and squandered N61billion received as allocation in the last three months. “They stayed in Abuja and squandered N34 billion naira in the month of November last year and another N27 billion naira in December”.
Hon. Dickson said “I am part of you. I will stay here to administer my office as Governor when elected and not stay in Abuja ruling like those in government here are doing. They stay in Abuja and when allocation comes, they come home to share and return again.
Imagine that they received about N34 billion naira in the month of November last year and another N27 billion naira in December. No one came to the state. They shared the money with their allies too, most of them who are not from the state. Those days are over”.
According to him, “the situation in our dear state is what I call arrested development or arrested destiny. No development is taking place in Bayelsa State for now. The people are very desperate and because they know they have not done well, they are afraid.
Instead of using the state resources to build roads and other things, they are buying bombs and training our boys in terrorism. But with your prayers and support, a new dawn has come in Bayelsa. Please, turn out en mass during the election and vote for change. We have to vote out those who are playing bazzars with our resources”.
At the swearing-in ceremony at the Peace Park, the incumbent Governor also admitted that the financial experts hired to look at the books of the state painted a “poor picture” but that will not deter him in his quest to effectively implement his Restoration agenda.
Seriake Dickson in his message of hope to the people after he was sworn-in said his administration will focus on 4-point agenda that will witness the massive infrastructural development, the proactive reforms in the Education sector, security and intolerance to violence and zero tolerance to corruption among officials of government.
Dickson told the eminent indigenes of the state including the First Executive Governor, Chief D.S.P Alameiseigha,the Former NDDC boss, Mr. Timi Alaibe, the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Chief Fred Agbedi, the members of the state Assembly and the numerous women and youth groups, that his administration will have zero tolerance to corruption in the state.
He said the days of corrupt practices in governance is over in the state and that past experiences of funding of a few in the governance of the state and the open display of greed will not be tolerated, “the days of greed at the expense of our people are over.I will work hard to block all leakages and sources of corruption which have been the bane of our development.
I will rather use our common wealth to fund the construction of roads and free education. Use it to promote tourism and generate wealth.”
“We shall use such wealth to generate employment for our teaming youths and to expand our economy. Be prepared my people of Bayelsa State for a fundamental paradigm shift in the system of governance and lifestyle of all of us, particularly public officials in the state with the beginning from me.
I am aware we will face resistance and I will be misunderstood, we will always do what is right in your best interest. To do nothing now about a corrupt and decadent system poses a clear and present danger to the very existence of our state. It will be a great disservice to the Ijaw nation and this will not happen under my watch.
“We will take the necessary decision, and actions however difficult. However controversial and painful. Even when you have a different perspective, which you have a right to hold, be assured that the decisions will be in your best interest. And be assured, I will consult stakeholders regularly”.
Seriake Dickson said though past actions of the sacked administration of Timipre Sylva failed, his administration will ensure that the state of the account will be regularly published for the knowledge of the people. Dickson announced that the education sector is one of his priorities and declared a state of emergency in the sector.
He further noted that the emphasis of his administration will be to construct roads and open accesses to finances of the state. He informed the people that from the initial briefing received on the state of account, it is poor but that they will rise up to the challenge.
On the issue of environmental issues in oil producing communities, Hon. Seriake Dickson described it as environmental terrorism and said his administration will not tolerate it; “as much as we are willing to partner with corporate entities in the state, but we will insist on higher standard and responsible behaviour and citizenship. Similarly, we will not condone irresponsible and criminal act by our people that damage our environment.”
Seriake Dickson assured the people that he will not play politics with development of the state and said all his outlined policies were not political rhetorics but a firm resolve to promote a new dawn in the state, ”a new Bayelsa beckons and I will not tolerate violence and cultism in the state”.
Civil Activists and Political Observers in the state, after a review of the inaugural speech, argued that another set of challenges that will pose some difficulty and determine the success of the present administration would be the sharing of political positions, eradication of corruption and the stop to cultism and violence in the state.
A social critic and one of the anti-Sylva forces in the state, Comrade Tonye Dough, told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY that the years of corrupt practices by government officials and the hydral effect on the people has created a wrong norm that may be hard to check.
According to him, most of those involved in the restoration campaign including the former Commissioners under the administration of Timipre Sylva are part of the Seriake Dickson Journey.
Dough noted that the likes of the former commissioner of Agriculture, Chief DikivieIkhiogha and Health commissioner, Dr. Azibabu Eruani, are “bad wine in a new bottle”. “The new Governor”, according to Dough, needs to be careful and ensure the people understand all his moves and reasons for any policy.
These people are capable of using stolen funds to whip up sentiments among the people and throw the gullible people against the administration”.
Azibabu Eruani, who is among the under-40 politicians that served under the administration of Timipre Sylva, allegedly amasses wealth to kick-start a business empire known as Azikel Construction and others.
Though he denied ownership of the companies, his alleged procurement of a Private Jet showed how much he made. Eruani, as a commissioner of Health,was instrumental to the non-completion of the 500-bed hospital by the Timipre Sylva administration.
Many including some members of the Restoration group have argued that there is the need for an investigative probe into the role played by some key officials of the past administration in the fraud that prevail during Timipre Sylva administration.
But the new Governor may have been prevailed upon to settle and focus on Timipre Sylva rather than others. LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that no probe on corrupt practices have ever been successful in Bayelsa State.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY also gathered from some respondents in the state that the ordinary indigenes of the state, over the years, feel good about an administration when the cash flow is in-exhaustible; “sometimes, they don’t want to know how or where it comes from, they are happy that free cash comes”.
According to some activists, the administration of Timipre Sylva is not totally bad”, but he refused to share the money and failed to use it to provide needed infrastructural development. At that, it was easy for the people to be used to stone him and ridicule him in the face of the world”.
Comrade Tonye Dough argued that the past administrations witnessed the poor attitude of the people to governance. “Check during the Alameisegha problem, he worked well but was not able to spread the state fund at the time he was embattled.
The Anti-Alameiseigha forces moved in and paid the people, they allowed them disgrace Alameiseigha. Jonathan was wise and that is why he is still in the good book of the people. He left behind a huge debt when he was elevated but who remembers that because he paid the people”.
Another acid test for the new Governor would be the issue of sharing of political positions for the numerous politicians involved in the battle for the removal of Timipre Sylva and the victory of the Party at the Governorship poll.
A check at the composition of the groupings that ensure the emergence of Seriake Dickson as Governor are the political group of the President Goodluck Jonathan known as the Grean Movement and the Alaibe group known as the New Vision and Labour Party.
The Alameiseigha group and the newly co-opted Political Parties that adopted the PDP candidate on the eve of the poll including the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) candidate, Mr. Famous Danemoughan.
Politicians in their comments to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY said though politicians have a way to handle issues of sharing; it is evident that “those to share are more than the positions to be shared”.
While some persons believed that Seraike Dickson may shock many of those anticipating some benefits over their contributions during the elections, others argued that those that would be left out may form a dangerous opposition that may return the state to status quo of crisis, political bickering and others that trail Timipre Sylva as a Governor.
Already, a sign of what is to face the administration came few days after its inauguration with the controversial announcement of positions without the knowledge of the Governor.
Two incidents made the incumbent administration of Seriake Dickson react swiftly to issues of claims on political appointments by some politicians desperately seeking positions in government.
The first incident, unconfirmed, happened at the office of the State Sanitation Authority where a known Youth Leader, suddenly appeared and locked up the premises claiming he has been appointed the Chairman of the Authority. The Second incident, which happened on Wednesday, was the emergence of a mysterious press statement announcing the appointment of a new Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
But the Government in quick recognition of the show of desperation by unknown politicians, issued a statement through the new Senior Special Assistant (SSA),Mr. Iworison- Markson,? and urged the people of the state to disregard the report, “For the benefit of the unsuspecting public, the state government wishes to place on record that no such appointment has been made. The public is hereby advised to disregard any information as it concerns the appointment of an SSG. That information is false, misleading and should be disregard in its entirety”
Unlike other states, the peculiar history of Bayelsa State as the headquarters of the Ijaw nation and the influx of people from all parts of the Niger Delta, have led to the deep-rooted nature of violence through cultism. In most arrest made by the Police, 65 per cent are cult related crimes with as much as 14years old culprit arrested.
While efforts were made to curb the activities of the cultists, the Bayelsa Police Command discovered that they are faced with two difficulties.
First is the issue of the involvement of ex-militants in the activity of cultists in the state. During the implementation of the Federal Government amnesty programme in the state, cult groups were recognized and are being paid like the ex-militants.
The State Government under the administration of Timipre Sylva also ensures that the cult groups are patronized and paid heavily. In most political crisis that rocked the state during the administration of Timipre Sylva, cultists were allegedly used to carry out heinous crimes including dynamite attacks and killings.
While many progressive minded individuals argued that the promise by the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson, is a start in right direction to eradicating the activities of cultists in the state, others argued that the present administration should review the terms of workings of the existing Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee headed by Chief James Jephathah to include the provision of empowerment initiatives for the youths in the state and open avenue to settle grievances to reduce issue of conflict.
However, a former lawmaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Deacon Otobo Noah Opusiri has lauded the new policy direction of Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson and described his inaugural speech as commendable.
Deacon Opusiri appealed to all and sundry to allow the governor some breathing space to enable him put together his economic development blue print for the state, adding that the state was in dire need of rapid socio-economic transformation, which he noted, the pair of Hon. Seriake Dickson and his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah are out to achieve.
He reiterated that it would be too early to pick holes in the new administration, adding that a seed planted, first dies in the soil before sprouting up to bud buds and bloom blossom.
According to the former lawmaker, with a declaration of free education, from primary to secondary level, as well as a state of emergency on the educational sector, Hon Dickson, has set the tone of his administration, pointing out that the governor’s four-point agenda which focuses on massive infrastructural development, proactive reforms in the education sector, zero tolerance for insecurity and corruption, speak volumes of the good intentions of the new administration.
Deacon Opusiri, who attributed the emergence of the duo of Henry Seriake Dickson and his amiable deputy, as answer to peace, enjoined the governor and his deputy to rely more on God, even as he expressed hope that the new administration was in the best position to bring about the needed rapid infrastructural development, which had eluded the people for over a decade.
While congratulating the governor and his deputy on their resounding victory at the polls, Deacon Opusiri, thanked President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for the mature way he was handling the affairs of the nation and the fatherly role he played in enthroning a new administration in the state, saying that with the promise by the governor? to conduct affairs of state with zero tolerance for corruption and to put in place all machinery to block financial leakages and sources of corruption, the stage was now set for a new Bayelsa of the our dreams.
Above all these, the issue of governance with a new template in the state may face some difficulty, but how well the Seriake Restoration Agenda will work may depend largely on the two prominent indigenes of the State in position of power, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. TarilaTebipha.