BAYELSANS TOLD TO ESCHEW POLITICS OF BITTERNESS, HATRED

BAYELSANS TOLD TO ESCHEW POLITICS OF BITTERNESS, HATRED

 Governor Seriake Dickson has called on Bayelsans to show love and be patriotic towards the state. The Governor made the call while responding to questions at the Monthly Transparency Initiative Press Briefing held at Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa. According to him, for the state to move forward, people need to shun rumuor mongering and eschew politics of bitterness and hatred. 

While also calling on them not to be impatient, Hon Dickson said Government is fully on track to restore the state back to its lost glory and enjoined the people to render support to his administration. Commenting on questions bordering on the redesigning of school buildings to guard against flood, as well as give a breakdown on capital projects and Government’s blueprint for the water sub-sector, the Governor said “The transparency briefing is not about giving details as we expect all ministries to give a detailed account of their activities.

 The foundations of this Government are hinged on openness so I expect all to abide by the rules”, he remarked. He noted that Government’s commitment to the people is performance and announced that his administration will not support memos from Government officials for recurrent expenditures, but that his expectation is for them to generate capital projects. Hon Dickson said that Government’s programme for the water sub-sector is to carry out research studies to enable Government take the best steps to provide portable water for the people, adding that next year the required technology will be put in place across the state. 

The state chief Executive tasked the media on the need to continue to verify facts before going to the press noting that he takes it as a point of duty to read local and national dailies regularly. He said Government’s commitment to revamp the educational sub-sector necessitated the re-establishment of the Bayelsa State Collage of Arts and Science (BYCAS) at Elebele town to enable youths, who do not have the requisite qualification to proceed to University, remedy their papers. Hon Dickson, therefore, called on youths to take advantage of the school to chart a new course for themselves instead of roaming the streets of Yenagoa. He used the occasion to announce the setting up of a committee to fish out relevant graduates working in the Public Service and State Environmental Sanitation Authority to be trained at the Teacher’s Training Institute, Sagbama for redeployment to the teaching profession. Earlier, Governor Dickson commiserated with victims of communities affected by flood who lost valuable items. 

 The Governor disclosed that a high powered Government delegation to be headed by the State Deputy Governor including all the Local Government Council Chairmen, his special representatives in the Local Government Areas and selected commissioners will be set up by Government to provide relief to affected communities. He assured the people that as a Government, it will ensure adequate food supplies in the state as well as other necessities while it will also take steps to curb any outbreak of health hazard due to effects of water borne diseases. 

The Governor pointed out that people from the communities that have been submerged by the flood have been given shelter at the Samson Siasia sports complex, Yenagoa which is to serve as the main refugee camp, while Kaiama, the headquarters of Kolokuma/Opokuma will take care of victims of Odi and Sampou communities.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa state