From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
Former Minority Leader in the Bayelsa State Sixth House of Assembly, Hon. Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha, (WAD) has called on Governor Douye Diri to call his political appointees, and incumbent lawmakers of Ekeremor Extraction to order for not heeding his directive to stop campaigning before elections.
Hon. Dauyegha stated this in an interview with journalists in Ekeremor Town, while reacting to a purported meeting of CDC Chairmen and some ambitious politicians who converged on Ekeremor Council Secretariat in Ekeremor Town on Thursday, September 18th, 2015, for a campaign dialogue for some prospective aspirants gunning for the Bayelsa West Senate and re-election bids into the State House of Assembly.
The former lawmaker lambasted the group describing them as political jobbers who do not mean well for the people as they were only Interested in stomach infrastructure and not for the good of Ekeremor people.
“They say the meeting is for CDC Chairmen but look at the pictures on social media. Not one CDC was on the high table. It was a political meeting to endorse the ambitions of their sponsors: the likes of Sylbriks Obriki, Fred Agbedi, Heineken Lokpoobiri, Dein Binadoumene, Japan Odorji, and two serving lawmakers of Ekeremor Constituency 1 and 2 – Hon Tare Porri and Hon. Living Mitin amongst others, for the Bayelsa West Senatorial Seat and re-election bid into the state Assembly.
“INEC has warned against such open campaigns before elections. Governor Diri too had earlier warned political appointees in the current ASSURED Prosperity Government. Such as Dein Binadoumene and Japan Odorji, among others to stop heating up the polity on this vexed issue of zoning or merit in Bayelsa West and early campaigns.
“What they are doing is to pit Governor Douye Diri against Senator Seriake Dickson. And if this is not nipped in the bud, early enough, this can snowball into a full blown open conflict between the senator and his protege, the governor.
“Just like what happened in Rivers State between Barr. Nyesom Wike and Governor Sim Fubara. This can lead to a State of Emergency in Bayelsa if not checked now.” WAD cautioned.
Hon. Dauyegha alerted that Sagbama and Ekeremor people are one and United for good governance adding that the open use of the Ekeremor Council Secretariat Hall for such campaigns gives credence to the fact that persons in the Prosperity Government of Governor Diri are sponsoring this move to create a clash between Governor Diri and Senator Dickson.
He reiterated that Senator Dickson is delivering at the Red Chambers and should not be distracted by those plotting their own selfish political agenda without any recourse to track records of merit and dedicated service which Senator Dickson has displayed with competence and commitment for the Izon cause at the National Assembly through bills and motions that have caused national stirs.
The former Bayelsa lawmaker, disclosed that he was happy that the so called Ekeremor stakeholders, gave credits to Senator Dickson, in their meeting, admitting his many contributions to the development of Ekeremor Communities with the construction of the Sagbama/EKeremor road, citing the Agge Sea Port, upgrade and relocation of Bayelsa Polytechnic, to its permanent site in Aleibiri as well as empowering uncountable numbers of Ekeremor sons and daughters through appointments and contracts, while her served as Governor.
WAD urged them to support the government of Governor Diri as Senator Dickson is doing, rather than use their appointments in the Diri-led administration to orchestrate hate speeches and divisions in Bayelsa West District.
He called on CDC Chairmen in Ekeremor communities to be vigilant as they are only being used by these political jobbers to push their selfish agenda and not to bring development to the area, which should be the primal focus.
“CDC Chairmen should ask themselves. What have these political persons who conveyed the meeting done for Ekeremor people up to what Senator Dickson has done? Some of them had even got presidential appointments when President Jonathan was in Aso Rock, served in the Red and Green Chambers; and they could not even attract developments to Bayelsa West District the way Dickson has done, not to talk of empowering even a single Ekeremor indigene in their communities.
“And they want to be voted as Senators, Governor or come for Assembly re-election? No way. The people are wiser. The talk of zoning is a concluded matter. On merit we stand. They agreed that Senator Dickson has done well, so on merit we shall re-elect him again by God’s grace and by popular manadate.
Hon Dauyegha concluded as he urged all Ekeremor sons and daughters to rally round Senator Dickson while calling on Governor Diri to call his appointees to order once again against this continued campaigns of calumny by these pundits as his silence on this issue might be interpreted as he giving his consent to these shenanigans that can only lead to political unrest in the Bayelsa West rather than attract development.
“Those so called stakeholders who converged on Ekeremor Council Secretariat Hall for the said campaign meeting, have no mandate to speak for Ekeremor people. They were never elected to be a voice for Ekeremor people and as such their jaundiced opinion on zoning holds no water and can’t stand! On Senator Dickson’s merit we still stand!”
