Bayelsa poll: Dickson’s kinsmen vow to support Sylva

Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson

Simon Utebor

Kinsmen of the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, have vowed to support the candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress candidate, Timipre Sylva, in the December 5 governorship election.

On Saturday, elderly men, women, young boys and girls trooped out to give a rousing welcome to Sylva in different communities that make up Sagbama, Dickson’s Local Government Area.

They said they had found in Sylva, a former governor of the state, a good friend but in Dickson a bad brother, insisting that “a good friend is better than a bad brother.”

The kinsmen alleged that their son and brother (Dickson) had abandoned them and failed to site developmental projects in their communities for over three years.

In Toru-Ebeni community and other wards in Sagbama, they said they would gladly vote for the APC and Sylva against Dickson.

They expressed disappointment with Dickson’s alleged failure to rehabilitate a school he attended in Toru-Ebeni and to complete a road leading to the community, which Sylva almost finished before he was removed from office.

They spoke when Sylva led a team of APC leaders to Toru-Ebeni community to identify with the people on their annual ‘Ebenimo-oge’ festival.

In Sylva’s entourage were the Director-General of the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation and Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; former Acting Governor of Bayelsa, Mr. Nestor Binabo; former two-time member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Warman Ogoriba and other prominent members of the APC.

Sylva described the community as great and ancient, saying he would develop the area if elected into office.

He expressed dismay that the people could not drive into their community because the road and a bridge he almost completed were abandoned by the current administration.

Sylva said, “I am readier than ever before to govern and develop you. When I wanted to come, I thought we would drive down but we used boats. It was remaining only two pillars to complete the bridge before I was removed. I concluded arrangements to pay N2bn to the contractor to finish everything but I was removed.

“Your son is in government. If he really loves you, why can’t he do it? When you vote us in, within one year, you will drive to this community.”

He said Dickson’s current style of distributing appointment letters was deceitful, alleging that the governor would sack his new appointees after failing to use them to secure a second term.

In his remarks, Lokpobiri said there was hunger in the state and wondered what the governor had done with the state’s funds.

Describing Sylva as a lover of the people, the minister said Sylva’s government would partner with the Federal Government to develop rural areas in the state.              PUNCH