Governor Seriake Dickson

Okafor Ofiebor/Yenagoa

Governor Seriake Dickson and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, last night, threw last minute verbal punches at each other before the election.

While Dickson accused Sylva of not developing the state after allegedly receiving a total allocation of N847bn from the federation account in five years, (2007-2012), as against N599bn received by his administration in four years, Sylva hit back at Dickson by accusing him of mismanagement of resources of the state so much that Bayelsans schooling abroad had been abandoned to their fate. These came up in a live TV interview in Yenagoa.

Governor Dickson had earlier disclosed that Sylva secured bond and bank loans but were not utilized for the purpose they were secured.

Sylva

Despite that the repayment of the loan, bond and other financial commitments by the immediate past administration is eating deep into the finances of the state, the present administration, in the words of Dickson, has been able to put in place enduring legacies in terms of infrastructure.

Assuring the people of his readiness to improve on his first term achievements, Governor Dickson noted that, in the last three and half years, his administration has built roads, notably among them are the three senatorial roads, construction of bridges, including the first flyover, building of schools with boarding facilities in all the senatorial districts and provision of health facilities.

However, Sylva who also appeared on a similar platform on Thursday night accused Dickson of “banding figures” to deceive Bayelsans; he refused to pay pensioners their stipends because he regarded them as “unproductive and not useful” to the state.

The APC governorship candidate asked Dickson to hide his head in shame for claiming that peace and security are the highpoints of his administration when the Bayelsa waterways have been taken over by sea pirates and kidnappers. “Before senior citizens of the state travel to their country homes, they make arrangement for gunboats to escort they”. He narrated the rising cases of kidnapping of citizens of the state.

Sylva however expressed happiness that Dickson would not be handling security during the Saturday election because the security of the state would have been jeopardized, because according to him, the Governor was incapable of managing anything. He asked voters to use their votes to keep hope alive and vote for change on Saturday.

Dickson on his part said with the various achievements put in place, he has raised the bar on providing good governance, accountability and financial prudence, noting that Bayelsa remains one of the few states in the country that is still living up to its responsibility.

“As I am talking to you now, I have directed the Ministry of Finance to commence the payment of November salaries to civil servants and political appointees”

On why he is seeking re-election, the governor said it was to consolidate on his first term achievements. He, therefore, called on the people of the state to turn out en masse and vote for the PDP that can deliver the dividends of democracy.

Governor Dickson said the people have the opportunity to vote for peace and security, pointing out that, his record of service is before the people, just as the antecedents of the APC candidate, Chief Sylva are known by all.

Warning the youths against being used to foment trouble during the election, the Governor said, his administration is closely monitoring the activities of some people in the state, stressing that, anybody caught in perpetrating criminal activities, including cloning of Permanent Voter Cards, use of fake card readers and other related offences would be prosecuted in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Rolling out his programmes for the civil servants and pensioners, the governor said in spite of the huge allocation received by Chief Sylva while in office, he left behind huge unpaid pension arrears.

He said that, his administration would proffer lasting solution to the clearance of pension arrears now over N10bn, adding that, Sylva created the problem.