Achiever Peterson
July 24, 2015 – First civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has said that Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson deserves a second tenure as governor of the state.
Alamieyeseigha who spoke in an interactive session with journalists in Yenagoa, described Dickson’s performance in the last three years as very impressive, visible and commendable. “Under Dickson we now drive to places which hitherto was not possible. We can see changes springing up here and there before the economic crisis hit the country.
“I think he would have done better, but he was ambitious and wanted to achieve everything within four years. If we bring him back for a second tenure, he will be more strategic, he will no longer learn. He will perform more.”
The former governor who is also the Chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP) reconciliation committee in the state, expressed serious concern for PDP followers that recently defected to the rival All Progressive Congress ( APC), saying APC as a party does not even recognised them and that they don’t stand to benefit anything from the party.
“Some members of the party that were expelled did not do well, from evidence available they sponsored opposition parties against their own party and no party will accept that.”
While still insisting that the party was right to do what they did, he said but as elders they have intervened and that those decision has to be reviewed.
“We shall review them, the state working committee will sit down and review it on individual basis. Some of them will be reprimanded, some will admonished and at the end of the day I think the matter will be resolve amicably, PDP in the state is ready to take them back.
“We are operating a party democracy and as long as you are a product of a party, the party is supreme, so you must respect the party. If members sabotage the party, it must have a mechanism to discipline erring members.”
Alamieyeseigha had explained that by the time the party goes into primaries all the noise people are hearing now will die down because it is only one candidate that the party will present.
“ PDP will present a candidate, APC will present their candidate, APGA will present their own other parties will present their candidate, then Bayelsans will better appreciate the alternative presented before them and they will asked themselves question if the really need change” he said.
Alamieyeseigha however said, as a former governor, he could appreciate the problems facing the present administration, noting that in spite of the hash economic realities in the country, Bayelsa is not among the state that is owing salaries .
He urged Bayelsans not to be distracted by the euphoria of decamping as Bayelsa belongs to PDP, assuring the party will be victorious at the end of the day.
“There is no perfect government anywhere in the world, if government programmes and policies are facing challenges, it is not only the executive arms that takes the blame, the House of Assembly is empowered to check the excess of the executives as an oversight function, so if the three arms of government are working in synergy, the people will be carried along and I think we should give governor Dickson another four years to complete the project he has embarked upon and properly hand over in 2020”, Alamieyeseigha said.
