Nigeria, June 14, 2016 – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State today condemned the marginalisation of the state in the area of appointment saying “President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) should tell us our sins.”
The party also frowned at the way and manner the government has been managing the nation’s economy, saying the mismanagement was responsible for the inability of many states to meet its salary and other financial obligations to its workers.
A statement issued in Yenagoa by the State Chairman of PDP, Mr. Moses Cleopas, said it was sad to note that while other states of the federation are being treated fairly, that of Bayelsa is the other way round.
He condemned the Federal Government for not following the federal character principle in line with the constitution.
Chairman of the PDP in the State, Deacon Cleopas Moses in a statement cited the recent list sent to the senate as Ambassador nominees, saying no Bayelsa was among, a clear indication of the personal grudge the APC led federal government has for the state.
He queried the action and reason behind the decision, wondering if Bayelsa State does not have any career diplomat eligible to become an Ambassador. The PDP accused “the once noisy Bayelsa APC” for partly being responsible for the development because of the pain of losing woefully the last governorship election.
Cleopas recalled that Governor Henry Seriake Dickson had raised similar issue recently when he received the Head of Service of the Federation, when he decried the absence of a Bayelsan as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service.
The Bayelsa PDP chairman called on the state APC to immediately apologize to Bayelsans for its role in the lopesideness, adding that their self serving agenda which was also to embarrass former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has also landed them and their leader, Chief Timipre Sylva in uncertainty as they can only boast now of a junior minister.
He also appreciated the state government for the utmost display of good faith in honoring the agreement it had with labour leaders to pay fifty percent salaries of civil servants and pensioners gratuities.
The Bayelsa state PDP in the same vein lauded the restoration government under His Excellency, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson for the decorous and orderly manner in which they have been conducting themselves in this trying times. said that even though the state is being administered by the opposition party, it was wrong on the part of the government at the centre to deny it her legitimate rights.
“What the state can only boast of, is a junior minister, in spite of its contributions to the economic growth and development of the country. We are not being treated as part of the federation, both in terms of appointment and revenue sharing. The Federal government should be bold enough to tell the whole world the sins of Bayelsa state.
“The PDP ruled this Country for 16 years and there is no complaint that any of the state is being marginalized but reverse is the case now, as PDP states are being treated as political “lepers”. We as PDP family, in spite of the insensitivity of the Federal Government to our plight, will continue to contribute our quota to the economic development of the country.”
