*Detractors twisted the governor’s speech-INC
Worried over the governor’s speech delivered at the Boro day event that was wrongly interrupted by his detractors, the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned in very strong term attempts by some dubious persons to cause disaffection between former President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Henry Seriake Dickson.
Chairman of the party, Sir Cleopas Moses in a statement released in Yenagoa, Tuesday frowned at the negative interpretation of Dickson’s patriotic statement during the 2017 Isaac Boro Remembrance Day celebration last week.
According to him, the governor was quoted out of context by mischief makers who are bent on destroying the existing cordial and enviable relationship between Dickson and Jonathan who remains the leader of the party.
Moses said that Dickson’s unalloyed loyalty and respect for the former president remains intact and cannot be doubted as it has over the years become stronger by virtue of his commitment and disposition.
He explained that the governor’s remark was purely aimed at calling on Bayelsans holding public offices within and outside the state to work together and drag meaningful development to the state through effective collaboration with the state government for the collective good of Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.
He, however, called on members of the party in the state and the people of the state to disregard the antics of the self-seeking politicians and armchair commentators who are only out to celebrate evil.
Also, the Central Zone Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Kennedy Odiowei has said that the Governor statement at the Boro’s day event was a food for thought for Ijaw sons and daughters who did not deed it fit to converge in Yenagoa to honour Boro, the doyen of the Ijaw struggle.
Odiowei regretted that the Ijaw people are no longer holding choice position in the country, despite its contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth.
The Ijaw group blamed detractors for twisting the Governor’s speech, adding that, the video, audio clips and the testimonies of notable Ijaw sons and daughters in attendance confirmed that, Dickson did not make derogatory remarks about former President Goodluck Jonathan who has been his boss since he was a commissioner in the state.
The group stated that it was high time Ijaw sons and daughters came together and put aside their political differences and fight for the collective interest of the region rather than allow any black leg to cause disaffection among them.
Odiowei averred that it is high time Ijaw land occupies her right of place in the Country and to achieve this, our leaders must come together and this was the message that Governor Dickson was trying to pass across during the last Boro day celebration.
“However, it is sad to note that instead of appreciating the efforts of the governor of Ijaw homogeneous state, the detractors for their selfish reason decided to twist the message in order to fan the ember of disaffection, bad blood and crisis the state and the Ijaw nation,” Odiowei submitted.
The statement reads: “We members of the INC have admitted our failure; the governor’s statement woke us up from our slumber. It is our responsibility to join forces with our leaders irrespective of their political parties to ensure a rapid development of the region.
“This region has suffered neglect by the successive administrations and this narrative can only be changed by our coming together as a formidable people.
“Our political leaders should lead well; our ministers and other appointees should use their positions to attract good things to the state and the region. We should copy good things from representative of other geo-political zones at the federal level that are selfless patriotic in joining hands with their governments to move their state and zones forward.
“This is what Governor Dickson was drawing our attention to and we should take it serious. We should not allow detractors to cause disaffection among our leaders, especially President jonathan and his closest ally, Governor Seriake Dickson.
“Governor Dickson, as a former legal secretary of INC and Governor of Bayelsa state has taken the mantle of leadership of ijaw nation to the next level.”
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