President
Goodluck Jonathan, for the first time on Friday, spoke on the travails
of the deposed Governor of Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva, accusing him of
failing to develop the state.
Jonathan, in his brief speech, indicated
that he refused to support the second term ambition of Sylva because of
the former governor’s knack for poor performance evident in his
inability to initiate new projects and complete existing ones.
The President spoke at the Samson Siasia
Sports Complex, Yenagoa, during the inauguration of Mr. Seriake Dickson
as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Feb 11
governorship election in the state.
Jonathan, who was obviously angry at the
performance of Sylva after five years in office, pointed at some key
projects, which were abandoned by the former administration.
He knocked the former governor for
abandoning the Tower Hotel, a five-star project, which was initiated by
former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and designed to be the tallest
building in the state.
Jonathan, accompanied by Vice-President
Namadi Sambo; the Senate President, Mr. David Mark; the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwa, regretted that work on
the project stopped at the level he left it when he was the governor.
He claimed that the former governor’s style
of leadership and poor performance compelled the people of the state to
hurl stones at him (Sylva) during one of his presidential visits.
He later turned to Dickson and said, “You
have brought people from Abuja to Yenagoa today. The only thing I want
to tell you in the presence of Bayelsa State is that I was here in this
place some months ago and Bayelsans stoned the governor. You must work
hard to make sure that Bayelsans don’t stone you. The day I come here
and Bayelsans stone you, I will follow and stone you.”
But our correspondent observed that there
was still a crack in the party as members of the National Assembly from
the state shunned the event in which Dickson was presented with the flag
of the PDP by the party’s acting National Chairman, Kawu Baraje.
Senators from the South-South zone, who are also members of the party’s National Campaign Committee, did not show up.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
there is a yoruba adage that says " it is the cow that belongs to the owner that ends up eating the okro belonging to the same owner of cow". that is what is happening in bayelsa state. the president and his co-drivers in Bayelsa PDP should be able to sort themslves out. ok
ReplyDeleteRumble's
ReplyDeleteFor Bayelsa to achieve any meaningful development the governor must be totally loyal to Mr president, who himself is a son of the soil. The present opportunity which presents itself in Bayelsa is one that rarely occur. If it is misused generations to come will continue to blame the current crop of leaders. A word is enough for the wise.
ReplyDeleteOur governors have become emperors and evil rulers. A golden opportunity that Sylva has to develop his state and make a name for himself, is what he just abused. This opportunity may not come again.
ReplyDeleteI was in Balyesa 2 years.In a part of Yenagoa-we had to cross on wooden planks to many houses over mosquito riden water-For people who fought for their rights-they deserve better governance and facilities--Its a shame
ReplyDeleteThe only projet they can talk about is building a 5-star Hotel. How does that benefit the people of the state? Shame on them all.
ReplyDelete