•Dickson calls Alaibe, others political betrayers
Bayelsa State’s governorship election on December 5 may be a wall too high for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to climb.
The party faces discontent for displacing President Goodluck Jonathan in the Villa; and from Governor Seriake Dickson, whose stride indicts previous administrations for non performance.
Recent defectors to the APC include state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, led by Chairman Sam Inokoba, and former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director, Timi Alaibe.
APC now has bigwigs in Bayelsa. But analysts say they are not so inspiring.
Timipreye Sylva, former Governor now APC state leader, got at least N25 billion in federal allocation monthly during his tenure at Government House.
“But he left the state lying prostrate. Even National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who served in Bayelsa during his time were owed their meagre allowances,” a source who pleaded anonymity said.
Sylva is angling to return to the saddle. This makes the source wonder what the fate of Bayelsa would be under him now that its allocation hovers around N11 billion.
As for Alaibe, Dickson’s aides have challenged him to show what he did in Bayelsa during his time as NDDC boss.
They alleged corruption in the NDDC, and blame him for the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta.
They also scoff that Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who lost his bid to return to the Senate in the PDP primary, does not pose any challenge because he has never won a real election.
Dickson said those who defected to the APC do not scratch him a bit. He recounted that for three and half years, he managed a hostile and dangerous opposition from lawmakers.
“I managed a House of Assembly where I did not have one member. They were all put there by Sylva. With the threats of impeachment, and many others, I managed it,” he said.
The defectors are political jobbers, perennial governorship candidates, he insisted.
“They are positioning themselves for federal appointments. The PDP doesn’t have federal appointments to give to any of them. If you are a politician jostling for appointments, the APC is the party to go.”
Dickson also queried Alaibe for saying the state owes him contract fee.
“If Alaibe said I have not paid him, he should tell us what is the value of the job and how much has been given to him.
“If you know the situation of the country, states are struggling to pay salaries. But we are paying, even though Bayelsa is receiving less than 25 per cent of what we used to get.
“For several months I have not received allowances. That is the sacrifice I have to make. You cannot owe workers and be paying contractors. That is wrong.
“If a man gives you a job, and can’t pay because of the economy, has he become the enemy? That is political betrayer.
“All of them are my contractors. Alaibe has his nominees serving at different levels of my government. I run the most inclusive government.”