Why Jonathan’ll win 2015 presidential elections –Dickson

FROM FEMI FOLARANMI, YENAGOA

Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has predicted that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candi­date, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, would win the 2015 election.

Dickson, who stated this in an interview in which he spoke on a wide range of issues said three fac­tors would combine to hand victory over to Jonathan.

According to him, Jonathan is a good product, which the PDP, a party he described as a war horse, is ready to take to victory against the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dickson also reacted to criticisms against his administration that it is not sharing money to Bayelsans, adding that he has no apologies for pleading guilty to striving hard to ensure Bayelsa is developed.

On ongoing projects, he declared that the projects of his Restoration government would stand the test of time, adding that his administra­tion was focused on the mission to build a new Bayelsa that all Ijaw people would be proud of.

For those planning to contest the governorship primaries with him, Dickson advised them not to be in haste, as all political moves they are making now is tactless. Rather, he enjoined them to join hands with him to ensure the re-election of Jonathan and thereafter submit themselves for nomination for them to slug it out for the party’s ticket.

Excerpts

How has the drop in revenue im­pacted on the ambitious agenda of the restoration government?

To answer your question in terms of the relationship between the dwindling revenues and what we set out to do, you are all aware of the very ambitious pro­grammes that we outlined at the beginning of this administration and how we went about zealously implementing them. But along the line, you know you never can foresee some of these things.

And this is why in a way, we have been preaching the gospel of self-sufficiency and the need for us to block all leakages and stop wastages as much as possible and then, of course, our quest and drive for us to diversify our economy, which our administration has already embarked on. But unfortunately, our worst fears just like that of Job in the Bible came to pass too soon.

I know that a number of states find it difficult to pay salaries and meet other recurring obligations of government. But here in this state, fortunately, we are not yet at that level but that is not to say things are normal.

I think since about April or thereabout, revenues have been nose- diving monthly and today let me say we are operating on about 40% of what should have been our budget. In other words, 60% is off already and this is not peculiar to Bayelsa or Nigeria; there is a downturn in the global economy as a result of a lot of interna­tional factors beyond even the control of Nigerian authorities.

I know that a number of countries including big economies like Russia are paying heavily. I want to use this opportu­nity to call on all Bayelsans to bear with government, as these are very lean times. We are managing because of the prudence and transparency level and the mechanism that we have instituted in this government that has made it possible for us to block wastages in the system.

We are able to still meet recurrent obligations. We have never owed salary obligations in this state; we do not even delay in payment of salaries and other allowances. We are also meeting up with most of our welfare obligations like pay­ment of N5,000 to elderly persons in our communities.

That programme alone is taking about N70 million every month. We are also car­rying on with our other welfare policies.

Isn’t that a welfare policy caught in web of politics?

This is a government that is interested in the welfare of its people and at this point, that appears to be getting lost in the dust of politics. No government has un­folded the amount of welfare programmes that we have for the people.For the first time we are paying old per­sons sustenance allowance. I even wanted to expand the scope so that more people will be captured and I believe that the pro­gramme is fairly implemented although as humans, there may be one or two hitches. It is a programme that I think is serving its purpose.

We are also paying WAEC, NECO and JAMB fees for all our students and we are buying and supplying books in all schools and they do not pay tuition fees. All these are very expensive programmes and I sit down here intervening on medical emergencies on behalf of our people until such a time when our facilities that we are working hard to improve on are provided.Now, these are the things that government should do. In 2015 hopefully, we would begin the medical insurance scheme so that workers in the private sector will pay less.

The infrastructure has been laid; the law has been signed and we are working on equipping our primary medical institu­tions so that the programme can start off. So this is a people-centred government.Unfortunately, as a result of a lot of combination of factors over the years, under-development, illiteracy level, lack of a strong industrial base, the absence of a strong private sector as well as the foun­dation that was laid in this state, which encourages dependency syndrome, made it difficult for most people to appreci­ate these welfare policies that we have outlined and are implementing.

The government scholarship pro­grammes that are going on are meant for people’s children. We are sending these children to secondary schools in top schools. These are the future of our state including those who are going abroad to study; those are the primary things government has a duty to invest in, which we are doing.

The old people we are paying are parents of some of these people who are complaining that there is no money. Now they do not even take care of their parents and we are doing so. The volunteer system has started and a lot more people will be carried along as it comes on this January.Our agricultural empowerment pro­gramme will also kick off. We are setting up most of the farms. I got a brief that the poultry farms are almost ready so also is the cassava farm.

So a number of these interventions are getting ready so that more people will be absorbed. I know some of these are ten­dencies that we cannot do away with over­night but here again with the dwindling revenues of the national government, the dwindling revenues of your state govern­ment and other governments, you are now living face to face with what I have been preaching since the inception of our government, which is self-reliance.

We have always encouraged our people to strive to increase their personal level of productivity. It is not a good thing for everybody; from the senior persons in the least to be dependent on govern­ment handouts and worse still, judge the performance of a government on the basis of your own personal comfort. We have so individualized government.

Those in government, it is not enough for them to be appointed; what is more importantto them is to have access to free money and become millionaires and billionaires overnight and oppress other people around them. And if you don’t make that possible, then you are a bad governor.

In our state, you are a bad governor if you insist that civil servants should go to work. It is a problem now if you don’t make it possible for people to make so much money from ghost names and all the criminal syndicates that have been milk­ing our people dry.

We cannot afford to continue that way. That is not the reason why God and the founding fathers fought to give us this State. As a product of the Ijaw struggle, I cannot have this opportunity and not impact in an irreversible manner your course of development and that is why we are opening up our state in a manner never before done.

Would you, therefore, relent in your effort at developing the state?

As a matter of fact, people are even shocked that even with all that is hap­pening, in less than three years; we have major infrastructural investments going on. We are doing this at great expense, personal and institutional inconvenience.

We cannot have all the money to do all these big roads. The flyover bridge was solely funded by the State government of Bayelsa and done by Julius Berger, so also is the dualisation of the Isaac Boro Road. Even now that they have not completed the job, you can see the beauty.

The dualisation of that road is over 11 kilometres, cutting across half of the city of Yenagoa. So also is the dualisation of the Opolo Road that is being handled by Julius Berger Construction Company.

Every job that this restoration govern­ment is doing is solid. We are using the best contractors at very competitive price and we know that these projects would be legacies for future generations.

We are also constructing bridges. The Toru-Ebeni Bridge has crossed to link other communities in that axis, which was a project that was abandoned for a long time. With our intervention, people can now drive to Nembe. Look at the road going from Yenagoa to Oporoma; the pace on that project is impressive. On the other senatorial road, the sand-filling has gone beyond Ofoni and by April next year, sand-filling of the road up to Ekeremor would have been concluded.

These are the primary responsi­bilities, which I owe the people of Bayelsa State and Ijaw nation who have cried always of under-devel­opment. Have you all been crying to have money in your pocket to eat? Is that enough?

Is that why we have the government of Bayelsa State? So we shouldn’t build educational and healthcare infrastructure? We shouldn’t invest in security? All of these cost lots of money. And it is only by a combination of prudence and account­ability that were able to achieve this.

How do you feel when some people criticize you for doing all these?

My assessment of our restoration gov­ernment fills me always with a sense of satisfaction. I keep telling friends and well wishers, who discuss the performance of government with me that any day I pause and think of the number of life-changing and transformational projects that we have been able to embark on, I am happy.

Some of the projects are nearing com­pletion while others have been completed. Whenever I drive around Yenagoa, I see the change that our government, within this short period of time has brought about.

I always feel a sense of fulfillment. There is nothing more pleasurable than that because you are not better than any other person, but God gives you an oppor­tunity to make a mark. One, I am at peace with my conscience. Two, I have not failed my people and thirdly I have not failed God from whom all power flows.

And when I say the people, it doesn’t refer to the tiny vocal propagandists and blackmailers who for political conve­nience and desire to advance their own electoral opportunities try to spread rumours and propaganda.

I am talking about the lasting judgement of posterity. The children who will pass through the scholarship programmes for which we are spending about one billion Naira, when they grow up they will know the sacrifices we have made. You need to go round and see the projects that we are putting in place like the AIT-Elebele road, Igbogene by-pass and what we are doing within the Melford Okilo Memorial com­plex which is a complete medical village on its own.

And this is how to invest the resources of a people and not just to affect the per­sonal fortunes of a few persons who, after they leave government, they will come back to square one. Meanwhile, our col­lective fortunes remain ignored. I disagree with that approach and I have no apology for loving my state and the people.

If wanting to transform our state to be a modern state that can compete favour­ably with other states is a crime then I plead guilty and I have no apologies for being guilty. I will continue to work hard to transform this landscape. So that it will be on record for future generations to ap­preciate the fact that there was a governor who meant well for us.

You the people who have seen govern­ments come and go; you see what the governments do. You see me appearing before you month after month. Is it that people do not know what we do with the money before we are committing it into projects? If we all go after the personal welfare, I don’t know how many of the generality of the people will have access to government money. The people should be very happy that they have a governor that is using their resources to impact on the society. That is what I owe you, my conscience and God.

Looking at 2015, it is going to define a lot of things in Nigeria and by extension Bayelsa State. What are your expectations for Bayelsa State especially the presidential election which will take place on your third anniversary?

We are full of expectations concerning the presidential elections. For me unlike a number of people who seek power over men to bow down to other things; they do all kinds of funny things but we look up to God only. I believe that the fact that the presidential election is taking place on the anniversary of this government of restora­tion; it shows a very clear sign of victory. I have no doubt that the Peoples Demo­cratic Party will be victorious. I have no doubt that our brother and leader, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will be victori­ous and the reasons are as follows:

One, we have a strong political party that is like a horse. If the war horse is strong anyone can ride it to victory. The other party has not been tested yet at the national level so you are pitching the PDP tested old warhorse against an infantile contraption.

Secondly, we in the PDP through Mr. President’s transformation agenda and the performing governors including myself have a good message of transformation that is powerful. What does the other side have, promises and criticisms and most of it sometimes unfair? So we believe that Nigerians will discern between what is real and on ground. It may not be perfect but they are seeing the honest efforts that the President is making.I want to thank former Head of State Gen. Ibrahim Babangida who a few days back, endorsed and called on all Nigerians who love our country to rally support for him.

More so, in every election, after you have talked about the platform and the programmes, you talk about the candidate himself. We have a good product to sell in President Jonathan and with the dexterity that he has shown in managing the affairs of the country at a time that is quite not too friendly; taking this country through this trying period, he has demonstrated that he is a statesman. I believe that our product is good enough to market itself.

The Bible says, surely people will gather. It didn’t say people will not gather, but it tells you clearly what happens when the ungodly gather and they will surely scatter because when you do your best, God sees and He is interested in the affairs of the people because we are created in his image. When you do things to advance the cause of the people, then you become of interest to God.

I call on you all to go and get your permanent voter’s cards because that is the power you will show. For us, we at the state are solidly behind the candidature of President Jonathan but we will not be able to join me to support if you don’t have your PVCs.

I have told the chairman of councils and political leaders of the various local government areas to mobilize our people in order to get their PVCs so that they can cast their votes.

From all indications there seems to be a crack in the wall of the PDP over the just concluded party primaries. What is your take on the sir?

Let me assure you right away that the PDP in Bayelsa State is not divided; there is no crack. As a matter of fact, I want to use this opportunity to congratulate all the leaders and members of PDP in Bayelsa State and the work of the security agen­cies.

If you have been following the political events and the outcome of the primaries, you will realize that the Bayelsa primaries were the least problematic. The Bayelsa primaries didn’t even give any challenge to the national authorities because mem­bers and aspirants conducted themselves peacefully. The processes that we fol­lowed were all inclusive and the outcome generally was more acceptable.

Like in every contest, there are losers and winners. There are people who didn’t have the opportunity to actualize their ambition. And to such persons I say, today may not be your time, tomorrow may be yours. I keep reminding everybody that power flows from God. Generally, we are doing well as a party.

There are very few cases of PDP mem­bers being dissatisfied and therefore going to contest against their party candidate’s on other platforms but we have not seen high level defections in this party arising from the primaries as we read about them in the newspapers every day.

The kind of leadership we are provid­ing apart from building roads and other infrastructure extends to reforms in the political culture; that is why we subject people to their primaries. And in the local government elections, there was no single scratch or injuries to anybody.

We have done what a lot of people thought was going to be very volatile par­ty primaries. It was very peaceful. People should know that this is the hand of God visiting Bayelsa. It is only satanic and oc­cultic characters that thrive in crisis; who always go against what is rationale and normal.

This is not the time for such characters to come to Bayelsa because the light of God will repel and expose you. We may have had one or two isolated cases, which you can’t really rule out in the most ad­vanced democratic governments. So it is a negligible phenomenon and by the time our reconciliation committee run its full course, there will be some understanding.

Your Excellency, what’s your passing shot?

Once again, I’m wishing the people of Bayelsa State a prosperous, fruitful and healthy and positive 2015. Adopt positiv­ity and shun negativity. Now that we are facing very hard financial times, not just in Nigeria; it is global, you need to lower your expectations of government. We will try most of the things that we have started. On the political front I want to call on you to join me so that we can work, focus and mobilize for the presidential elections. Go and get your PVCs.

Nobody is talking about the governor­ship election in this state, because it is still far away. Anybody who is doing that has not calculated well. They are dancing too early and you know what happens to early dancers; they get tired early and fizzle out. Let us for now; sink all those ambitious; reasonable, unrealistic, whatever ambi­tious they may be. When the time comes, you put yourselves up for nominations.

Let us gather and support the Presi­dent’s election and deliver Bayelsa. Let’s join our leaders and friends across the country to work for the emergence of President Jonathan for him to continue with the business of transformation. And for Bayelsans, I look forward to collabo­rating with you all so that we can deliver a new and prosperous and peaceful Bayelsa State in Jesus name.



THE SUN