Following the gesture of President Mahammadu Buhari and his
deputy to publicly declare their assets, the Grace Movement Initiative (GMI), a
socio-political group in Bayelsa state has called on Governor Henry Seriake
Dickson to emulate the gesture by declaring his assets to Bayelsans.
The group said in a statement by its secretary, Evangelist
Elliot Zamide that the action would be
in tandem with the governor's claim to transparency in the management of
government's funds.
Zamide insisted that for Governor Dickson’s mantra of
accountability and transparency to be taken seriously, there was need to
declare his assets now.
The group recalled that prior to his becoming Governor of
Bayelsa State, Hon. Dickson’s wealth (asset) profile was not as huge and bloated
as it is presently.
"We know Dickson before he became governor of Bayelsa
State, and he never had this kind of wealth which he is displaying and
deploying for his re-election campaigns as is being witnessed lately.
Though political office holders in Nigeria are never
expected to get poorer when they are in positions of authority, the accelerated
asset profile of the countryman has no doubt been a cause for concern for
Bayelsans whose levels of prosperity before Dickson’s emergence getting leaner
in contrast to his Excellency and family’s stupefying ascension”
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa Surveillance Group (BSG), has
insisted that Governor Dickson committed over N1.5bn of the state government
fund for his last Tuesday declaration.
The group cried out that the money could have been better
utilised by "ploughing it into the completion of some of the abandoned
projects of the plan less restoration government, some of which are fast
constituting an eyesore and dent on the Bayelsa skyline."
But the Dickson government has denied the allegation. in a
reaction on behalf of the government, a group, the Ijaw Young Professionals
(IYP) decried the accusation as “cheap and baseless propaganda” against the
governor and his administration.
It also said the accusers were faceless as the purported
surveillance group does not exist but a decoy sponsored by the opposition.
“It’s laughable to make such unfounded claim”, it said.
The reaction which was contained in a statement made
available to the press in Yenagoa and signed by the spokesman, Barr. Seighfa
Tonye-Brown, said the accusation could not have been true knowing Dickson’s
stand on public spending over time.
“Governor Dickson is a very principled, strict and morally
upright gentleman. He will not spend a dime of government money to fund his
declaration. As one of the many pro-Dickson support groups that took part in
that declaration, I should inform all such rumour mongers that we spent our own
resources to mobilise 2000 of our members to attend the event to express our
solidarity with the governor. I know for a fact that similar support groups
also contributed money to make their presence felt at the rally."
In a related development, the BSG also condemned the support
thrown behind the second tenure bid of Governor Seriake Dickson by the
immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and former Governor, Chief
D.S.P Alamieyeseigha during the second tenure declaration of the Governor last
Tuesday.
The group noted that for openly standing before Bayelsans
who have been gnashing their teeth to barely survive Dickson’s misrule and
endorse him to continue as governor beyond Feb, 14th 2016, Jonathan and
Alamieyeseigha are totally ignorant and
lost about the true reality on ground in the state.
Their action at the sports complex amounts to a monumental
repose on them, the group added, saying Bayelsans and the God of the land shall
hold them accountable should Dickson be re–elected and continue to suffocate
the people with poverty, unemployment, infrastructural deficit and failed
promises.
Credit: Thisday
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