Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson has ordered the immediate release of Pa Nelson Tempurah, father of State Commissioner for Tourism Development, Mr. Nelson Belief, as well as Mrs Gbalipre Turner, who were abducted few days ago by suspected kidnappers.
According to the governor, the act is aimed at giving the international community wrong impression about the security situation at the home base of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking at a civic reception organised in his honour by the people of Ogbia Local Government Area during his ‘thank you’ tour of the area, Dickson warned the people against being used by criminal elements within and outside the state.
He urged people of the state to be watchful, especially as the nation is preparing for the 2015 general election, lamenting that some criminal elements are desperate for means of breaching the security situation in the state. However, he assured that necessary security measures are being put in place to checkmate the activities of the miscreants to improve the suitability of the state for investment.
“Some of those people who are working hard to destabilise our state and discredit the home base of the president may not be even too far. Very few of them are even among us working in collaboration with the people outside to destabilise Bayelsa. But, I know that they will not succeed”, he said.
“If anything bad happens here, it gives our detractors happiness. So, I want to use this opportunity to condemn the recent acts of kidnapping that are particularly targeted at Ogbia area to discredit us and create a feeling of insecurity in this local government area.
“Anything they do to Bayelsa is hot news that makes front page of newspapers. So, you need to caution yourselves. My message to them [the kidnappers] is that the people being held captive, particularly the innocent wife of ours, should be released without further delay. For those who are thinking of that as a lifestyle, we call on you to desist because it is in your interest to do so”.
While expressing appreciation to the people for their support during and after his election as Governor, he acknowledged the contributions of the wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan and traditional rulers of the area, including Paramount ruler of Opume Community, King Amalate Turner in moving the state forward.
Dickson, who was conferred with the chieftaincy title of “Edi 1 of Ogbia Kingdom”, meaning “Pillar of support”, promised the people a better deal in the present administration’s scheme of things.
Responding to requests made by the people, Dickson sympathised with them on the hardship they are currently facing due to the breakdown of the Imiringi Gas Turbine and one of the bridges linking the area to the state capital, assuring that Government was taking actions to address the problems. He said the power outage in the area will be fixed before Christmas even as he pledged to build a befitting Governor’s Lodge in Ogbia town in line with his policy of decentralising development.
In their separate addresses, Chairman of Ogbia Local Government, Mr. Enaye Abah and representative of the Obhanoban of Ogbia kingdom, Chief A.M. Aduba commended the governor for living up to his electioneering promises to the people of the state.
While thanking Governor Dickson for locating some people-oriented projects and appointing indigenes into political offices, they called for more government presence in the area with critical infrastructure such as roads.
In a goodwill message, a chieftain of the PDP, King Amalate Turner described Governor Dickson as a man of impeccable character, commending him for his efforts at restoring the glory of the state.
Chairman of Bayelsa State PDP, Colonel Sam Inokoba and his Ogbia Local Government counterpart, Hon. Budget Isaiah were among dignitaries that presented goodwill messages at the event.
