Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson has directed the Police and other security agencies in the state to ensure adequate security at the secretariat of the All Progressive Alliance (APC) in Yenagoa, the state capital.
According to a Government House statement, the directive is in keeping with the policy of the administration to ensure security of lives and properties of residents and visitors to the state.
“As a responsive government, we will not abandon what is clearly our constitutional duty to provide security and ensure that people go about their legitimate duties without any form of molestation and same for the APC and any other party that is lawfully registered and recognized as a political party in Nigeria,” read the statement.
However, Dickson appealed to the leadership of the party at the national level to ensure that steps are taken urgently to resolve the leadership tussle among its rank and file in the state.
The governor, who expressed serious concern over the bitter rivalry among members of the APC in the state, wants the matter properly handled before it degenerates to a security problem.
Clearly, the rivalry or rift in the party is between loyalists of former Governor Timipre Sylva and members of the ACN who have been in the opposition all the while, and a part of the new alliance that gave birth to the APC.
Another thorny issue within the party is that two of Sylva’s loyalists (Richard Kpodo and Godwin Sidi) have reportedly imposed themselves on the party as Chairman and Secretary, and have sited the state secretariat at Kpodo’s personal property located at the Etegwe area of Yenagoa without due consultation.
Dickson also pointed out that the said personal building of Kpodo has long been earmarked for demolition alongside other structures, in order to make way for the second fly-over bridge to be constructed around the area, adding that Government has already set aside the sum of N1bn for the payment of compensation to owners of properties to be affected by the project.
According to him, the exercise is not to witch hunt anybody or group of persons, but purely intended to bring about infrastructural development to the State capital in line with the Restoration agenda of Government.
Dickson recalled how a section of his personal property was demolished as a result of ongoing expansion of the new Opolo/Elebele expressway, describing it as a price everybody has to pay for the development of the critical infrastructure of the State.
While, calling for the understanding and cooperation of the citizenry in this regard, he noted that the development of the needed infrastructure in Yenagoa and other parts of the state is a continuous exercise; and buildings and other properties that fall within the right of way of such projects will be demolished and compensation paid to their owners.
“Bayelsa is at peace and I want to use this opportunity to call on the APC to ensure that the problem does not cause a breach of the peace within the state capital and its environs, as Government will do everything on its part to maintain the existing peaceful atmosphere around the State”, he said.
