Why Dickson sacked Patience Jonathan’s allies

It was not expected but it happened. Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has sacked the Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Marie Ebikake, and his Special Adviser on Special Projects, Remmy Kuku.

Ebikake and Kuku, it was learnt, were allegedly   fired because of their closeness to the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

There has been no love lost between Dickson and Patience over the latter’s alleged interference in the affairs of the state and   plan to hijack the structure of the Peoples Democratic Party from the former.

The sack of the two aides, which is with immediate effect, is contained     in a special announcement on Monday   by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

The governor had in March 2014 sacked seven commissioners in a major cabinet shake-up since his administration came on board in February 2012.

Those affected then were the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Francis Egele; the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Ayakeme Massa; and the Commissioner for Health, Anapurere Awoli.

Others were Nelson Belief, Tourism Development; Gesiye Isowo, Special Duties (Federal Projects); Parkinson Macmanuel, Science, Technology and Manpower Development; and Sylvanus Abila,   Environment.

It will be recalled that it was during that   exercise that Ebikake, who has now been removed, was redeployed from the Ministry of Transport to Local Government Administration.

The statement said the governor’s action was in line with his policy of re-organising the machinery of government to deliver on Dickson’s restoration agenda.

It also announced that Dickson had ordered the immediate deployment of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Markson Fefegha, as his new Principal Executive Secretary.

The statement thanked Ebikake and Kuku for their services to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Meanwhile, Dickson has approved the depoloyment of the Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa, Didi Walson-Jack, to the Federal Civil Service, after three years of service in his government.

A statement on Monday by Iworiso-Markson said Dickson expressed appreciation to Walson-Jack for her commitment and devotion to duty in the various capacities she served during her secondment.