Bayelsa: Why I won’t talk about Patience Jonathan — Gov Dickson

Governor Serikae Dickson, famed as the countryman governor was steeped in leftist political inclination at the onset of the Fourth Republic and was chairman of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Alliance for Democracy, AD.

He subsequently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and was commissioner for Justice in the Goodluck Jonathan administration in Bayelsa State and subsequently a two term member of the House of Representatives and became a key member of Team Jonathan in the days of the wilderness when the incumbent president was vice-president. Reward came his way when he was picked by the team for the governorship election in 2012.

Following his ascent and the initial cordiality that saw him appoint Mrs. Patience Jonathan as a permanent secretary, allegations of rancour have recently cropped up to undermine that cordiality. In a session with the state owned radio station, the governor responded to issues concerning the First Lady, his management of the state among others. Excerpts:

Can you identify the challenges you have faced and how you are facing up to them?

I have been in political service for quite some time and I had been exposed to service for our people even before I ventured into partisan politics. At no time did I believe that being the governor of Bayelsa State was going to be a bed of roses. I knew clearly what the challenges were but there are things I have come to find out that I didn’t imagine before.

When you look at the way they behave; even leaders, elected officials, the way they take governance as if it is the responsibility of only one man, the governor, it is simply amazing. If you are in the National Assembly you don’t owe any obligation to anybody, to your state and even that much to your constituency.

If you are a Minister you just stay far away and do your job, in whatever office. Even within the state our attitude is to stay far from the problem and then worse still, throw bricks at the governor and the government. We do not have the intention of sharing the vision and supporting anyone who is steering the ship of state.

If you are in the National Assembly, you think of how many roads you will put on the federal budget, if you are having a position of influence, you do so but when you see this small state and the opportunities we have at other levels and you sit down here as governor grappling with these developmental challenges, you are trying your best and you turn around and all you see and hear are complaints.

What of these other people? So nobody owes responsibility for development of our people except the governor? So we don’t have this shared vision of promoting development.

What is the government doing to ensure free and fair election?

This state has less political challenges. We are far more stable politically than many other states around and the reason is obvious.

Firstly, because of our mature tolerance and approach to handling political issues. Secondly, the political calendar is such that the governorship election is not coming up right now and sometimes that is why we wonder why some people have started getting unduly excited.

After all there is no governorship election or nominations right now to take place in this state.

All those who mean well for this state should be rallying round me as leader of the PDP, the President’s party, to solidify the home-base and then mobilise support for the President. But unfortunately, you are aware of the deliberate acts of distraction that are going on.

But as I said we are not distracted, we are committed to doing what is right and proper. I am a tolerant politician and a democrat. I have always believed in the fact that people should be encouraged to exercise their franchise freely and that has been demonstrated in so many ways unlike the situation that existed before we came.

People were attacked at political rallies even within the same political parties; thugs were after people. You know what happened, for example, when in 2011 the CPC Presidential candidate, now APC Presidential candidate visited Bayelsa.

You know what the government at that time did and how that rally was disrupted. In contrast you saw the steps my government took to ensure their safety and guarantee their right under the laws and constitution and thus peacefully had their political rally. Any other outcome would not have sent out the right message to Nigeria from the President’s home state.

You can see what is going on in other states which we condemn but you can imagine what would have happened if there had been some violence right here. They would have used whatever would have happened here as a justification.

The polity is charged in the state. Since Bayelsa is a PDP state and there seems to be grievances here and there with the party what are you doing about reconciliations? Secondly, how prepared is the state for the presidential rally?

We came up with the reconciliation committee to talk to members who have one grievance or the other. Even though the political challenges that arose from of the primaries were not as much as you have in other states we felt there was still need for reconciliation. The preliminary report I have is very reassuring and that members are keying in and I am also available to talk with them. In politics you can’t have your way all the time.

It is unfortunate that we have some group of people in this state who believe that their will should prevail at all times. They can’t come to terms with the fact that there is a government here.

They imagine that they will stay away and still have things done over and above their governor’s head.

Some of them are very young people who grew up in the midst of negative politics so that is what they know how to do; blackmailing, manipulating people, disseminating falsehood and propaganda, but those ones are very few. It is our hope that as the campaigns start and we get into the general elections PDP candidates will be victorious.

The media has been recently awash with reports of groups threatening and warning the First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan not to join her husband, the President, for the February 5 PDP Presidential rally. What is your reaction to this? 

I have a policy of not discussing my boss’ wife. She is our mother, our sister and our wife and she is entitled to all courtesies and respect due her and I enjoin everybody to extend that to her. My office has issued a statement condemning the activities of these faceless persons who are said to have issued that type of mindless statement.

We are looking at it as a government and the security agencies are also doing so and in no distant time those behind it will be unravelled.

I know that it is the activities of some of these desperate young elements, who from one administration to the other are the people creating problems, characters who are spreading misinformation and blackmail and polarizing our state at a time we should be uniting.

And that is the sad thing about it. At a time when we should all be uniting to work for the president’s election, they have chosen to use this period to spread misinformation to divide a state that is united.

It is very sad. If you look carefully, some of these young people whose ambitions and activities have given rise to these are the people that have always brought down and have spoilt any government they have associated with.

These same characters are the people who misled previous governments; used them and dumped them and destroyed them. And I am not somebody that can be used that way at all. I am a man of principle. I cannot be intimidated by anybody.

Interview By Samuel Oyadonga for Vanguard