December 5 Polls: APC defectors are not for Bayelsans – US-based professionals
Felix Okoye
A socio-cultural organisation, Bayelsa Renaissance Forum, has warned Bayela State indigenes not to be deceived by those who defected to All Progressives Party, APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calling them “traitors who are not for us.”
“The truth that was made evident by the decamping of these individuals, is that they do not represent Bayelsans, but only themselves. Their defection is an exercise in betrayal and shame”, the group stated.
These were the words of the group through their spokesperson, George Anibowei, who represented Nigerians in the Diaspora, at a press briefing in Atlanta, United States.
Anibowei recalled the terror allegedly unleashed by the political leaders of APC on the hapless citizens of Bayelsa state.
The BRF which comprises illustrious professionals of Bayelsa State extraction resident in the United States, said they have been watching unfolding events across the Bayelsa State political landscape, “initially with disinterested bemusement.”
The group stated, “We watched as some PDP “stalwarts” defected to the APC. as we say in the States, we have no dog in the fight. We would have remained silent and continued to watch this political circus play out, but for the tragic events at the Tombia Roundabout.
“Our information is that on the day, some of these disgruntled political actors accompanied by their hired thugs, in brazen acts of brigandage, fired gun shots at officials of the Environmental Sanitation Agency causing panic-stricken citizens to flee for their dear lives. This show of force, a fragrant attempt to violate the sanitation laws of the state and calculated attempt to intimidate the officers.
“As necessary as this exhibition of brute force was, it is still typical of the leadership of the APC. It brought to mind, disturbing and painful images of the dreaded reign of terror of the infamous “Famu Tamgbe” (beat and throw away), when horrors of unimaginable proportions was unleashed on Bayelsa State citizenry; when criminals and terror kingpins were not only housed at Creek Haven; paid huge sums at government expense and operated with so much impunity during the regime of the now Sole Administrator of the state APC who was governor of the state at the time.
“IZON” means “TRUTH” but unfortunately, no truths were spoken at the APC rally of shame. It was just another opportunity for Bayelsans to finally expose in broad day light, the tribe of recycled, selfish and perpetually ambitious politicians who had dug Bayelsa state into the mess she found herself before the advent of the Restoration Government of Gov. Seriake Dickson. Once again they showed their true colours in their unending quest for patronage and greed.
“The “truth” that was evident by that declaration and avowed quest to serve, is that these individuals, who have all had an opportunity to serve the state at the highest and most critically sensitive levels, only worked towards enriching themselves and cronies, totally impoverishing the state and the Izon agenda which they now profess to champion. These individuals had all been elected or appointed to serve Bayelsa interest in the past, at state and national levels.”
They described the era of a former governor of Bayelsa State as “a period when people were locked up without charge, beaten mercilessly and others disappeared in a state-sponsored putsch targeted at supposed political opponents.
“Their bizarre behaviour can be partially explained within the context of “Post-Election Stress Disorder” (PESD). PESD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to an electoral defeat and faced with the prospect of looking for a new job. That is how within weeks of President Goodluck Jonathan leaving office, former senators who swore undying allegiance to him are scrambling to distance themselves from him and the PDP he symbolises,notwithstanding the fact that they rode on his goodwill to be elected into office and that the only advocacy they did while at the National Assembly was to promote their personal businesses.
“Another who had in the past headed a major Federal government intervention agency, was only seen to have intervened in enriching himself and his acolytes at the expense of the development of the region. The same individual was a key adviser to President Jonathan, and now seeks a platform to “serve”. We ask what service legacies he and his recycled cohorts can in honesty point to?
“The BRF has nothing against the APC as a party, as we see it as a fruit of the deepened democratic space, allowed to flourish into existence under President Jonathan. We only see the sudden exodus of this parasitic bunch of opportunistic self seekers as a poisoned chalice in the hand of the APC, and they are forewarned of their antecedents. They do not represent Bayelsa interests.
“The BRF has not casually come to endorse the Restoration Government of Seriake Dickson and its claims to developmental accomplishments. Indeed at the insistence of the Special Adviser on Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Charles Preye Zuofa, that unexampled projects and actions resulting in visible impact was taking place in the state, our members paid a visit to Bayelsa State and saw firsthand the grand developmental strides of the restoration government. Contrasting the desperation of these politicians, with the calm and steady, programmed steps of the incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson, we observe that the restoration government has concentrated on opening access to the state.
“By his massive investment in security architecture of the State, Yenagoa is now one of the safest cities in the country and sea piracy has declined significantly. With corresponding investment in critical infrastructure, the three senatorial highways are now opened up, roads in the state capital are having a new lease of life, and flyovers have been constructed. Massive intervention has been made into education as well as healthcare.
“While not having brought Bayelsa State to the proverbial El-Dorado, we believe he has positioned the state in the right direction for positive transformation.
“The regime has also engendered a paradigm shift to self reliance and entrepreneurship in the youth, with its attendant edifying attributes. The culture of easy money that had been instituted under the Timi Sylva government where cult groups were patronized and funded for doing nothing but intimidate the populace was replaced with a vibrant forward looking ideology. This restoration of the core values and defining characteristics of the Izon people may probably end up being the greatest legacy of Governor Dickson’s Restoration Agenda”, Anibowei said.
The group urged the governor to be vigilant about some wolves in sheep clothing that do not have the best interest of the state at heart.
“His Excellency, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson should continue to be firm and not be distracted by the antics of these washed up politicians. Bayelsans in Diaspora, who we represent, are neither deceived by, nor impressed with the antics of these fair weather politicians and will continue to evolve programmes and partnerships with the Seriake Dickson government in sourcing for investors and agencies desirous of taking advantage of the favourable climate that has been created”, it stressed.
