Inauguration: Dickson promises greater service
Felix Okoye
Ahead of his inauguration for a second term in office on Sunday, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has said his reelection would be for greater service and consolidation in the area of security, stability, development and prosperity across the state.
Speaking with journalists in Yenagoa, Dickson thanked Bayelsa voters especially the youths and women for their belief and firm devotion to his aspiration during the election.
According to him, his second coming would be about their future as he repeatedly claimed during the electioneering campaign.
The governor said despite the dwindling revenue accruing to the state, government would still make efforts to serve the basic interest of the people by touching lives in what he described as “government of consolidation” in the next four years.
He stressed that his first term was used to lay the foundation for accelerated development of the state, adding that now even with the low level of resources, government would still be able to drive development by building on the efforts already recorded in his first term.
The governor stated that such improvement would be in the area of education, health and road construction as he noted that most of the boarding schools have been completed and will take off this year, the diagnostic centre ready as well as the senatorial roads which he said were also completed.
Dickson was optimistic that when the hospitals in all the local governments were ready soon, thenthe state health insurance scheme would begin to make health care affordable to the people.
Dickson said as a way of redeeming his electoral pledge, the youths and women would be targeted in the next four years by emphasizing community-driven agricultural initiatives at building entrepreneurship.
He disabused the minds of those who think his second coming would lead to cutting down staff strength in the civil service, saying he did not believe in that just as he called for understanding and greater productivity among the people.
The governor added that in the next four years, entrepreneurship would be enhanced through micro financing by making funds readily available to the people to be gainfully employed in businesses of their own.
“We are going to use the micro finance system to support our low-income earners particularly in the rural areas”, he said.
The governor further emphasized his administration’s determination to industrialize the state and diversify the economic base of Bayelsa State.
He said, “In the next four years, you are going to see greater investments in power generation and distribution, all tied ti various projects, particularly the industrial park. We now want to make Bayelsa go into full production. We are also going to complete the airport and them work towards the evelopment of the deep sea port with our partners.”
Also billed for execution depending on available resources, he said, were the road linking Ekeremor, an on-going project, and the road to Brass.
He promised to address the security situation in the state headlong which he blamed on political incursion of undesirable elements ahead of the last election, adding that kidnapping and oil pipeline vandalism would soon be a thing of the past in the state.
Dickson also called on all Bayelsans including those in the opposition, APC, to join hands with him to move the state forward.