•Dickson goes emotional about his campaigns
•Says Yenagoa Airport will soon be operational
After enjoying rapturous receptions from his supporters during his recent campaign tour, Gov Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, and the PDP flagbearer in the December 5 gubernatorial election, took a break to speak to reporters. Excerpts:
Having gone round the state in which areas would you your government has benefited the people?
It was touching to see school children wearing uniforms that my government supplied, carrying banners in appreciation of their Governor and praying for me for the investments I am making for their future. That is a lasting dividend of democracy: the investment in the future of the state, in the hearts and minds, not of a few Yenagoa-based critics and Abuja-based politicians.
I saw hope and appreciation on the faces of our people; we got gifts from every community and political leaders. Our people do not know any other political party contesting for this election other than me as the candidate of the PDP. I saw the massive outpouring of genuine love and support from the chiefs, elders, youths, women groups.
Part of what I am doing and have been doing is to quietly in my own way change the way politics is played in this state. The level of maturity and tolerance I have brought to bear on the politics is such that you see the opposition campaigning against me as vigorously as I am also campaigning. That is happening for the first time.
I do not see anybody seriously contesting against me, not even my good friend and brother Sylva and his APC. They are only holding meetings in Abuja and threatening their own fathers and mothers and brothers that they will use federal forces to come and overrun their own people for their own purpose not for the development of our state.
It is not in every area that you satisfied your people. Which areas would you attend to if re-elected?
By the grace of God and by the support of the people, we have started a lot of mega life-changing projects. I came in here to make maximum impact with the available resources and time. Unfortunately our finances dropped precipitously. Last month, we got N4.2b and after paying Sylva’s bond which we will keep paying every month till 2017, we managed to pay salaries, pensions.
We cannot even pay allowances of people working with us, and we are not alone, as all the states and even the Federal Government are affected. Therefore, the second term is to be dedicated to completion of most of these life-changing projects that are almost at completion stage because every project has a gestation period. People like to see magic because of the energy we started with and because we had resources we were putting everything in and now people think I am distracted.
I am not; it is a question of finances. Look at the airport, and ask Sylva why he did not do the airport. He played politics with everything; he cleared a site and put a signboard before the first block was laid. Since I took over, I have not fought Sylva; I just drew a line and did things differently. I know what happened to the airport, not to talk of the Nembe/Brass Road that so much money went into.
If you drive to Amassoma Road now, you will see the airport. I have awarded the contract for the installation of the navigational instrument. FAAN (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria) has come to do the certification. In the next couple of months, we will be landing there.
Will the peace accord you signed with the other parties work?
I signed because that was the right thing to do. My campaign is about peace, development and prosperity. You hear me ask people to accord Sylva the respect that is due to him. I am not a man of violence unlike those who are merchants of violence and cultism. I believe that a political leader and anyone aspiring to lead people must show example and our society can only develop when you have peace.
We have been able to achieve so much because of the prevailing peace and we want it to get better. That is why our PDP campaign is not about promises of what we will do. I am talking about peace. I educate Bayelsans and tell them their rights to go and vote not with cloned PVCs. The police will arrest those with cloned PVCs. We do not need violence in the PDP to win any polling unit; the supporters are there. They will vote, they will stay there and protect their votes.
The votes will be counted and results will be declared. Luckily INEC has spoken up; law enforcement will be at every polling unit. I have sensitized community leaders in every community, so nobody will come to any community to intimidate the overall community. Besides, this is one single election where the entire country will be watching. They do not know the dynamics of this election and my advice to Sylva is that he should withdraw from the race because he is not campaigning or talking about issues and our people have rejected him.
On a final note, what message do you want to send out to all the communities?
My message is one of gratitude and appreciation to the communities, chiefs and leaders and the good people. Women groups also were very receptive. I needed boats to transport the plantains, fish, snails and other things they gave to me. I cannot thank them enough. I am really humbled and grateful that I have this opportunity to serve them.
I have told them that after the election, having voted me in as they have promised to do, I intend to go round and thank them. For the communities that I am yet to visit, Countryman is coming your way so get ready to engage me. I am coming to see your problems and hear from you to know how to serve you better.
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