Dickson Opens Up, Accuses Dep Gov’s Brother, Sylva, Of Sponsoring Violence

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has inaugurated a 6-member panel of enquiry on the pre and post-election violence in Nembe and other parts of the state.

Thugs ambushed and killed over 20 persons, and injured over 93 persons including bystanders during an aborted PDP Governorship rally in Nembe in November 13, 2019.

The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei was quoted to have condemned the act while inaugurating the panel in Government House, Yenagoa.

The Governor said that Oil pipeline surveillance contractors, Kodjo Sam and Gabriel Jonah with the backing of former governor of the state and Minister for State, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva armed militia men to carry out the attack on innocent Bayelsans.

Jonah is the brother to the outgoing deputy governor of the state, Admiral John Jonah, rtd.

He wondered that after two weeks that the assailants and their sponsors have not been arrested and prosecuted even as he commiserated with the families of those who died in the attack including the Outside Broadcast van driver of the state-owned radio station, Simon Onu.

“The Nigerian state has outsourced our territories in Bayelsa to criminals and warlords and the state is actually at a turning point.

“Nembe leaders need to know that they have set a record. Members of the opposition parties, particularly APC have been going round without any molestations and attacks. However, it is sad to note that members of the same party now turned around in Nembe to  unleash violence on the campaign train of the PDP.” He said

The governor accused the security operatives particularly the army of aiding and abetting criminality during the last charade that INEC and APC referred to as election.

The governor submitted that the election fell short of the global standard of free, fair and credible election.

Governor Dickson, who said that the panel was not intended to indict anyone noted that its term of reference include, collating the number of the dead, their names and families and the number of buildings destroyed in the attack.

He said members of the panel were carefully selected to serve the state and charged them to do a thorough job with the report to be submitted in two weeks.

In his acceptance speech, chairman of the panel of enquiry, retired Commissioner of Police, Akpoebi Agberebi, described Governor Dickson as a peace loving leader who promoted policies and programmes aimed at sustaining peace in the state.

The panel has as its Vice Chairman, Dr Pabara Igwelle and members; Mrs. Dise Ogbise-Ehisere, Arch Bishop Jacob Akpiri, and one representative each from the Department of State Services and Department of Public Prosecution.

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