By Preye Bagou
Bayelsa is a State in the Southern region of Nigeria, which is majorly dominated by the Ijaws with an estimated population of 0.9 million. The Ijaws were living as minority in most Southern States before the creation of Bayelsa State by Late General Sani Abacha in 1996.
The name ‘Bayelsa’ is an acronym of three Local Government Areas; Brass, Yenagoa and Sagbama which were the three local government areas in the then Rivers State. There are four major dialects in Bayelsa State; Izon, Nembe, Ogbia and Epie-Atissa.
Bayelsa State is generally known as the headquarters of the Ijaw nation, as the only State majorly dominated by the Ijaw speaking people in the Southern region of Nigeria, regardless of the differential dialects.
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Bayelsans who are publicly known as Ijaws, have always lived together peacefully and unitedly since the creation of the State in 1996, without any form of segregation of people from any local government area or senatorial district respectively.
The State has had Six(6) Executive Governors; Late DSP Alamieyeseigha, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Chief Timipre Sylva, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson and Sen. Douye Diri since the creation of the State with the Practice of a Democratic System of Government in Nigeria in 1999.
The State has had experienced and development-oriented governors who made relentless efforts and tremendous contributions in different sectors of the State’s economy towards the growth and development of the State, as a virgin State.
The respective State Governors have made meaningful contributions in different sectors towards the growth and development of the State, and the improvement in the welfare of the citizens over the years basically.
Bayelsa may not have achieved the desired growth and development in comparison with other states created in 1996 by Late General Sani Abacha, but successive administrations has made meaningful contributions and improvement in most sectors of the State.
The Restoration Government led by His Excellency, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson made tremendous improvements in most sectors of the State, which laid the foundation for the Prosperity Government led by His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri.
The Restoration Government and the Prosperity Government, are governments of all-inclusiveness, unification, development, peace and stability, as the people’s oriented administrations respectively.
The Genesis Of The Core Ijaw And Non-Core Ijaw Propaganda Against Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
The build up to the 2019 Gubernatorial election in the State under the Restoration Government led by Senator Dickson, as then Governor; the people of Bayelsa East Senatorial District wanted the Governorship ticket or the Deputy Governorship ticket basically.
The struggle and power tussle to produce the governorship candidate or deputy governorship candidate under the PDP, created a lot of political tension, disagreements, alignments and realignments among political gladiators and leaders in the state, which led to the defection of politicians from one party to another.
Senator Henry Seriake Dickson as then Governor, stood his ground gallantly to produce a successor, in order to continue the solid foundation laid by his administration of all-inclusiveness, peace, unity, stability and development basically.
Senator Dickson as an experienced politician and leader in his wisdom, deemed it necessary and pertinent to favor the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, by giving the governorship ticket to Senator Douye Diri, as then Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The people of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, are perceived and regarded as minority with the smallest population in the State, since the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996 by Late General Sani Abacha.
Senator Dickson’s unrelenting and unwavering zeal and commitment in forming a formidable successive administration with leaders of vision, experience and competence, picked Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as a running mate, as then Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The political atmosphere became tensed with a lot of unsatisfied interests, mostly political leaders and stakeholders from Bayelsa East who were desperately interested of the leadership of the state, but were not favored by then Governor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
Senator Dickson’s refusal to grant the demand of political leaders and stakeholders of Bayelsa East to produce the governorship candidate or the deputy governorship candidate under the PDP, led to the propaganda of Core Ijaw and Non-Core Ijaw against Dickson as then Governor.
Setting the record straight; Bayelsa East had Deputy Governor and Secretary to the State Government for eight years, State PDP Chairman, Commissioner for Finance, and other sensitive appointments under the Restoration Government led by Senator Dickson as then Governor.
It is imperative to state that the people of Bayelsa East were favored under Senator Dickson far more than they were favored by their illustrious Son, Chief Timipre Sylva as Governor. Core Ijaw and Non-Core is nothing but a propaganda against Senator.
As then Governor, Senator Dickson gave political appointments to Ijaws even in other States outside Bayelsa, for the purpose and vision of togetherness, unity, peace and all-inclusiveness of the Ijaw people.
Senator Dickson has always being a believer and builder of the Ijaw nation, as a product and founding father of the Ijaw struggle from the days of the old Rivers State. He has being a voice of the Ijaw nation in the National Assembly, as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bayelsa State is regarded as the headquarters of the Ijaw nation, as the only State that is dominated by the Ijaws in Nigeria and beyond. There should be no segregation of any dialect, in bid to score a political point for personal political gains.
Politicians from Bayelsa East that are responsible for the sponsorship of the Core Ijaw and Non-Core propaganda against Senator Dickson and Governor Douye Diri, should stop forthwith. Bayelsans are one indivisible people as Ijaws, regardless of differential dialects.
The time for politics has come and gone, and it’s time for governance to bring the desired development, peace and stability to the state, irrespective of political party affiliation as one united and indivisible people.
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