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| Dickson at the ceremony |
The
Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on Sunday took the Oath of
Office to begin his second tenure.
Dickson
and his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.), were inaugurated by the Chief
Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri, who also administered the oath of
office and that of allegiance on them.
The
ceremony was characterised by a solemn display of statehood by thousands of
politicians and residents from within and outside Bayelsa.
There
was a glamorous parade by no fewer than 110 officers and men of the Nigeria
Police Force.
Prominent
personalities that poured in at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa,
venue of the swearing in and thanksgiving service, included Governors Ayo
Fayose of Ekiti State; Ifeanyi Okowa of delta State; Nyesom Wike of Rivers
State; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; and Dakwambo Ibrahim of Gombe.
Other
notable politicians were former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio;
Acting Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Uche Secondus; Minority Leader,
House of Representatives, Leo Ogor; Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and Mr. Jimi
Agbaje, among others.
Foremost
musicians, like Timaya, Timi Dakoru, Terry Governor, among others, entertained
the guests with their melodious renditions.
In
his inaugural speech after the swearing in ceremony, Governor Seriake Dickson,
described the mandate as a support for the continuation of good governance in
the state.
Dickson
said he was not surprised that their electoral victory had spurred a rebirth of
the PDP and inspired a new sense of hope in Nigeria’s democracy.
He
said their experience in the last elections in Bayelsa showed that Nigerian
system was far from being perfect, noting that Nigerians must continually
commit themselves to work together to strengthen the internal processes of
political parties and improve the electoral system.
He
said, “Thankfully, this victory has helped to sustain the plurality of our
democracy and discountenance fears that Nigeria could slide towards a one-party
state. Let a thousand flowers bloom in our garden of democracy!
“In
my inaugural address four years ago, I pledged not to play politics with your
development. I also promised not to play politics with your security. I said so
because of the inescapable truth that development is not possible without
security.
“You
are all living witnesses that before we assumed the leadership of this state in
2012, insecurity and violence was so prevalent that our people lived in fear
while killings by state-supported cultists were a daily occurrence.
Consequently, several businesses closed shops or moved out as the atmosphere in
the state. The state was clearly not conducive for commerce or any development
to take place.
“Four
years down the road, you are witnesses to the enormous transformation that has
occurred in our security landscape. The return of night life, commerce, influx
of visitors, new residents and businesses as well as atmosphere of peace and
security that prevailed prior to the build-up to the last election, is eloquent
testimony to this fact.
“The
security strategy, architecture and infrastructure that we have put in place
are second to none in Nigeria. In the next four years, we shall consolidate and
expand on these by increasing our investment in security.”
He
condemned the violence allegedly visited on Bayelsans under the guise of
politics and elections, acknowledging the sacrifice of brothers and sisters who
were victims of the mindless bloodletting was uncalled for.
The
governor added, “Now that elections are over, we must strengthen the synergy
between citizens, the state government and security agencies to recapture the
peace and security that prevailed prior to the elections.
“Bayelsa
is the epicentre of the Niger Delta, critical to the security, stability and
economic prosperity of our country and the Gulf of Guinea region. Therefore,
our government remains committed to working with the Federal Government and
security agencies to secure our nation and its people.
“We
should work together to rout kidnappers, cultists and other criminals who
vandalize national economic assets. The imperative of this partnership
dictates, for instance, that no government official or functionary at state or
federal level should use their position to encourage or facilitate crime and
criminality under any guise.”
He
said a key focus of his administration in the next four years would be to
expand ongoing rural electrification schemes and build on massive investment in
power to drive industrialisation.
He
stressed that the government had already concluded a gas purchase agreement
with Shell to service the state’s energy hub.
Dickson
called on investors to come and make additional investment in power and take
advantage of the state’s rich natural gas endowment.
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