Ahead of the governorship election scheduled to take place in Bayelsa state in less than thirty days’ time, the state governor, Seriake Dickson, has reprimanded his major contender in the December 5 poll, Timipre Sylva, over what he called propaganda and unnecessary blackmail in his campaigns.
The governor’s comment was in reaction to the statement Sylva, the All Progressives Congress candidate, made when he asked Dickson to begin to pack his belongings and get ready to quit the government house.
Sylva in his statement described Governor Dickson’s policies and programmes as “anti-people, wicked and painful.”
According to The Punch, the former governor spoke through his campaign outfit, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, in a statement signed by the director of media and publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, saying that Dickson had deliberately impoverished the people of the state.
Sylva had said: “It will be recalled that Governor Dickson had boasted that none of his appointees, particularly the commissioners and special advisers, would become millionaires in his government.”
He accused the Bayelsa governor of introducing policies that crippled the economic activities of the people of the state so as to ensure that there would be nobody financially strong enough to challenge him in the forthcoming election.
Sylva had further alleged that the civil servants in the state were worst off as the Dickson administration introduced multiple taxations to short-change them and take a part of their “meagre salaries” through the backdoor in order to keep them in perpetual poverty.
But Governor Dickson who is the Peoples Democratic Party candidate through Daniel Iworiso-Markson, his chief press Secretary, reminded the former governor that propaganda never won elections.
Dickson said: “Propaganda and blackmail do not win elections. Timipre Sylva and his small group of supporters thrive in propaganda, engaging in outright lies and blackmail but unfortunately, they have failed.
“It is clear that propaganda does not win elections. We urge him to go from community to community as I am doing to meet with the people and campaign on issues. Bayelsa people cannot be deceived or swayed by your blackmail, cheap lies and propaganda.”
He queried: “What is draconian about free and compulsory education for children? Or is there anything draconian about the scholarship programme for the youths of Bayesla? Dickson’s government did not introduce new taxes to the people of Bayelsa.”
Meanwhile, the PDP has insisted in a communique released after its national conference that it will not accept any result that does not reflect the wishes of the people in the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa elections.
Source: Naij.com
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