Bayelsa State Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson has tasked traditional rulers in the state to prevail on their subjects to take advantage of the extension of deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect their permanent voter cards.
Governor Dickson, who made the call at the weekend in continuation of the State Government’s ” Operation Show Your PVC” exercise in Yenagoa Local Government Area, particularly charged the Royal Fathers to engage the services of town criers to further sensitise the people on the importance of the cards.
He said the call has become imperative, in view of the State Government’s desire to achieve almost 100 per cent collection rate to enable the people exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections, which he noted, would be remarkably different from other elections ever conducted in the country.
The Governor, who visited Biseni, Okordia, Zarama, and Gbarain/Ekpetiama clans of Yenagoa, urged the people to disabuse their minds from apathy and believe in INEC, assuring them that, the elections will be devoid of thuggery and other electoral malpractices.
His words: ” We are embarking on this Operation Show Your PVC campaign to ensure that, every eligible Bayelsan that registered with INEC gets his or her PVC. You know our voting population is not as high as some other states, so we cannot afford to be indifferent about this issue. I know we all want our son and brother to be re-elected as the President of this great country. But, we cannot achieve that, if we fail to collect our PVCs, because that is the only instrument that will enable you to vote for him and the other candidates of our party, that we are sending to the house of assembly, representatives and even to the senate.
“For us in this state, it is PDP all the way. So, if anybody comes to tell you that he or she is contesting from another party just to win the election and thereafter will come back to the PDP, it is a lie. Don’t listen to such stories. Bayelsa is PDP, just as PDP is for Bayelsa.
“I therefore call on you our respected Royal Fathers to join us in this campaign by crying your communities to tell our people that this election will be different from others, because the issue of thugs running away with election materials for their political masters to manipulate will not be possible. In this election, it is going to be one man one vote, one woman one vote, one papa, one vote and even one mama one vote.”
Describing the visit as a meet- the-people tour, Governor Dickson, who was accompanied by his Deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Retd) and other ranking government functionaries, thanked the various clans for supporting him during and after his election, assuring them of the present administration’s commitment to providing more dividends of democracy within the limits of available resources.
During the visit, the overnor stopped over to fraternise with the staff and students of Community Secondary School, Agbobiri in Okordia at their annual inter-house sports competition, where he made a cash donation and encouraged those who are eligible to pick their PVCs.
While commending the head teacher, Rev Jude Okpo-Ine for organising the sports meet, he urged the students to put in their best, both in sports and academics with a view to becoming responsible citizens of the country.
Similarly, the visit turned out to be a blessing to the family of one Mr Preye Kenigua, who was celebrating his traditional marriage at Polaku-Gbarain as the Governor took advantage of the crowd to sensitise the people on the essence of the PVC and donated the sum of 500,000 naira to support the marriage.
In their separate speeches, the various clan heads, including the Ibenanaowei of Gbarain Kingdom, King Funpere Akah, Ibedaowei of Okordia, King Richard Seiba, The Acting Paramout Ruler of Ekpetiama, King Christian Otobotekere and their Zarama counterpart, King Ready Nionio, all lauded the Governor for his achievements in office and declared support for his administration.
At Biseni, the Ibedaowei, King Lawson Obireke, and his chiefs council specifcally thanked Governor Dickson for the assistance he gave to their people during the 2012 great flood and other government projects sited in the area.
They conferred the revered title of “Lafiowe” meaning the Prime Minister of Biseni on Hon Dickson and appealed to the State Government to provide electricity, a technical school and construct a road to directly link the area to the State to save them the cost of traveling through neighbouring Rivers State.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State