Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, rounded off his tour of communities across the South-South state in Nembe on Thursday, sending the entire Nembe town into a total lock-down as a large crowd of people made their presence felt during the campaign.
Traditional rulers, retinue of chiefs and people of Nembe communities including Ogbolmabiri, Bassambiri, Oluasiri, Okoroba and several others were seen in jubilant mood surging in droves to be part of a mega rally held in the ancient town.
“This is an unprecedented crowd never witnessed in the history of politics in Bayelsa State and an indication of a possible landslide at the election”, remarked the acting State PDP chairman, Chief Serena Dokuboh-Spiff, in his estimation of the crowd of party supporters and admirers at the rally.
Leading other prominent personalities from the area to receive the governor and members of his Restoration Campaign Organization were Senator Nimi Barigha Amange and Chief George Fente who said their support for Dickson was based on performance not sentiment.
They assured the governor of their 100 per cent loyalty, adding that nothing would make them to vote for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Timipre Sylva, despite his claim of indigeneship.
According to them, it was pay-back time for Sylva, who they accused of failing to address their concern to have a road linking their area to the state capital, Yenagoa, when he was the governor for five years.
They commended Dickson over the multi-billion naira Ogbia-Nembe road, now about 90 per cent ready, the newly commissioned Izon Ibe Micro Finance Bank and other developmental projects executed by his administration in the area and accordingly endorsed his re-election bid.
“Election into a position of trust is not about indigeneship but performance. If Governor Dickson could achieve so much in less than four years in office, endorsing his re-election bid is not out of place”, they said.
The ongoing Nembe road project by the Dickson administration, they noted, has reduced crime rate in the area and boosted commercial activities.
They also said that by the time the road is completed, it will create employment for the teeming youths noting the proximity of the area to the Brass Island where the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is located.
Other developmental projects in the area such as school infrastructure, the Nembe City Stadium and unprecedented political appointments for their sons and daughters, they said, recommended Dickson as a true lover of Nembe.
Responding, Dickson who was visibly overwhelmed with joy expressed gratitude to Nembe people for demonstrating a remarkable support for his administration and assured them of more dividends of democracy if re-elected.
At Oluasiri community, the governor promised to rebuild the market which was reportedly sacked in the wake of the disturbances that trailed the disputed ownership of the Soku oilfields.
The governor also used the opportunity to inaugurate the state owned Izon Ibe Micro Finance Bank, describing it as facilities aimed at driving the growth of Small and Medium Scale enterprises in the state.
