FORMER Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the peaceful conduct of the election of the members of the National Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at yesterday’s national convention of the party.
In congratulating all the newly-elected executive members of the party, Atiku implored them to quickly move to heal whatever wounds that may have been inflicted on fellow party members by some of the bruising contests through which they emerged.
He restated his earlier commitment to working with whoever emerged as leaders as a committed and loyal party member.
Meanwhile, an alleged gang-up against the governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, both the serving senators and members of the House of Representatives from the state were absent from yesterday’s national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The lawmakers did not attend the state congress, which held at the Peace Park in Yenogoa two weeks ago. The affected senators are Heineken Lokpobiri, Clever Ikisikpo and Emmanuel Paulker. Secretary General of a body known as the Bayelsa Integrity and Renaissance Group, Mr. Priye Richards, who spoke to newsmen yesterday attributed the ‘gang-up’ to the new government’s policy on resource allocation. The Governor’s policy on “ fresh paradigm shift on policy and resource allocation,” was said to have caused the lawmakers’ absence Since Dickson became governor, he has told everybody that the era of cheap money, whereby huge money is shared among politicians at the expense of the state is gone.
“He campaigned on this issue, saying no more unearned income and he has kept his words, but the entrenched politicians are not happy and they are expressing that as we witnessed here in Abuja today,” Richard said.
He alleged that it was such approach to governance that had stalled development in Bayelsa State, adding that through his frugal spending Governor Dickson has so far saved over N10b in two dedicated accounts earmarked for development purposes. The group further said that the attitude of the lawmakers was not in the best interest of the state.
