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Dr, Goodluck Jonathan |
But as soon as the comments were made by the governor, the news went virile as people from all works of life began to comment on the strange outing of the man who the whole nation and the world knew and trusted as Dr. Jonathan's number one supporter, being the governor of his home state, Bayelsa. The worry over it is that the comment had caused the political class in Bayelsa and beyond a big surprise in view of the fact that Dickson was a political son to Jonathan until this controversial statement was made,
The governor of Rivers State Nyesome Wike, who regard Dr. Jonathan as a father to the people of the Niger Delta and the South/ South in particular and one of the fathers of the Nigerian nation, being a former president and leader of the largest party in Africa, the PDP for six years, and still the father figure of that party as taken by surprise.
In his reaction, Barrister Wike who had the former president, Dr. Jonathan in his State, Rivers, for commissioning of projects remarked that whoever made such a statement that the former president's six years in office at the presidency was a waste, needed urgent medical attention.
In a related development, a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani Kayode also spoke in the same vein, describing the statement as untrue.
But while the thunders and brimstones were raining upon the governor from various quarters, as reactions to the costly statement, the governor's camp came out with double positions:-
1. With a denial that the governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Dickson did not make such a statement at all, a statement that berated the former president. Infact, in that statement, the Dickson camp spoke about an inseparable relationship between "the two leaders", which means himself (Dickson) and the former president, (Dr. Jonathan) had no issue separating them.
2. After that, Dickson came up with yet another statement, asserting that he had no regrets whatsoever saying that the "six years of Dr. Jonathan at the presidency was a waste..." The governor who displayed an usual courage clearly said that he stands by his statement.
These two positions by Mr. Dickson had created a deeper controversy, too deep for the masses to read the hand writing on the wall, as to who blinks first between the camps of Dickson and Jonathan; especially various Ijaw groups have their slots lashing at the governor, while calling on him to give account of the stewardship of his administration.
Ebi Dressman on his facebook account calls, "Gov. Dickson a monumental disgrace to modern leadership. Record fro FAAC has shown that during Goodluck Jonathan presidency the state state share of statutory allocation, excess crude account, and the 13% derivation was one of the highest in the whole of the federation. If Bayelsa can receive #25billion as allocation for just one month and the state wage bill for one month stood at #6billion, if you minus #6bilion from #25billion, you will be left with #19billion. The question now is, where is the remaining #19billion..."he queried!
A pan Ijaw group "THE MOVEMENT FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF IJAW PEOPLE" in their reaction stated in a press statement issued and signed by Mr. Tonbra Ebitimi as National leader for the sustainability of Ijaw people 'described Dickson as overtly too ambitious, "a lesser star" who disparages the former president while pretending to love..."
"The statement said: "we believe that only a stone hearted traitor will move against a man who regularly comes to his rescue in times of danger."
There are strong indications that the development had created an atmosphere for contention between political and other divides, which may translate to circumstances of unimaginable consequences if not nipped in the bud.
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