IS BAYELSA'S FORMER GOVERNOR, CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA GOD?

The political situation in Bayelsa, is that the former Governor of the State, Chief Timipre Sylva js believed to be the cause of everything that had happened to Bayelsa during his tenure of office and even now that he is not in office. The situation is so surprising that some seemingly responsible persons in the state often mention the name of Sylva where there was no evidence to believe he was the cause of what happened in their offices or families.

Pages of Newspapers almost on daily basis, come out with publications that must portray the former governor in a bad light. And anybody who had any issue with government in the state were attributed to being Sylva's men or women. Those who fail to be in the choral band of singing praises to high offices; but dare to raise their voices to offer suggestions to the Restoration administration were considered as opposition from Sylva.

From inception of the Dickson administration, during what the government calls transparency briefing, Sylva's name often  find  space either at the beginning of presentations, in the middle or at the end of it; especially in a derogatory way. His name must be mentioned on either  bank loans and or bond collected by the former governor, that were allegedly paid at source where the name Sylva must be mentioned emotionally and graphically presenting him like a prodigal person. They hardly talk about the Sylva administration, but just Sylva himself giving the impression that it was Sylva that did everything in Bayelsa State from the day he became governor to date.

When someone published information he had in the internet, in the publisher's Facebook, instead of addressing the matter in its own merit, the State government announced that it was Sylva's man that published. How Tonye Okio became Sylva's man presupposes that anyone who had dealings with him, the former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva,  becomes his own property or Sylva's person. This is glaringly absurd, and in fact, unimaginable.

The most recent Sylva news that was on the pages of Newspapers was that, Sylva was now in APC and was behind that party's move to have their state Secretariat opened in Yenagoa, the state capital. Because the Chairman of that party, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh was a former Special Adviser to the Sylva's administration, Sylva's name was quickly brought in to the scene to be abused and ridiculed.

The art work being done or being painted by some "artists" is that of making Sylva to look ugly and Dickson to look beautiful. Amongst all the former governors, none has been so persecuted like, Chief Sylva who was forced out of office by Politics, and hunted by privileged politicians in the corridors of power. The ridiculous aspect of it is that, the state government itself with its information management committee and avowed policy of stemming down rumors in the state, has been in the forefront of dishing out the Sylva has done this, Sylva has done that propaganda.

When the story of APC opening two secretariat came to public attention, the mystery of it was that, nobody actually knew who opened the office at the former PDP secretariat.  It was rather being speculated and of-course suspected that it must have been sponsored by some "midnight meetings political interest" or in other words "self seeking political investors" with clandestine motives to heat up the polity in the state, so as to discredit the incoming party, the APC in the state. And the name of  was also dragged in for mention as being behind one of the factions; especially, the Chief Perekeme Kpodoh led faction. 

Most Bayelsans have become disenchanted with the politics of name calling and character assassination against Chief Sylva, his name being dragged into the mud on matters he had no hands on. No day passes on without Chief Sylva been either reported in the pages of newspaper to have been responsible for one blameable event or the other that concerns Bayelsa in or outside the state. Pained by this situation, the former Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP}, in the State, Mr. Sunday Oputu has to come out to tell the world that Sylva was being falsely accused of what he does not know. Mr. Oputu's views was published in the Vanguard Newspaper of 21st January 2014, captioned; "Leave Sylva Out Of Bayelsa APC Crisis-ex-CNPP Chair" reads;

"Yenagoa-A former Chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties , CNPP, in Bayelsa state, Mr. Sunday Oputu , weekend described as false; claims that those involved in the leadership crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state have the mandate of the former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva."

"Frank Oputu a close friend of the former governor, said though those involved in the leadership tussle battle over the structure and leadership of the interim Committee of the APC served under the administration of Sylva, their actions and decisions to open parallel APC secretariat was a nullity as Sylva has not openly or officially applied for the membership of APC in the state" The Vanguard Reported. 

The truth is that Sunday Oputu is not the only one, displeased with those going about with the anti- Sylva propaganda in the state. What has been on since Sylva was forced out of office, almost every challenging situation was attributed to have been caused by him, when he was in office or even now. Anyone in government who fails to meet up certain challenges would say it was Sylva that caused his/her inability to meet that challenge.

The way things are happening, is like the former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva is GOD who has the power to make things happen without being there. For instance a man dried his clothes outside and if the rain comes suddenly upon it, then instead of talking about the rain, he says, it was Sylva that caused it. A careless woman may leave her pot of soup on fire and if it got burnt, then instead of her blaming her carelessness, she turns to say must have been Sylva that caused her to forget her pot. If a politician fails to be popular then instead of talking about his/ unpopularity, he goes on to blame Sylva as the cause of his unpopularity. This is the position of our state and the Sylva stories.

Then this question becomes relevant or most appropriate: IS THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF BAYELSA STATE, CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA GOD?