FALLOUT OF 1, 200 HECTARES OF LAND TO FULANI HERDESME: IJAW PEOPLES RIGHT CAMPAIGNER/ACTIVIST, OTHERS MANHANDLED IN BAYELSA

Tuesday 14th of February, the day celebrated all over the world as Valentine's Day, this year added two other great events to it's celebration. One was the celebration of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson's 5th year in office and first year of 2nd tenure in office.
The other equally serious event was not a festivity, but a protest mounted by Ijaw leaders across the Niger Delta for Governor Dickson to rescind his decision on the vexed and controversial issue of allocation of 1, 200 hectares of land to Fulani herdesmen for grazing in the Bagels Palm area.

Ankio Briggs
Ijaw Peoples Rights Campaigner/Activist

It was  quiet in the morning, as the hand of the clock moved on to about 8.am, people started entering the Isaac Boro Peace Park in droves for Governor Dickson's celebration, but within the next one hour, precisely 9.am at the Tombia junction of the fledgling state capital Yenagoa, the protest began.
It was a peaceful protest led by the Kalabari born daughter of Abonema, Ijaw Peoples Rights Campaigner/Activist, Ankio Briggs who arrived the Tombia junction with other Ijaw colleagues to press home their demand on the controversial allocation of Ijaw land to the Fulani cattle men who they believe has a track record of killing and destruction of their host communities.
Ankio Briggs, accompanied by the National president of Jaw Peoples Initiative IPDI, National Security Watch Organization of Nigeria NSWON, Messrs Austin Ozobo and Dickson Bederemo, others include Comrade Harrison Kpikpi, Ojugo Christy, Preye Dressman and others.
According to information the protesters were 'attacked by some hoodlums' led by a former militant leader. It was when Ankio Briggs started to address the Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O) in the area when the attackers came and pounced on them, and wounded many.
After the attack, Ankio Briggs who had an interview with the Vanguard stated that the attackers seem to have official backing.Hear this:
The Police know them. They ripped my identify from my body forcefully, took my phone and manhandled me. The attacked and wounded many of us " she graphically explained.
The President of Ijaw Peoples Initiative, Comrade Austin Ozobo has this to say:
It was sad and disgusting, when thugs, police, army and Civil Defence Corps manhandled protesters..."
The group widely condemned the governor of Bayelsa State for battering his fellow Ijaw people for embarking on a peaceful protest against a terrible decision taken by his administration, against the allocation of 1, 200 hectares of  land to Fulani herdsmem.
According to media reports:
"When Vanguard visited the area, battle ready security operatives backed by seven patrol vans, a military armoured personnel carrier were sighted at the Idepie roundabout also known as Tombia roundabout."
when Golden Pen contacted the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite and the Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso Markson on line, there was no response.

COUNT DOWN TO DICKSON 1ST YEAR IN 2ND TERM IN OFFICE

Monday 13th of February 2017, the governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson announced that he was going to address the Nigerian Press to highlight some of his achievements and also to field questions so as to identify areas of cross fertilization of ideas to better inform the masses of especially, the people of the state, of the nation and of the world.
But as a big surprise to media practitioners in the state, Mr. Dickson decidedly hijacked the so called media briefing, narrowed it to a mere radio and television interactive session with surrogates in another closed door meeting that prevented journalists in the state to participate in what he called media briefing, that is their right to attend and to inform the masses.
However, here are some few questions for the governor, Mr. Dickson to answer:
1. What is it that monumental achievement you have made that is what celebrating in this 5th year of your administration?

archival 5 star hotel

2.Your Excellency, just to remind you, when you took the oath of office as governor of Bayelsa, side by side with the deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (Rtd) at the Isaac Boro Peace Park in the State capital Yenagoa on the 14th of February, 2012. In your maiden address, Your Excellency, I can remember  vividly that you declared free and compulsory Education at all levels, have you achieved that?
3. Your Excellency, there are countless reports about sorry state of schools, whereby teachers leave classrooms over none payment of salaries for many months thus subjecting the Bayelsan child to stay at home or roam about in their environment. As if that was too little your administration had suffocated the only State own University, the Niger Delta University, by denial of funds for both salaries and overhead cost. Thus had your,so called, restoration government forced the University to close down again and again, is that an achievement?
4. Is it water supply or power, you want to tell Bayelsans about your achievement? Your Excellency, for water supply you cannot tell the people more than what they already know that it is so bad that, water vendors are the ones supplying water to the state secretariat.

Melford Okilo Memorial Hospital 

On power supply, your campaign promise was to power the entire state through gas turbines and sell surplus to neighboring states, have you done that, Your Excellency?
5. When you came with the mantra of Restoration, that of bringing back the lost glory of Bayelsa, the average thinkers especially the civil servants reasoned that a messiah had come and they were full of hope, now they and the pensioners are all crying together for non payments. Your Excellency, how many months salaries are you owing the civil servants and how many months are you owing the pensioners?
Your Excellency, it is a matter of fact that  government is a continue, which means that a succeeding government begins to build from where the former stops and that's why assets and liabilities are inheritance of governments. But when you came on board and inherited assets and liabilities of the state, you paid attention to only the assets but to the liabilities owed Bayelsans you pay no attention, all you claim to have done is that you settled some liabilities outside. Why not also settle the liabilities of Bayelsans, are Bayelsans your enemies?
Bayelsa is the glory of all Lands, that has the same or similar meaning with being called Holy land, like Israel. Though the first civilian governor, Chief D.S.P Alamieyeseigha of blessed memory tried in that light, built the Glory Land Church in government house, sponsored Church buildings in communities, sponsored Christian and Muslim pilgrimages. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Timipre Sylvain followed in putting God first by sponsoring pilgrimages, but your government even say NO! to that, why?