Bayelsa Governo, Seriake Dickson has just finished the first leg of his community to community tour as part of his campaign for the governorship election slated for December 5.

He was well received by most of the communities as they showed up in thousands to hear him speak.

On Thursday, at Ogbia local government area, Governor Dickson answered a few questions from journalists.

Here are 5 things we grasped from the interview

1. Dickson has changed Bayelsan Politics to ‘mature politics’?

Governor Dickson when asked why he decided to embark on a community to community tour, declared that the decision was informed by his drive to change the way politics was played in the state.

“Part of what I am doing and have been doing is to quietly in my own way change the way politics is played in this state. The level of maturity and tolerance I have brought to bear on the politics is such that you see the opposition campaigning against me as vigorously as I am also campaigning. That is happening for the first time”.

Now that’s a first.

 

2. Bayelsans are sleeping!

The governor thinks that the Bayelsan elites are not doing enough to foster progress in the interest of the state. Speaking on the ministerial allocation, he said:

“From the ministerial position they gave you can see how thy rate Bayelsa. From a state that lost the Presidency, where our only permanent secretary has been removed, only God knows what happens next. Our highest customs officers retired. They say we got minister for State for Agriculture I say no it is assistant minister, in effect it is minister without portfolio.

“The truth is that Bayelsans must wake up” the elites must learn to put the people’s collective interest ahead of their own selfish interests”.

 Somebody ring the alarm.

 

3. Dickson is not a man of violence unlike Sylva.

Earlier before the campaign tour the governor had signed a peace treaty with other contesting parties and when asked why, he said:

“I signed because that was the right thing to do. My campaign is about peace, development and prosperity. You hear me ask people to accord Sylva the respect that is due him. I am not a man of violence unlike those who are merchants of violence and cultism.

“I believe that a political leader and anyone aspiring to lead people must show example and our society can only develop when you have peace. We have been able to achieve so much because of the prevailing peace and we want it to get better”.

 

4. Bayelsan kids now ‘know book’

Governor Dickson also had a lot to say about his achievements in the educational sector.

“All we are doing is to consolidate so that by God’s grace those boarding schools will start by January and I cannot wait to see these children that I saw in all the communities wearing smart clean uniforms provided by the Restoration Government, with books supplied. Our children are bright and because of the investments we have ij education they can compete with their mates elsewhere.

“That is why I am not surprised that our education rating has gone up from 28 in the national chart to 4^th in WAEC results. If we achieve this within this short period then imagine what will happen when I consolidate with all these 25 constituency schools coming on stream”.

 

 

5. Bayelsans have short memory

Governor Dickson wants his people to remember when his opponent Chief Timipre Sylva was governor, but it seems Bayelsan’s have short memory. Too bad.

“When the APC’s Chief Timipre Sylva was governor, you saw what he did. When he was here as governor, anybody who wanted to campaign against him will be attacked. One of his supporters, Chief Rufus Abadi, knows what happened to him in his house at Otuan but some of our people have short memories. I want to challenge my opponent Sylva to do same and sleep in the communities as I am doing, instead of bragging about federal force.

“No one knows him at the Federal level other than he was used to unseat his brother. Let him go to our communities and relate with them freely as I am doing”.