By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
The Okaka stretch of the ever busy Isaac Boro expressway in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital was Monday shutdown to traffic as Hon Dickson Seriake, a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant formally declared his ambition to oust the incumbent governor, Chief Timipre Sylva from office.

Thousands of supporters spotting Seriake Dickson T-shirt thronged the venue of the declaration which also his campaign office as early as 9am and waited under the scorching until about 12 mid day when the event proper took off.

Security was beefed up in the area as men of the anti bomb squad were sighted in the early hours of the day combing the arena.

Hon Seriake Dickson declares formally for Bayelsa PDP guber in Yenagoa

Speaking at the occasion, the Hon Seriake Dickson, accompanied by the King Amalate Johnny Turner, former chairman of the PDP in the state Fred Agbedi and some close associates of President Goodluck Jonathan, said he was offering himself to help restore the lost glory of the state in accordance with its founding principles as the ‘Jerusalem’ of the entire Ijaw ethnic nationality.

He said, “Today, I publicly affirm to you all, my determination to reconcile all our people, to rally our people together and to lay the foundation for a Bayelsa of our dreams.

“Two weeks ago, I sent a letter to you my elders, leaders, women and youths of Bayelsa, of my intention to enter the gubernatorial race to salvage our dear state from the grip of anarchy, insecurity, bad governance, and reckless abuse of state power and resources without a corresponding sense of honour, responsibility and compassion. In that letter, I set out general principles that would form the basis upon which development would rest,” he said.

The governorship aspirants who said all through his life had been that of service recalled how at the age of 19 in 1986, while his contemporaries were still enjoying the cosy comfort of their family homes he joined the Nigeria Police as a constable and learnt about service to the country and fought crime and criminality.

“Thirty years on, I am still in the trenches fighting against crime and criminality, upholding the rights of the downtrodden and standing for our people; standing against bad governance and oppression of our people,” he added amidst deafening ovation.

Continuing he said, “you all are aware that in 2007, when the present administration in state was elected into power, we were all full of hopes that the dreams and aspirations of our people would be met and that foundations our development which previous administrations laid, would be sustained and consolidated.”

Describing the Timipre Sylva led administration as failure that has mortgaged the future of the state with a huge debt profile, he said, “the present administration has failed in spite of the improved statutory revenue which as accrued to the state. The government has failed in spite of the historic opportunities that exist now for synergy between the state and federal government at this point in time. We have squandered unique opportunities. We have wasted five years.”

Stressing that the state cannot afford another four years of wastage, he said, “as a result of the these failures and following wide consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, opinion leaders, women and youth groups, I have heeded the call of well meaning Bayelsans and the entire Ijaw nation from far and wide to restore glory to our Gloryland. To do this, we have set up a formidable campaign organisation appropriately called Restoration 2012 with the theme “Our Bayelsa Future.”

The PDP governorship aspirant who promised to take his campaign to all the nooks and crannies of the state to actualise his dream assured that if he would unfold a pragmatic paradigm shift in the governance culture through which the development of the would be anchored.

He also promised to wage war against corruption which he described as the bane of Bayelsa development. “our government will be transparent and accountable to you the people, you will be informed about revenues accruing to the state and expenditures. Values and high ethical standards of governance will be established to create and maintain enduring institutions to ensure that the development of the state is irreversible.”

The state educational sector he assured would be overhauled while the abandoned school for gifted children would be completed and put to use.

He called on the army of supporters to observe a minute of silence for late Freddy Ockiya and all those who were murdered by the Operation Famou Tangbe, which he described as a terror squad set up by the present government to silence perceived opponents.