The Madness In Bayelsa Is Outrageous

The return of Seriake Dickson for a second term in Bayelsa State was hailed as the lesser of two evils when compared with a possible return of the tainted Timpre Silva. I have been monitoring situations in Bayelsa State most especially the gigantic burial of late former first Governor of Bayelsa. This impulse me to triggers off my write up.

There was a gamut of celebrations as the mantra that Patience Jonathan had done it again by installing one of her cronies in Government House was seen as the panacea to all ills against the rampaging Northern party called APC.

Yes the South is for PDP and anyone else is a Trojan's. But as the dust settles many are left wondering if the state of Bayelsa has not been plunged into a state of anarchy as the madness in Bayelsa has reached a level that requires confinement in a psychiatric ward. The criminal silence of the PDP concerning the madness in Bayelsa is unbecoming and smells of a conspiracy to impoverish a state at the expense of building a war chest for the 2019 elections.

Or how else can one explain the inability of Bayelsa State to pay salaries for months despite the fact the state collects one of the largest allocations in Nigeria? Now the argument that Bayelsa State has a wage bill of 6.9 Billion with a population of 1.7 million against a wage bill of 6 billion and 18 million people in Lagos State, only exemplifies the madness in Bayelsa.

This is wage padding and prompts the question who are the unseen ghosts that are sucking Bayelsa dry? What is Dickson doing with the allocation of Bayelsa? Is he servicing his godmother or her husband? Is he paying huge deposits into the 2019 war chest, destined to drive away the faltering Buhari and APC from power? As the people of Bayelsa wallow in penury amidst riches.

Despite allocation, despite 13% derivation, despite collecting Federal Government bailout and despite Bank loans why is Bayelsa State still owing salaries and left in economic decay is the question no one wants to answer? Common sense senator is not displaying common sense for his silence is akin to a conspiracy to commit evil.

Charity begins at home hence if the man with common sense can't ask these crucial questions then he has less common sense than he advertises. And now various actors are spoiling for war in Bayelsa State. The three opposition members of APGA, Labour Party and African Democratic Congress have been deliberately excluded from the state house of Assembly by the PDP led house which has refused to swear them in despite numerous court orders advising so.

Now security reports have emerged of a potential violent clash of political heavy weights as these aggrieved Assembly men are plotting to storm and capture their mandate in a dawn coup d'etat. The madness of not swearing in these members who don't even belong to the dreaded "Northern" APC, the ultimate enemy, shows that Bayelsa is fast descending into anarchy where lawlessness and tyranny rules supremely. Dickson is indeed playing with fire.

Offering Medical workers one month salary in lieu of 10 months owed LG primary health care workers maybe the last straw that may break the camel's back as they have sworn to make the state ungovernable for the insult on their persons to collect a pittance despite the lavish amounts spent on a prodigal burial ceremony for a late Governor who looted the state in not a dissimilar manner is like taunting them to retaliate. The madness of Bayelsa needs urgent and speedy response or attention.

Why a people should live like paupers instead of princes is a crime against the sensibilities of a nation. Dickson and his godmother should end this show of shame lest the turbulent waters they have stirred may arise to consume them as well. A word is enough for the wise as well as change is inevitable. Usman Mohammed. Department of Mass Communication, IBB University, Lapai-Niger State. 07060815443